What are the most interesting places you've ever been?

[finnbow]

What places have you visited that you found the most interesting, enlightening or educational and why?

I've been to over 50 countries and all 50 states, and of all these places, the most interesting 3 were:

1. Soviet Union, April 1981 (Year after Olympic boycott). I went on a 8 day tour, 4 days Leningrad, 4 days Moscow. It gave me a clear view of what Soviet communism was all about. Dreary but highly educational.

2. Israel - 2 week vacation, Christmas/New Years 1983. Jerusalem is a mind-blowing place. Its sense of history overwhelms any other place I've been.

3. Kenya - 2 week photo safari, early 1980's. Seeing all the Wild Kingdom stuff up close and personal. Visits to Masai tribal villages was a trip too.

4. Runner Up - Istanbul. Beyond the fantastic sights (Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque are incredible), the people are the most kind, gracious people I've ever met.

[Charles]

I've been to Arkansas and the county fair.

I liked Arkansas better.

Chas

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Charles

I've been to Arkansas and the county fair.

I liked Arkansas better.

Chas

Funnel cakes got you down?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Funnel cakes got you down?

It was showing hogs that soured me.

Ever give a hog a bath?

Chas

[Combwork]

1971 Kuala Lumpur. Went for three weeks to try to untangle a mess (failed) and ended up staying 3 months, mostly driving old ex British Army trucks for the Red Cross during the floods. Nope, I didn't know how to drive a truck; it's a steep learning curve trying to drive the thing full of supplies down a flooded causeway accompanied by a map reader who couldn't speak English. We soon had some words in common, "Oh Shit" being two of them.

[Brother_Karl]

I havent been anywhere noteworthy.
Ive been to France, Spain, Italy, Wales, Scotland (possibly), Germany (possibly), Switzerland, Crete and Cyprus. So, I have never really been out of Europe.

Originally Posted by finnbow

1. Soviet Union, April 1981 (Year after Olympic boycott). I went on a 8 day tour, 4 days Leningrad, 4 days Moscow. It gave me a clear view of what Soviet communism was all about. Dreary but highly educational.

I am so jealous. What was your impression? Did any of your views get changed or challenged while you were there or were your views simply confirmed? Why did you decide to go in the first place? How much did you enjoy it there? Was there anything particulary weird about the place that stood out to you?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Brother_Karl

I havent been anywhere noteworthy.
Ive been to France, Spain, Italy, Wales, Scotland (possibly), Germany (possibly), Switzerland, Crete and Cyprus. So, I have never really been out of Europe.



I am so jealous. What was your impression? Did any of your views get changed or challenged while you were there or were your views simply confirmed? Why did you decide to go in the first place? How much did you enjoy it there? Was there anything particulary weird about the place that stood out to you?

Sounds to me like you've been around.

Chas

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Brother_Karl

I am so jealous. What was your impression? Did any of your views get changed or challenged while you were there or were your views simply confirmed? Why did you decide to go in the first place? How much did you enjoy it there? Was there anything particulary weird about the place that stood out to you?

I had been in Germany for about 3 years at the time and had been most everywhere within driving distance and wanted to experience something completely different. I was living in Fulda, the likely focal point of any Russian invasion of Western Europe, and wanted to see what the "enemy" was all about.

The visit largely confirmed what I thought to be true, having been across East Germany and into East Berlin a few times. The biggest impression was the scarcity of common foodstuffs. A grocery store we went into in Moscow had stacks of bread and dried fish and not much else. Also, the accounting for/spying on western visitors was palpable within the hotels and on any formal tours/outings. We were left alone though as we wandered on our own through Leningrad and Moscow.

I remember the feeling of intense relief when our plane touched down in Vienna after our visit. It was like a burden had been lifted and we'd only been there 8 days.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I had been in Germany for about 3 years at the time and had been most everywhere within driving distance and wanted to experience something completely different. I was living in Fulda, the likely focal point of any Russian invasion of Western Europe, and wanted to see what the "enemy" was all about.

The visit largely confirmed what I thought to be true, having been across East Germany and into East Berlin a few times. The biggest impression was the scarcity of common foodstuffs. A grocery store we went into in Moscow had stacks of bread and dried fish and not much else. Also, the accounting for/spying on western visitors was palpable within the hotels and on any formal tours/outings. We were left alone though as we wandered on our own through Leningrad and Moscow.

I remember the feeling of intense relief when our plane touched down in Vienna after our visit. It was like a burden had been lifted and we'd only been there 8 days.

Didcha bring back any vodkey???

Chas

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Charles

Didcha bring back any vodkey???

Chas

I did. And I'm not much of a liquor drinker, more just beer and wine. I still have a liter bottle of Stolichnaya that I bought there that has about 1/4 remaining. It's now over 30 years old and has "Made in the Soviet Union" on the bottle.

We drank a lot of the Crimean champagne while we were there. Krimsekt, as it was called in Germany, was always a big hit with the honeys in Germany. We were on a 50 person tour and at least half of them were DoD school teachers looking to party. We got pretty stupid on a nightly basis.