100 countries club?

[retireme]

ohhh trina, that travbuddy thing is neat.
i do agree we should not only focus on how many places we have seen, but i like to give myself big goals so 100 countries is a nice goal.
i have not spent my birthday or xmas in any other countries, i think that would be the strangest thing when you are travelling for so long, being away for holidays and special occasions?

[bluesforshoes]

Last year I spent my birthday in Beijing. It was incredible to be standing on the Great Wall on my birthday. This year I'll be spending Xmas and New Years in Peru, which I'm very much looking forward to.

-Jeremy

[Cathen]

Hey Jeremy
I'll be in Peru for the Holidays as well - are you going on a Gap trip? My friend and I are doing the Altiplano Expedition with departure from Lima the 11th of December!?
Cheers, Cathrine

[bluesforshoes]

Cathrine,

Yeah, I'm doing GAP's Essence of Peru, which leaves on December 21. Always wanted to see Machu Picchu.

-Jeremy

[retireme]

bluesforshoes, that is cool. a great way to see the world too, travel on your birthday!

[Tall Paul]

Hey;

I'll take 10 countries well-explored over 100 countries skipped through...any day of the week.

Paul

[retireme]

i think i'll go for the 100 countries first, then pick my 10 best from that list to return to and explore in depth

[Tall Paul]

I ain't gonna live that long.

[retireme]

...and maybe i am too optimistic. if i have fun and am satisfied with my travels that is the biggest thing, skipping through is never satisfying. a year in each place makes it impossible. i'll search for that happy middle ground, then maybe return to earth as a bird in my next life. that way it will be easy and cheap to re-visit places.

[Tall Paul]

Hey;

I've only done 20 countries, so I don't expect that tally to go too far past 50, unless I cheat and do a two week whirlwind cruise in the Caribbean or the grand tour of Europe like some deranged backpacker with a Eurail pass.

Paul

[debandpat]

hey all... i turned 54 at ait ben haddou in morocco on october 27th on the "highlights of morocco" tour. our guide el houssine got me the most beautiful cake i have ever seen, and 15 of us plus our guide and driver shared cake and a toast. it was the most wonderful birthday i've ever had, and will never be forgotten. thank you GAP, el houssine, lachen, and our wonderful group. it will be a birthday to be remembered always. thank you from the bottom of my heart. deb

[retireme]

wow deb, that is a great sounding way to celebrate your birthday. morocco sounds like a great country and i will visit one day. since i prefer wildlife, i think maybe morocco will have to wait awhile. (the morocco desert and cities do look amazing though!)

[catrionag]

Off to Costa Rica next month - that will make number 33 (mostly thanks to family camping trips all round Europe as a kid - East and West Germany plus Czech Republic were done in 1979 so I assume they still count?).

Would love to do lots more, but don't think my bank balance is up to the task!
Cat

[blobert_coltrane]

I've never counted.... Ireland, England, Wales, NI, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Andorra, Iceland, USA, Canada, Oz. think that makes 19..! But I agree with tall paul here, the countries i stayed longest in (iceland, oz, usa, denmark italy and france) i enjoyed a lot more because i really got to know what they were about, really got the full experience. a while back i was trying to aim for a certain amount of countries by the time i was 25, then 30 and so on but since i have realised there's no point in being in a country for a day or 2!

[jimshu]

Yes great to see some big travellers here.Keep this going.
43 for me and my lovely wife.And I will add 2 more this year.And she gets to race ahead with me getting off in Namibia while she carries through Botswana and Zambia to Vic Falls.
We have been travelling since 1974....but had to take a holiday to raise the kids and pay off the mortgage....so back on the trail!

But even then, we bought an old caravan and travelled around NZ.Now all 3 of our kids have the travel bug....how we wish they'd settle down and just give us some grandchildren!Probably our own fault somehow....