What am I, a freakin' walking encyclopedia? As if I'm just going to spout off the population, current temperature and political climate. *snort!* Secretly, of course, I'm flattered. But I'm afraid I have nothing to offer her. Turns out her husband may be going there for some consultant work, and she'd go along too. She goes on to say "You know, Africa is just one of those places I've never had any desire to visit." I'm all: "WHAT??!!" Because Africa is probably my number one dream destination. What is more exotic, exciting, interesting than AFRICA? So, in the name of, uh, research I looked up Tanzania. Because, well, I love my sister and I'd probably never forgive myself if I encouraged her to go and she ended up in a pile of steaming lion poo.
Anyway. Imagine, if you will: (via lonelyplanet.com)
"Step out into the vast open plains of Tanzania and you suddenly feel very, very small. And so you should. You've just joined one of the largest, wildest animal populations in the world. Wildebeest, monkey, antelope, lion, cheetah, crocodile, gazelle, flamingo - they're all out there."
Behold, the pink:
Not to mention, Mt. Kilimanjaro:
and real, live Maasai!
Here's something I bet you didn't know:
MZUNGU! MZUNGU! The word mzungu, meaning 'white person' was coined in the days of the early European explorers. It comes from the Kiswahili verb kuzunguka: 'to wander around aimlessly, like a mad person'. (ha! Crazy tourists!!)
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My top 5 (or 8):
Africa
Bora Bora or Fijii or Cook Islands (somewhere tropical but not too touristy)
Galapagos Island
Denmark/Sweden/Holland
Costa Rica
Italy (for a year or so)
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No desire to go to:
Mexico
China
Las Vegas (my idea of hell on so many levels)
Disneyland
(do not click on those links; I don't know how to remove them! aarrgghh!)
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So. What are YOUR top 3 (or 5) travel destinations, if you could go ANYWHERE in the world?? Where would you NOT want to go?
Top 5 places TO go:
ReplyDeleteAustralia
Africa
Bonaire
Belize
and Vermont!
Top 5 places I'd NEVER want to go:
New York City
Mexico
New York City
Mexico
and New Your City!
Ok, whoa, where the hell is Bonaire? It sounds like a 1950s Chevy.
ReplyDeleteI actually think you'd like New York; you loved Washington DC! Central Park is amazing. You'd never in a million years think you were in the middle of a huge city; you can't believe the birds there. Someday, when we're little old ladies, we'll all go birding there.
Look up Bonaire on the internet - it's a MASS of wildlife and rainforests! THAT'S where I'd love to go!
ReplyDeleteWish I was there:
ReplyDeleteAustralia
Hawaii/Maui
Italy
Greece
Egypt
AVOID AT ALL COSTS:
Fargo, ND
Minnesota, apart from MSP on my way to somewhere else
Texas in its entirety
Colombia
Anyplace that harbors the bitter cold, the closed minded, and/or state-sponsored terrorists.
Top 5 to go to:
ReplyDeleteAustralia and New Zeland
Fiji and all South Pacific
Antartica
Peru and almost anywere else in South America
Greece
Japan
Ireland
Austria
(Oops, that's more than 5)
Places I don't want to go:
99% of Africa (Wouldn't mind the Congo jungle)
Anywhere in the Middle East
France (they are pussies - worse than Kate!)
Love to go:
ReplyDeleteIreland
Scotland
New Zealand
New England in the Fall
Canada on the train
Figi
Sweden, Denmark,Switzerland
NOT to go:
Texas
Asia
Africa
Most of Europe
Russia
Middle East