Been there, done that?

**Midas** · 02-09-2010, 04:34 PM

Whilst things are a little slow on the political front, something a bit more social......

I've noticed that quite a number of members here have done a fair bit of globe-trotting, either living in different countries, serving in them as a member of the armed forces, or being just a plain tourist. Being nosey, I was wondering whether anyone - whether you've left your own country or not - has got any favourite places they've visited, anything special they've done, or has any particular experiences relating to where they've stayed (keep it clean, we've all had those!) which they might like to share.

To start, some of my own favourite places and experiences. In no particular order:

Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Seeing the Iguaçu Falls in Brazil in full flood
Swimming with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean
Going to the top of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia
Walking through the athlete's entrance tunnel and standing on the original stone start line in the ruins of ancient Olympia in Greece
Climbing Ayers Rock (Uluru) in the centre of Australia
Hot air ballooning over the Kruger National Park in South Africa
Seeing the Egyptian pyramids at sunrise
My first solo flight piloting a light aircraft
Standing on top of the Berlin Wall before it was pulled down, under the very watchful eyes of East German border guards
Doing absolutely nothing all day long on a white sandy beach in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean
Seeing 30,000 year old Aboriginal rock art in the outback of the Northern Territories of Australia
Touching 150mph in a Porsche Turbo on the Mountain Road section of the Isle of Man TT course
Watching the sunrise drive the morning mist away from the top of the rainforest canopy, in both Brazil and northern Queensland
Seeing the Taj Mahal at Agra in India
Going through thick pack ice on board a ship out of St. Petersburg in Russia
Watching tornadoes in Oklahoma in the USA
Seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xian in China
Opening my hotel room curtains in the morning after a night arrival, to the panorama of the snow-capped Himalayas in northern India
4 x 4 driving across the dunes in the massive sandy deserts of Oman and the UAE
Sitting drinking rum at sunset at an archetypal beach bar on Mayreau Island in the Caribbean......

So, anyone else got a list of favourite places and things, even ones from just within your own country? Don't let the fact I've been around a bit put you off contributing, places and experiences close to home can mean just as much to many people.

**TheMixer** · 03-09-2010, 04:14 PM

I hate all that kinda stuff. I can honestly say I'd rather go to the local town library...the librarian's the love of my life y'see.

**flash** · 03-09-2010, 06:30 PM

I have traveled quite a bit. When I was young my family vacationed in Europe almost ever year. By the time I completed high school I was pretty well bored with Europe.

In the Army I went back to Europe and then off to SE Asia. While in Vietnam I visited several countries in the region including R&R in Australia a couple of times.

As an Engineer I was fairly well traveled for business. I visited the Soviet Union when it was the Soviet Union. Back to Europe several times on business. The Far East a few times. I got to visit South America. I liked Brazil.

Even though I was bored with Europe at an early age my wife wanted to travel so we went there on vacation several times over the years. Once you see one dilapidated castle or library with plundered stuff in it you have seen them all. I have been to Central America to do charity work.

I am at the point in my life where I could care less about traveling. Everything worth having and seeing is in Polk County Florida. I spent most of July in the great Northwest (Washington State) doing a consulting job but was glad to get back home.

I tell my sons that the rest of the world pretty well sucks. There are a couple of places like Europe and maybe Australia that would be acceptable to live for a short period of time but there is no place like home. My younger son found out that Iraq sucks.

**Streetwalker** · 03-09-2010, 08:50 PM

Played golf at all the Open venues. (Murfield was the best!)
Canoeing with Orcas (Vancouver Island)
World cups, Italy ,Mexico Spain .Japan.
Walked the Rockies alone for a month (diddnt see another person at one point for 18 days)
Saved a family from a house fire
Went under a Jackknifing articulated Lorry on the M4 when approaching pile up on motorbike (Not a scratch! )
Married the most beutifull girl in the world (shame we all get older,and bigger!)
and my favourite.
Seeing Mums face on the occasion of her 70th when I took her to Epsom races and she realised I had sponsered the 2nd race in her name.

**JacquesMagique** · 03-09-2010, 11:45 PM

The view from the Sacre Coeur in Paris.
Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna.
Watching the sunrise from the stone circle at Glastonbury.
Olomouc, a fairly small city in the Czech Republic well off the tourist trail where barely anyone speaks English.
Little Vathi in Greece, amazing seafood.
Dune 45 and Etosha National Park in Namibia.
Berlin, basically the whole city especially Kreuzberg.
Eating clam chowder out of a sour dough bread bowl on pier 39 in San Francisco.

**JacquesMagique** · 03-09-2010, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Streetwalker

Walked the Rockies alone for a month (diddnt see another person at one point for 18 days)

Sounds a bit like Into The Wild (but you didn't die..)

**Streetwalker** · 04-09-2010, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by JacquesMagique

Sounds a bit like Into The Wild (but you didn't die..)

Not quite so Grizzly Adams as it sounds. Planned route, check in points ect. Not realy going it alone but close enough.

**Streetwalker** · 04-09-2010, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by flash

I have traveled quite a bit. When I was young my family vacationed in Europe almost ever year. By the time I completed high school I was pretty well bored with Europe.

In Defence of my home City

When your tired of London your tired of life,for there is in London all that life can afford

Samual Johnson