Yearly Vacay Plans

TJT · Jan 12, 2015

So, this year I am going on a big trip, like I do every year. This year I am either going to Ukraine, Australia or Mongolia. Based on a few things.

I suppose I am also going to a festival in Georgia in March but that's more like a long weekend.

Any experience here with Eastern Europe or Mongolia? They seem exotic enough to pique my interests fully.

Famm · Jan 12, 2015

This is for some sort of sex tourism, isn't it?

Big Phoenix · Jan 12, 2015

Uhh Australia.

Alex · Jan 12, 2015

Famm_sl said:
This is for some sort of sex tourism, isn't it?

Probably not. No Thailand or Vietnam.

Cad · Jan 13, 2015

Alex_sl said:
Probably not. No Thailand or Vietnam.

Is Vietnam really a sex tourism spot now? I'm sure there's whores there like everywhere but they are so repressed and... communist there.

Blazin · Jan 13, 2015

TJT_sl said:
So, this year I am going on a big trip, like I do every year. This year I am either going to Ukraine, Australia or Mongolia. Based on a few things.

I suppose I am also going to a festival in Georgia in March but that's more like a long weekend.

Any experience here with Eastern Europe or Mongolia? They seem exotic enough to pique my interests fully.

Do you travel alone? What languages do you speak? Me personally I would avoid Ukraine (I haven't been there just political reasons) and stick to Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungry.

Mongolia sounds awesome as well but certainly more logistically challenging. If you do Mongolia be sure to come back here and share your experience. Have you traveled to third world nations before? My experience with traveling in less developed areas is limited to West Africa and it's quite a different challenge than traveling in Europe.

TJT · Jan 13, 2015

Yes, I have traveled extensively. I went to Vietnam last year (some friends of mine live there dodging student loans). Not for sex tourism you fucking barbarians. That's more of a side-dish kind of thing. I speak Arabic and Spanish.

I always travel alone, I've been all through Europe, Middle East, across North Africa via train. Southeast Asia, the Carribbean... most places really. I met some Ukraine bros skydiving here in Austin. They were here for the summer for work and hung out at the dropzone every weekend. They seemed cool enough to make me want to go to Ukraine, and I could probably sleep on their couch in Kiev.

I have absolutely no connection of any kind in Mongolia, but I think it would be pretty awesome. I might just drop the money for the ticket and head out because, fuck it.

McCheese · Jan 14, 2015

I've been to Ukraine (Kiev, Kharkov) and it is indeed awesome, and the people were all simply amazing. That said, I wouldn't go there now with all the trouble they're having. Since you have other options, I'd let things settle down and save Ukraine for another year.

Mongolia sounds cool, and that's a place I've wanted to go. I spent a couple years in Kazakhstan, which has very similar culture and it was really cool. When are you planning on going? Ulaan-Bataar is going to be cold as fuck in the winter. I think it's like the 2nd coldest capital city in the world or something. Something to keep in mind, because I know most people probably picture super hot deserts when they think of Mongolia. Astana (the capital of Kazakhstan) isn't as cold as Ulaan-Bataar, and it goes down to -30 to -40 (Fahrenheit) in the winter.

ZyyzYzzy · Jan 14, 2015

McCheese confirmed CIA spy. Tell us deets about Iran and Russia.

Alex · Jan 14, 2015

All that travel sounds awesome. I'm jelly. I need to stop travelling so much domestically and get out of the country more. There's just so much awesome shit in the States. Especially when it comes to natural beauty. I'm going to Spain in a couple months, but I've already been there. Third world travel sounds really interesting, but a pain in the ass. I have a friend who just got back from Zimbabwe and he said the trip home was so awful (ended up taking a few days) that it kind of soured the experience.

Harfle · Jan 15, 2015

TJT_sl said:
So, this year I am going on a big trip, like I do every year. This year I am either going to Ukraine, Australia or Mongolia. Based on a few things.

I suppose I am also going to a festival in Georgia in March but that's more like a long weekend.

Any experience here with Eastern Europe or Mongolia? They seem exotic enough to pique my interests fully.

I am going to Mongolia to check out the smog city this year I will let you know. Going around may.

Vanderhoof · Jan 19, 2015

I remember back when McCheese fled Kazakhstan in the dead of night to escape a crazy Russian girl.

Tenks · Jan 20, 2015

Alex_sl said:
Third world travel sounds really interesting, but a pain in the ass.

What do you consider the appeal? I personally couldn't think of anything worse than being a rich American just touring around their country seeing nothing but poverty and famine.

Gravel · Jan 20, 2015

What kind of person decides that now is a good time to see Ukraine?

Tenks_sl said:
What do you consider the appeal? I personally couldn't think of anything worse than being a rich American just touring around their country seeing nothing but poverty and famine.

I don't understand that line of thinking either. Sure, seeing nature or something that just happens to be in a third world country probably isn't bad. But actual cities? Why?

Alex · Jan 20, 2015

Culture. It's so different that it would be interesting to see that perspective. Almost all of Africa is comprised of third world countries. Is that a place that doesn't interest you in any way? Writing off an entire fucking continent? Generally speaking, the Middle East is really the only area in the world that doesn't interest me.

Tenks · Jan 20, 2015

I'd be interested maybe in a weekend trip on a safari or something to see a lion eat a gazelle but beyond that I have no interest in going to Africa

Harfle · Jan 21, 2015

Tenks_sl said:
I'd be interested maybe in a weekend trip on a safari or something to see a lion eat a gazelle but beyond that I have no interest in going to Africa

catch a case of aids or ebola why dont you let us know how it goes.

TJT · Jan 22, 2015

I like traveling and have no problem wandering around developing countries. Ukraine isn't as bad as the idiotic TV says mainly because I would be in the Western part of the country where my friends live. They seem to be taking the metro to work and watching the conflict on the news there just like we're doing here in the USA. It does make the Eastern side of country (Donetsk Oblast, Crimea, Donbas, etc) completely insane to consider going to. But keep in mind Ukraine is fucking huge.

I like going to different places than the usual tourist spots so I find it exciting and fun. Being an Arabic speaker, when I went across North Africa I followed the route of "Al-Rihla" which is a book my the Arab version of Marco Polo. A guy named Ibn Battutah who went twice as far as ol' Marco ever did. It is insane to see how much of the stuff he described is still there. I'm talking about specific pulpits and things inside buildings that have been there for 850 years.

That being said. I also usually travel in Spring/Summer because fuck the cold.

Obtenor_sl · Jan 26, 2015

TJT_sl said:
I like traveling and have no problem wandering around developing countries. Ukraine isn't as bad as the idiotic TV says mainly because I would be in the Western part of the country where my friends live. They seem to be taking the metro to work and watching the conflict on the news there just like we're doing here in the USA. It does make the Eastern side of country (Donetsk Oblast, Crimea, Donbas, etc) completely insane to consider going to. But keep in mind Ukraine is fucking huge.

I like going to different places than the usual tourist spots so I find it exciting and fun. Being an Arabic speaker, when I went across North Africa I followed the route of "Al-Rihla" which is a book my the Arab version of Marco Polo. A guy named Ibn Battutah who went twice as far as ol' Marco ever did. It is insane to see how much of the stuff he described is still there. I'm talking about specific pulpits and things inside buildings that have been there for 850 years.

That being said. I also usually travel in Spring/Summer because fuck the cold.

As a South American I see no mention here or other posts about South America. I've been to the Amazon jungle and spent a few days in there (survival training) and then went through Brazil all the way down to Argentina and taking a ship out to see Antartica from a distance. People are amazing, other than crime there's no conflict/war/warlords, american embassies everywhere, good healthcare (private care and quick evacuation to the usa if needed), tons of different foods and culture, different things to see (beaches, jungle, mountains/snow, volcanoes).

Fuck I miss that place (I'm in the states now)

TJT · Mar 24, 2015

I've set my "fuck it" trip to Ukraine. Hang out in Kiev and also go to the Carpathian Mountains. Dollar has gained 30% value on the Hryvnia, so it should be really sweet. Also have this girl to take me on a guided trip all over. Should be fun.

From Kiev to Carpathia to the Black Sea.

Yearly Vacay Plans

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