Travelling (and nuclear disasters)

[chrisvenus]

I have pondered the idea of doing some travelling. Most people do it after university or even before. I'm thinking about doing it a bit later than other people but I find myself with some money due to an inheritance and I like the idea of doing some travelling. In considering where I would want to go a few ideas occured to me and at least one more cracking idea has been suggested when I was talking to quisalan earlier...

My thoughts on what I'd want to do are partly inspired by quisalan's travels around the globe and asia is a traditional place. Random temples with martial arts wielding monks and such like sound rocking. I'd like to see places like Hong Kong and Japan too. mi_guida was mentioning the idea of cross country train (train from london to beijing) that sounded like an interesting experience and due to being about 10 days of travel almost certainly not something you'd do on your normal holiday. Not sure that the enjoyment for the time would make it that sensible though...

The suggestion that Quis came up with though was when I was saying that I much prefer looking at old buildings and that sort of thing rather than just scenery. She suggested going to Prypiat which is the city that was closest to Chernobyl. The city was abandoned after the disaster and it just sounds like a fascinating place to visit both to see the eerily deserted city and to realise the consequences of what happens when some of what we take for granted can go wrong. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster is an interesting read for those who know little about it. Personally I knew the broad outline but some of the detail is horrifying like how unprepared they seemed to be for any kind of incident.


But that's an aside really, this post is about me travelling and was meant to be to solicit thoughts on what places I should visit if I did. I know a lot of my friends list have done travelling and between the lot of you are a widely travelled bunch.

For what its worth things I've thought of myself are:

Egypt - ancient tombs and such like - I'd love to see these things but for a big "time off for travelling" it doesn't seem quite right. I think Egypt is something to do on a more normal sized holiday.

America - America is a place I am still to visit and I would like to. But again its probably easy enough to do it in fortnight sized holiday chunks. (I had wanted to visit New york many years ago to see for myself the remains of the world trade center).

South America - Copying from Quis again but I think I'd prefer asia as I am more familiar with the ancient cultures there that I'd be interested in seeing and also the modern cultures have more appeal to me (that may be largely through lack of knowledge of south america though).


Main worrying points are going places where I don't speak the language and they don't speak mine. Frankly though that's going to apply to most places so I shouldn't worry about that one...

So all you travellers or just those knowledgeable about the world, where should somebody with a couple of months and a bit of cash go travelling?

P.S. This might not happen for definite but it is something I am seriously entertaining and if I decide to go for it for definite then I'll still need to do things like see what my employers have to say on the subject... No harm at least thinking about it though... :)

Comments

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

I'd certainly recommend getting a round the world ticket. Ask a travel agent what your options for stop offs are and go from there. A return to Oz would have cost me #900 but a round the world ticket cost me #1000. Very worth it. I expect they'll cost more now but so would a straight return.

I loved Vietnam and wish I'd done more of Asia. I have fallen in love with Australia and don't want to leave but if you're looking for historical buildings it won't be for you. It might be a good stop off between Asia/India/South America/Fiji though. :)

[chrisvenus]

That sounds like a wise option. Australia is a thought on somewhere to go for a week or two at the end for more chill out and beaches. :)

[floralaetifica.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Travelling is good.

Question: are you wanting to see as much as you can in two months, or to pick one place and immerse in it?

[chrisvenus]

I think more the former than the latter. I don't really have many definite ideas but I think it is more seeing lots of bits of the world than anything else... :)

[antoniabaker.livejournal.com]

Darling remind me what you're doing right now work wise? Have you finished your PHd?

I would reccomend traveling to Namibia ot visit me and flying over the mountainous dunes in a hot air balloon. There really is nothing to compare to soussevlei.

I would also reccomend doing a bit of mix and match, do one 'lone travellor with my backpack and spiritual enlightenment bit' and one bit attached to some kind of group tour even if it slightly more touristy and tacky as its easy to feel isolated if you travel on your own for two long. Read 'are you experienced'.

You could even gain a bit of work experience...hop in on an NGO or Charity and spend two weeks upgrading their computer programs (in an easy to understand way) and setting up a kick ass website for them. If you need a place to stay in Namibia mia casa est tu casa etc. xxx

[chrisvenus]

I was never even doing a phd... :) I've been working as a software developer and have just completed four years there. My employers are nice so I think there is a reasonable chance of them letting me have time off.

I'll consider Namibia if it seems practical. Currently asia (possibly via eastern europe as discussed) seems like the best bet and Namibia isn't hugely on route for that. Maybe I'll just come see you for a short break and try that sometime. It does sound fun. :)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

As you know I'm not a travel person, but if you're interested in Chernobyl I can recommend this site:

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/

Actually the site itself is poorly put together by modern standards, but the story and photos are worth it.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

Dang, beat me to it :-) . I'd be interested to see Prypiat too, but IIRC does it not require some complex permissions to go and see it? Then again, I remember reading somewhere that they do coach tours. *shrug*

[chrisvenus]

From what I've read there are ukrainian tours that go around the outer areas:

"The Exclusion Zone is considered relatively safe to visit, and several Ukrainian companies offer guided tours of the area" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prypiat

I'll find out more detail when I decide for definite if I am going to be doing this. :)

[chrisvenus]

I see what you mean from looking at the front page but I'll make sure to have a look at it. Cheers.

[cjholding.livejournal.com]

I was pointed in the direction of http://www.imaginative-traveller.com/ by a colleague, lots of ideas there.

[chrisvenus]

I'll take a look... Cheers.

[elethiomel.livejournal.com]

I can't recommend Japan enough, especially if you get away from the big cities - staying in a Buddhist temple in Koya-san was amazing, Miyajima was stunningly beautiful (I have photos online somewhere, if I could only find the link). Himeji-jo is also marvelous and Horishima is sobering and well worth a visit.

You could do all of the above quite easily from Kyoto via the shinkansen.

[(Anonymous)]

I second Japan, if you didn't get fed up of us going on and on about it... We spent a month there, the beginning of which was in one place staying with our friend and if you can find someone out there who you could stay with that would be a great introduction, then use a foreigner's rail pass and go around a bit.

In fact, staying with people for a bit is a great way to get to know a place better, we managed 2.5months in the US as cheap-skate students by mostly staying with relatives/friends/friends of relatives/friends of old colleagues of friends/relatives etc and saw the sights but also did things like hang out at Dunkin Donuts with TFM's cousins...

Egypt does however have enormous Stargate potential... probably one for a couple of fortnights though

--
Angharadxxx

[uon.livejournal.com]

I'd third Japan, especially Kyoto, which is just absurdly pretty.

[chrisvenus]

I'll certainly consider it in my plans. how expensive is japan outside of the touristy areas? Main thing I know about Japan and visiting there is that its expensive...

[gently-snoozing.livejournal.com]

Low cost and no major language difficulties the Orkney's left fond memories and came with the joys of damn cheap, good whiskey and enough stuff to look at to keep myself and her_welshness busy enough that we didn't try and kill each other.

Further away, then Rajastahn is rather superb if a bit over travelled (German tourists are second only to ill mannered Australian prats), but if you head out towards the Thar desert and Jaisalmer or Ranakpur there is incredible stuff off the beaten track.

[taimatsu]

I do recommend, wherever you go, trying to learn a little bit of the language. Even enough to say 'Excuse me', 'Sorry', 'yes', 'no', 'a beer please' and 'I don't speak /language/' is handy. I learnt about that much Romanian and found it extremely useful. Consider learning the written signs for things like 'Exit' and 'Help' or 'Information point', too. (oh - 'do you speak English?' is another handy one.)

Good luck deciding :)

[chrisvenus]

Yeah, I suspect I'd try to do that. It depends on how many places I go to as to how practical that is. My language skills are pretty bad but I guess I can make cheat sheets beforehand. :)

[orthomyxo.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an excellent plan. I think my only general advice would be that if you haven't travelled much on your own before I'd start small - from personal experience travelling on your own can be a little daunting at first. At the same time though it is extremely rewarding so don't let that put you off. I think starting somewhere like Japan or other more developed countries might be the way to go initially but that's just me. I guess it all depends how much you like roughing it! Don't worry too much about the language thing - there are always ways to make yourself understood!! :)

When are you planning to go anyway??

[orthomyxo.livejournal.com]

Oh and I work with someone from the Ukraine if you wanted any travel advice etc.......

[uon.livejournal.com]

If you want to do the whole ancient-buildings thing, then Lebanon is pretty awesome, particularly Byblos and Baalbek. Might depend how adventurous you're feeling, though, since it's not the most stable place in the world right now..

[hendybear.livejournal.com]

By the New Year i should be living in Shanghai, you are welcome to come and see The Whore of the Orient, should be able to provide you with a base. Amazing mixture of old and new china, sometimes right next to each other.

[chaosdeathfish.livejournal.com]

I suggest Machu Picchu and Ankor Wat. I've never to either but they look awesome :)

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

When I spent a couple of months and some cash on a holiday I went to the US: Chicago/Memphis/Seattle/Denver+Boulder/San Francisco/New Orleans.

It's easy, not prohibitively expensive if you make certain economies, they speak English (see: easy), and it's safe. Well, let's say it's no more dangerous than London, with the same provisos that like anywhere in the world, there do exist areas where you ideally don't want to get lost at night. There are presumably genuine no-go areas (on foot for tourists) in some cities, but I think the guide books exaggerate.

The non-residential parts of the cities I went to are pretty accessible by public transport, especially if you're willing to take city buses, but obviously you can also take taxis, or hire cars to get out of the city.

If you travel alone, though, it's worth psyching yourself up to be as gregarious as possible. If you sit on your own at the bar in a bar/restaurant, random strangers will chat to you. If there are no customers to do it, the bar staff will. I found it easy to meet people, especially when staying in hostels rather than hotels. Away from major tourist attractions, people were actually quite interested just to see a foreign tourist eating in a regular restaurant / travelling by train / who understood football / whatever. But when I didn't make any effort, sightseeing on your own gets pretty old after more than a couple of days in a row.

I didn't find it too difficult to leave some flexibility in my travel plans. Memphis, Denver and San Francisco were all added to my itinerary after I left the UK. Boulder was an option I took after I got to Denver and realised it was a bit dull: I got a lift there from someone I met in the hostel in Denver and took a bus back. Mostly late-booked travel was by Amtrak, since last-minute flights can be pricey. But 36 hours on a train from Denver to San Francisco was actually a highlight. Think scenery. But unlike the UK, not all parts of the country are reachable by train. I never used Greyhound: I heard the seats are much smaller, it takes longer, and you spend a certain amount of time in two-horse towns which have already shut for the night. I think verlaine has done a reasonable amount of Greyhound travel, though, so either ask him or just drive...