Friday 13 - 13 countries I have visited
Wow! It is exactly 13 (although one is a bit of a cheat)!
Indonesia - I first visited Indonesia (Java and Bali) when I was 19 years old on a university study tour. It was quite a revelation to me after studying Indonesian language at school for four years, ie, to find out 1) that noone really spoke the way we did in the classroom and 2) not everyone spent their days working in rice fields or making batik! I went back again at 21 (Sumatra, Java and Bali) and at 29 (to work in Jakarta and travel in Sulawesi) and again at 34 (on a family holiday to Bali). Out of everywhere I have visited, Indonesia is the one place that has the most special place in my heart!
Thailand - This was part of a fairly disastrous trip I took shortly after starting my first job. It was with a (then) boyfriend who got sick and ended up in hospital. I saw quite a lot of Bangkok but not much else apart from a few days at Koh Samui. I did like the Thai people I met though but felt a bit bewildered not speaking the language.
India - I flew to India from Thailand. While an amazing place, I did find the whole experience of India (the crowds, the poverty etc) very confronting. It probably didn't help that we were there during the lead up to an election so there were all sorts of shenanigans going on at the time. I would love to go back to India one day - I am sure it has changed a lot since I was there. Would also like to visit the South (we only went to a few of the Northern states on this trip).
Nepal - Nepal was where we went to to get away from all the fun and games in India. Quite a hair raising bus ride in but found it a beautiful country with great people.
Singapore - The first time I went to Singapore in the early 90s, I thought it a little sterile and boring. I don't know whether it is me who has changed since then or whether Singapore has but I appreciate it much more these days. We took the kids there last year and they loved it too. I also have family there now so got to see a different side of Singapore.
Malaysia - After Indonesia, Malaysia is the other country very close to my heart. I spent more than a month travelling to almost every state (including Sabah and Sarawak) in the early 90s (the same trip as when I first went to Singapore) and loved it. Even trying to speak Bahasa Malaysia was fun. In some ways it was easier than Indonesian as it had more borrowed English words and constructions. Got lots of weird looks from people at some of my vocabulary and pronunciation. Also took the kids here for 3 weeks last year - mostly on the East Coast of West Malaysia and to KL and they loved it.
UAE - This is my cheat country as I have really only been to the airport at Dubai. I remember being impressed at the hot water in the toilets there, all the gold in the stores and the fact that it was 30 degrees celcius at midnight. A friend lives there now and it doesn't really sound all that appealing to me.
Turkey - I spent a month in Turkey in the mid 90s and thought it was a great travel destination. So much variety (ie, shopping, beaches, mountains, ancient ruins, fantastic food etc etc) and a great bus service to get around on. I studied Turkish language for a little while at night school before this trip and this really helped me get to know the locals a bit better. I even had people mistaking me for a Turk a couple of times in Istanbul (or course, that was quickly dispelled when I opened my mouth to say Turkce bilmiyorum).
Syria - A bit of a weird, creepy place especially for women but glad I went. The ruins at Palymyra were magnificent. I also loved the food and spending an afternoon at the women's hamam in Aleppo.
Jordan - I absolutely loved Jordan. It was much easier to travel in than Syria and such magnificent sites to see including Petra and Wadi Rum. I also enjoyed Amman although I did get very sick and end up in hospital there though. Even that was okay. They treated me well and didn't charge me a single dinar. I still don't know why that is.
Israel - I visited Israel during a fairly tense time (isn't it always?). While very interesting and amazing, I found it a hard place to relax in. Not sure if I would go there again.
Egypt - Was feeling a bit worn out and homesick when I was in Egypt so probably didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. After visiting ruins in Turkey, Syria and Jordan, I also felt really peeved at all the hordes of people at every significant site in Egypt. My favourite place was the city of Alexandria. It had a lovely feel to it - more like Europe than the Middle East.
Italy - Ah bella Italia! I went there at the end of my Middle Eastern trip and it was such a nice change of pace. I spent some of the time staying with a family in Verona and also travelled down South as far as Naples and Sorrento. I have never learnt Italian but was amazed at how much I just seemed to know by osmosis. Maybe because Italian so widely spoken in Australia. Would love to go back to Italy one day.
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What interests me is that in contrast, Americans travel much more within their own country instead of world excursions. Funny how most of us have a much smaller sense of the macros but we are such specialists at the micros.
My wife and I have a few places to go when the kids are older too. Though as of yet, I've never traveled abroad. Too poor.