Seriously thoughtful Where would you go?

[beppe]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Iceland, followed by rail across Canada, then down to Grand Canyon/LA then Hawaii, Japan and New Zealand, across Australia (by any means possible) then home via African Rift Valley and Italy. Stopping to visit friends of course ...(you know who you are).

The route, as you may have noticed, include some of the volcano chains around the world....

great trip. I'd like to stop for a while in Australia though. Maybe give up LA for a direct hop to Hawaii. there is dunce there that i'd like to see if she is as cute and bright as they say.

[beppe]

a part from following my friend GeoffC, my self by myself, i would like to go to Zermatt in Switzerland (Canton Vaud) and stay there for a month skiing my head off from sunrise to sunset.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by beppe

great trip. I'd like to stop for a while in Australia though. Maybe give up LA for a direct hop to Hawaii. there is dunce there that i'd like to see if she is as cute and bright as they say.

A dunce? Here? Who? Where?

[lene1949]

Canada, Alaska and Afrika..

[beppe]

Spoiler:

Afrika a a a Afrika mon Afrique
Sama gent gi maa ngi ñaan Yalla wonma ko bala may ñibbi barsaq
Ma ne bes du ñakk ci bes yi Afrika don benn reew
D'ici ou d'ailleurs nous somm' des enfants d'Afrique
Mêm' si le ciel tombait luttons pour la paix
Kon jammu Afrika moom lay ñaan
Mané jammu Afrika mooy suñu natange
Afrika a a a Afrika a a
Afrika a a a Afrika mon Afrique

Yow mi nekka bittim reew man mi Lô maa ngi lay ñaan
Ak loo fa meun ta am ak noo fa meun ta mel bul fatte Afrika
Ici ou ailleurs la paix prix du bonheur
Mêm' si le ciel pleurait luttons pour nos frères
Kon jammu Afrika moom lay ñaan
Mané jammu Afrika mooy suñu natange
Afrika a a a Afrika a a
Afrika a a a Afrika mon Afrique

Onon bibbe Afrika ngimode, ngimode liggo-den leydi men
Ngaccen hasi daagal yoo Alla suren e musibaadi
Yoo Alla addu jam to Ruanda
Yoo Alla addu jam to Burundi
Yoo Alla addu jam to Casamans
Lawol Mbignona yee

Traduction (les deux premiers couplets sont en wolof, le dernier est en Pulaar)

Dans mon rêve je prie Dieu pour que cela se réalise avant mon trépas
Je dis " un jour viendra où l'Afrique sera unie "
D'ici ou d'ailleurs nous somm' des enfants d'Afrique
Mêm' si le ciel tombait luttons pour la paix
Donc je demande la paix en Afrique
car avec la paix en Afrique ce sera la prospérité

Etranger, moi Lô je te prie
quelles que soient ta fortune et ta situation de ne pas oublier l'Afrique
Ici ou ailleurs la paix prix du bonheur
Mêm' si le ciel pleurait luttons pour nos frères
Donc je demande la paix en Afrique
car avec la paix en Afrique ce sera la prospérité

Vous les enfants d'Afrique, levez-vous pour construire notre pays
Que Dieu nous épargne les malheurs
Qu'il apporte la paix au Rwanda, au Burundi,
Et en Casamance sur la route de Mbignona!!!

Lire la suite: http://www.greatsong.net/PAROLES-ISM...#ixzz11YlmiE00

[DixieGal]

Don't wait to go - just go! Find a cheap flight, pick hotels with easy tranpsotaion, and pack light.

KK: We just left Budapest yesterday, but I wanted to stay forever. To me it is as pretty as Vienna and Prague, but more interesting. There was so much more that I wanted to do there. You may not like it, because everything is too civilized and easy. Nothing to challenge your wild adventurous side. I loved it, because it was so civilized and easy. Elevators and escalators everywhere. Ahhh, lovely.

My dream journey that is out of reach has nothing to do with money. I would love to go to Egypt and the Holy Land, but those are out of bounds for ordinary American couples. The Middle East is too filled with hatred toward the US for us to safely visit.

[Stitchawl]

No question in my mind...
The central highlands of Bali! I think it's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Some of the friendliest people, the tastiest foods, and certainly the most visually appealing terrain anywhere in the world. Fascinating culture, interesting old temples, and with a 30 minute drive down the mountains to the sea, a variety of great scuba diving (including a couple of nice wrecks,) night life, clubs, etc., etc.,

Stitchawl

[DixieGal]

Sorry! Crappy hotel whyfi is duplicating my posts.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

My dream journey that is out of reach has nothing to do with money. I would love to go to Egypt and the Holy Land, but those are out of bounds for ordinary American couples. The Middle East is too filled with hatred toward the US for us to safely visit.

Don't give up that dream, DG. Although that part of the world is so often in the news, as a tourist there the chance of you experiencing any problems actually is quite remote, especially if you use a bit of common sense. There is still plenty of active and enjoyable tourism going on, despite what you hear in the news. Remember, a ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for. Don't trade your dream for supposed safety. The dangers can exist anywhere these days. There is a wonderful quote that's so very appropriate here;
"“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

It was Helen Keller who said that... Smart lady, she was!

Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Don't wait to go - just go! Find a cheap flight, pick hotels with easy tranpsotaion, and pack light.

KK: We just left Budapest yesterday, but I wanted to stay forever. To me it is as pretty as Vienna and Prague, but more interesting. There was so much more that I wanted to do there. You may not like it, because everything is too civilized and easy. Nothing to challenge your wild adventurous side. I loved it, because it was so civilized and easy. Elevators and escalators everywhere. Ahhh, lovely.

My dream journey that is out of reach has nothing to do with money. I would love to go to Egypt and the Holy Land, but those are out of bounds for ordinary American couples. The Middle East is too filled with hatred toward the US for us to safely visit.

ahhhh!!! how wonderful!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

My dream journey that is out of reach has nothing to do with money. I would love to go to Egypt and the Holy Land, but those are out of bounds for ordinary American couples. The Middle East is too filled with hatred toward the US for us to safely visit.

I think you're being unnecessarily cautious. Egypt is one of my favourite places in the world. Tourism is their number 1 industry and they REALLY look after their visitors. It's one of the most friendly and welcoming countries I know of. The fact that people might disagree with the policies of the US government does not translate into dislike of people from the US.

When you say "the Holy Land", do you mean Israel? Again, your chances of coming to harm while visiting there as a tourist are minimal.

At the end of the day, you'll regret far more the things that you didn't do than those that you did. One thing is certain, and that's that you're going to die sooner or later, but your chances of doing so from terrorism are minimal. You do far, far most dangerous things every day, like driving a car, than you would by visiting one of these countries.

Don't let imaginary fears stop you from travelling.

[DixieGal]

Do you guys go to Egypt with tour groups or with only your spouse?

[HarryT]

Tour groups. You'll get far more out of it that way. The best way to see Egypt is with a Nile cruise (assuming that it's the ancient sites you want to see).

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Do you guys go to Egypt with tour groups or with only your spouse?

Go on your own but join local guided day tours once you're in the area. Or find a tour group that gives you some flexibility in your daily planning for longer tours.
A lot of people don't want to be recognized as 'tourists.' These same people usually miss most of the 'good' places, and the places that they do get to usually take them twice as long and cost twice as much as if they had joined a tour group in the first place. No matter what, if you're visiting a new place to see and learn and experience, you're a tourist. Join a tour group and leave the driving, parking, directions, planning, and hassle to those who know the area. You can always do your own thing if the group doesn't give you what you want.

I hear a lot of folks saying "I don't want to go to touristy areas,' or 'that's a tourist attraction. Let's not go.' There is usually a good reason that an area becomes a tourist attraction. Residential housing projects, counsel flats, waste treatment plants, and tire manufacturing plants generally aren't good tourist attractions. The local tour guides know this. They will take you to the temples, museums, local markets, historic sites, etc. MUCH nicer than spending time trying to find your way on your own during your first visit. After you know your way around an area, THEN go off exploring on your own. You might want to go back and revisit some of the places you saw on the tour but didn't have as much time there as you might like.

Stitchawl

[HarryT]

Extremely sound advice, Switchawl, especially for a country like Egypt which is so very different to western countries. Most westerners would really struggle to get around on their own without a local guide.