My Most Surprising Travel Destination

[Epigonos]

Guatemala is indeed a physically gorgeous country although its political history is tragic.  I lived In a small town (San Juan Chamelco) in the state of Alta Verapaz near Coban for two years, from 1963 to 1965, while serving in the U.S. Peace Corps.  Believe it or not this city born kid raised hogs which were donated by U.S. farmers in order to improve the local breeds.  Damn that's a very long time ago. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Epigonos

[Guest]

9 hours ago, mike carey said:

Quite so, when I got off the plane, I wasn't like, OMG, I'm in South America, how did that happen, so not surprising in that sense. It was surprising in that it was not a trip I had long contemplated but rather, one that was the result of an unexpected suggestion.

LAN as it then was (now Latam) flew to Santiago from Sydney via Auckland. Qantas later started flying there non-stop, and Air New Zealand used to fly from Auckland to BsAs. Qantas also added Rio during the winter of 2016, and it's one of their planned Project Sunrise destinations. I think Aerolineas Argentinas also flew to Sydney and/or Auckland at one stage. If I recall correctly, at one time when range was an issue, Qantas also flew to BsAs with a technical stop in Rio Gallegos.

I had to look up Rio Gallegos. It looks like it's just as extremely windy there as in a city from a "surprising" visit I made to a similar city on the Chilean side, Punta Arenas, about 9 years ago, on a cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires. I've never experienced such winds before, other than a hurricane I experienced, strangely enough, some 40 years previously in Santiago de Chile (I was indoors while the hurricane was blowing, venturing outside only during the eye of the storm). All stores I saw had revolving doors, and I find it difficult to understand how anyone could stand living with such winds. According to Wikipedia:

"The city is also known for its strong winds (up to 130 km/h [81 mph]), which are strongest during the summer. City officials have put up ropes between buildings in the downtown area to assist pedestrians with managing the strong downdrafts."

Edited July 4, 2021 by Unicorn

[+ WilliamM]

South Vietnam 1968-1969

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.  It was an overlooked stop on a cruise from Sydney, but I enjoyed it immensely.  It was like a step back in time to see the world before the arrival of Explorers.  Yes, some people wore faded American t-shirts and pants, but they lived in family tribes in grass huts next to the ocean, and are what they caught that day in the streams or ocean.  They walked around barefoot.  It was like a set to Gilligan's Island.

[EZEtoGRU]

Unusual places I've been that I could have never imagined I would have gone to:

* La Iglesia De Las Lajas in Ipiales Colombia.

* Comodoro Rivadavia in Southern Argentina.

* Trips to Chile during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

* Cruising around Ha Long Bay Vietnam at sunrise.

*  Seeing the natural beauty of Lake Louise in Alberta Canada.  Probably the most beautiful natural sight I have      ever seen.

*  Girona Spain.  Especially the oldest part of the city and the Jewish Quarter

[+ Charlie]

A place that it was not a surprise that I wanted to see was the Taj Mahal, but the circumstances were unexpected. We were preparing to fly from Varanasi to Khajuraho, to see the famous temples, but the flight was delayed for several hours in Varanasi by weather. It wasn't until we were airborne that the pilot announced that we would not be able to land at Khajuraho because it was getting too dark and the airport there had no lighting for night landings;  instead, we would be flying on to Agra, where Indian Airlines was making arrangements for the Khajuraho passengers to spend the night. (Indian Airlines was notorious for this kind of schedule unreliability, but in those days it was the only option for domestic air travel in India.)

After we Khajuraho passengers had checked into the hotel in Agra and eaten a late dinner, several of us decided that we wanted to go to the Taj Mahal. The Taj was closed at night, and the whole Taj compound was surrounded by high fencing with locked gates, but it was a mild, clear night with a full moon, so we walked to the area. The compound was dark and empty, but through the gates we could see the silent, beautiful marble building bathed in moonlight. It was stunning.

I did eventually get back at a later date to Agra to see the Taj in normal circumstances, but it was less impressive in bright daylight, filled with noisy tourists and souvenir hawkers.

[+ Pensant]

Minsk, Belarus.

[Luv2play]

On 7/4/2021 at 9:59 AM, Epigonos said:

Guatemala is indeed a physically gorgeous country although its political history is tragic.  I lived In a small town (San Juan Chamelco) in the state of Alta Verapaz near Coban for two years, from 1963 to 1965, while serving in the U.S. Peace Corps.  Believe it or not this city born kid raised hogs which were donates by U.S. farmers in order to improve the local breeds.  Damn that's a very long time ago. 

Just curious if you were inspired to join the Peace Corps by President Kennedy.I always thought that was one of the greatest things the Americans did in the Cold War. If we had had the equivalent, I would have joined straight out of university and before going to law school.

[Rod Hagen]

Every day that I Mountain Bike in the San Gabriel or Santa Monica mountains or swim in the cove below the Montage in Laguna, or surf  Malibu or Manhattan Beach, or catch a snow storm in Big Bear, or rock climb at J-Tree, I'm once again surprised by the geographic beauty and variety available to me all within 2 hours drive, some of it (San Gabriels and Santa Monica Mountains and Manhattan Beach) only 30 minutes away.  I mean, have you BEEN to California?

[Guest]

On 7/4/2021 at 11:29 AM, WilliamM said:

South Vietnam 1968-1969

I know you've mentioned it before, but I forgot: were you drafted or did you volunteer?

[Epigonos]

I have stated, many times, on this site that I virtually worshiped the ground John F. Kennedy walked on.  The Peace Corp was his idea, and its first director was Sargent Shriver, his brother-in-law.  After working for Kennedy’s presidential campaign, I returned to school and upon receiving my B.A. I immediately joined the Peace Corps. I was actually in Guatemala when President Kennedy was assassinated.

To me the major accomplishment of the Peace Corps was not the material things it accomplished but the exposure it provided to young Americans and people all over the world to each other.  We ALL came to understand that in the end we were ALL just people and none of us had horns or devil tails. 

[CuriousByNature]

I expect my most surprising destination will be anywhere I am finally able to get to once travel restrictions are lifted.  

[+ WilliamM]

58 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

I know you've mentioned it before, but I forgot: were you drafted or did you volunteer?

Drafted when I lived in   Massachusetts. I wouldn't have volunteered, however I made several life long friends in the Army.

[+ Pensant]

2 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Every day that I Mountain Bike in the San Gabriel or Santa Monica mountains or swim in the cove below the Montage in Laguna, or surf  Malibu or Manhattan Beach, or catch a snow storm in Big Bear, or rock climb at J-Tree, I'm once again surprised by the geographic beauty and variety available to me all within 2 hours drive, some of it (San Gabriels and Santa Monica Mountains and Manhattan Beach) only 30 minutes away.  I mean, have you BEEN to California?

What kind of MTB are you riding?

[+ WilliamM]

St. Petersburg, Russia and NOT on a cruise or a tour.

During the White Nights in June where It was  daylight nearly all night

[Rod Hagen]

3 hours ago, Pensant said:

What kind of MTB are you riding?

Oh shit, did you mean what kind of mountain bike?  It's a Turner.

[+ Pensant]

6 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Oh shit, did you mean what kind of mountain bike?  It's a Turner.

I’m currently riding a Santa Cruz Hightower.

[Rod Hagen]

14 hours ago, Pensant said:

I’m currently riding a Santa Cruz Hightower.

Nice!  Where?

[+ WilliamM]

On 7/6/2021 at 2:24 PM, Epigonos said:

I have stated, many times, on this site that I virtually worshiped the ground John F. Kennedy walked on.  The Peace Corp was his idea, and its first director was Sargent Shriver, his brother-in-law.  After working for Kennedy’s presidential campaign, I returned to school and upon receiving my B.A. I immediately joined the Peace Corps. I was actually in Guatemala when President Kennedy was assassinated.

To me the major accomplishment of the Peace Corps was not the material things it accomplished but the exposure it provided to young Americans and people all over the world to each other.  We ALL came to understand that in the end we were ALL just people and none of us had horns or devil tails. 

 

Shriver spoke at my college graduation (1964/1965) and Kennedy spoke at my high school graduation (1961).

[+ Pensant]

4 hours ago, Rod Hagen said:

Nice!  Where?

The Seattle area. Also have an Evil Following, which I love. Was on a black diamond trail this morning 😧

[Rod Hagen]

2 hours ago, Pensant said:

The Seattle area. Also have an Evil Following, which I love. Was on a black diamond trail this morning 😧

that's a beautiful bike.  

[+ WilliamM]

Hvar, Croatian Island

 

Brought a car on the ferry from Split because I could actually drive from Hvar to  Dubrovnik

[CuriousByNature]

35 minutes ago, WilliamM said:

Hvar, Croatian Island

 

Brought a car on the ferry from Split because I could actually drive from Hvar to  Dubrovnik

Is Dubrovnik close, or is it quite hvar?

[+ WilliamM]

20 minutes ago, CuriousByNature said:

Is Dubrovnik close, or is it quite hvar?

Not too far, but certainly closer than taking the ferry back to Split. In Hvar just before the season started, so fairly easy to find a place to stay. May be . more gay during The season 

Surprised how sexy Bosnian men are

[+ WilliamM]

Sarajevo, Bosnia

Beautiful old world city and history (1914) and more recently during the war with Serbia 

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