So now to the nitty gritty of travelling – where to go! And what to see

(see the updates and posts on each of these with the links below)

My RTW plan was generally Asia, Latin America, Australasia, after Europe first of all. Why there? Because there are places here I have always wanted to see for one reason or another (some reasons more obscure than others!)

Cuba – because I’ve been learning salsa dancing and hearing about the lifestyle from my teacher – NOTE: I didn’t make it this time due to visa timings and flight paths on the ticket I had but definitely one for the future, along with Russia

China – The Great Wall, The Terracota Warriors, temples and scenery, culture etc NOTE: I didn’t make it this time due to visa timings and flight paths on the ticket I had

Mexico to see the Mayan ruins and great beaches of Cancun perhaps; the temples, the ancient civilisations that no longer exist and the hints of life they’ve left behind.  I love history – NOTE: I didn’t make this either but am not bothered at this stage, but in future perhaps…

Peru – Machu Picchu because once up on a time, a couple of years ago, I was stresse and stretched and said “All I want to do is sit on my own on top of a mountain in Peru!” because it was the most out of the way place I knew of – and then I saw MP on TV!   So that is perhaps how the seed was sown and started to grow …but I’ve always wanted to see the awesome world we live in, not just the tiny corner where I’ve always lived.  THIS WAS AMAZING and my favourite place, somewhere I could live and work like Lima …

The Amazon and all that amazing wildlife, adventure and even a little danger (but only a little!), and the native lifesyle so alien to me …but I loved the Amazon for the simple life …

Picture by Stuart Miles

Vietnam – because I have a friend to stay with there and her stories look exciting and interesting and she too loves to travel, and it will be good to see her and stay there a while.  Was OK but not my favourite like for many, and a lot of travelling and hurrying from top to bottom, with only two week Visa

Thailand – beauty, culture, people, travellers Yes, loved it.  Very different, like the Bhuddism and temples, the monks and the lively cities and beautiful countryside

Singapore – it’s on the way and maybe different to the places I will have been.  Sterile and business focussed but yes, nice, clean and could be fun for a while

Australia – family there including a new baby in the family (great niece), and I lived there a year in my 20s, loved it and saw some of that beautiful, wild country so want to see the rest now too.  Still didn’t see the west coast due to costs, flooding and fires!  A hostile country at times, wild and beautiful but the east coast was warm and different to my previous experiences

New Zealand – I am a Lord of the Rings fan so why wouldn’t I?  But also, supposed to be beautiful and varied with a temperate climate maybe.  It was very varied from hot in the Bay of Islands north to cold in the South with glaciers and fjords, mountains and stunning scenery!

An island paradise – just because I can if I’m in the vicinity and have a taste of luxury holidays I’ve only previously heard about might actually be like… Someone talked me out of Bali but wish I had gone, or Fiji being so close to Aus!   Another time, but the Koh Samui and Phangan were paradise islands in Thailand too!

Chile & Brazil – Chile was part of the plan but only passing through Sanitago so didn’t see much, but was OK and interesting enough.  Flying over the Andes was well worth it though and I did love that bit!   Not in my plan until I was travelling, Brazil was a late addition from The Amazon, via Iguassu Falls which was stunning and huge!

Russia – the trans siberian express train through Siberia and Mongolia, Moscow – lifestyles, deserts, wastes and cultures as well as the people again. China – The Great Wall, The Terracota Warriors, temples and scenery, culture etc NOTE: I didn’t make it this time due to visa timings and flight paths on the ticket I had but this is definitely one for the future along with China

Jut a wide variety of places to see, learn about, experience and people to meet and learn from!  And I did learn, I did see and I was wowed!