Perfect moments in travel
Discussion
Interesting thread to come back to, idly flicking through PH as its about the only website the sloooow satellite broadband will load.
I left the UK exactly 10 months ago. Train through Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, North Korea, China, HK then motorbike through Vietnam, bussed through Cambodia, Thailand. NZ for a fortnight then I've been in South America since early December...
Down to my last £500 of savings now, but by a stroke of luck landed a teaching job in the Galápagos Islands which pays me enough to live for a bit.
Magic moments? Well, swimming with 2 sealions last weekend might have done it!
I left the UK exactly 10 months ago. Train through Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, North Korea, China, HK then motorbike through Vietnam, bussed through Cambodia, Thailand. NZ for a fortnight then I've been in South America since early December...
Down to my last £500 of savings now, but by a stroke of luck landed a teaching job in the Galápagos Islands which pays me enough to live for a bit.
Magic moments? Well, swimming with 2 sealions last weekend might have done it!
This experience wasn't part of a holiday but a lonely 5 week business trip.
We have a facility in York PA which I visit regularly and stay at the Crowne Plaza, harrisburg PA.
I have many friends there after years of visiting.
One old chap, Frank, retired and moved to Palm Springs before I could say goodbye.
Part of my trip would take me to LA the so I called Frank and arranged to visit.
So long story short, two weeks later I drove from LA to Palm Springs but can't contact Frank.
Ended up with a great weekend on my own in ps with lots of good food and wine and a sky Sooooo full of stars I couldn't believe.
Finished it off with a drive to Phoenix and a flight back to the east coast.
It was a memorable weekend.
We have a facility in York PA which I visit regularly and stay at the Crowne Plaza, harrisburg PA.
I have many friends there after years of visiting.
One old chap, Frank, retired and moved to Palm Springs before I could say goodbye.
Part of my trip would take me to LA the so I called Frank and arranged to visit.
So long story short, two weeks later I drove from LA to Palm Springs but can't contact Frank.
Ended up with a great weekend on my own in ps with lots of good food and wine and a sky Sooooo full of stars I couldn't believe.
Finished it off with a drive to Phoenix and a flight back to the east coast.
It was a memorable weekend.
On a snorkelling day trip during a holiday in the Maldives we stopped in the middle of nowhere
and this is what we did for the next 2 hours.
Without doubt the most memorable experience of my travels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNOefwdkZRU
and this is what we did for the next 2 hours.
Without doubt the most memorable experience of my travels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNOefwdkZRU
So, so many and for many different reasons but perhaps one of the most memorable was when I was 25, just completed 2nd year of Uni, 3 am, GF asleep next to me as I drive her new green and white 2CV6 Dolly through the mountains from Marseille to Toulon. I had been driving since mid-afternoon the previous day but knew this journey like the back of my hand, having done it as a youngster with th'old man in his various Jaaaaaaags. The weather was calm and the car was pootling nicely. I unclipped the drivers window to get some air and there was a sudden rush of the heady smell of lavender. A smell that instantly brought back memories of middle of the night trips through Provence and Var. I now always have lavender in the garden wherever I live and the smell always send me back to that place.
Two things that are immediately evident from this excellent thread is a) that PH's most memorable moments really don't exist because a vast amount of money has been spent and b) although I have travelled extensively around much of the world, there are apparently still so many things that I really ought to be aiming for! Not, however, cycling round the world so that I can appreciate more the beauty of the Sydney Opera House!
Two things that are immediately evident from this excellent thread is a) that PH's most memorable moments really don't exist because a vast amount of money has been spent and b) although I have travelled extensively around much of the world, there are apparently still so many things that I really ought to be aiming for! Not, however, cycling round the world so that I can appreciate more the beauty of the Sydney Opera House!
I know I have posted in this before but this was the following year.
We were both so scared but relied on each other and the guide to get us through. It was magical to have climbed the via-ferrata on Mount Norquay in Banff, Alberta.
We learned a lot about ourselves that day, I am not able to put into words.
And that is saying something after 21 years married and 25 years together at the time.
We were both so scared but relied on each other and the guide to get us through. It was magical to have climbed the via-ferrata on Mount Norquay in Banff, Alberta.
We learned a lot about ourselves that day, I am not able to put into words.
And that is saying something after 21 years married and 25 years together at the time.
Arriving at the Tigers Nest monastery in Bhutan having slogged up the hill on a beautiful morning. Just as we arrived it started to rain which was pure bliss.
On the same trip we visited the Taj Mahal which is usually mobbed. We arrived before sunrise and rather than posing for the usual tourist photos we went straight for the main mausoleum and were the first there. We had the whole place to ourselves for about five minutes before an Australian family decided to ruin the tranquility. Those five minutes stood in such a special place in complete silence listening to the wind blow through was magical.
On the same trip we visited the Taj Mahal which is usually mobbed. We arrived before sunrise and rather than posing for the usual tourist photos we went straight for the main mausoleum and were the first there. We had the whole place to ourselves for about five minutes before an Australian family decided to ruin the tranquility. Those five minutes stood in such a special place in complete silence listening to the wind blow through was magical.
A few I guess.........
Poon Hill, Nepal, for sunrise, to see the sun come up with (I think) 25 of the worlds 30 highest peaks in sight.
Byron Bay, again, for sunrise. Just beautiful.
Rio - being present at a street robbery, which resulted in a shooting and a death. Perfect in as much that it typified what Rio was about, as opposed to a perfect experience.
Tower of London - seeing the poppies, a couple of years ago.
Poon Hill, Nepal, for sunrise, to see the sun come up with (I think) 25 of the worlds 30 highest peaks in sight.
Byron Bay, again, for sunrise. Just beautiful.
Rio - being present at a street robbery, which resulted in a shooting and a death. Perfect in as much that it typified what Rio was about, as opposed to a perfect experience.
Tower of London - seeing the poppies, a couple of years ago.
HotJambalaya said:
Sounds pretty interesting, what was your route into Bhutan? would you recommend it as a destination?
We had 8 or 9 nights started by flying into Paro from Kathmandu which in itself is an experience then in the car straight to Thimphu for a couple of nights. Then by road over the Dorchula pass to Lobesa and Punakha then back to Paro for the last few nights before departing for India. Most of what we did was temple and Dzhong related, a few short hikes and rafting on the Pho river to the confluence at Punakha Dzong but no trekking although most other tourists we met seemed to be there for that reason.It was nowhere near long enough and I'll definitely be going back to explore the east and visit some of the NP's. I believe Bhutan is the only country with what is considered to be a natural population of tigers and would love to see them there.
It's such a unique place and I would definitely recommend visiting. The only catch is that it's very expensive. They operate a daily tariff out of which your tourism tax, hotel, guide, transport and even food is paid for and then if you want to upgrade your accommodation you pay extra. I think the tariff is $200 per person per night off season and $250 during peak season. Hotel accommodation unless you go with one of the bigger chains is pretty basic and the food is quite samey but it's worth it. Beer is a couple of quid so at least that's cheap, it's crap though and they do one called Druk 11000 which is basically special brew, gave me a pretty mean hangover.
I don't have any good photos of it but we slogged up to a small temple at the top of a hill outside Punakha through rice paddies with no one else around and sat on the steps watching the clouds roll through the valley below eating fruit with a monk who spoke no English and a stray dog that had decided to join us on our walk, a few days later we landed in Delhi, I longed to be back at the top of that hill.
There were so many perfect moments on this trip last month I lost count!
route for holiday by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Untitled by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Untitled by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Untitled by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Untitled by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
route for holiday by Big_Tone_L, on FlickrUntitled by Big_Tone_L, on FlickrUntitled by Big_Tone_L, on FlickrUntitled by Big_Tone_L, on FlickrUntitled by Big_Tone_L, on Flickrdjc206 said:
Fantastic.
Did you pop into Chloride AZ on your way down the 93?
No, didn't know about it to be honest... we did Jerome though, near Sedona. Fantastic place for a petrol head! Watched the humming birds feeding for a while... A less perfect moment was disturbing a rattle snake on the path!Did you pop into Chloride AZ on your way down the 93?
Jerome flickr (2) by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Jerome flickr (73) by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
. by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Jerome flickr (65) by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Jerome flickr (57) by Big_Tone_L, on Flickr
Jerome flickr (64) by Big_Tone_L, on FlickrMy first trip alone after a nasty break up, so not all of it was roses...but this is PH, so a virtually empty campsite in Sospel, South of France, with the Col de Turini, running by the entrance.. 4 days of driving sublime roads, cold beer, hand cooked pizza and peace and quiet...with 1 day of the cheap seats at the Monaco GP.
I am at e South rim this morning ready to watch sunrise over the Grand Canyon and having driven a small part of Route 66 yesterday. Doing nearly the same trip as Buzzer..
Other great moments have been a party in Rio on the beach, seeing baby lionesses playing hide and seek in Tanzania and too many others to mention. The world is an amazing place !!!!
Other great moments have been a party in Rio on the beach, seeing baby lionesses playing hide and seek in Tanzania and too many others to mention. The world is an amazing place !!!!
Union Glacier, Antarctica, slogging my guts out 'running' a marathon. Perfect for me, but I'm some kind of a sociopath
No-one, and nothing, within my sight, -30°C and 40mph wind and in a place I'd wanted to visit for over 30 years. Was only supposed to be a 4 day trip but weather delays turned it into 14 days 'stranded' 600 miles from the South Pole. Best trip of my life. The photo almost certainly isn't of me, but I've appropriated it anyway because I think it's both a great picture and representative of the situation. The little blob in the bottom right-ish is a runner.
Edited by bigandclever on Friday 28th October 13:19
buzzer said:
No, didn't know about it to be honest... we did Jerome though, near Sedona. Fantastic place for a petrol head! Watched the humming birds feeding for a while... A less perfect moment was disturbing a rattle snake on the path!
Looks awesome. I took our rental mustang off road there, didn't end well for the underneath, thankfully they don't really inspect cars on return!Matt Harper said:
nick s said:
otherman said:
Got a burger on Blackpool pleasure beach. Was well good.
Why did you even post that? Was it an attempt to be funny or something? I'm genuinely baffled at the mindset of some people....ChasW said:
Matt Harper said:
nick s said:
otherman said:
Got a burger on Blackpool pleasure beach. Was well good.
Why did you even post that? Was it an attempt to be funny or something? I'm genuinely baffled at the mindset of some people....
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