I’m a sucker for these chain blog posts, so I have to thank the lovely Jenna from This Is My Happiness for tagging me!
Age you went on your first international trip
I had just turned 20 when I took my first big international trip to Paris – it was amazing, exciting, inspiring, and slightly frightening. Everything your first international trip should be! I went to Canada for the first time the year before, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count as an international trip. We did pay the taxi driver in US dollars after all…and yes, the dollar was obviously stronger back then.
Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where
The beer and lemonade combination become my obsession when I was in Spain (along with gazpacho). I’m not actually sure what that drink is called…just kept ordering a cerveza con limón and they knew what I was talking about. It’s a surprisingly refreshing drink when it’s hot out.
I’m also a huge fan of Belgian sour ales – Rodenbach Grand Cru, anyone? – but I haven’t been to Belgium yet! But I do know all the places I can find it in San Francisco.
Cuisine (favorite)
Mmmm…everything. Do I have to choose just one? Yeah…that’s pretty much impossible.
Baščaršija Square in Sarajevo
Destinations: favorite, least favorite and why
I have a hard time choosing a favorite place – but the two cities that I’m dying to go back to are Paris and Sarajevo. Paris is one of those places that has everything for everyone – I don’t understand how someone wouldn’t fall in love with that city.
I didn’t know what to expect from Sarajevo, but I found it to be a young, refreshing city. I’m completely convinced that once one of those dirt cheap airlines starts flying there, it’ll become one of the hot new destinations in Europe. There’s such a wonderful mix between West and East there that it was familiar and new at the same time. And the burek! Yum, yum, yum.
And now my least favorite? I’m not a fan of Granada, Spain or Croatia – gasp! Yes the Alhambra is a must, but Granada just had one too many hippy dreadlocks for my liking…what’s with the long, single dread? I don’t get it. In Croatia, I only visited Dubrovnik and Zagreb, so for those of you who absolutely love it there…maybe I’m missing something. I can’t help but think of Croatia as that pretty, nice, but oh so dumb friend that everyone has. It was a gorgeous country, but it just wasn’t engaging. We came over from Italy (amazing) and then went on to Bosnia and Hercegovina (doubly amazing)…and Croatia became just that placed we stopped in between.
Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”
Being lucky enough to be fed home cooked meals in Italy! I pretty much ate the most delicious food non-stop for four days. And even better, foods that I typically hate – like mushrooms and bell peppers – became delightful little morsels that I couldn’t get enough of. So the moral of the lesson is that everything tastes better in Italy.
Riding the metro in Barcelona
Riding the metro in Barcelona
Favorite mode of transportation
Metros! They’re still so foreign and exciting…and normally pretty clean. Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them (or staring at a metro map trying to plan the perfect route).
Greatest feeling while traveling
Traveling itself is the greatest feeling. I’m not a long-term traveler and only get to take an international trip once a year, so just getting out there and going somewhere is the greatest feeling. Travel is the comfortable joy of returning over and over again to a place that you love (I’m looking at you, Reno!) and the excitement of jetting off to a country that is brand new.
The feeling I do miss is the absolute thrill of getting off the plane in a foreign country. It was about my fourth international trip where all of a sudden what I was doing felt normal. I guess it is nice that I’ve started traveling enough that is has become a normal part of my life.
Hottest place you’ve traveled to
Ugh, anywhere that gets over 80 degrees. I get wilty and grumpy in hot weather, so I try to avoid it at all costs.
Incredible service you’ve experienced and where
People were incredibly friendly in both China and Mexico. We were stopped by many people in China who just wanted to welcome us to their country and ask if we were enjoying ourselves – that’s never happened to me anywhere else. And people also were constantly going out of their way to help me when I needed it. In Mexico, I’ve only traveled in the Yucatan. There, too, people just wanted to talk about their city, and how happy their were that we were visiting.
Journey that took the longest
The 27 hour trip to get from Xi’an to Tunxi in China. There was a quicker option, but the language barrier meant that we couldn’t even figure out where to buy train tickets in Xi’an. So when we finally met someone who spoke English and offered to take us to buy tickets, I was thrilled and took whatever he gave us!
It took us about 23 hours on the train to get from Xi’an to Hangzhou. Then we raced across Hangzhou to the bus station, where we boarded a 3 hour bus to Tunxi. Thankfully, we had already invested in a Mao deck of playing cards and the two Chinese gentlemen we shared a train bunk with shared dumplings with us, so it was an amusing 27 hours.
Keepsake from your travels
I collect currency from everywhere I go. Nothing too big – I normally just keep the coins. But they need to be as shiny and new as possible, so I’m constantly comparing coins throughout my trip to make sure I take home the very best.
The Euro kinda ruined the fun of traveling through multiple European countries, though now I just focus on the Euro coins specific to the country I’m in. My favorite is the Italian 20-cent coin with Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space…art history meets coin collecting…and my true geekiness emerges.
I paid to see this?
Let-down sight: why and where
Roswell, New Mexico – we drove all the way out there from San Francisco to indulge in amazing alien kitsch and there was nothing! No alien-themed hotel, no alien finger french fries, and the International UFO Museum and Research Center is a joke. I stayed at a Motel 6 and ate at the Cattle Baron. Disappointing.
Moment where you fell in love with travel
Coming up from the metro to see Paris for the first time. I rarely describe things as breathtaking, but this moment was. Like I mentioned before, it was my first trip abroad and I couldn’t of asked for a better first travel moment.
Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in
The Hotel Riva in Venice – beautiful marble floors, spacious rooms and a fantastic location! We stayed on the top floor in a double with a shared bath and even had a canal view….which meant becoming friends with the pigeon on our windowsill and trying to lure him into our room. Luckily, the pigeon was smarter than we were.
Obsession: what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?
Easy – jumping pictures of myself! I have a whole other blog dedicated solely to me jumping. I guess technically I’m not the one taking the pictures since I’m in them, but they are my obsession.
Passport stamps: how many and from where?
I have stamps from China, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the US…but actually have a total of 15 in my passport. Somehow I have a bunch of stamps from the same counties – four stamps from Croatia alone!
Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where
I thrive off of quirky! By far the quirkiest attraction I had the joy of experiencing was the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel in Shanghai. If you love the ridiculous, there is no way you will be disappointed! The functional aspect of the tunnel is that it brings you from the Bund to Pudong and drops you off right by the Oriental Pearl Tower. The quirkiness is in the entertainment aspect of the tunnel – a funky light and sounds show topped off with blow up dolls. LOVED IT!
I always read back reviews of the Sightseeing Tunnel and all I can think is people don’t get it…this is a kitschy joke. Our roundtrip tickets also included entrance to an “aquarium” – all of the fish were fake! – and an erotic art exhibit. Cheesy, overdone and so worth it…as long as you don’t take it so seriously.
Recommended sight, event or experience
I’m not a Renaissance person at all, but the Duomo in Florence was far more beautiful than I was expecting. I’d seen it in pictures more times than I can remember, but there is something about the way that the light bounces off the marble exterior that cannot be captured in a photograph. We were staying a couple blocks away from the Duomo, so I walked by it everyday I was in Florence – and at different times throughout the day – and I was completely taken by how expressive the marble was throughout the day.
Splurge: something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling
FOOD! I’ll refuse to take public transit and walk, I won’t buy souvenirs and I’ll stay in super cheap hotels…but I need good food. It doesn’t have to be fancy food or secret “off the beaten path” local food, it just has to be delicious. And in my stomach. And preferably pickled or cured.
Touristy thing you’ve done
I’ve done all sorts of touristy things! Leaning Tower of Pisa pic – check. Picture of myself as a Terra Cotta Warrior – check. Climbed to the top of the Duomo in Florence – check. I also stop into every major and minor museums possible. I am an art historian in-training after all, so it’s kinda in my blood to do whatever it takes to see art in person.
Unforgettable travel memory
Seeing a sloth go to the bathroom in Costa Rica – with a baby sloth on its back! Sloths only climb down from the trees once a week to poop…so this was like a once in a lifetime experience…an awesome, awesome experience. We were on a night hike outside of Monteverde when I saw fur through the bushes. I immediately freaked out…assuming we were about to be attacked by a bear…instead it was the most adorable sight ever! I was too enthralled to even bother to take any pictures.
I may have to get a tattoo of a sloth so that I can tell this story on a more regular basis. Is there going to be a best travel tattoos contest anytime soon?
Visas: how many and for where?
Only one – China! Everywhere else I’ve traveled so far hasn’t require me to apply for a visa.
Wine: best glass of wine while traveling and where?
Wine and I are still working on our relationship. I’m down with champagnes and sparkling white wines, but normal whites and reds are a mystery to me. I’d rather have beer and lemonade.
eXcellent view and from where?
From the top of Huangshan in China – it’s straight out of a Chinese ink painting. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been. Just watch out for the elderly Chinese tour groups! The trails up there aren’t very wide, and they don’t move over for anybidy…and they have no qualms about laughing at sweaty foreign tourists.
Years spent traveling?
27 years and counting. I took my first trip on an airplane when I was merely months old, and when I was a kid we traveled regularly to visit family. But I didn’t start traveling internationally until I was officially an adult.
Zealous sports fans and where?
Hockey in San Jose – GO SHARKS!!! The HP Pavilion – the arena the Sharks play in – is considered one of the hardest places for visiting NHL teams to play, cause the fans (including myself) are so awesome, intimidating and loud. And that’s something to be proud of!
And now I must pass the ABC torch to these travel bloggers:
- Kristin of Take Your Big Trip
- Dina and Ryan of Vagabond Quest
- Juno of Runaway Juno
- Andrew of Grounded Traveler
- Erin and Simon of Never Ending Voyage
13 comments
3 pings
Erin says:
December 16, 2011 at 1:22 am (UTC -7)
Thanks for tagging us Ashley! I am so with you on the food – it’s so important and as long as it’s good it’s worth the splurge.
Erin recently posted..72 Random Observations About Japan
ehalvey says:
December 16, 2011 at 4:01 pm (UTC -7)
HAHAHAHAHA!! That foo fighter “exhibit” cracked me up! I have a better X-Files collection than that. Yikes.
Also, I love your love of jumping photos. One of my friends is a huge jumping photo person, so it’s fun to see others share the awesomeness.
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
December 30, 2011 at 3:52 pm (UTC -7)
Oooh, if she ever posts her jumping pictures online, you have to let me know!
ehalvey says:
December 30, 2011 at 3:57 pm (UTC -7)
I’ll send you a wedding jumping shot that she’s in with me.
ehalvey recently posted..Old and New Architecture for the Last #FriFotos of 2011
Nomadic Samuel says:
December 16, 2011 at 9:29 pm (UTC -7)
Hey Ashley, I’m most likely to splurge on food myself
That’s cool you’re a big Sharks fan! Who is your favourite player? I really like Havlat because he used to play for the Hawks.
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
December 18, 2011 at 1:35 pm (UTC -7)
Aaah…I can’t choose just one! Nabby was my favorite before he was traded, though Niemi and Greiss are excellent goalies (not to sure about Niittymaki). And Havlat has been great – him and Handzus are such a good pair when they’re on the same line. Clowe is fantastic too…he’s developed into a superb player in the last few years.
Sorry, I could go on and on (I obviously don’t get asked to talk about hockey too much on here…haha).
Nomadic Samuel says:
February 22, 2012 at 12:31 am (UTC -7)
Nice to get an update about hockey from you
I heard the Sharks are interested in Rick Nash these days.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Laughing on the phone | Penang, Malaysia | Travel Photo
Michael Figueiredo says:
December 18, 2011 at 12:03 am (UTC -7)
I love these ABCs of travel posts! It’s great learning a little more about other bloggers.
Michael Figueiredo recently posted..The Chimney Tops of Santa Maria Island
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
December 30, 2011 at 3:48 pm (UTC -7)
Agreed – love these chain posts.
Jeremy Branham says:
December 22, 2011 at 1:33 am (UTC -7)
Back in the day, Kings fans were the best of any team in California!
Disappointed you didn’t like Croatia or Granada. Granted, I went to a different part of Croatia than most tourists. I didn’t spend much time in Sacramonte so I wasn’t around the hippies much. I agree that Alhambra is a bit overrated. Thought the Alcazar in Sevilla was better.
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Best of travel 2011: My favorite travel moments of the year
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
December 30, 2011 at 3:52 pm (UTC -7)
Oh the Kings…haha…they’re getting really good again, though I’m always happier when they’re in a losing slump
I loved Seville! The Alcazar was fantastic and I really enjoyed the whole city. By far my favorite place that we visited in Spain.
Waegook Tom says:
February 8, 2012 at 3:06 am (UTC -7)
Oooh beer with lemonade?! That sounds amazing!
I LOVE your description of Croatia as the pretty-but-dumb friend that everyone has. I’m experiencing the same thing here in Vilnius, Lithuania – it’s oh-so-beautiful but…you know, a bit blah!
Also, the Bund Tunnel sounds AMAZING. Tokyo may have some competition for where I next want to visit when I’m back in Korea – the Pokemon Museum might have to wait…
Also (yes, another also) I think my stomach just orgasmed over the thought of four days crammed full of home-made Italian food. You lucky thing, you.
Waegook Tom recently posted..Litoměřice
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
February 8, 2012 at 1:17 pm (UTC -7)
Haha…thanks!!!
Tokyo is so fantastic, though I may be biased since I just got back from there
The Bund Tunnel is so kitschy and fun – you’ll definitely have to let me know what you think about it! Hopefully there will be some ridiculous “exhibits” for you to check out too.
Never Ending Voyage ABCs of Travel says:
December 22, 2011 at 6:50 am (UTC -7)
[...] been tagged by Ashley of No Onions Extra Pickles, who we had the pleasure of meeting in San Francisco, in a game of travel blogger ABCs. From A to Z [...]
My Travels A to Z – Cross country car-dwelling, French wine, Grand Canyon sunrises, and everything in between | THE MORNING FRESH says:
December 23, 2011 at 5:49 am (UTC -7)
[...] resist partaking in the fun. First discovered on Adventurous Kate’s blog, then found again on No Onions Extra Pickles, I was easily enamored by this great little survey of travel experiences. Covering every letter [...]
ABCs of Travel » Grounded Traveler - Expat Adventures in Germany says:
December 23, 2011 at 11:31 pm (UTC -7)
[...] to Ashley of NoOnionsExtraPickles for the link on the [...]