Night Owls thread

Another night in.  How are the Night Owls?

We were talking about travel plans yesterday - what is your "bucket list" of far away places to see in this life?

Dublin, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles.  

Great list. Peru appeals to me.  I read some William S Burroughs and often he is travelling in that part of the world.  About a century ago now.  Also he lived in Mexico City for a while.

Sure.  I think it is the difference between being a tourist, a visitor and a traveller.

Some locations just demand a little better upfront research and planning / establishing a couple of advance points of contact or regroup refuge - to enable you to be bold with your travels ...but aware of your options if things turn up too tough - and being prepared to be observant, thoughful if necessary, and act upon your instinct to make your own decision and take the appropriate red-direct action.  I have found this approach facilitates experiencing people, cultures and locations in a more direct fashion.  It is not about guidebooks and tours - it can be safer to step off that treadmill and just show respect to your surroundings.  

Each day in San Francisco you can experience the influence of different communities across it's history

I'm inclined to go to the source for a lot of the influences these days - I've been to Mexico quite a few times (always with work) and got to try a lot of the local cuisine - some amazing stuff although I'm not such a big fan of how much they use sour flavours so much.

They are very creative and have awesome dishes so well worth a visit I would say.

I also got to climb the pyramids of the sun and moon when I was there - an awesome experience.

It did feel quite dangerous at times though and I didn't get to go to the more down to earth parts of town but I hope to change that at some stage.

Maybe a road trip through South and Central America could be on the cards. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Many years ago, I visited both the USA East Coast and West Coast.  On the West Coast I visited both LA and San Francisco.  I would not plan a revisit to LA, however, I would certainly view a re-visit to San Francisco favourably (it felt very different to everywhere else I have experienced in the USA).

Each day in San Francisco you can experience the influence of different communities across it's history.  I enjoyed the diversity of food available.  As a visitor you felt welcomed and included - and yet, not pestered.  I valued that sensation of - come and meet us / we won't hassle you.  It felt relaxed.  You didn't feel "on guard" despite being such a new experience. 

Dublin, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles

Oddly enough I never really developed an interest in Ireland - probably growing up in Scotland and meeting a few people from there made me think it was too much the same.

New York I used to visit for work so been about 6 times and been able to do some tourist time too - I like it but in small doses. It seems to have got so expensive now.

LA I haven't been to but perhaps Hollywood has put me off - see so much imagery of the streets, life etc that I don't see that much to appeal to me.

All are English speaking though and that does make it a lot easier to navigate a holiday.

For me the list remains quite long:

Myanmar - lots of culture, history and cuisine that appeal to me there.

Cambodia - ditto, but Angkor Wat as a ancient ruin that feels like a must visit. I recall reading about recent LIDAR scans of the surrounding areas show it was a much more massive complex that is currently visible.

Thailand - the rural parts rather than the cities for the cuisine more than anything,

Singapore - been 4 times in the last 30 years and would go back in a heartbeat. The city has some incredible architecture and the cultural mix brings the most amazing foods.

Peru - mostly for the Myan architecture and Mach Piccu. Such a sad history of how the Spanish invadors destroyed the local civilisations and enslaved them. Also a great textile history.

Hawaii - mostly for the volcano. I love me a bit of tectonic activity.

The Philipines - curious as I have met a few people from there who were really lovely and talked lots about the place so I got tempted.

Polynesia - mostly from my uncles travels around them which made him write some books on the subject. The lifestyle seems so simple, honest and wholesome without being prudish. I think it would be a great place to escape from life for a month and recharge. The Cook Islands are top of the list.

I've been to most places in Europe, don't really fancy more of the USA, didn't like North Africa (most of Morocco felt really unfriendly), will skip Russia and the balkans for now, don't find Australia and New Zealand different enough to merit the distance

Dublin, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles

Oddly enough I never really developed an interest in Ireland - probably growing up in Scotland and meeting a few people from there made me think it was too much the same.

New York I used to visit for work so been about 6 times and been able to do some tourist time too - I like it but in small doses. It seems to have got so expensive now.

LA I haven't been to but perhaps Hollywood has put me off - see so much imagery of the streets, life etc that I don't see that much to appeal to me.

All are English speaking though and that does make it a lot easier to navigate a holiday.

For me the list remains quite long:

Myanmar - lots of culture, history and cuisine that appeal to me there.

Cambodia - ditto, but Angkor Wat as a ancient ruin that feels like a must visit. I recall reading about recent LIDAR scans of the surrounding areas show it was a much more massive complex that is currently visible.

Thailand - the rural parts rather than the cities for the cuisine more than anything,

Singapore - been 4 times in the last 30 years and would go back in a heartbeat. The city has some incredible architecture and the cultural mix brings the most amazing foods.

Peru - mostly for the Myan architecture and Mach Piccu. Such a sad history of how the Spanish invadors destroyed the local civilisations and enslaved them. Also a great textile history.

Hawaii - mostly for the volcano. I love me a bit of tectonic activity.

The Philipines - curious as I have met a few people from there who were really lovely and talked lots about the place so I got tempted.

Polynesia - mostly from my uncles travels around them which made him write some books on the subject. The lifestyle seems so simple, honest and wholesome without being prudish. I think it would be a great place to escape from life for a month and recharge. The Cook Islands are top of the list.

I've been to most places in Europe, don't really fancy more of the USA, didn't like North Africa (most of Morocco felt really unfriendly), will skip Russia and the balkans for now, don't find Australia and New Zealand different enough to merit the distance

Great list. Peru appeals to me.  I read some William S Burroughs and often he is travelling in that part of the world.  About a century ago now.  Also he lived in Mexico City for a while.

Sure.  I think it is the difference between being a tourist, a visitor and a traveller.

Some locations just demand a little better upfront research and planning / establishing a couple of advance points of contact or regroup refuge - to enable you to be bold with your travels ...but aware of your options if things turn up too tough - and being prepared to be observant, thoughful if necessary, and act upon your instinct to make your own decision and take the appropriate red-direct action.  I have found this approach facilitates experiencing people, cultures and locations in a more direct fashion.  It is not about guidebooks and tours - it can be safer to step off that treadmill and just show respect to your surroundings.  

Each day in San Francisco you can experience the influence of different communities across it's history

I'm inclined to go to the source for a lot of the influences these days - I've been to Mexico quite a few times (always with work) and got to try a lot of the local cuisine - some amazing stuff although I'm not such a big fan of how much they use sour flavours so much.

They are very creative and have awesome dishes so well worth a visit I would say.

I also got to climb the pyramids of the sun and moon when I was there - an awesome experience.

It did feel quite dangerous at times though and I didn't get to go to the more down to earth parts of town but I hope to change that at some stage.

Maybe a road trip through South and Central America could be on the cards. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Many years ago, I visited both the USA East Coast and West Coast.  On the West Coast I visited both LA and San Francisco.  I would not plan a revisit to LA, however, I would certainly view a re-visit to San Francisco favourably (it felt very different to everywhere else I have experienced in the USA).

Each day in San Francisco you can experience the influence of different communities across it's history.  I enjoyed the diversity of food available.  As a visitor you felt welcomed and included - and yet, not pestered.  I valued that sensation of - come and meet us / we won't hassle you.  It felt relaxed.  You didn't feel "on guard" despite being such a new experience.