Far flung and/or remote globe trotters

[956 Worldwide 34772]

A couple other things— make sure you’re checking the handy color-coded travel advisory system that State puts out: 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Anything past level two should really give you pause. Personally, unless you have friends and local connections, there is no reason to go to a level 3 area. Find something similar that’s safer. 
 

Level 4 is not for you. Unless you’re dropping ordnance, have your own security, or are said security— it’s not for you. Yes, people go there. Most are fine. But shit gets turned to 11 when it goes sideways. You don’t need these places in your life. 
 

Once you’re going beyond the friendly confines of Europe and a few other places, visas are a reality. Do check before you try to board a plane. There’s levels of difficulty to this stuff. Level one is visa on arrival, level 2 you have to a form online, and then at level three you’re mailing passports ahead of time or maybe even appearing in person. I find that the more difficult places also do shit like misprint your visa. Check before you go and do not think that you can fix it on the ground.

Bribes— I don’t do it. Ever. I’m not saying you should take that tack, but do be advised that very rarely do the local ok-po want the headache of locking up an American for no good reason. We tend to cave too quickly. You can get a long way with a lot of stubbornness, and by making them believe you’re willing to go talk to the judge/go downtown/pay the ticket. Go ahead and ask for the paperwork: they usually don’t want to give it to you. Please note this applies to countries that are NOT “do not travel.” 
 

No shame in tours, if you have the money. This is a way to sidestep bribes and often visas. My own advice is to leave the backpacker/do it yourself touring to the nice places you can travel visa free. Very few of us are equipped to plan our own trip across the hinterlands of Central Asia. You’ll probably be fine, but you just won’t have as good of a time as if you let the pros grease the rails for you. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Only once in Brazil did I think I was going to have to bribe a cop (molhar a mão). My wife forgot some documents at a hotel and we were crossing state lines. He made us sweat it out a bit. Then I went to talk to him man to man…and I went the misogynistic route, talking shit about how women always fuck shit up like this. Either he liked the cut of my jib, or realized I most likely wouldn’t pay him, and he let us on our way.

[Brisketexan 105336]

14 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

A couple other things— make sure you’re checking the handy color-coded travel advisory system that State puts out: 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Anything past level two should really give you pause. Personally, unless you have friends and local connections, there is no reason to go to a level 3 area. Find something similar that’s safer. 
 

Level 4 is not for you. Unless you’re dropping ordnance, have your own security, or are said security— it’s not for you. Yes, people go there. Most are fine. But shit gets turned to 11 when it goes sideways. You don’t need these places in your life. 

[CycleTex87 2981]

5 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I feel like there's so much to dig into just within the United States that it's hard for me to justify the time and expense to travel further, although I would find it absolutely fascinating.

The diversity in this country from a geographic standpoint, flora and fauna standpoint, and cultural standpoint is wild.  Maine and Arizona feel like completely different worlds.

I've traveled a good bit both domestically and abroad, and no offense, but one place in the US is more like any other place in the US, than any place abroad.  Of course there are some great places to go in the US I haven't been, but the thrill to me for traveling is to go somewhere alien to US culture.  I get enough US culture every day of my life.

[Ghost of LL 15539]

49 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

A couple other things— make sure you’re checking the handy color-coded travel advisory system that State puts out: 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Anything past level two should really give you pause. Personally, unless you have friends and local connections, there is no reason to go to a level 3 area. Find something similar that’s safer. 
 

Level 4 is not for you. Unless you’re dropping ordnance, have your own security, or are said security— it’s not for you. Yes, people go there. Most are fine. But shit gets turned to 11 when it goes sideways. You don’t need these places in your life. 
 

That Level 3 is a real grab-bag, isn't it?  You've got everything from Hong Kong (which I think is pretty safe so long as you (1) aren't related to a Chinese dissident, and (2) don't say anything negative about the PRC) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (which . . . no, I mean absolutely fucking not).

To be clear--I'm not going to either Hong Kong or the DRC any time soon.  But those two pretty damned different when it comes to safety for the average American tourist.

[CycleTex87 2981]

Yes, that's weird.  I wouldn't think twice about going to Hong Kong, and wouldn't really consider doing anything special about security.  DRC, agree.  I don't know how many armed escorts you would need to feel safe.

[midtown 3348]

1 hour ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Anything past level two should really give you pause. Personally, unless you have friends and local connections, there is no reason to go to a level 3 area. Find something similar that’s safer. 

Lots of countries on the level 3 that do not give me pause.  Level 4 yes.  Btw Chicago should be level 5 but I took my kids their last year.   The problem with those travel warnings is that they are general for the entire country and not granular. There are simply some regions and towns that you would have no reason to go to and in most touristy areas security and police is pretty beefy. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by midtown

[Ghost of LL 15539]

35 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

Yes, that's weird.  I wouldn't think twice about going to Hong Kong, and wouldn't really consider doing anything special about security.  DRC, agree.  I don't know how many armed escorts you would need to feel safe.

Hong Kong is that way because if you're related to a Chinese dissident, they'll absolutely snatch you and hold you until your relative returns to face "justice."  So if your dad was at Tiananmen Square and fled to Los Angeles, I think I'd definitely skip Hong Kong.

And if you've written a bunch of shit critical of the PRC, they'll snatch you and give you a real rough time.  And don't even think about posting shit on Twitter while you're there talking about how the PRC is killing Hong Kong.  

But for the average tourist who is going to go to Hong Kong, eat some food, take a ride on the Star Ferry, and hike up to the Peak (and post pictures of it all on Surly), you're unlikely to encounter any difficulty.

14 minutes ago, midtown said:

Lots of countries on the level 3 that do not give me pause.  Level 4 yes.  Btw Chicago should be level 5 but I took my kids their last year.   The problem with those travel warnings is that they are general for the entire country and not granular. There are simply some regions and towns that you would have no reason to go to and in most touristy areas security and police is pretty beefy. 

And I think that's the real indicator of how dangerous America really is.  

I've been to several of those Level 3 countries.  And I exercise exactly the same amount of caution I exercise in most of America, which is to say "extra."  You have your head on a swivel, you're aware of the people around you, and you don't go around places that seem sketchy (because they are).

You don't realize how attuned you are as an American to threats until they're gone.  In Japan a couple weeks ago, Mrs.LL and I were running around the Shimbashi neighborhood around 11:00 PM eating and drinking.  We started to make our way back to our hotel, and I started to lead us through a reasonably dark passageway underneath the train tracks.  Now, in New York or Chicago, this kind of passageway would be an absolute no-go, and Mrs.LL grabbed my arm and said "Uh, no."  I said "we're in Tokyo--c'mon."  We went through, and . . . it took us about an hour to get to the other side because there was a cool 8-seat bar halfway through the passageway with a bartender who wanted to teach me all about shochu.

It's really kind of a sad commentary on America.  We live in a minor state of terror at all times.  And we're so acclimated to it, we don't even notice.

[conVINCEd 21469]

47 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

Yes, that's weird.  I wouldn't think twice about going to Hong Kong, and wouldn't really consider doing anything special about security.  DRC, agree.  I don't know how many armed escorts you would need to feel safe.

From the time I looked into it, it looked like they gave you 1 guy with an AK per truck (6-8 people).  We ended up going in a different, safer direction, but that volcano on the border with Rwanda tempted me enough to do a little research.

[tx 3 putt 77427]

2 hours ago, DaysOff said:

Plan to hit all 7 continents before I kick it. We've got a long way to go, but we'll be empty nesters by fall once the accident baby leaves.

NA

SA

Europe 

 

[CycleTex87 2981]

8 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

From the time I looked into it, it looked like they gave you 1 guy with an AK per truck (6-8 people).  We ended up going in a different, safer direction, but that volcano on the border with Rwanda tempted me enough to do a little research.

One dude in the truck with an AK isn’t enough. Don’t ask me how I know. 

[52-80 19246]

I grew up a poor kid with a big case of the wanderlust and, based on some blogs and such, became obsessed with visit the levant/ancient middle east. Theyre supposed to be ultra hospitable (from Bedouin culture) and totally contrary to popular belief in the West. 

The plan was to do that after leaving college. Turns out, the summer of graduation, Israel bombed the fuck out of Lebanon and those plans got kiboshed. 

Never did that in the end. Covid, new job, and new kid, happened almost simultaneously, and put a hard stop to my work and leisure traveling. Luckily before that, I had seen damn near everything else. 

Now im just excited for the kid to get a bit older and share all these places with him. 

Only thing remaining on the bucket list is Iran, and that Levant trip. 
 

BTW worst 2 places ever? Cairo, and Manilla. By far. Worse than Dante’s 10th circle of hell. 

[midtown 3348]

What we really need is a pinned post with links to the thread for each different countries/regions as a travel guide vs having to search.   The amount of travel knowledge and experience on surly is pretty deep

[Ghost of LL 15539]

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

BTW worst 2 places ever? Cairo, and Manilla. By far. Worse than Dante’s 10th circle of hell. 

Wow--you didn't like Cairo?  That's really surprising to me.  Mrs.LL and I loved it.

Now, as I said before, it may be because we stayed at the Four Seasons.  So we had our little sanctuary to go back to at the end of the day.  And I think there's something to that in a place like Cairo, which is wholly alien and not . . . shall we say diplomatically . . . consistent with our Western standards for cleanliness and hygiene.  

But we had a fucking blast.  Where else are you going to see things all around you that are 4,500 years old?  Where else can you glide along the river in exactly the same way people did thousands of years ago?

And then there's the shopping.  And I'm not a big shopping guy.  But the bazaar is amazing.  You can get any spice imaginable (and plenty of others you could never imagine).  And the shopping for various Egyptian things.  

Ok--so for those who watched John Oliver and are going to scold about looting antiquities, please just keep scrolling.  But yeah--there are dealers who will sell you legitimate Egyptian antiquities.  If you're staying at the Four Seasons, you ask the concierge where to go and have him call ahead for you.  Then the shopkeeper will take you to a back room, where they have all the really good stuff.  You want a Middle Kingdom wooden tomb model of a river boat?  Yeah--they got that.  And it can be yours for not nearly as much as you think.  I didn't buy anything--for one thing, clearing Customs with that kind of thing can be a challenge--but it was still very interesting to see.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Anyone ever been to Easter Island? I believe most consider it to be the most remote island. Would be pretty awesome to see those stone heads.

[52-80 19246]

3 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Wow--you didn't like Cairo?  That's really surprising to me.  Mrs.LL and I loved it.

Now, as I said before, it may be because we stayed at the Four Seasons.  So we had our little sanctuary to go back to at the end of the day.  And I think there's something to that in a place like Cairo, which is wholly alien and not . . . shall we say diplomatically . . . consistent with our Western standards for cleanliness and hygiene.  

Plenty of places in Asia that is equally dirty and poor but the people have more decorum.

The Egyptian Museum had nice content, but its exterior was wrapped in barbed wire, and just 20 meters from the ticket office and lots of armed police, there were no fewer than 5 people accost me offering tickets and tours. Brother I can toss a football to the sales booth, why would I buy one from you?  

Id never been seen so many brazen lies and attempts at scams….but Manila came close. e.g. taxis running poor routes and accelerated meters. Even the taxi hailed by (what was then) the Hyatt, ran its meter, and dropped me off at an unlit portion of the airport road 300m from the terminal at 4am with no room for recourse.

The rest of Philippines was pleasant. Got my diving certs in Coron. 

[Ghost of LL 15539]

3 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Plenty of places in Asia that is equally dirty and poor but the people have more decorum.

The Egyptian Museum had nice content, but its exterior was wrapped in barbed wire, and just 20 meters from the ticket office and lots of armed police, there were no fewer than 5 people accost me offering tickets and tours. Brother I can toss a football to the sales booth, why would I buy one from you?  

Id never been seen so many brazen lies and attempts at scams….but Manila came close. e.g. taxis running poor routes and accelerated meters. Even the taxi hailed by (what was then) the Hyatt, ran its meter, and dropped me off at an unlit portion of the airport road 300m from the terminal at 4am with no room for recourse.

The rest of Philippines was pleasant. Got my diving certs in Coron. 

I suppose my felling on it is that when I'm in their country, they're the ones who get to set the rules for "decorum."

Yeah--there are a lot of dudes hustling for baksheesh.  I found that a curt "la'a" does the trick to back them off.  And if you want to be somewhat polite, a "la', shukran" or "la, ma'lish" will work well.  I mean, you probably are going to have to say it a half-dozen times.  

But isn't that part of the charm of being in a foreign place?  If everyone adhered to an American sense of decorum, wouldn't a large part of the adventure of going overseas evaporate?

That is one of my favorite travel stories.  Our first night in Cairo, Mrs.LL and I went to a hookah bar along the Nile.  It was a great place--the patio stretched along the Nile waterfront and you had everyone there, from young Egyptians to people with the nearby French and Austrian embassies to rando tourists (i.e., us).  So after a while, the fire in our hookah starts to die down.  So a guy with a pot of charcoal comes over and freshens up the fire.  Having done so, he puts out his hand for some baksheesh.  The smallest I had was a 20-pound note (then worth about $0.80).

Oops--big fucking mistake.  That's like giving a piece of your pizza crust to a pigeon.  You're going to have a thousand pigeons descend on you in short order.  And so it was with the charcoal guys, who were suddenly refreshing our fire every five minutes.

All of this was much to the amusement of some of the European diplomatic staff, who were at nearby tables.  We started chatting with a couple of them, and they explained that this type of de-minimis service gets one pound.  But I don't have a pound.  Yeah--nobody does.  That's the fun thing.  They make a one-pound note, but there's really tough to come by.  And shopkeepers don't want to make change, because they've got their own baksheeshing to do.

So yeah--we trotted back to the hotel and had the concierge break a hundred-pound note to singles.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

That is one of the pillars of international travel, you always default to the decorum and cultural norms of the country you are visiting. Visiting is the key word, you are a visitor in their home.

[Brisketexan 105336]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

That is one of the pillars of international travel, you always default to the decorum and cultural norms of the country you are visiting. Visiting is the key word, you are a visitor in their home.

That's part of the deal.  Hell, it's often the coolest part of the deal.  Y'all do weird shit and eat weird shit, and you want me to do it too?  Cool, I'm in.  Thanks for inviting me into your world (and sometimes, your home).  I love that most places you go (if it's not peak touristy, like Paris next to the Eiffel Tower), people are proud of their home country and traditions and want to show it to you.  I think that one of the purest human experiences is when you are in a strange place, and someone offers you food -- something they make, they like, that they are proud of -- and you take that bite, and react with genuine pleasure.  The look on their face -- of pride, connection, joy....it's fucking awesome.  It is a most elemental connection of humanity.  We all eat.  We should all eat together.

I mean, think of how you feel when you give a stranger their first bite of a perfect Texas brisket.  I've watched the food snobbiest french and italians, unimpressed by most American food, take that first bite....and the look on their faces, and my pride at sharing with them something so definitive of my life and my "place," is just fantastic.  One of my favorite things in life.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

It’s a HUGE part of traveling abroad. To experience another culture.

Another culture related rule is to try and at the very least learn some words and phrases in the native tongue. No one expects you to be fluent, but making an effort to speak their language always goes a long way.

[texasdago 7579]

10 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

It’s a HUGE part of traveling abroad. To experience another culture.

Another culture related rule is to try and at the very least learn some words and phrases in the native tongue. No one expects you to be fluent, but making an effort to speak their language always goes a long way.

One of the reasons why I often pass on domestic travel and prefer international travel... to see different cultures, different restaurants, different history and not see another strip mall with Williams Sonoma and Panera.

[Brisketexan 105336]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

It’s a HUGE part of traveling abroad. To experience another culture.

Another culture related rule is to try and at the very least learn some words and phrases in the native tongue. No one expects you to be fluent, but making an effort to speak their language always goes a long way.

Yep.  We're going to Sweden, Finland, and Estonia in a few weeks.  I don't SPEAK Swedish, but I can say some basics -- thank yous, food words, etc.  Finish and Estonian?  NADA (well, "sisu" is a cool word, but probably not super useful).  I'm making the point to at least learn some basic phrases before we go.  Because I really, really don't want to be that American guy. 

Hell, I don't "speak German," but last time we went, my wife and I were on our own a bit, including to some places in the north where English speakers weren't common (you can get by in Berlin without ANY German, if you need to).  And I managed.  I can read the signage, I can order our morning coffee, I know most of the food words, I can say thank you, and apologize, and say hello, that sort of thing.  But I was pretty damn proud of myself when we were in a church in Lubeck, and a guy came in and started asking the docent for directions.  The man who walked in was Austrian, the docent was German, and they actually had a hard time understanding each other....and I understood just enough of what each of them were saying that I was able to go over, explain that the man was asking for directions to a restaurant, and I was able to give him those directions (we had walked by it on our walk over).  My wife says "how in the hell did you do that?"  "I have no idea....they just each said about 10 words of the German that I do know, and I put it together."  I was pretty pleased with myself....and then got cocky and went out and said all kinds of shit wrong, with the wrong verbs, etc. later at the Christmas market.  Put myself in my place.

My daughter has a knack/gift for languages (seriously, it's freaky).  By the time we landed in Armenia, she had learned their alphabet (of which they are SUPER proud -- they literally have a park with sculptures of the letters).  And she picked up a crapload of conversational phrases within 24 hours.  When we were at said park, she ended up talking with another girl there, and exchanging basic greetings and "where are you froms" in Armenian.  To the point that the girl commented on how impressed she was with my daughter's Armenian, when did you start studying it -- "the day before yesterday" got a surprised response.  But the girl and her friends were so proud of their language, and so flattered that my daughter put in the effort.  And my daughter's response has always been "well why wouldn't I?  I'm in YOUR country."  You may not "know the language," but it's a sign of respect to at least try.  And when you're in someone else's home, shouldn't you be respectful?

[52-80 19246]

Its a tad generous to promote certain things to culture. Zanzibar has ‘beach boys’. India has street urchins. Istiklal street has dudes offering weed. But nowhere do the louts show as much aggression and persistence as Cairo.

Maybe I just lucked into a string of bad encounters. The Sufi dance show is nice. The dust makes sunsets very photogenic. But the vibe I got was bad. 

[Brisketexan 105336]

57 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Its a tad generous to promote certain things to culture.

Have we not discussed the culture of one of Texas's most exotic, mysterious locales?

 

Why, it's an anthropological treasure chest!

[conVINCEd 21469]

How you gonna breastfeed me mom you ain’t got no tits?

[lemonlime 5503]

7 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Wow--you didn't like Cairo?  That's really surprising to me.  Mrs.LL and I loved it.

Now, as I said before, it may be because we stayed at the Four Seasons.  So we had our little sanctuary to go back to at the end of the day.  And I think there's something to that in a place like Cairo, which is wholly alien and not . . . shall we say diplomatically . . . consistent with our Western standards for cleanliness and hygiene.  

 

 

Obviously amazing sites in Cairo.  But the air quality was so bad when we there, it was hard to go outside.  I have all these pictures at the Pyramids where it looks like it's a rainy, foggy, overcast day, just from huge amounts of smog.  After I left for Aswan, had a lingering cough for a few days.  But maybe I'm down on it because I really didn't explore much in Cairo.   And our hotel was far from the Four Seasons.  I was just jet lagged, having trouble breathing, and wanted to get further afield.

Edit to add that I loved the rest of our time in Egypt, but Cairo was difficult.

Edited March 28, 2023 by lemonlime

[MalibuSheriff 1090]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:48 PM, deadshank said:

I've been to Georgia on a fast train, honey.

Never been anywhere outside of the continental US of A, excepting the Bahamas and Old Mexico (and some of Mexico's finer carcels).

South America is my bucket list.  Patagonia, the Andes, Amazon, Colombia and what not.  Hunt, fish, drink, lay about, cause international incidents.  Would like to do it.

My experience is very similar, plus a three week honeymoon to Fiji.  I always wanted to travel more but my folks didn’t have the means and I’ve worked far more than I needed to in life.  My mistake…

Patagonia is highest on my list.  I’d love to return to South Pacific for another long stay.  I did a lot of consulting work early in my career and had a client who’d been all over the world doing aviation work.  I asked him what was his favorite of all his travels everywhere and his answer surprised me - Norway.  He said it was the most beautiful place and he loved the obscure coastal villages he stayed.  Another friend who’s been about a hundred countries, said parts of Turkey were his favorites.

My wife has traveled throughout Europe, living in Spain for a year.  She definitely wants to return to Spain and Italy.

Edited March 28, 2023 by MalibuSheriff

[RamjetFDO 10577]

It's obvious that I'm an Anglophile and have done so many fun things there... but for the cool factor, I've flown in a helicopter over an active volcano and also been both to the top of and into the interior of the Temple of Kukulcán, aka El Castillo - the Great Pyramid at Chichen Itza. Neither of which has been allowed by tourists for quite some time now.





... and yes... "nice jorts".

[VABuckeye 2472]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:39 AM, Patricio Swayze said:

If it’s an extremely dangerous place, I would want a handler/fixer.

1) Don’t go there 

2) If you do go there be smart and stay in the best accommodations you can get.  For example, if I ever do an African photo safari I will not skimp.  I’ll pay to be safe and secure. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

8 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

1) Don’t go there 

2) If you do go there be smart and stay in the best accommodations you can get.  For example, if I ever do an African photo safari I will not skimp.  I’ll pay to be safe and secure. 

We didn’t break the bank and never even felt remotely in danger.  We did pay a little more for better accommodations in the cities.  In a lot of the safari camps you are an hour from a paved road.  You’re not going to get mugged in the middle of nowhere.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

1) Don’t go there 
2) If you do go there be smart and stay in the best accommodations you can get.  For example, if I ever do an African photo safari I will not skimp.  I’ll pay to be safe and secure. 

Anytime Brazil comes up here, it seems like half this board is terrified to go. I did get a chance to walk up into a favela (w my old jiu jitsu school was training kids there for free).

But obviously if say it was Afghanistan, I would want the appropriate people with me. But if that was the case, let’s go.

[conVINCEd 21469]

5 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Anytime Brazil comes up here, it seems like half this board is terrified to go. I did get a chance to walk up into a favela (w my old jiu jitsu school was training kids there for free).

But obviously if say it was Afghanistan, I would want the appropriate people with me. But if that was the case, let’s go.

I’m anti-Brazil because of the visa requirement.  South America is explorable without that bullshit.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

10 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

I’m anti-Brazil because of the visa requirement.  South America is explorable without that bullshit.

It's reciprocal.  If the US didn't require it for Brazilians, they wouldn't require it for Americans.

[CooterBrown 18029]

I'm making the point to at least learn some basic phrases before we go. 

There’s this concept that adults get frustrated with learning a language because it is approached from an academic POV. The focus is on speaking perfectly instead of learning a language how you learned your native language as a child. Don’t waste time on conjugation, sentence structure, etc. Spent a month learning the most common 400-800 words in a language. For the native speaker it’s like talking to a child but you are able to communicate perfectly well with this limited vocabulary. It’s based on a British Navy program after WWII when they set about spreading English to other countries. The motto was “It takes only 400 words of basic English to run a battleship; with 850 words you can run the planet.”

There are videos on YouTube about the process and pocket books on Amazon of the most common 800-1000 words and simple common sentences for most languages.

[mycox 582]

I have visited 26 countries and I have been in some sketchy areas, but never felt I was in any danger. I can think of three times when I did something stupid.

Mexico City: Walking around drunk at 4am. Police stop me and ask where I'm going. I tell them I'm lost - trying to find my AirBnb. They say the had complaints about someone roaming the neighborhood. They ask if I have drugs, and I say no. They empty my pockets and go through my wallet which had about 1100 pesos. They then say there will be a 1000 peso fine for not wearing a face mask (this was April last year at 4am with no one on the street). I talked them down to 700 pesos. 

This was all through Google translate. This was also after hooking up with a local so it was worth it.

Medellin: The cable cars quit running because of lightning in the area. I knew better, but it was in the middle of the day so I start walking and wound up in the barrio. Got a lot of looks but never threatened. Still dumb and not a safe area.

Barcelona: Not me, but my friend got his Rolex (dumb idea to wear while traveling) pickpocketed while taking a piss in an alley. He didn't even know it was stolen until he told me he was talking with a couple of guys while taking a piss.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore are booked for May. Thailand and Malaysia will be solo. I'll be solo in Thailand and Malaysia and don't plan on spending any time in the red-light districts.

[millhouse 2617]

My parents took me on trips ever since I can remember, so I have been bit by the travel bug my whole life. Luckily, I've been pretty fortunate to get/make opportunities for myself to travel.

Spent two summers in college working as an intern for an airline. Basically a 20 and 21 year old with free flights anywhere they had open seats. I would take a backpack with two sets of clothes to work on friday, find a place with open seats there and back and basically spend every weekend someplace different. Knocked out Buenos Aires, Rome, Costa Rica, Amsterdam, Munich, Vancouver, and Tampico that way.

After I graduated and got a "real" job, I basically volunteered to go on any trip that came up. A month in a small factory town in South Korea? Sure let's go (have done that twice). Two weeks on/two weeks off in Monterrey, MX? I'm in (did that for about a year). Need someone to go to India for a month? Hell yeah (did that 10 times).

My main strategy on all this is to immerse myself in the culture and experience as much as I can. As most have already mentioned learn some basic language and atleast try to speak it. With the trips being longer, I'm usually able to make friends with a local through work who is more than happy to show me their country. By my second trip to Mexico and India my friends were having their wives make extra lunches for me and taking me barhopping/clubbing/weekend trips/whatever with their friends.

The other strategy is don't go looking for trouble and you generally won't find it. I never felt unsafe walking around any of these places but also knew not to go somewhere shady unless a local was taking me there.

COVID and young kids put and end to all this (hopefully only for the next few years) but I definitely want to take my kids places so they can experience different things, learn to appreciate what they have, and see that for most of the world happiness is not found through materialistic goods/tangible items.

Edited March 29, 2023 by millhouse

[staboner 4987]

On 3/28/2023 at 3:31 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

Anyone ever been to Mongolia?  That place fascinates the hell out of me.

I have. I was on the transiberian railroad and popped out at Ulaanbaatar for a week. On the train in I saw what I think were wild horse scattering in the mist. I was on cloud nine. Got mugged 1 hour later. Just 20 bucks, but was that a buzzkill. Its actually quite easy to get in and out via train or plane, can't with car I think. Airport is Chengis Khan Airport, no shit. But there you can hire a driver and translator/guide and they know various nomadic families and you can go on any length of trip - 3 days to 1 month if you wanted. You stay in the yurts with them. It was a great experience. Froze my balls off. Never felt unsafe at all, even after the getting "the mugging"

I guess lots of comments on safety here. I've had varying levels of feeling safe in SE Asia, Central America, and South America. I would say maybe in South America I felt a little less safe in Ecuador (in big cities), and then in Central America in pars of Honduras and Nicaragua. I was held up at machete-point in Honduras once. But it wasn't that bad, just walked it off. Knifepoint in Spain once, and that was actually not good as the dude was on something. 

The most unsafe I have ever felt was Russia in the cities (ST pete and Moscow). Bribes, unmarked cop cars, lots of fucking people openly carrying weapons, it was far and away to most unsafe I have ever felt. Not a problem now cuz ain't no one going there for a generation or two  

If you are in Texas/US I highly recommend Central America if you are looking to expand into new travel. There are tourist/backpacker circuits that cater to all types of travel types, its close to you, and its wonderful. Speak a little Spanish, see beautiful nature, and the people are wonderful. Just mind your basics and its safe. 

Or SE Asia. Very safe in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. 

For me there are a few must dos left: South Africa, Kamchatka Peninsula, and more parts of South America (Patagonia, Colombia, and parts of Brazil)

 

[Orale 1087]

I'm at 48 countries, most solo, and typing from Australia at the moment. Half or so were Europe, the rest South America and Asia. I could easily retire in BA eventually. The top of my bucket list is parts of Africa, Beirut, Cairo, and India. 

The wildest yet most rewarding place so far was Port-au-Prince after its earthquake in January 2010. I drove from the DR where I lived in a Uhaul type truck with medical supplies three days after the quake. It was eerily calm yet pure chaos at the same time. I also went six months before the quake to volunteer for a week and really enjoyed PAP. Watch Conan O'Brien's remotes from Haiti in 2018 and you'll see it was a really vibrant and fascinating place with wonderful people that has since tragically descended into the abyss.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I'm at 48 countries, most solo, and typing from Australia at the moment. Half or so were Europe, the rest South America and Asia. I could easily retire in BA eventually. The top of my bucket list is parts of Africa, Beirut, Cairo, and India. 
The wildest yet most rewarding place so far was Port-au-Prince after its earthquake in January 2010. I drove from the DR where I lived in a Uhaul type truck with medical supplies three days after the quake. It was eerily calm yet pure chaos at the same time. I also went six months before the quake to volunteer for a week and really enjoyed PAP. Watch Conan O'Brien's remotes from Haiti in 2018 and you'll see it was a really vibrant and fascinating place with wonderful people that has since tragically descended into the abyss.

Fucking awesome man.

Haiti was doomed from the moment slaves successfully revolted and founded their own country. Nearly every western country turned their back on them.

[conVINCEd 21469]

11 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

It's reciprocal.  If the US didn't require it for Brazilians, they wouldn't require it for Americans.

I get it.  I’ll just do Argentina instead without having to jump through the hoops for my South American experience.

[texasdago 7579]

I enjoy watching this guy's videos... just a solo travel rolling around dangerous places and eating local food, etc.  Scottish guy.  

https://www.facebook.com/Daleroxxu

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I get it.  I’ll just do Argentina instead without having to jump through the hoops for my South American experience.

But Argentine and Brazilian cultures and languages are different. Both interesting but different.

It sounds like Vietnam is on many people’s short list, and a visa is required.

[midtown 3348]

1 minute ago, Patricio Swayze said:

It sounds like Vietnam is on many people’s short list, and a visa is required.

It is and its much easier today than it was 8 years ago.  Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos all have e-visas. I think it took me a 3-4 weeks to receive it by email. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

But Argentine and Brazilian cultures and languages are different. Both interesting but different.

It sounds like Vietnam is on many people’s short list, and a visa is required.

From what I know about the two countries, I think I would prefer Argentina.  25 year old me would probably go to Brazil first.  I ain’t 25 anymore.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

From what I know about the two countries, I think I would prefer Argentina.  25 year old me would probably go to Brazil first.  I ain’t 25 anymore.

Curious why you feel this way. Can you give more detail?

[conVINCEd 21469]

1 minute ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Curious why you feel this way. Can you give more detail?

I speak enough Spanish to get by, and a nice steak and a bottle of Malbec have more appeal to me at this point than going to Rio and doing Rio things.  I would go to Brazil to party, and while I realize there is more to the country than that,  Buenos Aires and Patagonia are a better combo for me than anything in Brazil.  And if I’m adding another leg to the trip, it would be Peru and/or Chile.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I speak enough Spanish to get by, and a nice steak and a bottle of Malbec have more appeal to me at this point than going to Rio and doing Rio things.  I would go to Brazil to party, and while I realize there is more to the country than that,  Buenos Aires and Patagonia are a better combo for me than anything in Brazil.  And if I’m adding another leg to the trip, it would be Peru and/or Chile.

Ok. Thanks for the explanation.

I do think you are missing out on a lot of cool stuff (people, food, architecture, beaches, nature).

[conVINCEd 21469]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Ok. Thanks for the explanation.

I do think you are missing out on a lot of cool stuff (people, food, architecture, beaches, nature).

Single me would go to Brazil and Colombia.  Married me will go to Peru and Argentina.  Make sense?

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Single me would go to Brazil and Colombia.  Married me will go to Peru and Argentina.  Make sense?

I hope you aren’t construing my comments as ridicule. I just think you are excluding a lot of cool stuff because of a $100 visa (which I think is good for 10 years).

To answer your question, no it doesn’t make sense. I am not a party/club person and I lived there (while dating my to be wife) but my last 12 visits or so have been as a married man.

But, if that is how you see it, I am not trying talk down to you.

I also would love to visit Argentina and Peru.

[conVINCEd 21469]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I hope you aren’t construing my comments as ridicule. I just think you are excluding a lot of cool stuff because of a $100 visa (which I think is good for 10 years).

To answer your question, no it doesn’t make sense. I am not a party/club person and I lived there (while dating my to be wife) but my last 12 visits or so have been as a married man.

But, if that is how you see it, I am not trying talk down to you.

I also would love to visit Argentina and Peru.

Not at all.  When I think of Brazil the first thing that comes to mind is hot ass women wearing next to nothing on the beach.  While one can certainly enjoy the hotness from a distance, that’s not quite the same as attempting to enjoy it up close and personal, which you apparently pulled off.  👏.  Hence the single/married comment.  There are lots of places to go, Argentina is just currently higher on my list than Brazil.  The visa would be worth the hassle if Brazil was the primary focus, not worth it for a few days on a multi-leg trip.  Unlimited time and unlimited funds, I would be happy to include Brazil on my South American adventure. Limited time/funds, it gets dropped.