Familiar places and exciting destinations

@maximax8 (31053)
United Kingdom
February 19, 2011 1:20pm CST
A person lives somewhere in the world and he can go to a nearby country or a far away country. Have you ever been to one of the countries that neighbors your home country? If so how similar was it to your home country? Have you ever been to an exciting place which is far away from your home country? If so what did you like about that destination. If you chose to visit a nearby country which one would it be and why? If you chose to go to a faraway country which one would it be and why?
3 people like this
10 responses
@zralte (4178)
• India
19 Feb 11
I am not much of an international traveller. The only other country I have visited apart from India is UK, my husband's place and the borderline of Bangladesh. I think we can leave the Bangladesh bit out as it really was not much that I saw. Just a village which borders my home state. I would love to visit Italy just because many romance novels depicts the country as very romantic place. I would love to see America. One of my best friends is there, I'd love to spend some time with her and see how she lives. And yeah, another reason is all the Hollywood movies. I'd like to see with my own eyes if what I imagined America to be is true or not. Within India, I have seen quite a few places. I would like to go up to Kashmir if the condition becomes better.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 11
I hope that you will be able to go to visit the Kashmir region when it is safe to do so. It is lovely that you have been to the United Kingdom and the border of Bangladesh. I had an idea of America before I visited it and it was so different. hope that you will get to visit your friend there. I have been to Los Angeles and seen sights like Hollywood. Also I hope that you will be able to do a trip to Italy to see all that rich heritage and ornate buildings.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 11
I stayed at Santa Monica which is a beach suburb of Los Angeles and I was surprised to see how many homeless people were there. I have on later trips stayed at Venice Beach and San Pedro. I didn't use the Internet until 2000 and my travels began back in 1987.
@zralte (4178)
• India
19 Feb 11
With so many Hollywood movies, it's kind of hard not to have an idea of what the country might be like. With the internet, we now see pictures and videos of different places, but that's just not the same as being there.
19 Feb 11
The furthest I have been is Thailand and that was with work - although we got quite a fair bit of free time it would be nice to go back with my husband to experience everything I didn't get a chance to do and also visit other areas I didn't see!
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
19 Feb 11
I am really pleased that you got quite a bit of time free when you were in Thailand. I hope that you will be able to go back there with your husband and see even more on your second visit. I would like to do some sightseeing in Bangkok then some island hopping and snorkeling.
22 Feb 11
Yes those are the things I would like to go back and do too! x
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
23 Feb 11
Personally it has been many many yrs since I was to Canada, which borders the US. It has been so long ago, I cannot remember it even. And no I have not had the pleasure to go to another country and visit either. Would Love too someday, but getting a passport along with the $$ is an issue for now. My brother and his wife live in Scotland so I would Love to visit there someday.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
20 Feb 11
Yes, we have drove into Mexico, or more specifically Baja California a couple of times and I am amazed at how things completely change once you enter the boarder. The whole area is crowded and the buildings are placed very closed together. It's a lot more livelier and colorful than my home country. The only other place I've been to, as I've mentioned is Japan, which is really far away. It was very different, first off from the weather and of course the language and the people there. Everything is so small and compact there. If I can go to a nearby country, I'd like to visit Mexico again or go to Canada. A far away place would be Argentina or somewhere in Europe like France or Spain.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
22 Feb 11
I have traveled all over the world, and have been to both of the countries that border my own (US). Although Canada is vast, and I am sure that there are parts that are very different from the US, the region that I visited, the Toronto/Niagara Falls/Lake Ontario region, was remarkably similar to the United States. Museums, restaurants, zoos, parks, coffee shops & souvenir shops all looked very much like their US counterparts. One big difference--the cost. Everything in Canada seemed to cost more than the same items would in the US--at least when we were there. Mexico used to be quite different from the US, but that is changing. Many of the border towns are almost interchangeable--El Paso and Juarez are a good example. However, I still found Mexico to have identifiable differences. The language, of course, the monetary system, and the climate are examples. There are many cultural and historical differences, too--for instance, Mexico's native American civilizations left behind monumental ruins in their wake, and the influence of the indigenous people can be felt throughout the country. These are just some of my observations, and certainly do not come close to even scratching the surface of the similarities and differences between the US and its closest neighbors.
@doggydimon (1369)
• Philippines
23 Feb 11
I have been to different countries around mine. I have gone to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Hongkong, China and Taiwan. And I might say that there is only a little resemblance that I can think of between my country and theirs. Maybe because we were colonized by a few countries for a long period of time that we developed a culture different to our neighboring countries. If I were to choose to visit a neighboring country, I would go back to Vietnam. It is quite a laid back country when I last visited there. I love the people, the food and I would like to explore more what Vietnam has to offer.
@AmbiePam (85312)
• United States
19 Feb 11
I've been to Mexico several times, which is connected to the United States. Of course I haven't been in many years. It's too dangerous right now. Even in the good parts of Mexico, it isn't wise to visit unless you are surrounded by security people or something. Especially when it comes to being a woman.
@bhanusb (5709)
• India
20 Feb 11
Hi maxi, Nepal is a neighbor of my home country. But quite different from my country. Nepal is a mountainous country having cold weather. It is a Himalayan country. But we live in a mostly plain land. The weather is hot. The culture of Nepal is also different.I always like to visit Nepal. Though Nepal is nearby, it is an exciting country. In case of far away country I will prefer any country of Europe. Europe is totally different from us. Race,culture,language,climate,weather all are different from our Eastern countries. So if I get opportunity I must visit Europe.
• Philippines
20 Feb 11
I was only out of the country one time and that was last January 15-21. My family and I went to Hong Kong and Macau, which isn't that far off from our homeland, the Philippines. The environment was sooo different from thr Philippines, first of all, because it was practically cold that time. It was clean, and best of all, we were comfortably using our gadgets out in public since the crime rate was low enough for us to be complacent. Just thinking about that vacation, I want to go back so bad already. I'm hoping that I'd get to travel to Europe, specifically Rome or France. There's just a lot I'd want to see in those countries.
@thereza (314)
• Philippines
20 Feb 11
It would be in japan and singapore. Because according to my friends those country very clean and rich