To PaulVDV: Have you been...

[emka]

I see that I and Kasia, have different interests. I do not care about a big bureaucratic country (and although there is no country in the world that would be uninteresting if I haven't been there yet, these that fascinate Kasia, like Iraqi Kurdistan or Gorno Karabakh are at the end of my list).
I was three times in the USA (12 000 km by car in the West, a few thousand km by buses in the East plus Florida). And I would like to go once more to see New Orleans and Mississippi but that could be a problem because I was in Iran.
The same in China, I was twice and I still plan to go for the third time (from Urumqi but in opposite direction).
In Poland, the people do not like Russians and Russia, I am rather an exception. I just loved my two trips. They were of my bests. Probably it has something to do with the language. It is for me a great joy to speak Russian with the people and they are always and everywhere very friendly for me. I felt so happy travelling 60 hours in Transsibirian.
I have full shelves of Russian books, I know many poems by heart, more than in Polish.

Another question that I am asked very often: What was my dream journey? I am always enthusiastic when travelling but perhaps Peru was most important.
10 hours in Dubai and all the main attractions? hmm

Kind regards MAlgo

[PaulVDV]

I also agree to say that no country in the world seems totally uninteresting to visit.
We all have our preferences, but actually there's no such country that I think I would never want to go to.


As for Russia: It was clear in your photos, Malgo, that you love Russia. Nevertheless, from time to time reading Jorge's notes at his Russian photos, I got the impression that for someone who doesn't speak Russian, it is not always pleasant to meet the population.
Am I judging too harshly? Maybe ... I don't know.
But I've been to many countries where I don't speak the language at all and where I highly valued the commitment of the local population to help a tourist anyway.

[kasianowak]

I agree that there is no country that is objectively not worth visiting. And as I said there are some places in the US that I wouldn't mind seeing but it's far from my priorities. Like Malgo and Iraqi Kurdistan. :-) If I were to live 300 years or so, I'd sure place USA on my travel list. But as things are, in the time I still have, I'd rather see Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Peru, Namibia etc. etc., and another about 30 countries, then revisit the ones I'm dying to revisit (like Nepal) before I contemplate going there.

I have been to probably the most bureaucratic country on earth - North Korea. And I feel that way about another country I have visited - Israel. But at least they are small... ;-)

Ok, jokes aside. Among the 30+ countries on my "strictly must see" list there is Russia and a proper visit to China. I almost went to Russia last October as they were allowing British citizens in. But only those travelling directly from the UK and I'd already booked a flight to Poland at the start of my holiday. Then my Dad died and I only managed 3 days in Santorini in the end.

Malgo and I may have different preferences but we have one thing in common: I do love Russian culture and literature and I was happy to have the opportunity to learn the language at school. For me learning a language is never a matter of politics. Russian turned out very useful when visiting former Soviet republics and, unexpectedly, Western China.

Re Dubai: I said MOST, not all, of the main attractions. Well, at least for me. I went up Burj Khalifa, had an ice-cream in Dubai Mall, visited the Al Fahidi District and the Creek and, importantly for me, saw the immigrant workers district (and did some shopping there), a camel milk advert and a thermometer reading of 45 degrees Celsius at 8 am. It was 10 hours of sightseeing by the way, NOT including the time in the airport, travelling from the airport to the centre etc. If I have a chance to visit again, I'd love to take some blue hour photos. But if I was to see a desert, I'd prefer to go to one of the other Emirates. And I'd love to go to Abu Dhabi one day.

Have a nice week everyone (if you're still following this thread)!

Kasia