Who else enjoys international travel?

[MrFreefall383 0]

Title should be self-explanatory. I realized how much I love travel after just getting back from a week in London. Now I'm planning on saving some dough and arranging trips to Mexico City, other locations in South America, Munich and Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Dubai, Amman, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Madrid, Tokyo, Singapore, you name it.

Anyone else love going other places and learning about different cultures?

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

Ooooh me!! Me!!

~B~

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[iluvtofly 0]

I went to Germany about 6 years ago. I absolutly loved it there. I'm actually going to Japan in April for a week or so. Can't wait.

[kbordson 8]

I do. It's amazing to see and experience other cultures. It awakens you to other thoughts and beliefs and you learn so much about who you are.

[Guest]

Depends on whether you do it for business or for pleasure. It's different when it's your job. All I've seen of Europe in the past year has been the inside of airports like CDG and Schiphol.

mh

.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[Squeak 17]

MeUSA, (2 times)
Indonesia, (3 times)
Vienam
Laos
Thailand

Next year we start a World Trip Minimum 12 months away

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[MrFreefall383 0]

Yeah, it definitely awakens you to other thoughts and beliefs. And I agree you find out who you really are, how open-minded you really are.

And to iluvtofly, you'll have to let me know how Japan is. I really want to go to Tokyo and other cities.

To Squeak, impressive resume, Vietnam sounds like fun, as does Indonesia. I'd love to do some deep woodland hiking in the Vietnamese countryside.

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[ACMESkydiver 0]

I like warm, tropical, scenic, catered international travel...

Like Jamaica and the Bahamas.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Rainbo 0]

You may want to reconsider Mexico City. There are a lot of other cities in Mexico that give you a much better cultural experience. The big city is dirty and dangerous, especially if you are of a, how shall I say, North American persuation. Also stay away from the border towns, mostly bad places.

Rainbo
TheSpeedTriple - Speed is everything
"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting."

[MrFreefall383 0]

Yeah, I've seen that the border towns can be dangerous. As for other areas, what would you suggest to get a cultural understanding without having to learn Spanish on the fly?

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[Squeak 17]

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To Squeak, impressive resume, Vietnam sounds like fun, as does Indonesia. I'd love to do some deep woodland hiking in the Vietnamese countryside.

Have done so, in Indo, Thail;and and North Vietnam, all amazing places and all completly different even given the proximity of Thailand and Vietnam Looking foawrd to find out about Soutrh Amercia and Africa

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[tumbler 0]

There is nothing like it!! How else, other than being there, can you explain a culture or city? I have been to so many places and seen so many things that my heart goes out to those that have yet to see the rest of the world.

Tomorrow I leave for Doha, Qatar. I sent an email to the DZ in the UAE but havent heard back yet. still undecided on taking my rig..

I have been to Europe so many times that my passport has had pages added.... there seems to be one common thread, one common line that binds me to those other spirits that are there with me... skydiving.... we are such a small community, such a small group that we can go from Eloy to Z-hills to Lillo and strike up a conversation and find a thread of people that we both know...

sorry for the rant, but it is so cool being part of this community.. this world... i Love Skydiving!

[MrFreefall383 0]

You'll have to tell me what Qatar and the UAE are like, I really want to go there.

And to Squeak, what was N. Vietnam like as a backpacker?

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[Squeak 17]

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And to Squeak, what was N. Vietnam like as a backpacker?

I was there a couple of years ago, they were just getting into having tourists there, they are much more "high Strung" than the thais or Laotians, the Chinese influence is very strong. Chinese Budhism is different to Thai.
Very very pretty place beautiful rivers, amaZING TEMPLES in far and had to get to places, people not involved in the burgening tourism industtry are very friendly and caring. I'll defiatlety be going back again in the next years

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[boinky 0]

Unfortunately, I've never been out of this country. But I'm hoping to in the near future.

Nina

Are we called "DAWGs" because we stick our noses up people's butts? (RIP Buzz)
Yep, you're a postwhore-billyvance

[LittleOne 0]

The trick is to get enough control over your own schedule so that you have weekends or some vacation time tacked on to the beginning or end of your trip. Once you get that control, it's the best way to go and it definitely has its perks. Of course, dragging around work clothes, play clothes, laptop, humongous bag of adaptors/cables and that bloody rig is never fun but it's a small price to pay.

BTW My deepest sympathies for spending much time at CDG. That is the nastiest airport in the first world.

[Peej 0]

So far i've done:

N and S of Thailand
Laos
Austria
Some of the US
I'm off to Casablanca in Morocco on Thursday for a few days too but i'm planning a much longer travel trip for the not too distant future

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[McDuck 0]

I absolutely LOVE absorbing new cultures through international travel. I've been to Eire, France, Switzerland, Crete and Canada. We're adding New Zealand to the list in less than 4 weeks!

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[Squeak 17]

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I absolutely LOVE absorbing new cultures through international travel. I've been to Eire, France, Switzerland, Crete and Canada. We're adding New Zealand to the list in less than 4 weeks!

Come to Perth you Bastard

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[McDuck 0]

I'll see what I can do, my friend.

Once Cora's conference starts, I'm on my own for a few days...you could always make a quick jaunt over to Auckland.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[popsjumper 2]

OMG...I love it.
You will appreciate international travel more if you -

DON'T be one of the arrogant assholes who create negative impressions of your home country by:
1. Expecting the locals to speak your language.
2. Discounting the local cuisine.
3. Blurting phrases such as, "in MY country we do it THIS way..."
4. Denigrating in any way the country you are visiting.

DO:
1. Make every effort to speak the local language even if you have to stumble through a language-language cross-reference book.
2. Participate in the local cuisine and culture.
3. Show a definite interest in the ways and mores of the country you are visiting.
4. Appreciate the local are for what it is without comparing it to your home locale.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[wmw999 2,121]

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We're adding New Zealand to the list in less than 4 weeks

We just went there last year for a couple of weeks. It was fabulous -- I'd love to go back!
In the last 5 1/2 years I've been to Brazil (twice), Argentina, Peru, and New Zealand. Heading to Canada for skiing next month.

Lots of other places over the years. I can imagine very, very few places I wouldn't like to visit.

You could say I like traveling

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[skysmurf2 0]

Have been lucky enough to travel loands and have lived in 8 countries. travelling is great and meeting new people experiencing new cultures/ different histories is wonderful.

I currently live in the UAE (Dubai) and this is my second time in the middle east. The middle east is a great place to travel to loads of culture and history - a teensy bit dodgy in certain places but really amazing. Egypt, Turkey and Oman are beautiful. Dubai is unique! A fun place to visit rather than a historical one but it is an interesting combination of East and West.

happy travels!

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[MrFreefall383 0]

popsjumper, good points every single one. Luckily for me when I went to Italy with school a number of years ago I was at least passable in Italian, could keep my head above water in most conversations. As for other languages, I can vaguely understand French and Spanish because they're so similar to Italian and because my mom's family is French, so I grew up with it. I'm trying to slowly pick up Arabic, but it's not working well enough. Hopefully I can find a course in the language, jumpstart it a little bit.

As for exploring the culture, you can't expect to explore any culture without first being interested in it. You tell yourself they're inferior, or that the language isn't worth learning a few words of, or that the local area is uncivilized and dangerous, you won't learn anything. An example was when I was in London. It's said you can't teach an old dog new tricks. With my parents, that is absolutely true. My mom kept calling the Underground the "subway", and justified to herself that nobody would really care. She then proceeded to ask a cabbie when we got a little lost to take us to a certain "subway" station, and the guy looked at her like she had two heads. I corrected it by saying, "She meant the Hampstead tube, can ya get us there quick?" Guy promptly said, "Sure, will do." He hauled ass to the station, and we were there in a couple minutes. It helps when you try to take in the local language and customs, especially when you get in over your head.

I'll probably end up buying a language conversion book for each area I travel to, so if I get into trouble, I might be able to get myself out of trouble just as quickly. Oh, and one other thing you forgot. Don't be an idiot and go out breaking the local rules just to have a good time. For example, Muslim culture abhors alcohol, considers consumption a sin, so don't drink except in your hotel in a predominantly Muslim country. There are other examples, but that's the best I can think of.

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[marcandalysse 0]

skip tokyo go directly to Kyoto and work it out from there. Before arriving, get a japan rail pass and to use it for maximum value, travel to the furthest away points like sapporo to north and nagasaki to south, not nearby towns.

be sure to hang out at a mountain onsen resort and soak in the tubs.

climb up a mountain to meditate at a 1000 year old temple. there's plenty of them around Kyoto.

Cannot miss:
Seeing the Big Buddha in Nara, the Phoenix Temple (Byodo-in) in Uji outside Kyoto and the 'flea market' at Toji Temple every 21rst of month in Kyoto.

Have fun! Eat some Tako yaki for me!

"The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton