The World Travel Thread

Mourning Dove said:
The only countries I've visited abroad are Guatemala and China. :(
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Still more countries than I've traveled to. I've been up and down the Eastern Seaboard for various things, but I've never left the US even once in my life. I presume that these were vacations?
 
fuzzypickles said:
Mourning Dove said:
The only countries I've visited abroad are Guatemala and China. :(
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Still more countries than I've traveled to. I've been up and down the Eastern Seaboard for various things, but I've never left the US even once in my life. I presume that these were vacations?
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Guatemala was studying abroad for 6 weeks during the summer to learn Spanish. China was a vacation/means to visit my perpetually traveling sister/means to learn about my Chinese heritage.
 
Mourning Dove said:
fuzzypickles said:
Mourning Dove said:
The only countries I've visited abroad are Guatemala and China. :(
Click to expand...
Still more countries than I've traveled to. I've been up and down the Eastern Seaboard for various things, but I've never left the US even once in my life. I presume that these were vacations?
Click to expand...

Guatemala was studying abroad for 6 weeks during the summer to learn Spanish. China was a vacation/means to visit my perpetually traveling sister/means to learn about my Chinese heritage.
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That's pretty cool. I'm looking to save up for a trip to China with a few friends of mine over the next few years or so. I almost went there for a trip sponsored by my school, but my parents didn't have the money for the trip nor the means to get financial aid from the school to cover the trip, but tuition was high enough as it was, so I don't blame them for not pursuing it.
 
fuzzypickles said:
That's pretty cool. I'm looking to save up for a trip to China with a few friends of mine over the next few years or so. I almost went there for a trip sponsored by my school, but my parents didn't have the money for the trip nor the means to get financial aid from the school to cover the trip, but tuition was high enough as it was, so I don't blame them for not pursuing it.
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Which part of China would you like to go to? My family visited Beijing in northern China. However, I would like to visit southern China someday since that's where my ancestors come from.
 
I spent a month in Egypt June-July 2010. I stayed in Alexandria and spent a few nights in Cairo. If you count airport layovers, I've also been to Moscow and Abu Dhabi. I once had orders to go to Guam but those fell through.So it'd be cool to at least visit. My dad's church does volunteer work in Haiti a few times a year, and I'd like to join them someday for one of their trips.
 
Mourning Dove said:
fuzzypickles said:
That's pretty cool. I'm looking to save up for a trip to China with a few friends of mine over the next few years or so. I almost went there for a trip sponsored by my school, but my parents didn't have the money for the trip nor the means to get financial aid from the school to cover the trip, but tuition was high enough as it was, so I don't blame them for not pursuing it.
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Which part of China would you like to go to? My family visited Beijing in northern China. However, I would like to visit southern China someday since that's where my ancestors come from.
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Shanghai or Hong Kong. Although I am also interested in visiting a part of China somewhere slightly off the beaten path to experience Chinese culture in its most traditional form. I heard of how my class went to Guilin and saw how beautiful the village was among the hills and a live play that used floats on the river for the stage.
 
I'm hoping to go to Toronto in the spring. I'd also like to go to England and Sweden someday. If I ever get good at Spanish and French (which I'm trying to study) I'm hoping to go to Spain and France.

If I ever want to take a 15-20 hour flight, I'd like to go to Australia. My aunt and uncle had a blast there a few years ago.

I've only been to Niagara Falls, Canada, and that was when I was six.
 
Ja'mie said:
I spent a month in Egypt June-July 2010. .
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I'm so jelly of you. :( I've been obsessed with ancient Egypt since I was a little girl. I even know some (crappy) Arabic from some courses I took at the university! But Egypt has too many issues right now to visit safely, I think.
 
fuzzypickles said:
Mourning Dove said:
fuzzypickles said:
That's pretty cool. I'm looking to save up for a trip to China with a few friends of mine over the next few years or so. I almost went there for a trip sponsored by my school, but my parents didn't have the money for the trip nor the means to get financial aid from the school to cover the trip, but tuition was high enough as it was, so I don't blame them for not pursuing it.
Click to expand...

Which part of China would you like to go to? My family visited Beijing in northern China. However, I would like to visit southern China someday since that's where my ancestors come from.
Click to expand...
Shanghai or Hong Kong. Although I am also interested in visiting a part of China somewhere slightly off the beaten path to experience Chinese culture in its most traditional form. I heard of how my class went to Guilin and saw how beautiful the village was among the hills and a live play that used floats on the river for the stage.
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My sister has been to Shanghai once and said that's it's a flashy, expensive city that's there primarily to show itself off to the west. She and my mom have also been to Hong Kong. I'm not quite sure about Shanghai, but Beijing is smogtastic while Hong Kong does not have as much smog. Though I'm assuming Shanghai doesn't have the smog either since it's next to the ocean just like Hong Kong. Beijing is in the mountains, which traps in the smoke.
 
I've been to Calgary, Los Angeles, 'Frisco, parts of Mexico, and I was originally born in Eastern Europe.
 
GrandNumberOfPounds said:
My favorite travel channel on YouTube on China:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G-j1sMSjMY
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'

I can vouch that the 5 negatives about China as being 100% true. I didn't mind the toilets though, I must have gotten used to crappy third world toilets while in Guatemala I guess. :lol: As for the pollution, I saw some Beijingers wearing Hello Kitty style face masks for the pollution. Also night happens at 5 pm there because the smog blocks out the light.
 
Mourning Dove said:
My sister has been to Shanghai once and said that's it's a flashy, expensive city that's there primarily to show itself off to the west. She and my mom have also been to Hong Kong. I'm not quite sure about Shanghai, but Beijing is smogtastic while Hong Kong does not have as much smog. Though I'm assuming Shanghai doesn't have the smog either since it's next to the ocean just like Hong Kong. Beijing is in the mountains, which traps in the smoke.
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The whole "new center of the world" thing is part of the appeal Shanghai has to me. It would be cool to take a stroll on the Bund and watch in awe as Shanghai grows before my eyes. As far as I know, I heard that there was some pollution in Shanghai, but not nearly as bad as Beijing.
 
I've been dying to visit Kyoto, but both times I've gone to Japan I haven't had the money nor the time to travel out of the Tokyo area. (:_( One of these days!!!

I've also been to England, Scotland, and Canada, and someday I want to visit Italy, Germany, Sweden/Finland/Scandinavia in general I guess, Spain, France, Estonia...
 
I've been to Kyoto. I even saw Kinkaku-ji.

Most of my traveling was done via high school band. Locations included Washington D.C., Puerto Vallarta, Vienna, Prague, and the aforementioned Kyoto.
 
Mourning Dove said:
Ja'mie said:
I spent a month in Egypt June-July 2010. .
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I'm so jelly of you. :( I've been obsessed with ancient Egypt since I was a little girl. I even know some (crappy) Arabic from some courses I took at the university! But Egypt has too many issues right now to visit safely, I think.
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After things there stabilize, you totes should. English is a pretty common language over there, so that and the Arabic you know would get you pretty far. Plus the exchange rate is highly favorable to the Euro, USD, and CAND. $1 was like $5.50 over there, and I stayed in beautiful hotels and ate fancy meals for dirt cheap. There are lots of friendly and generous people there. Eat lots of Alexandria ice cream and koshari.

However, if you're a female, you should try to have a travel companion--quite a few :arrow: guys over there. Expect plenty of catcalling and foreigner price hikes. Baksheesh/tip for just about everything. Stick to bottled water so you don't get :briefs: . Don't sit on the camels when you go to Giza. The taxi drivers are usually insane. I almost got hit by a car a couple of times.

What travel advice do you have for China? :)
 
Ja'mie said:
Mourning Dove said:
Ja'mie said:
I spent a month in Egypt June-July 2010. .
Click to expand...

I'm so jelly of you. :( I've been obsessed with ancient Egypt since I was a little girl. I even know some (crappy) Arabic from some courses I took at the university! But Egypt has too many issues right now to visit safely, I think.
Click to expand...

After things there stabilize, you totes should. English is a pretty common language over there, so that and the Arabic you know would get you pretty far. Plus the exchange rate is highly favorable to the Euro, USD, and CAND. $1 was like $5.50 over there, and I stayed in beautiful hotels and ate fancy meals for dirt cheap. There are lots of friendly and generous people there. Eat lots of Alexandria ice cream and koshari.

However, if you're a female, you should try to have a travel companion--quite a few :arrow: guys over there. Expect plenty of catcalling and foreigner price hikes. Baksheesh/tip for just about everything. Stick to bottled water so you don't get :briefs: . Don't sit on the camels when you go to Giza. The taxi drivers are usually insane. I almost got hit by a car a couple of times.

What travel advice do you have for China? :)
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Egypt sounds a lot like Guatemala! Favorable exchange rate, machismo ism, the necessity of bottled water, foreign price hikes, insane taxi drivers. I feel partially prepared already! And I've already tried koshari because I've made it myself. But I bet it's different from authentic koshari!

As for my advice in traveling to China, I was only there for like a week, so let's see what I can remember...

-Knowing Chinese is very useful. My sister who is fluent in Mandarin helped translate for me and my family sometimes, but I felt frustrated when I was lost in translation :(

-Do know how to use chopsticks. In authentic Chinese restaurants away from the touristy sites they do not even know what a fork is. *yawn*

-Tipping isn't necessary, but people are surprised and appreciative when foreigners do tip.

-You are expected to bargain in the pearl markets and such. Through when you start out bargaining do not mention any price right off the bat, because that is considered the "final" price you are expected to pay.

-Among the really touristy sites such as the Great Wall or Tienanmen Square there are peddlers everywhere trying to sell you random shit. Ignore them because they're extremely common, unless you happen to REALLY want something they have. In that case bargain.

-The exchange rate for American dollars was favorable, at least when I went to China in January earlier this year. Like one American dollar = 6 Chinese yuans.

-If you have asthma, bring your inhaler. You WILL need it because of the smog. Additionally, be sure to cover your nose and mouth with a mask or scarf when the smog gets really bad. Or plain just avoid going outside. Countless children and elders end up in the hospitals when the smog gets exceptionally bad.

-Have good walking shoes. Ancient sites such as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City require lots of walking and additionally the masonry is very uneven.

-Never drink the tap water. :briefs: may happen, or the water is simply polluted, I'm not quite sure which. In any case drink bottled water.

-Beijing at least is as crowded as fuck. It has three times the population of New York City, after all. If you use a bus you will spend hours in traffic. If you use a subway you are shoulder to shoulder with strangers, and you must push and shove around to get anywhere. If you're a pedestrian you must be careful not to get run over in the streets.

-Most toilets you will encounter in China require squatting and do not include toilet paper. Be prepared for this and bring your own pack of kleenex and hand sanitizer or something
 
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