Let’s talk about travel… specifically, the places that have stood out to you.
Have you ever visited somewhere that was unexpectedly awesome, or maybe a bit unusual? Was it a hidden gem in a city, a quirky roadside attraction, or an off-the-beaten-path spot that left you amazed (or scratching your head )?
Share the most interesting or strange place you’ve ever visited, and tell us what made it so memorable. Was it the landscape, the people, the culture, or something unexpected?
I’m looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
I was invited to keynote for a British company that was doing an offsite in Morocco. They needed me for only one day, so I tacked on additional days of sightseeing. As part of that, I hired a driver to take me from Marrakech to the seaside town of Essaouira.
Randomly on the longish drive, he asked whether I wanted to see the goats. I didn’t know what the crap he meant and said WTH. So he pulls over and says: OK, give me some change for the man with the goats. I hand some over and he pays some guy on the roadside. And suddenly I unexpectedly see a tree full of goats that the guy has displayed for tourists, so he can make a living.
Apparently normally goats eat nuts that fall off this type of tree. But I dunno WTH with putting goats on photo display like this. If I’d known that PETA existed in Morocco, I might’ve called them.
As we were leaving, two busloads of tourists pulled up for the goats. And a few miles down the road, we drove by another guy with goats in a tree.
I’ve been in Teesdale County Durham recently. It’s not a place I know, but have driven though on the way to Scotland. 4 days and I managed High Force, the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland. Fantastic weather as well, hidden gem
One other place that we will never forget is the lagoon of Bora Bora in French Polynesia and swimming with the rays and the sharks (black tip sharks, about 4 feet long).
So many places to choose from but swimming with the whale sharks in Exmouth, Western Australia on a sit in 2020, is up there with the best experience anyone could have. Largest fish, not actually a shark, in the sea. I was almost in this whale’s mouth as I was swimming away! But they are not dangerous to humans and actually love playing and interacting. One of those “shed a tear of joy and awe” moments.
@Oztravels those are the kind of moments I remember and though scary at the time, they leave the biggest and most exciting lasting impressions. Great dinner party conversation starters and why these kind of moments lead me to think I should write a book on the "Joys of Travel"
This is such a great story, Maggie! Goats love climbing, and are very good at it. Unless you noticed specific animal abuse, I wouldn’t worry too much about it, I see it more as tapping into and making a dirham from their natural instinct.
Thing is, the goats were kept up there. I latter saw a ladder and some pieces of wood — they must’ve been placed up in the branches and couldn’t roam, since they had to stay camera ready.
Once, while visiting Russia, my husband and I had the opportunity to tour the home of a Russian who hosted visitors — her home used to be part of a communal farm with hundreds of people, families who were assigned to work and cohabitate under Communism.
She hosted a bunch of us over homemade vodka and snacks, while telling us about their lives in that era. We found that interesting, especially because I’d been fascinated by the Soviet Union since childhood.
She showed us around and described their lifestyle, which included crops and a backyard banya, a traditional Russian steam bath, thought to help purify your body.
Her parents had since died and she’d inherited the subdivided former farmland and home, which she’d improved with indoor plumbing. We found it enriching to see how a normal Russian lived, since tourists don’t usually get to experience such.
As part of the same trip, we toured a Russian public school and learned about how kids there are educated.
On a trip to China, I asked for a tour of a small factory where they made purses, wallets and luggage for export to the U.S. and elsewhere. They walked me through all the assembly stations for making the items (many manual steps) and I got to see where the factory hands ate, lived in dorms and such.
I found it interesting and also depressing to see how factory hands’ lives seemed pretty bleak, including getting exposed to suboptimal working conditions and chemicals. I’m not sharing photos, since it was a private tour that they gave me as a favor.
Traveling suits me best when I can get beyond typical tourism, if I can learn and get a sense of how people live.
Cuba must have been the most eye opening country we have visited so far.
Queuing for hours for food.
The huge bbqs on street corners on a Friday evening
The many street food vendors in the cities
The kindness and openness we encountered.
The poverty
The cheerfulness
The lack of cars in the countryside
No wifi except in government controlled areas.
All in all, it brought home to us both what a privileged life we lead and all the things we take for granted.
Long ago (2008) I went overland from Cairo to Istanbul, going through Jordan and Syria.
My favorite place was the old city of Aleppo and the older man who gave me a walking tour of the city. He loved his city and it was so atmospheric and beautiful.
Sadly the old city was destroyed a few years later during the war.
2009 I went to Iran and was blown away by Esfahan Square. It’s a stunning place.
Last year I went to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. They were a surprise in how easy it was to travel there and the history. Definitely recommend them for sites, ease of travel, and low cost.
Last is Namibia. Had so much fun doing a self-drive/camping trip there.
I used to buy these bargain air tickets on Air France premium economy US-CDG(connection)-somewhere in Asia-CDG(connection)-somewhere in Europe-CDG(connection)-US. These were PE (sort of like domestic FC so a few inches wider and maybe 6 inches more legroom and they were bargains earning lots of ff miles for not a lot of money. Anyhow, I did 3 or 4 of these over a few years. One included Kyiv as the Europe destination. I found a private guide to take me out of the city - we went to the decommissioned former Soviet nuclear missile base near Pobuzke (about a 2 hour drive from Kyiv). The guy who took me out and gave me the tour was retired Soviet military (but a Ukrainian) whose English was excellent. He had been one of the translators who worked with the US Air Force team that worked to close down the missile base. Time before digital cameras and I can’t find my pictures. On the way back to Kyiv we stopped at a Georgian ‘diner’ and for a meal of grilled meats and shared some home made food and drink with 3 Georgian truck drivers who were taking a break.
Since then I’ve had the chance to visit 2 other decommissioned nuclear command sites (no missiles) - Hack Green Nuclear Bunker near Nantwich while sitting a cat trio near Frodsham
And the Vint Hill Farms Station, a U.S. Army and National Security Agency (NSA) facility that operated from 1942 to 1997. The location was top secret and it was there because location and some geologic formations that made it possible to eavesdrop on secret communications. I was sitting a pair of big old dogs then.
@toml you may be interested in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
I did the free B Reactor Tour a couple of years ago, super interesting. Hanford B Reactor
On another note, we lived in Vanuatu for 3 years and had a couple of earthquakes and cyclones … and the best 3 years of our lives.
And we also lived in PNG for 3 years and almost got carjacked at gun point but my hubby floored it. Good times! Love that you met your wife through it.
@PNW
Thanks - I’m sitting 2 weeks in Las Cruces in Dec-Jan with use of the car. But with a dog and it is 300 miles each way. May have to wait until I can get another Santa Fe or Albuquerque sit.
Have you seen the sits in Biskek and Astana? Unfortunately they overlap so you couldn’t do both of them in the same trip. And I’ve already committed to a sit for those dates. Pretty low cost flight if you do it on Air Astana. through Almaty. Or very expensive if you connect through IST or URQ.
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