Places you want to visit

[SMEE]

Where in the world would you like to visit and why?

For me, In no particular order:

The Pyramids

Australia to see Ayers rock and genearlly tour the country

Drive Route 66 in USA

Steelhead Salmon fishing in Alaska and a spot of hunting

See a Space Shuttle launch

Visit The Grand Canyon

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Smee, from your list, I've been lucky enough to do two of your wish list (almost 3).

Australia is wonderful but for me I wouldn't bust a gut to see Ayre's Rock.  There are many better places in Aus to visit (eg Sydney with Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, Gold Coast and the real gem, Tasmania. Tasmania is a lot like Scotland was about 25 years ago (quiet and shut on Sundays!!), but well worth a visit.

We have friends who live in Cocoa Beach, Florida right next to Space Centre.  You can actually watch the lauches from their home. A few years ago our friend (who is ex US Air Force) got us tickets to go onto the Base to watch a launch from the perimeter road.  Absolutely awesome.

I also lived in BC, Canada when I was in my early 20s and have done the hunting and fishing bit.  But in BC it is mainly Sockeye salmon, not steelhead

Like you, I have the Grand Canyon still on my to do list.

[Guest birdog]

Hampden Stadium, at the specific moment that Grant Munro holds the Scottish cup above his head.

[SMEE]

Smee, from your list, I've been lucky enough to do two of your wish list (almost 3).

Australia is wonderful but for me I wouldn't bust a gut to see Ayre's Rock.  There are many better places in Aus to visit (eg Sydney with Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, Gold Coast and the real gem, Tasmania. Tasmania is a lot like Scotland was about 25 years ago (quiet and shut on Sundays!!), but well worth a visit.

We have friends who live in Cocoa Beach, Florida right next to Space Centre.  You can actually watch the lauches from their home. A few years ago our friend (who is ex US Air Force) got us tickets to go onto the Base to watch a launch from the perimeter road.  Absolutely awesome.

I also lived in BC, Canada when I was in my early 20s and have done the hunting and fishing bit.  But in BC it is mainly Sockeye salmon, not steelhead

Like you, I have the Grand Canyon still on my to do list.

Yer one lucky dude Caley!

[caley100]

Just managed to cross one off my list, a visit to Sandwood bay/beach up in Cape Wrath, beautiful place and well worth the long walk to get to it!.

[RiG]

Vancouver Island, Canada

New Zealand

Masai Mara, Kenya

The Moon

[Yngwie]

The Moon

To see if it really does have more atmosphere than TCS? Or to retrieve a Niculae free kick?

[SMEE]

I also wanna do a safari in africa

[CaleyD]

The Pyramids....the ones in Mexico.

Easter Island

North & South Poles

New Zealand

Moscow

and although not a specific place I've always had this desire to discover somewhere/thing new that nobody else had every seen/visited in recorded memory.

[Guest birdog]

and although not a specific place I've always had this desire to discover somewhere/thing new that nobody else had every seen/visited in recorded memory.

You could start off a search for Brewster's tactical awareness. :001:

[CaleyD]

I used to think it was up his erse, but Brewster himself has had his head stuck up there for long enough looking for it and still not had any luck....so who knows.

[Guest birdog]

I used to think it was up his erse, but Brewster himself has had his head stuck up there for long enough looking for it and still not had any luck....so who knows.

:rotflmao:

Thanks CD you have truly brightened my day up with that one.

[Scotty]

I have been lucky, I have crossed a few off my list in recent years - Denmark, Sweden, Cuba to name but three. But there are still a few that are always on the list along with a others that come and go depending on my mood.

Always on the list

- Australia: [sydney, Great Barrier Reef, but also Perth in Western Australia because some colleagues tell me its beautiful.]

- Machu Picchu: [Have seen the pics and heard stories from Big Stew, and it looks and sounds wonderful.]

- Morocco: [Was somewhere we considered last year but decided against it. All research we did made it look/sound good.]

- Egypt/Israel: [i like history and early political Geography - cant get much more ancient than this neck of the woods.]

Used to be on the list but arent any more

- Mexico (or Mexi-NO as we now call it): We almost went last year but a lot of Mexico is viewed in the same way as Ibiza or Ayia Napa to us on this side of the pond. Several Canadians were murdered or died in "mysterious circumstances" there last year and there were also several high profile cases of wrongful imprisonment. These incidents slid it way down the list as far as we were concerned. The icing on the cake, and the thing that tipped us over the edge and put this firmly in the NO column was watching "America's Most Wanted" [Crimewatch for the US] and seeing how almost every other case ends with the suspects whereabouts being suggested as Mexico.

Recommendation

- Cuba: If I were to recommend one place it would be Cuba. We went there 5 years ago for our honeymoon, and went back there a few weeks ago for our anniversary. The country is beautiful, many (most) of the people speak both Spanish and English, the weather is hot (but humid) and despite what many may think of Castro or communism, there is bags of pre-revolutionary history still evident - especially in Havana.

The people dont have a lot, but many are happy for what they do have. We felt safe everywhere we went and didnt encounter any issues although the 'jinteiros' do grate on you after a while. These are 'professional' hustlers who try to get you to buy fake cigars or rum or to hire taxis or cars or go to 'palidores' [restaurant in someone's house] or to bars with them. They are all on a sort of commission from the place they take you to and can be very persistent. We said no to them all as we had read about it before arriving but you cant help wondering if some of them [especially the palidore ones] were actually offering an authentic service.

The architecture in Havana is excellent. There are many really old buildings that are in great condition and given its history of being in various different hands over the last few centuries, of lots of different styles - from the "Capitolio" inspired by the US building in Washington (and built when the US was a friend), to the Spanish governors house in Old Havana that has a cobbled street outside made of soft wood so that the sound of horses wouldnt wake him up when he was sleeping. However, the residential houses are different, many are crumbling because of a lack of money and also because Cubans are not allowed to own houses, they are allocated to them meaning there is less incentive to do renovations and such like.

As for beaches - Varadero is great - huge tracts of very white sand and when you step into the ocean it is warm ... none of this shivering like we used to get at Nairn beach, instead its like stepping into a warm bath. Snorkelling, Scuba Diving and swimming with Dolphins just cement the location as an island paradise.

Who knows what might happen when Fidel finally dies or when his brother Raul either dies or is no longer President .... I hope it doesnt go the way of Mexico, that would be a crying shame.

[SMEE]

Another couple for me would be:

The Great Wall Of China

and.....visit France. Dont ask why....just since i been a kid, i have had this romantic notion of the country. Driving to my chateau on a warm summers afternoon, coming home to a glass of wine etc. spesh wanna visit the south of France

[CaleyD]

I used to have similar romantic notions about France until I got there to discover that outside Paris it's mostly a smelly hole of a place.

[Yngwie]

I would agree that seeing Havana before it falls down and gets redeveloped for Americans was something special.

For similar reasons I'd like to see China before it gets too westernised. If I'm not too late, that is. South Africa also sounds great, after from all the murders and muggings.

I'm lucky enough to have seen pyramids in Egypt and Mexico, and found it amazing that different civilisations so far apart basically had the same idea! In Mexico you can climb on them right up to the top, which I don't imagine will be the case for much longer.

My biggest recommendation though would be Sri Lanka, for the incredible culture, history, archaeology, geography, wildlife, food and people.

[Scotty]

South Africa also sounds great, after from all the murders and muggings.

Our company has offices there and I speak with people there or from there frequently ..... some tell me they fear it is already too late and that SA will go the way of Zimbabwe soon.

I'm lucky enough to have seen pyramids in Egypt

seem to remember you submitting a photo for one of the rogues galleries many years ago ...... people wearing ICT tops in strange places

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[RednBlackComeback]

I'm lucky enough to have seen pyramids in Egypt and Mexico, and found it amazing that different civilisations so far apart basically had the same idea! In Mexico you can climb on them right up to the top, which I don't imagine will be the case for much longer.

Your right, it's no longer allowed to climb to the top of the pyramid in Chichen Itza. Apparently due to either protecting the ruins or, more likely, the death of a tourist who slipped and fell on her way down!

I was there several years ago and fortunately it was still possible to climb to the top then. 

[VIVA LAS TOKLEY]

Smee  I've been luck enough to do a couple on your list.

The Grand Canyon is pretty spectacular.  You arrive and go oh it's just a big whole in the ground,  then the scale of the place sucks you in and you leave dumbfounded.

A small part of the original route 66 exsists outside the town of Williams on the way to the Grand Canyon.  I'm sure the locals at the bar that night told me that most of the route had fallen into disrepair or vanished completly as it has been relaced with modern highways.  Still the bit we got onto still had the original signs.

[Scotty]

A small part of the original route 66 exsists outside the town of Williams on the way to the Grand Canyon.  I'm sure the locals at the bar that night told me that most of the route had fallen into disrepair or vanished completly as it has been relaced with modern highways.  Still the bit we got onto still had the original signs.

Just realised that I have also travelled a portion of Route 66 between Bloomington, Illinois and Chicago !!! It is now called "Historic Route 66" : http://www.historic66.com/

Would also like to add to my list from above to include places like the Grand Canyon, the Bay of Fundy and any other geographical or visual wonders in a similar vein .... I am lucky enough to live less than 2 hours from Niagara Falls, yet the last time I was there was before I moved to this country !!!

[caley100]

Aye.. too much time sitting on yer erse in a hammock sipping beer...    yer *** is growing mun  :015: