Where have you travelled (going to travel) open thread

[Bryan]

You can learn about different cultures online. It isn't hard.

You really can't. I'll use Cuba as an example only because it's where I usually go. Almost everything I saw and read before I went was ridiculously incorrect.

[Bryan]

I remember a time when travelling by myself was almost unthinkable.

It's usually not my favourite idea either, but for some reason I've got it in my head that cycling through a new place would be a great way to really get to know it.

[Wilber]

How long does it take to get to from Seattle?

14 hrs from Vancouver, give or take. Came back in under 13 last November. Somewhat expensive but a beautiful country with a great variety of geography (the North and South Islands are very different), interesting culture and friendly people

[On Guard for Thee]

Lived in Tbilisi Georgia for some months and drove from Azerbaijan to the Black Sea once and flew myself over it a number of times. The Caucasus mountains are as good as mountains get I guess, and the culture, stuck somewhere between the old USSR and new Europe was an education. Lovely local wines and beautiful women.

[WIP]

I find it ironic that one of our local climate alarmists doesn't see any problem with spending lots of fuel traveling around the world and eating fancy food. If the world is doomed if we don't drastically cut emissions, why are you unnecessarily increasing your CO2 footprint?

Seems like you're mixing apples and oranges here. I'm not aware of any of the vacation planners here being what you would label a "climate alarmist." I am, and I sure as hell wish I had more company in my at least 10 years now as a climate alarmist.

I'm not traveling mostly for financial and family reasons, but when it comes to attacking the manmade carbon emissions issue, I believe in going after the big game: governments, international corporations and the banks that finance them, who are responsible for the "tight" and "unconventional" oil developments, as well as the great almost unmentioned climate destroyers: Big Ag factory farming (between 25% and 30% of human carbon production) as well as the increasing carbon contribution coming from the increasing transportation demands of all of these new bullshit "free" trade schemes.

My main caution about international travel now...as I mentioned before is the increasing global instability that we can witness in rising conflicts and refugee migrations.....I guess that's something we can learn about on the internet!

[bush_cheney2004]

Big government and corporations gave us the Internet.

[WIP]

Big government and corporations gave us the Internet.

Correction: it was big government that created and established the internet. The corporations swooped in...like they always do...to take advantage of it once the hard work of developing it was established.

[-1=e^ipi]

I'm not traveling mostly for financial and family reasons, but when it comes to attacking the manmade carbon emissions issue, I believe in going after the big game: governments, international corporations and the banks that finance them, who are responsible for the "tight" and "unconventional" oil developments

So you are all for fighting for climate change, as long as someone else has to reduce emissions. Is that how it works? How hypocritical.

as well as the increasing carbon contribution coming from the increasing transportation demands of all of these new bullshit "free" trade schemes.

Free trade allows countries to take advantage of comparative advantage and as a result makes society more prosperous.

[Black Dog]

You can learn about different cultures online. It isn't hard.

I know what things smell like. If someone says the sea smells salty, I know what salty smells like. For sounds, you just need headphones and a computer. For sights, again you just need a computer screen. For tastes, there are all sorts of restaurants where I live, or I can go buy the ingredients and make it myself.

So you've never traveled, then. Shocker.

So you are all for fighting for climate change, as long as someone else has to reduce emissions. Is that how it works? How hypocritical.

Those planes are flying whether I'm on there or not.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Black Dog

[-1=e^ipi]

Those planes are flying whether I'm on there or not.

Okay. Pretend that extra weight doesn't cause planes to use more fuel or that plane companies don't try to vary the number of planes flying to meet demand.

[msj]

So you've never traveled, then. Shocker.

Yes, how sad.

I love travel. Have many fond memories from camping as a kid to getting lost and trying to understand people in a far off land.

When my wife and I went to Thailand/Laos/Vietnam last year we went with a tour and met people from Germany, Britain, Toronto, and Australia and have become friends with some of them which will lead to opportunities in the future.

So travel is social and it's about experiences in the real world that can't be matched by sitting in ones basement with an internet connection while worrying about tide levels rising and droughts.

Besides, it's like eating seafood - if you don't do it now then it may not be around when you do want to do it (or, more likely, you may not be around when you want to do it).

So, I better get to Malta soon I suppose.

[bush_cheney2004]

Correction: it was big government that created and established the internet. The corporations swooped in...like they always do...to take advantage of it once the hard work of developing it was established.

No....corporations were directly involved in responses to government RFPs and designs for packet switching protocols. The non-profit RAND Corporation is an example, as was Xerox later on (Ethernet). Also, public and private universities were important contributors as well.

Today, it is possible to "travel" to many parts of the world with only an internet connection.

Edited July 22, 2015 by bush_cheney2004

[On Guard for Thee]

Talk about thread drift!!!

[msj]

Today, it is possible to "travel" to many parts of the world with only an internet connection.

Sure, and throw in some sexy robot and call it sex tourism too.

[bush_cheney2004]

Sure, and throw in some sexy robot and call it sex tourism too.

Sorry...but millions of people avail themselves of the Interwebs to meet new people and "go places". It doesn't replace physical travel and that wonderful "tourism" experience....it compliments that experience.

[On Guard for Thee]

Sorry...but millions of people avail themselves of the Interwebs to meet new people and "go places". It doesn't replace physical travel and that wonderful "tourism" experience....it compliments that experience.

Maybe you meant complements the experience.

[Black Dog]

Okay. Pretend that extra weight doesn't cause planes to use more fuel or that plane companies don't try to vary the number of planes flying to meet demand.

The implication that if one is concerned about climate change, one should thus live a pre-industrial lifestyle is completely fatuous.

[-1=e^ipi]

The implication that if one is concerned about climate change, one should thus live a pre-industrial lifestyle is completely fatuous.

I'm confused. Who are you implying is implying this?

[waldo]

I'm confused. Who are you implying is implying this?

that would be... you! Or are your following posts simply being misinterpreted? That must be it, right?

I find it ironic that one of our local climate alarmists doesn't see any problem with spending lots of fuel traveling around the world and eating fancy food. If the world is doomed if we don't drastically cut emissions, why are you unnecessarily increasing your CO2 footprint?

So you are all for fighting for climate change, as long as someone else has to reduce emissions. Is that how it works? How hypocritical.

[-1=e^ipi]

that would be... you! Or are your following posts simply being misinterpreted? That must be it, right?

I did not imply that.

[WIP]

Unless you still got school-age children at home to limit most vacations to July and August, I don't know why Canadians would leave in the summer months.....the only time of the year you're usually guaranteed good weather to do stuff outdoors.

Edited July 23, 2015 by WIP

[WIP]

The implication that if one is concerned about climate change, one should thus live a pre-industrial lifestyle is completely fatuous.

It's the bullshit position from the right that reduces all social issues to matters of personal morality....or tries to! Nevermind Obama quietly giving the go-ahead yesterday for Shell's new drilling leases in the Arctic (*notice that crap like this and getting fasttrack through Congress always happens under the cover of big news events), the real issue is whether you've got all of your low energy lightbulbs and keep the tires on your car inflated to the proper pressure!

I think Al Gore and other green capitalists who started looking at looming environmental disaster for business opportunities, are a big part of the blame on this one! Most of the leading environmental spokesmen and organizations shifted the discussion from government and corporate responsibility to matters of personal consumer choice.

[bush_cheney2004]

Al Gore was always a false prophet...be careful of which American front men one worships from Canada.

[WIP]

Al Gore was always a false prophet...be careful of which American front men one worships from Canada.

See! Everybody can agree on something.

[Wilber]

Unless you still got school-age children at home to limit most vacations to July and August, I don't know why Canadians would leave in the summer months.....the only time of the year you're usually guaranteed good weather to do stuff outdoors.

Cause it's also the best time to see a lot of other places unless you are into winter sports.