After stopping by Srah's and seeing this week's Friday Five listing, I decided to participate. So here goes:
1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?
Well, since I don't really live in my home country, this question is hard to answer. I just travelled back to my home country, so that seems like it should count for something. But I guess it doesn't. So I'll answer with Boring Belgium. Oh, no, wait...London was the last place I went. I'm all confused, now. Let's go with London.
2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?
I watched hookers pick up clients for three and half hours on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. It was absolutely fascinating. We quickly realized that they had been strategically set up throughout the strip, and that they were wearing subtly similar clothing - almost like a uniform - with their hair all done the same. We were so mesmerized by this underworld that was clearly so marfia-esque in its organization that we followed two hookers that actually found some prey (young American men, at that). We followed them for about ten minutes, down some sketchy, cracked-out side streets. Imagine how surprised we were to find that the hookers took the boys to a youth hostel. Made me lose a lot of faith in those kinds of places.
3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?
Wow. Now that's a question for you. I'm stuck on Rwanda and Burundi and I don't know why. But if LAW were no object either I would go to Cuba. And then besides those three, I would go to Chile, Brazil, Haiti, India, Burma, Burkina Faso. God, so many others. These aren't very plausible for the time being, but plausible future destinations include Italy (planned), Morroco, and Eastern Europe. Cambodia is number one on my list, but I'm going next summer, so I feel no need to include it in this dream-like question's response.
4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car? Plane for long distances and overseas. I love trains. But if I am going to take a long trip, I would rather have the freedom of a car. Being able to stop and check out a quaint town or a random store along the way is priceless. Still, for comfort and romanticness points, I'll go with trains.
5. What's the next place on your list to visit? I leave for Spain and Portugal in a week. I'll be going back to the States for Christmas. And I'll be off to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand come next June. In between, there may be a trip to Italy, and almost certainly a trip to somewhere semi-nearby for New Year's Eve. Like Boring Belgium, or something.
Belgium is NEVER boring! If you don't want to go, send me!
Everybody I read seems to want to go to Chile! What's up with that? I recommend it, but I find it weird that everyone wants to go there. I'd discourage going during their winter.
"Chile" would be too cold for me. ::he he::
Lee, come to the UK again and use our trains; your love affair will soon end here. They're so rubbish - especially during the summer: always delayed, too expensive, dirty, over-crowded...
But there's an amazing train you can take from Glasgow Queen Street heading north towards Fort William: it goes slummy city, slummy city, slummy city...and then BANG! - you're in the mountains with Loch Lomond to your left, Ben Lomond to your right, and Rannoch Moor glistening in the hazy-heathered sunshine up ahead. You just gotta hope you don't break down in the back of beyond.
I started thinking about where I'd like to go and hands down, my vote is still with St. Mary Montana, by train on the Empire builder from Chicago. Of course, they just had a forest fire and nothing may be left of East Glacier by now, but hands down, I'd live there if I could.
Another favorite is a far out of the way spot, Blue Bend, West Virgina. Its a campground adjacent to a crystal clear lake, between two mountains. I especially like to camp there in the winter.
I'm with you on trains, that's my preferred method of travel. I can sightsee, sleep or eat to my heart's content. Sounds like I need to stay off the English trains though, ugh!
I heard that they still run the Orient express, and that would be my choice. Ever thought about a visit to Turkey? I've heard there are whole cities carved out of solid rock, including churches. I'm kind of an architectual nut, anyhows....
Melanie, Melanie, Melanie...You mean British trains, or English and Scottish trains. Do I have to give you a geography lesson; or just a smack upside the head? ;O)