I enjoy travelling! Well, not the actual travelling part where you have to go through immigration and customs and lug your baggage around but I do enjoy being in a different country to experience a different culture. I love trying new food and drinks. For me, visiting a museum is as fun as visiting the local supermarket! I live in Southeast Asia, on a concrete jungle of a tiny island where you can get from one side to the other in under two hours. We feel like if we don't travel every now and then, we will suffer
cabin island fever.
Wall of text incoming.
Over the decades, I've been to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, China, Europe, UK and Japan.
Egypt was enthralling. This was almost 30 years ago. I will never forget the cruise down the Nile. The ancient temples with their imposing pillars, completely covered in hieroglyphics, were a sight to behold. I enjoyed them a lot more than visiting the pyramids and sphinx in Cairo. Funny story: We had a local guide who insisted we exchanged jokes everyday. The bawdier, the better. It was in Cairo that I watched belly-dancing for the first time. I was mesmerized.
Turkey was full of surprises. We visited the site of the Temple of Artemis. Not much is left but it was still a thrill to be there. Cappadocia was quaint and charming. Took too many photos. Entering the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, I stood and gaped at the beauty and magnificence of its interior.
China was big and bustling and fascinating. We sailed down the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia. Managed to see the ancient terracotta army in Xian, which for me was the highlight of the trip. Being on the Great Wall felt like a special experience too. If only it wasn't so crowded! The stone forest in Yunnan was a bewildering feast for my eyes. But the place I'd return to if I had the chance again would be Guilin. It's picturesque in a most surreal way.
Going to
South Africa with my best friend was an unforgettable time. We travelled along the scenic Garden Route. Our safari was at the Khoka Moya camp in the Manyeleti Game Reserve. We spotted all of the Big Five except the leopard. I love animals and I was so happy to be able to see them in their natural environment. We learned a lot from the local rangers. It was also in South Africa that I first saw a night sky filled with seemingly endless stars. It was after dinner, we were walking back to our rooms (more like tiny cottages), and I looked up. Stopped in my tracks and stared. SO. MANY. STARS.
Japan is one of those places close enough for me to have visited several times to see the different seasons. Loved the onsen experience. Was a little addicted to it, actually. Hokkaido had amazing food. On a few trips to Tokyo, we made Ikebukuro our base and planned day trips out. Seeing the hundreds of blooming hydrangea at the Hasedera Temple in Kamakura left a huge impression on me.
I would recommend that if anyone could, to travel as much as possible, as far as possible. It's always an eye-opening adventure. The beauty of nature, the hospitality of strangers, the excitement of experiencing the new and unfamiliar. I always feel like a child again when I travel. So much to learn, so little time! ♥
If you are from the USA don't forget that you should basically list every state you have been to as a country.
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