Monday, October 31, 2011, 12:06 PM
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My sister is so obsessed with Japan that she forces every single member of my immediate family [with the exception of my dad ever since he told us about how our great grand uncle pretended to die when the Japanese soldiers kicked him when we wanted to donate to the Japanese tsunami relief, therefore making it clear that he wasn't a fan] to watch the virtual tours and hear her talk about why she loves the country and its culture so much.
While I don't share the same affections for that country, I'll admit that it is a beautiful place to live, if it wasn't for the crazy work ethics. However, Japan is not at the top of my list of countries to take a vacation.
Which brings me to this question that people have always asked each other: where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world?
On the top of my head, I couldn't list them all; there are just too many. But if I would have to pick a top 5? In no particular order:
1. Sun, surfing waves and the beautiful beach at Bali- my sister and I have already lay out everything from the budget and a detail of what to do when we're there to laying out where is where so that our heads won't be buried into a map when we're there but... too many things going on with our lives so no, not yet but we will go there!
2. The Orient Express, the train- not the movie! If you think that your daily commute on the LRT is long, try this: 2,000km across continents. Unfortunately, they no longer provide the continuos continent to continent train ride so it's Malaysia to Laos then hop onto a plane to Istanbul with a final stop at Venice.
3. Travel alongside the Great Wall of China a la National Geographic's Peter Hessler. It's not possible to do it months at a time and the possibility of getting a special permission to enter foreign restricted land is close to a nil, but it would be a heck of a cultural and perspective-changing trip. Also, it would be a nice way to witness the life and origins of my ancestors too [even if I am not completely Chinese]
4. Our very own Taman Negara at Banjaran Titiwangsa. Always wanted to go there and my cousin did but it is pricey plus the 'villas' there are made entirely of floor to ceiling glass and metal. This includes the bathroom so yes, maybe not the best place to go with your friends unless you're okay with seeing each other naked.
There are other alternatives like the kampung longhouse types, I'm sure. Either way it's fine.
5. Backpacking at India.
Back when we both were not too caught up with life, assignments and college, we would pour through travel magazines and watch travel & living (my sister obsessively does this and she would make me sit next to her) then plan about all the places we would want to go.
That being said, my sister and I have varying ideas on where to go but it was fun to see each other's point of view of what attracts us to a place and what would we want to do there. To be able to detract ourselves from everyday life and mesmerize ourselves in a different culture and way of life; to feel, to act and to see how the locals go about their everyday tasks is a beautiful thing to experience. One that I would like to do in the coming future.
Seeing that 2012 doesn't happen. Hopefully.
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Labels: Random Babbles, Slice of life, travels