Tuesday, August 27, 2013

International travel

I've mentioned on here before that I have been to all 48 contiguous US states plus 5 foreign countries (Canada, Bermuda, Spain, France, Italy).  A new travel goal has emerged: Visit every inhabited continent.  So far, all I've got down is North America and Europe.  Here are a few other places I would like to go besides Alaska and Hawaii:

Canada: I have no desire to visit every province here but would like to expand on my current tally.  I have been to Ontario 3 times, with a day trip from Buffalo to Toronto being most memorable.  Also, I was in Quebec when I was very young.  I'd like to take a tour of the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia).  There are several good races in that area and it could make for a cool summer get away.  I could check off all 3 on a single trip.
Calgary has race on Memorial Day weekend and I hear that the Canadian Rockies are really beautiful.  I could drive from Spokane and check off British Columbia and Alberta.
Lastly, the Detroit Free Press race is on my list largely because it actually crosses into Canada.

Europe-I'd like to return here at some point.  If I am to re-visit Europe, London would be a clear #1 choice.

South America:I probably should bone up on my Spanish if I am to go here.  My first choice would probably be Lima, Peru and the Andes Mountains. Lima does have a marathon/half and it appears to be a really nice course plus I can get there on a direct flight from Atlanta for just over $1K.  I've seen pictures of Maccu Piccu (sp?) and was blown away.

Australia-This is probably the one that I have the most desire to see but it's also the toughest trip.  If I have to choose a city to target, it would probably be Sydney and possibly Melbourne on the same trip.  I can plan to go whenever the big marathon/half marathon takes place.

Israel- My friend Kevin went there this past year and loved it.  As a Christian, I have my special reasons for wanting to visit.  For the record, Kevin said that he never felt unsafe and the biggest takeaway was that you will never look at Scripture in the same way after you've been to those sites.

Asia- Hong Kong is my number one choice here with Tokyo as a close second.  My parents went to HK about 30 years ago and really enjoyed it.  Also, the marathon/half is much easier to get in than Tokyo.

Africa- Durban and/or Cape Town, South Africa.  Durban is on the coast of the Indian Ocean and is home to the world famous Comrades Marathon, which attracts runners from every corner of the world.  Also, the 2 Oceans Marathon/half in Cape Town is the self-proclaimed "most beautiful" in the world.  I've seen video of the course and it may be the truth.  Both cities are reportedly safe for tourists and have plenty of nice areas worth seeing.

As a bit of an aside, in my days as a student, I have met people from all over the world.  Just off the top of my head, here's a list of countries from which I met a student:
Brazil, Columbia, Congo, Uganda, Japan, Bangladesh, India, China, Russia, Bulgaria, Trinidad, Great Britain, Turkey, Singapore, Spain, Vietnam.

1 comment:

Yo Momma Runs said...

Very cool list! Machu Pichu is on my list of must visit places too! And I love Hong Kong! It's just a really exciting city, but it would be sad to go there and not visit mainland China. Two words: rice terraces. I don't know why they aren't included in the wonders of the world because they are the most amazing thing I've seen in my life.