Travel Survey - Part 1

I'm bored so I will steal this from my cousin.  I figured that this would be a good time to reminisce about some of my travels. :)  I don't feel like doing the whole thing right now so I'll split it in half.  I will also include my domestic traveling as well because there is so much in our own countries that people don't think about exploring that usually gets overshadowed by all things international.  There is so much to be explored in the world that I consider "travel" to just be anywhere outside of your comfort zone of "home".

A - Age you went on your first international trip.  I was born in the Philippines, have been back twice since, and my family made frequent trips to our big neighbor to the north, Canada, to visit family, so I won't really count those because I will consider them "family vacations".  My first solo international trip that gave me the a bad case of travel bug was when I was 18 and visited one of my cousins in Vienna, Austria.

B - Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where.  Aussie beer is so good! I particularly loved Carlton's and Toohey's!

 

C - Cuisine, favourite.  All types of seafood. Cooked anyhow, anywhere and everywhere!

D - Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why.  Australia will forever be my favorite.  Best five months of my youth.  Least Favorite: Dominican Republic because we were sick the entire time.

E - Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”.  Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.  The moment you dip you head under the surface of the water, it's like a rainbow of coral and fish!

F - Favorite mode of transportation.  Trains.  It's the mode of ground transportation that is ten times faster than a car, and you don't have to worry about driving.  It used to be planes, but as I got older, I started to like the landing process less and less.  And it's usually cheap too.  I owe my experiences in Paris and Vienna to a great metro system and the side trips to Prague and Amsterdam to cheap train fare! :)

G - Greatest feeling while traveling.  Exploring unknown territory and roaming around a city or town that you've never been to before.

H - Hottest place you’ve traveled to.  Cairns, Australia.  The humidity was killer.  The moment you stepped out of the shower, you were sweating again.

I - Incredible service you’ve experienced and where.  All inclusive resort at Divi/Tamarijn Aruba.  Everyone was just SO nice and all food and drinks are included in the price!  An added plus was that we got there a week before kids got out of school so it was pretty much kid-free and certain activities like a bike tour and tshirt tie dying were included as well. Couldn't ask for any more.

J - Journey that took the longest.  Not counting our 8-day cross country road trip mainly because we made daily destination stops, the longest journey was flying home from Sydney.  I was stranded in LAX for an extra 10 hours waiting for them to find a plane to replace the one that broke down that I was supposed to get on.  In addition to all that, I was in winter clothes coming from below the equator while everyone in the airport was in shorts because it was summertime!

K - Keepsake from your travels.  Photos and memories.  I suck at buying souvenirs.

L - Let-down sight, why and where.  Driving through Memphis, TN to see Elvis' Graceland mansion.  We expected a really nice mansion, but it was kinda small, and in a pretty sketchy area.  I was underwhelmed and unimpressed.