Does anyone here travel? Is there an existing thread?

[enoob57]

not very far it wears me out 

[PeteBlaxton]

21 hours ago, Abdicate said:

I've been to 46 countries and lived in 7 of them between 2 and 4 years each.

Wow. 

Missionary or big company I'm guessing? 

 

I've been in 3. 

Several times. But only 3. 

[PeteBlaxton]

5 hours ago, Abdicate said:

Thanks. I've lived in the Spain, USA, Germany, Belgium, Bahrain, Canada, and Italy. Yes, I lived (and moved) for work. I used to be a traveling tech so from Germany I visited most of the 46 countries (except Mexico, and Guatemala) from there. I'm (Lord willing) going to retire in Spain, so that's my favorite place, or Italy, which is great too. Both cultures are easy going, family oriented, and neighborly, for the most part.

I'm curious. I sell to Europe online. 

Is there a particular item within the over the counter medicine category that you find harder to get shopping in stores over there? 

I know France and Germany protect their pharmacies and won't even let things in their people try to get. 

Spain seems less regulated. UK had been less. 

 

Ireland ok. But I just wonder if people would appreciate access to any particular items? 

 

I'm a teeny tiny self employed seller but many appreciate the opportunity to buy. 

 

I wonder how many languages you learned enough to converse? 

[Justin Adams]

Drove from UK to Nepal (via India) way back. Lived in the US and Canada (learned to fly there) and Ausralia.

Been to most EU countries and some middle east. Was in Iran a few months before it fell to radicals.

I have been a traveling engineer for forty years now with at least 2.5M air miles.

Now retired after a chapter 7 lost me everything. Everything. Oh well.

Life sure is interesting. If you want cheap OTC meds, go to Nepal (thought I have not been there in a while).

[PeteBlaxton]

On 6/26/2019 at 3:17 AM, Debp said:

Pete, what part of Mexico did you visit?   Also, how did you find Haiti to be?   Did you visit before the huge earthquake?

We have alot of Hispanics here so I have gotten used to the culture....crafts, music and the ethnic dancing with colorful dresses and costumes.   Of course, the food.

Where Los Angeles was founded is an interesting place, Olvera Street.   Like an old Mexican marketplace, crafts and little Mexican cafes.   Mostly in the Summers, there are the ethnic dancers on the Plaza.   But Mexican musicians stroll the street singing and playing instruments year round.

I love their traditional culture. 

I would love that.

 

I visited Haiti long ago. It's ruled by voodoo. 5 minutes from the airport in Port Au Prince little cemeteries are decorated, no buried, under voodoo talismans, dolls, paraphernalia, everything in sight covered. We slept in an open air concrete church but could here voodoo drums. 

Voodoo people did weird dances interrupting church services. The people are super oppressed spiritually. If you don't believe in black arts or practice, it'll change that. 

All their leaders from the president too the Catholic bishops are voodoo people. 

The common people often do several mixture of Christianity and voodoo. There are no jobs, no trees, few crops, no ac, pollution, hunger. 

We helped build a baby hospital. 

 

Don't go without experienced people. 

[Debp]

8 hours ago, PeteBlaxton said:

I love their traditional culture. 

I would love that.

 

I visited Haiti long ago. It's ruled by voodoo. 5 minutes from the airport in Port Au Prince little cemeteries are decorated, no buried, under voodoo talismans, dolls, paraphernalia, everything in sight covered. We slept in an open air concrete church but could here voodoo drums. 

Voodoo people did weird dances interrupting church services. The people are super oppressed spiritually. If you don't believe in black arts or practice, it'll change that. 

All their leaders from the president too the Catholic bishops are voodoo people. 

The common people often do several mixture of Christianity and voodoo. There are no jobs, no trees, few crops, no ac, pollution, hunger. 

We helped build a baby hospital. 

 

Don't go without experienced people. 

Wow, that's amazing.   I knew they had voodoo but didn't realize it permeated everything to that extent!   Nice that you all built the hospital for them!

How did your group happen to pick Haiti?

[Neighbor]

Haven't been to Haiti, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn once. (Sorry quirky brain just runs away with itself sometimes.)

A retired couple from our own local body  of Christ started a Christian school  within Haiti,  never did get to go there myself.  I never leave the USA, ( Like Elvis I guess)  except I have gone to Nassau once to help build a couple of classrooms at a Christian School there. That was long ago. I like to travel by car or camper and loved to kayak rivers and intercoastals.

Probably best trip  of all ( to date) was an Alaskan cruise in the cold month of May still lots of snow and ice everywhere. We got to kayak there a little bit. I did walk the back streets of a few towns and meet some of the people coming out into what they thought of as spring. Kinda fun to hear a bit about how they lived. Tough places, hard living.

I have traveled across much of the USA, yet have missed so much more. Most recent long trip and stay was to Gooches beach Maine for  about ten days. stayed on the beachfront, a family reunion of sorts to celebrate my mother's life.

Lately my Sweet Texas  Peach and I made a run up into the junction of the Blue Ridge  and Smokey Mountains.  We are about to become "halfbacks". leaving the subtropics for at least part of the year, but not going so far as to get  back into "my" New England. The Florida Suncoast is just becoming too brutal for my lungs in certain seasons of the year.

Looking forward to the TVA system of lakes and rivers,  and the pretty wonderful people we have already begun to meet. Haven't heard any "dueling banjo's" none. Seems up there they all say "Have a blessed day", and mean it! One even said  out of the blue to me as he was stocking produce in a grocery, "Has the Lord Jesus blessed you today? He has already  greatly blessed me today." I thought how grand. Love this little place, it's good for a retreat and refreshing of the mind heart and soul. So we have bought in, and will be driving there  real soon again.

 By comparison to the rest  of my family I am a real stick in the mud! They are constantly on the move throughout much  of this world. Some becoming ex-patriots even now. Me, hey after Fenway Park,  what's to see? Just kidding, I kinda grew up on the Fenway  of old with Ted Williams, Jimmy Piersall,  and Jackie Jensen all in the outfield, near my cheap general admission bench seat. Loved going back this last season  had a seat right behind home plate. Can't get much better than that !

[Dennis1209]

In my military and civilian careers I've seen a lot of the states and a lot of the world. But it's just not that enjoyable from 35,000 feet or an airport terminal 

I keep threatening the wife about taking an AMTRACK train and go sight seeing some day. A train with a viewing deck, diner car and sleeper hopefully, and leave the driving to them. With the exception of Germany in 1986, haven't rode on a train since I was a child. I remember how much fun it was; see a lot during daylight and it was very relaxing. 

Last check, train fare was comparable to air travel (kind of expensive). As you're aware travel by POV is expensive also; subject to break downs and traffic, and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road and enjoy sight seeing at the same time. ALL ABOARD!

Always wanted to visit Israel and see all these places where biblical events took place and where Jesus walked.  

[PeteBlaxton]

4 hours ago, Debp said:

Wow, that's amazing.   I knew they had voodoo but didn't realize it permeated everything to that extent!   Nice that you all built the hospital for them!

How did your group happen to pick Haiti?

Haiti was picked by the minister because he had friends already helping in Haiti. We were only a part of the hospital work. It was built out of native stone(free) with volunteer labor (free), framed inside and finished by US volunteers. Used donated 3rd hand equipment and was improved bit by bit by locals and more volunteers. It only had I'd say 20-30 rooms and a few operating rooms and neonatal units. And volunteer doctors without borders type volunteers providing expertise. In a tiny Town called St. Louis De Nord. Right in the northern coast. In the midst of hardship poor countries have pleasantries we have given up here. Women would walk to town, build a mud clay oven near a road ditch and bake fresh bread to sell. It was everywhere. It smelled wonderful but we couldn't eat it for fear of disease.

Haiti has gorgeous coral and nice beaches awash in places in feces. Others are pristine.

Christians there will walk five miles with you trying to communicate and be super friendly. Desperate women will offer you there babies to take home. 

One thing that bothers me from a rural farm background is the lack of soil, trees, so much fallow ground. And the people mostly eat from US aid. 

[PeteBlaxton]

12 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

In my military and civilian careers I've seen a lot of the states and a lot of the world. But it's just not that enjoyable from 35,000 feet or an airport terminal 

I keep threatening the wife about taking an AMTRACK train and go sight seeing some day. A train with a viewing deck, diner car and sleeper hopefully, and leave the driving to them. With the exception of Germany in 1986, haven't rode on a train since I was a child. I remember how much fun it was; see a lot during daylight and it was very relaxing. 

Last check, train fare was comparable to air travel (kind of expensive). As you're aware travel by POV is expensive also; subject to break downs and traffic, and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road and enjoy sight seeing at the same time. ALL ABOARD!

Always wanted to visit Israel and see all these places where biblical events took place and where Jesus walked.  

I too want to train travel. Or group bus charter. Let them drive me around.