Travel A-Z!

I remembered seeing this post over on Niina's blog quite a while back and loving it. With all the rain we've been having I started to feel really nostalgic for my travelling days, so thought I would do this post! Thankfully, the sun has come out today, so I'm writing this in my conservatory in the sunshine with my feet hanging out of the door! I have a duff laptop that complains if you unplug it from the charger, so that puts paid to outside blogging!

So here we go!

A - Age you went on your first international trip.

I was three years old when I went to Greece. I don't really remember much of the holiday, but the things I do remember are pretty strange! These things must have really made an impression on me; sleeping with a lilo beside my bed incase I fell out in the night; another little girl offering me Opal Fruits at the airport; discussing the pronunciation of spaghetti on the beach (I used to say 'pasghetti'); finding a starfish, and being given a free Looney Tunes lolly everyday by the lady in the shop near our villa! Ah, the three year old mind!

B - Best foreign beer you've had and where.

I drank a LOT of Godfather beer when I was in India, in the Himalayas. It was pretty much all you could get that wasn't going to potentially kill you. I loved that the volume of alcohol was 5-8%. They didn't even know?!

C - Cuisine, favourite.

I loved the food in Thailand the best. Once I got over my food fears and stopped worrying if it was going to make me ill, it was amazing. 25baht Pad Thai on the street is one of my most memorable meals! 

Krabi, Thailand

D - Destinations. Favourite, least favourite, and why.

Out of the places I have visited, my favourite destination is definitely Australia. I just love it, the people are so friendly, the weather is amazing and the scenery is beautiful. I can't put my finger on it, I just love it. My least favourite is probably France. I know it's only just over the pond, but I always feel uncomfortable in France, like the French really don't want me there! I've not had wonderful experiences there. Maybe now I'm older and wiser I'll try again!

E - Event you experience abroad that made you say 'wow'.

This is a really difficult question because there are so many of these and there's probably a ton I don't even remember. Something that I really remember loving is one tiny little island I stayed on in Fiji. The locals would dance for us every night and they even took us to their tiny little church on Sunday morning. It was possibly the sweatiest I've ever been, but I've never felt more welcome anywhere than there.

F - Favourite mode of transport.

This is weird because I love travelling and going to new places, but I hate flying, and I know that's the obvious answer! I have an absolutely irrational fear of it. It's got worse recently and the sad thing is I can't imagine ever taking a long haul flight again. I know I will, because I want to so badly, but I don't know how I'll get over it. Answering the actual question now, my favourite way to travel is by car, because you get to see all the lovely scenery and I think it helps you get a real feel for a place and feel more at home there!

G - Greatest feeling while travelling.

Feeling really comfortable somewhere, like you belong there and should have been there all along! It's the feeling you get after a few days of exploring, when you're not the new girl anymore. Basically just finding a place that suits you and you really click with.

 H - Hottest place you've travelled to.

The more time that passes since being in these places, the less I remember the intensity of the heat. I remember having a genuinely gross sweaty upper lip in Fiji, wanting to cry because I was so hot in Thailand, and saying that leaving the hotel in Las Vegas was walking into an oven. I really can't decide which was hotter. I think maybe Thailand.

I - Incredible service you've experienced and where.

I'll never forget this, because it was so unexpected. We went to a small family run fish and chip restaurant in Mission Beach, Australia for dinner one night, and after sitting in the outdoor seating area all night, the owners gave us the keys and told us to lock up when we were done and put the keys through the letterbox! I couldn't believe how lovely and trusting they were. It made me love Mission Beach so much. 

J - Journey that took the longest.

Leh to New Delhi, hands down. We flew from Delhi to Leh, but on the way back we drove. For THREE days. The first day was the worst ever, it was 18 solid hours in Jeeps on the worst road in the world. Genuinely, it is actually the worst road in the world. I couldn't even enjoy the scenery.

K - Keepsake from your travels.

I never keep a diary at home, but everytime I travel I without fail keep a travel journal. Then I fill it with all things I gather on that trip, like leaflets, receipts for special things, everything! Really random things too.

L - Let down sight. Where and why?

In India I saw the Taj Mahal. At the time I thought it was a huge let down, but in retrospect maybe not so much? It took us five hours to drive there, and when we got there it was tiiiiny. Really small. I thought it was the Indian equivalent of a castle that you could go in and look around. That's just because 16 year old me didn't actually know the story of the Taj Mahal. We got there, looked at it, then drove back.

M - Moment you fell in love with travel.

In Greece for the second time. Looking out of the window of my room at all the little streets I hadn't walked up yet, and thinking, I'm a grown up now and can go out right now and explore by myself! That's when I realise I could explore ANYWHERE by myself. It was the most exciting feeling.

N - Nicest hotel you've stayed in.

I stayed in an amazing hotel in Australia, in my own suite! But that doesn't count because my flight was cancelled and Qantas was paying for it. Still, amazing. I loved Octopus resort in Fiji. We definitely couldn't afford it, but after the roach infested dormitories we'd been sleeping in, we really needed a treat. And a shower! On the day we arrived there were a couple getting married at the resort so we knew we'd hit gold. We were basically part of the wedding party because the place was so small!

Octopus Resort, Fiji. This place was actual, genuine real tropical paradise. Take me baaaaaack!

O - Obsession. What are you obsessed with taking pictures of when travelling?

Food. I always take pictures of my food! I have no idea why. Different foods is one of my favourite parts of travelling. This is totally weird, but I get so excited about the different crisps I'll be able to get in other countries!

P - Passport stamps. How many and from where?

Current passport - none, it's new. Old passport, LOADS. I have an Indian visa, and two stamps from every single country I went to in my gap year. And some from family holidays. I miss my old passport!

Q - Quirkiest attraction you've visited and where?

Without a doubt the giant mango in Australia. It was on the East coast somewhere, I don't really know where. We'd been driving for about 6 or 7 hours and saw a sign for Giant Mango, so we turned off. It was literally just a huge fake mango at the side of the road! 

 

R - Random experience. (Made this one up myself because R was GONE! Gasp!)

Walking down Hollywood Boulevard and being told, "If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much room!" by a man who was polishing the stars on the walk of fame. If that's not living on the edge, I don't know what is.

S - Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while travelling.

This sounds really pretentious, but experiences. I have no problem paying a whack of money to go and do something really cool that I can't do in my own country. Black Water Rafting in New Zealand = amazing!

T - Touristy thing you've done.

Walked the entire length of the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Both sides of the road baby! I think that was pretty touristy.

U - Unforgettable travel memory.

All the amazing and interesting people I met from all over the world. 

 

V - Visas. How many and for where?

One in my passport for India and one in cyberspace somewhere for Australia!

W - Wine. Best glass and where?

At a vineyard in New Zealand. 

X - eXcellent view and from where?

I would imagine from the sky when I did my sky dive. If only I'd remembered to open my eyes. Damn. Aside from that, flying out of Sydney over the harbour.

Y - Years spent travelling?

Collectively, probably just over a year. More please!

Z - Zealous sports fans and where?

Can't say I've really come across any!? My friends in Australia were very defensive of Aussie rules football though.

Well that was fun! I love a good old reminisce! Looking back at all this has definitely inspired me to travel more. I will get on a plane again! Think I might start short-haul and try to see a bit more of Europe first.

If you haven't looked at Niina's blog yet, go, do it now!

Happy travels!