I have been to 100+ countries ask me almost anything, I am bored
[AMA] I Have Been to 100+ Countries Ask Me Anything
Donaldhump on 20/11/2017 - 23:07
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I have a list, I’ll put tomorrow.
Please also list their GDP, population, and ratio of lesbians to straight women. I won’t read it but it would be useful for someone
and the flag!
I was just wondering - will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?
Tomorrow has passed and yet no list!
Have you been to North Korea??
No, not yet, think I’ll pass for now. Might to the dmz one day but it is cheating somewhat
I thought well travelled people were more open minded. If it's safe enough for Dennis Rodman?
I value my life. I'm sure it would be 99% ok, but given the visa and tour guide red tape. not on my list just yet.
You should visit, very unique experience. I have not been else where like it,but hey Ive only been to 60 countries. Hoping to visit 100 by 30.
Have you been to Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq or Lebanon?
I have been to North Korea, I flew there via China and caught the train out. I highly recommend it and if you do go, I recommend going by yourself or with a friend. Don't go on the larger tours
Is Australia the best?
Well hard to say, I live here so easiest to live in out of the ones I lived, but sucks for getting anywhere else for a weekend. Can’t beat the weather though.
Downvoted by 11 people who are either naturally dark (and don't have to worry much about UV exposure) or haven't yet ventured to northwest Europe.
I know you personally didn't ask me however I feel that, the more you travel, the more you realise how fortunate we are to be in a country like Australia.
We really are a blessed nation and I'm proud to call Australia home!
PS - everyone swoons at our accent when we go abroad haha
I find this really depends where in Australia you are based.
Where else but Queensland baby!
Brisbane FTW!!
@montorola: NSW can be quite grim but if you're in QLD it's one of the best states in Australia imo. GC FTW!! ;)
Tassie all the way!
Just got back from Tassie. Im in NSW and I would say that both Tassie and QLD are great. I prefer QLD because of the great weather and I love the bogans!! Sydney is a big joke now and I'm getting massively over it. Need to sell my properties and move… maybe next boom….
@imurgod: Sydney City is beyond a joke now. Everywhere you go constructions left right and centre and them damn traffic lights make people go livid. Those pointless traffic controllers get paid to do jack all and are very unnecessary too
@dingdong3000: Very true. I can honestly say it's gotten so much worse in the lat 10 years. I have one property in a great little suburb (which used to live in) which was so nice and comfortable and then overnight 1000's of units went up, travel to my office (9 km to the CBD) went from taking about 35 min by motorcycle to almost an hour and a half.
Then there's the lack of anywhere to go anymore among other things.
I realised how bad Sydney has become last week when in Tassie, I chatted to a med student for about 10 mins while my business partner and his mate were smoking and before he left, he bought us a round and said "Just wanted to say welcome to Tassie" and took off.
How cool is that?
Sydney might get you into a fight just trying to get served at a packed bar!
@montorola: Used to be known as such a 'boring' city, but ober the last 5-10 year and into the next 5 years Brissy is going places. South Bank expansion, upcoming North Bank, so many great restaurants everywhere - Balimba, Paddington, Albion - Zany West End, Eat Street Markets.
On top of that, you're 50 mins drive from the two best beach cities/communities on Earth.
Agreed - Brisbane FTW.
he bought us a round and said "Just wanted to say welcome to Tassie" and took off.
Did you get the runs that night? =p
enjoy it while it lasts. it's being destroyed by the politicians who encourage unsustainable immigration without jobs or infrastructure to match.
I find that most foreigners find us a little bit uncouth and uncultured. They might find the accent 'cute' for a few seconds but they don't respect us or take us seriously.
We're not quite the the USA or the UK.Interesting because I've been told by many foreign women that our accent is very rough and masculine haha.
Perhaps aussie women don't sound as appealing?
'Aussie women not sounding appealing' reminds me of the episode of Peep Show when Mark invites an Australian woman with a heavy accent to stay with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y83l9TNgQS8
Flight of the concords also has a similar episode with a girl named "Keitha" lol
double post
@Johndemonic: hahaha that episode is banned by my Australian partner.
“They’re Australian. They think it’s all fine.”
Hear Hear!
Australia is a beautiful country, and a fantastic place to live.
Haven’t witnessed anyone swooning over an Aussie accent, though. Ever.
What are some travel tips?
Research heaps, read reviews, stay in hostels to meet other travellers if alone, talk to other travellers who have been there a few days already. Team up with other travellers to save on taxis/tours etc. don’t be afraid to initiate conversation.
1.) muck around with multiple combos of flights to find cheaper fares, add rubbish legs on the end to sometimes get discounted flights, use skiplagged if in the states. I flew panama to Cuba which would be 800, but added extra leg to Costa Rica, and it made it 500. I never turned up for that last leg.
2.) if going from cold country to hot country but returning through cold country, hand your warm jacket into lost property at airport, pick up later.
3.) fly through night to save money.
4.) travel light, only need 3 things. Passport , wallet, phone
5.) don’t wear white jocks in India, they will be brown pretty quick.
2 sounds like a great idea, but too risky for mine.
5 especially if you get stopped by customs it seems ha
2) can backfire. I got my items thrown out.
You could also store your crap at the airport lockers. Make sure theres no expiry on the locker
I lost a jumper at KL airport, went to find it on the way back but nobody knew where lost property was… got sent to 3 places before I gave up
Isn't 2 really risky? Why would an airport hold onto lost property if most people don't return?
airports have to hold onto items for a minimum of 30 days… well they do in most civilized countries.. and well you only do it with an item you are prepared to part with, im not saying a $500 leather jacket.
Can you elaborate on 5?
Im guessing you're referring to the lack of sanitation and thus requirement to pop a serious squat and then be on your way.
Have you not watched The Terminal? The airport workers will use the unclaimed lost and found items as prizes for poker games.
How do you finance your travels?
Do you travel for work/leisure?
Best country for a holiday?
Saved hard, travelled frugal as hell, stayed in hostels when on my own or with mates, when with wife she expects the ritz. Dorm rooms are disgusting but a few drinks to get you to sleep does the job. I’m too old now for that, but only way when you go for ages is to be cheap. Slept in airports sometimes, even once in a park.
I always did anything that was special to that country.
Find cheap food, and voucher books, worked in places behind a bar for free accomodation at times.
Travelled only for leisure. I like combing with sport events such as cricket or soccer.
Europe is easiest place. Germany my favourite country, but I liked USA, Samoa, South America,
Did you ever feel that travelling cheap diminish the experience? especially in a developed country like US or Germany
For sure. I only really traveled cheap with accommodation and transport. It obviously makes it less enjoyable when staying in dorms with snoring , stinking bums, but i figure its a place to sleep only and encourages you to go out. Its a tough balance, the shorter a trip the more you can splurge i guess. On a 3 months on a trip at $100 a night is 9k, so adds up quick. If i was loaded id stay in the Hilton for sure.
Does the radiation you were exposed to during all that air travel concern you at all?
I have no kids I know of, so quite possible
Did you ever leave a forwarding address just in case? o.O
Is it true that Scotty doesn't know?
Only Fiona knows :p
i did her on his birthday…
Why is this getting downvoted? Have an upvote
How old are you?
What's your favourite destination?
Did you travel alone?
40s
Germany
Half and half. Somestimes with friends or Wife. Travelling single is good, can do what u want , when u want. My wife will read this so can’t say much more. You always meet solo travellers to share costs. I have no shame in approaching potential solo travellers to split. A taxi etc.
When did you start?
At 28 I left Australia’s and started, Well i went to Fiji at 26, and Bahrain when 5, but they were family things
@currentfad: work in IT so worked in uk for few years. I knew German at one stage at a medium level as I worked for German company, and little Spanish to get by, but not really. I think a few key words is enough. I’m not smart enough to learn at my age,
Why Germany?
Just liked the food, beer, soccer, history all be it bad history, made it interesting. I got to see World Cup in 2006 and was with my best mates, so maybe biased because of this experience.
can do what u want , when u want. My wife will read this so can’t say much more.
Lots of trips to Thailand I see!
I just turned 30 and lost count of countries visited, but its over 50 now, I'm hoping to get to 100 by my 40's.
I Have Been to 100+ Countries
how many goals?
No comment
gaols (australian for jail)? or do you mean goals?
No jails. Had a few run ins. See below.
'gaols' is not the Australian word for jail. Look up the History of the word.
how much of Australia have you traveled?
Some of it, I have been to All states, I driven a lot of it, need to do nullabour and west coast though one day. Northern Territory is a favourite place too.
whats your top 3 Asian cities/countries visited?
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia were my favourite. Food in these places is awesome.
@unclesnake: I never tried it but you will smell it everywhere: stinky tofu. Smells like an open sewer. The bullet train along the west coast was pretty good if you haven't been on one before. Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung were all pretty cool. I also went along the east coast but can't remember what was there, I think there might be a butterfly valley or something?
@unclesnake: Street food markets. I went for over a week and ate street food almost every time. Heaps of variety and everything was good (I didn't try the stinky tofu, because holy shit, they aren't kidding, it's stinky).
Fried chicken, bubble tea, and din tai fung (dumpling chain) are the most famous Taiwanese food exports, but you can get them in Aus pretty easily.
Stay in Ximen. All night markets are pretty much on par. Try Shilin night market. Most famous.
Go to Beitou. Use the public hotsprings.
How do you rate the different Customs and Border Protection set ups worldwide? Ever been searched for frequent travel? Is this all purely holidays or mixed with business?
Awesome question. I love a good border crossing.
Many are corrupt and charge fake fees in south and Central America as you would expect.
I somehow ended up in Paraguay without a stamp, was denied boarding at airport, I went mental and caused a scene. Some Spanish speaking local translated and sorted it out.
Refused to pay three bucks in Guatemala, had an ak47 pointed at me. My wife cried, so I paid,
Been arrested at Swedish/danish borderfor being a drug lord, and given a strip search by a guy who who I think was from abba. No idea where they get their intelligence from. It was 4am and winter, my balls were like peanuts.
Been arrested in Macedonia for having 2 fake passports, which were real. They didn’t understand dual nationality.
Been refused entry back into Moldova from transiestra for not having a visa. The country is not recognised, I refused to pay the fifty bucks bribe they wanted and farted non stop to the point the little office stunk, he kicked me out.
India was a nightmare, Was told to hand over all money when leaving India as it was illegal to take from country into Nepal. I said I’d flush it down the dunny. He smiled and said 1000 rupees. I said is this a bribe, he said no it’s a fine. Same bloke refused to let me go back into part of airport with a toilet, so I started to sh*t in the floor, he was shocked and ushered me back through. I loved India but corrupt as all hell.
Israel is shocking for interigation. Held for 5 hours, asked why I went through Malaysia 15 times in one year, simple answer, air Asia is cheap as.
A true OzBargainer would have held onto that 3 bucks.
Divorce more expensive , trust me I was pi$$ed, I hate being fleeced
That's true.
But really, some of those stories are crazy or disgusting, so yeah I love them all.
I've only been to mostly European countries, so all are tame.
I completely agree with this. I've only been to a handful of countries and love the adventure and challenge of it. However, some countries are constantly trying to scam you. It's almost a little bit exciting and fun at the start, but quickly becomes frustrating and in some cases dangerous or interruptive to travels…
I started to sh*t in the floor
You mean you pulled your pants down and squatted with intent then he stopped you, or shit actually exited your butthole?
If the latter, holy crap (pun intended)! How did you not get any on yourself or your clothes? How did you stop mid shit? Or did you just blast out the whole thing (you were in India).
Sorry, yeh let me clarify. I was squatting ready to go. I had no choice, I have an iron gut, but India made me a mess. The area between passport control and customer had no toilet, and the customs staff were not there yet.
@unclesnake:
From now on if anyone ever gives me any hassles I’m gonna pull my pants down and squat. That’ll shut ‘em up
Holy Hannah, you know things are rough when someone points an assault rifle at you over $3 bucks, yeesh.
I get things are different in other parts of the world, but pointing a weapon like that at someone over such a small amount of money is pretty crazy; also not surprised your wife cried, I'd find that really hard to handle.
Which I guess brings me to, how did you handle that? I get that you're obviously an experienced traveller but has stuff like that happened to you before, so it didn't phase you as much?
Also, thanks for the AMA I can imagine there's a lot of time involved in answering all of these Q's.
Could you list the countries? Just kidding….