About An Old Meme

I've been blogging for ten years now and I remember in the early days of my blogging "career" memes were running rampant around the blog world. I was so engrossed in reading them, hopping from one blog to another, wasting so much time. But like any trend, memes slowed down a lot.

In those days, I was keen on just reading. If there is a meme I really like I'd write/answer the questions and not post. I don't know why I didn't post.

Recently, I was going through my DOCUMENTS album and stumbled upon this meme that I answered years ago and thought why not post this now. Just for the heck of it. After all, I spent time answering it and it was meant to be shared anyway.

The ABCs

A: Age you went on your first international trip:
Already an adult when I made my first international trip.

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where:
Still love California microbrews. No particular brand. Not a beer lover to begin with.

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Husband is keen on sampling local brew.

C: Cuisine (favorite):
My top 3 - Mexican, Greek, Vietnamese - not in order. But there are too many cuisines out there that I like.

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why:
Favorite - too many to mention, but at the top of my head Barcelona, Lisbon and Costa Rica. Least favorite - none. I like every place I've been. Every city, town and country has a charm of its own.

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E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:
Watching a giant green turtle lay eggs on the beach in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

F: Favorite mode of transportation:
Car. I love road trips.

G: Greatest feeling while traveling:
Seeing a place for the first time. Disbelief that "this" is happening and that I am actually "here".

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H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to:
India with Bangladesh as the close second.

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I remember our tour day in Delhi. It was the hottest I've experienced so far. Too hot to go down and explore.

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:
Taxi driver named William in Arenal, Costa Rica. Not only did he provide incredible service; he was also very trusting and trustworthy. He picked us up from the town square, dropped us off to our first destination, did not want to get paid until he finished the "job", 2 hours later picked us up from destination #1 and dropped us to destination #2.

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One of the most trustworthy people we've me is William from Arenal.

J: Journey that took the longest:
It would be SFO to Dhaka, Bangladesh. And very recently a trip home that went like this: Lisbon-Barcelona-Munich-San Francisco. I think it was more like 24 hours in total.

K: Keepsake from your travels:
Ref magnets, t-shirts, masks, keychains - the usual. Lately I've been venturing into affordable wearable art like Maltese cross from Malta and a silver earring from Turkey.

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While I do a little buying, I do a ton of browsing.

L: Let-down sight, why and where:
None. I don't think there is one that let me down. Although with all the hype surrounding the Eiffel Tower, when I finally got to see it, it was just another tower to me (no haters here, just being honest).

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel:
On a road trip to Oregon in 2006. As we were driving to Crater Lake on that particular drizzly May day the passing scenery was scenic, the landscape was verdant and vibrant and I was energized. I told myself I love to do this again. And I did. The road trip to Oregon was one of the earliest "travels" I've embarked on.


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Late May in Oregon.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:
I'm a budget traveler so when I signed up for a packaged tour of Costa Rica on a budget, I didn't realize that I would get billeted in really good hotels/resorts for the duration of the trip.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?
Windows and signs. Lately people.

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P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?
I don't know.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:
BCN - anything Gaudi is quirky.

R: Recommended sight, event or experience:
The US National Parks are a must. You cannot fully appreciate the beauty of USA just by visiting its cosmopolitan cities. You have to strap your hiking boots on and walk under the giant sequoia trees to complete the experience. Or gaze at the Grand Canyon.

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S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:
None. I HAVE a problem forking over money.

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Since we're unabashed about being foodies, we did dig deep into our pockets to afford a luxurious meal in Bali.

T: Touristy thing you’ve done:
Rode an elephant in Jaipur, India after refusing a camel ride in Giza. Took the Hop-On Hop-Off buses in Barcelona, Marseilles, Genoa, Lisbon.

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U: Unforgettable travel memory:
So many, all of them are unforgettable.

V: Visas, how many and for where?
Two - India and Bangladesh.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?
I don't drink when travelling. Well, I don't dine at fancy sit-down restaurant and eat multi-course meals with wine pairings, so there is no way to taste wine. And I only drink wine with my meal.

There is liquor in Lisbon called ginja. It’s the best!

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The place to sample ginja in Lisbon.

X: eXcellent view and from where:
So many. But if you are arriving in Valletta, Malta via a boat, the view of the city from the Grand Harbor is spectacular. I've never seen such beauty before. Jaw droppingly gorgeous.

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Y: Years spent traveling?
Not so much, 10 years probably?

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?
Have not encountered any in my travels yet. Although I had an animated discussion about the 2012 National League Championship series with a St. Louis transplant in Honduras, of all places. I believe St. Louis has avid baseball fans.

To add to this on a recent trip to Lisbon, a horde of German football fans descended upon the city when the Lisbon Sporting team hosted the German Schalke team. Oh my goodness, were the Germans loud and rowdy or what? Unfortunately for them, the home team came out the winner of the game.

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OUR WORLD TUESDAY

I'll be taking a short blog break.

Comments

  1. I enjoyed reading this 'alphabet' so much. Thanks for posting this, such a great way to know you better!

    You should try the camel ride (from the UAE perhaps?)! But not to add UAE amongst the hottest countries you have visited. It is definitely better during winter. But our winter here is like your July weather over there.

    Re: German football fans, come on, they breathe football! I love the national team of Germany, by the way!

    Enjoy your mini break from blogging. I will miss you though. But I will have time to catch up on your previous posts. :)

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  2. I've always wanted to ride a camel.

    Enjoyed reading your take on the way of the meme. And the art work of the day of the dead skulls...awesome!!

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  3. This was so interesting as I agreed with so many from Costa Rica to Gaudi.

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  4. I enjoyed your travel A to Z very much. It evoked memories of my own travel to India, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Central America, Africa. Unfortunately I have only had digital camera for part of that time. Loved your pictures and thanks for some memories.

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  5. I enjoyed your travel A to Z very much. It evoked memories of my own travel to India, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Central America, Africa. Unfortunately I have only had digital camera for part of that time. Loved your pictures and thanks for some memories.

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  6. o,wow, that´s interesting. Must have taken a lot of time going throut this :) Thanks for sharing.

    Like your new autumn design of the blog :)

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  7. Intriguing post and neat photos ~ favorite are colorful masks ~ thanks,

    Wishing you a delightful week ~ ^_^

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  8. Great shots.
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/10/along-way.html

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  9. Nice post. I love travelling, but I also love coming back home. And yes, the mining equipment on my blog was on display in a field.

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  10. Wonderful recollection. Nostalgic.

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  11. Those at least gave me something to know you, although still i don't know what your work is. Never mind, i just think you are so lucky for having lived there and for being able to travel when you feel like it. Many people would love to be in your shoes. And you write and photograph well, so i am a bit envious! I've known you for quiet sometime and maybe we can be considered blogger friends!!!

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  12. Those at least gave me something to know you, although still i don't know what your work is. Never mind, i just think you are so lucky for having lived there and for being able to travel when you feel like it. Many people would love to be in your shoes. And you write and photograph well, so i am a bit envious! I've known you for quiet sometime and maybe we can be considered blogger friends!!!

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  13. is it venice in the 3rd photo? and those skulls are very cool and colourful

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  14. Thanks for sharing this wonderful and interesting collection!

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  15. What a great post! Love love that photo of Venice. Enjoy your break!

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  16. It tickles me that it was your roadtrip to Oregon that turned you on to travel! I think of you as such a sophisticated world traveler. Enjoy your blog break Maria .... see ya when you get back!
    ,

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  17. Happy blogging and have many more interesting travels

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  18. Barcelona...yes it's somewhere I'd like to go too :-)

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  19. A perfect meme for you to post, Maria!!! I always love when others do it but never do them myself...which is weird, I know. Maybe one day I'll do one. :)

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  20. Wow.... your ABCs are so full of information.
    Agree on that D - every city, town and country has a charm of its own.

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  21. Fantastic post! I love the shots and narrative.

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  22. You're taking a break? May I know why? So envious you only got to apply for 2 visas :D

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