Do you like to travel???

[waterski232002]

Now that the match is over, I thought we could start a refreshing topic on cool places to travel to... What is the most exciting/coolest place you have ever been to? Any cool stories from 4th year international rotations?

I spent a month traveling in China and Japan. Tibet was a HUGE disappointement!

For me, the coolest places have been India, Morocco, and Nepal. I love 3rd world countries...

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[papichulodoc]

Cuba! What an amazing place! Music can be heard on every street corner! The people are incredibly friendly and very well educated. You can strike up a conversation with anyone on poetry, literature or the history of their country. Quite the unexpected from a seemingly repressed third world country. Despite the American perception, Castro has done a few good things for his country.

 

[waterski232002]

You can strike up a conversation with anyone on poetry, literature or the history of their country.

What happens if you try to talk politics? What's their persepective on American influence (or lack there of) and continual trade embargos?

 

[Sessamoid]

Cuba! What an amazing place! Music can be heard on every street corner! The people are incredibly friendly and very well educated. You can strike up a conversation with anyone on poetry, literature or the history of their country. Quite the unexpected from a seemingly repressed third world country. Despite the American perception, Castro has done a few good things for his country.

Americans who don't travel have this odd notion that America is the only bastion of civilization and literacy in the world. Most Americans don't realize that Cuba has a much better literacy rate than America, and in general is better educated than we are. They're hobbled by having the nearby economic giant refusing to trade with them and having recently been economically dependent on a nation that no longer exists. I personally think the embargo is stupid. Once called the "Jewel of the Caribbean", Cuba could once again become a positive factor in our economic strength (not to mention an awesome vacation spot!).

 

[NeuroSync]

Akumal, Mexico!

This area of the Yucatan is called the Mayan Riviera. It has just about everything you could want: jungle, incredible ocean reef, interesting culture, Mayan ruins, and cenotes. Cenote is the Mayan word for "well." The Yukatan used to be at a much higher elevation during the ice age. The limestone and the tremendous amount of rain that the region gets were the perfect combination that formed the most incredibly decorated cave systems in the world. They are now under water. They are accessed via scuba. INCREDIBLE! We just got our full cave certs this past fall and plan to make at least one trip back per year. INCREDIBLE! See the following link for some pictures:
http://www.protecdiving.com/index.htm

We are going back in August...

 

[Jambi]

(not to mention an awesome vacation spot!).

Or the cigars!

 

[USAF MD '05]

Check the lovely socialized healthcare system in Cuba...
http://www.therealcuba.com/Page10.htm
I'll stay away, thanks!

 

[beanbean]

Cool places I have been:

Galapagos Islands (simply incredible!)
Malaysian Borneo (giant insects and glow in the dark mushrooms)
Costa Rica (my in-laws live there)
Iceland (geothermal spas, glaciers and puffins!)
Namibia (one of the most beautiful countries in the world)
South Africa (Capetown is lovely, but a city of deep contrasts)
India (sunrise over the Himalayas, seeing tigers in the wild, Taj Mahal)

 

[Sessamoid]

Check the lovely socialized healthcare system in Cuba...
http://www.therealcuba.com/Page10.htm
I'll stay away, thanks!

Mind you, the problem with their health care system is not that it's socialized, but that it's poor as dirt. And it's not exactly black and white either. The US gov't funds something like 40% of the healthcare in the country, so it's not like we have a fantastically privatized system.

 

[USAF MD '05]

Mind you, the problem with their health care system is not that it's socialized, but that it's poor as dirt. And it's not exactly black and white either. The US gov't funds something like 40% of the healthcare in the country, so it's not like we have a fantastically privatized system.

Well said, and point taken. I just saw those pics today, and had to post them.
Makes you thank God to live in the old US of A.

 

[doc05]

Check the lovely socialized healthcare system in Cuba...
http://www.therealcuba.com/Page10.htm
I'll stay away, thanks!

are we supposed to be impressed by those pics?? Looks the same as a typical municipal hospital in NY/LA/Chicago/etc.

 

[NeuroSync]

Or the cigars!

If you are into Cuban cigars, why not just go for some skiing at Whistler, B.C. and pick up a box in a Vancouver cigar shop? You would, of course, have to smuggle the remaning "gars" across the border.

 

[USAF MD '05]

are we supposed to be impressed by those pics?? Looks the same as a typical municipal hospital in NY/LA/Chicago/etc.

LOL. Guess I must be spoiled down here in Louisville!

 

[GeneralVeers]

I spent all of last month in Sydney, Australia doing an Oncology elective for school. Had to go to an outpatient oncology clinic 3 days per week, leaving me the other four for beach time!

4th year medical school is awesome, as you can take a vacation and complete a month towards graduation. February in Sydney is a welcome change from spending it in Indianpolis.

 

[Apollyon]

Tahiti. Incredible.

 

[DrQuinn]

Cancun was of course fun for college spring break, less for the beaches and the bars but more for the local "fauna."

Austria last year for a ski trip. Beautiful. Clean. People were surprisingly nice to us as Americans. Food was good and the beer was better. Plus the skiing was awesome.

Stay away from Colorado! I don't know how ERMudPhud does it but the altitude sickness was horrible. Diamox for me next time.

Q

 

[Sessamoid]

Austria last year for a ski trip. Beautiful. Clean. People were surprisingly nice to us as Americans. Food was good and the beer was better. Plus the skiing was awesome.

I don't know why you were surprised. It is a common misconception in America that Europeans hate us for various reasons. Unlike a lot of Americans, Europeans in general seem to be able to distinguish between a country's people and its government. Perhaps it's because Europe has a much longer national memory about governments that had nothing to do with its people's desires.

 

[waterski232002]

I don't know why you were surprised. It is a common misconception in America that Europeans hate us for various reasons. Unlike a lot of Americans, Europeans in general seem to be able to distinguish between a country's people and its government. Perhaps it's because Europe has a much longer national memory about governments that had nothing to do with its people's desires.

Depends on which crowd of Europeans you're around. I've gone on many extensive trips overseas and had lots of political discussion with various europeans. There is a large percentage that have an enormous amount of contempt for Americans if you really ask about their thoughts (and then there are the handful that are just outright rude). It would be hard to appreciate their true feelings if you only spent a week or two in Europe on a vacation, but I think the situation has deteriorated substantially over the past 4-5 years since my first trip abroad. But I do agree that they are MUCH better at distinguishing a government from it's people!!! (which doesn't say much since we are lightening-fast at forming stereotypes as a nation).

Originally, I thought most of the discontent stemed from the fact that the average american is viewed as a naive, war-hungry, conservative, who couldn't care less about foreign affairs... let alone european affairs (which is mostly true when you think about it... and is epitomized by the "red" vs. "blue" state media-hype). They also tend to despise the fact that 99% of american's couldn't successfully point out France on a map of the world!

Just my thoughts...

 

[Sessamoid]

It would be hard to appreciate their true feelings if you only spent a week or two in Europe on a vacation, but I think the situation has deteriorated substantially over the past 4-5 years since my first trip abroad.

I spent half a year backpacking and hitchhiking Europe in my younger days. This was around the time of the Rodney King riots, so I had some explaining to do. Mostly, they were sympathetic about the situation if somewhat bewildered. I'm sure their opinion of us hasn't improved since the recent war though.

They also tend to despise the fact that 99% of american's couldn't successfully point out France on a map of the world!

The average American can't even locate a decent number of the United States on the map. A significant percentage of Americans think that New Mexico is in a foreign country. Europeans are less hostile when they realize that the ignorance is universal and not specifically aimed at them.

 

[tBw]

There is a large percentage that have an enormous amount of contempt for Americans if you really ask about their thoughts

that's probably a fair comment...but then if you "really ask" about our thoughts on our own country (whichever european you are talking to) there's usually a fair amount of contempt directed inward at our own politicians and societies too...maybe it's just a cultural distrust of politics and society in general!??!?

Either way, we all appreciate good beer, so maybe there's hope for common ground after all... ;-)

oh, and so as not to get too off-topic....I don't know which is the coolest place I have been, but the most recent was 3 months in Guatemala, which I loved.

 

[Sessamoid]

Either way, we all appreciate good beer, so maybe there's hope for common ground after all... ;-)

Except the French. They do wine fantastically, but beer... not so much. What passes for beer in France is contemptible.

 

[tBw]

Except the French. They do wine fantastically, but beer... not so much. What passes for beer in France is contemptible.

Yeah, but I was talking about Europeans isn't France somewhere in Africa....?

 

[Sessamoid]

Yeah, but I was talking about Europeans isn't France somewhere in Africa....?

Sure, but isn't Africa somewhere in Europe?

 

[la gringa]

I can't boast of extensive traveling, but I had a wonderful 6 weeks in Costa Rica this Feb/early March. People were very friendly, helpful, and patient with my rough Spanish. I lived in a town of Ticos (very very few Americans) for a month and never felt like I was treated poorly. I'm pretty obviously not a native (tall fair female with red hair!), also. Actually it was in the touristy areas that I sometimes found rude people, but I guess that's from putting up with non-Spanish speaking Americans, Europeans, Israelis, and Australians all day! They were unfailingly nicer if you spoke Spanish.

Oh, and they don't call it poor man's Hawaii for no reason -- the country itself is absolutely gorgeous. Picture-perfect beaches on both coasts without the huge development of Cancun etc, volcanoes, rain forests, world class river rafting and surfing, 12k+ peaks.... all in a country the size of West Virginia.

 

[ERMudPhud]

Check the lovely socialized healthcare system in Cuba...
http://www.therealcuba.com/Page10.htm
I'll stay away, thanks!

It actually looks better(especially the lab resources) than some of the hospitals I've worked in in some of the noncommunist latin american countries (Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela, Dominican Republic). As someone else said, its not the politico-economic system but the severe regional poverty

 

[ERMudPhud]

Stay away from Colorado! I don't know how ERMudPhud does it but the altitude sickness was horrible. Diamox for me next time.

Q

Clean living and a rigorous training regimen. Actually, more like living at this altitude for most of my life and I can still get a mean headache if I exercise and then sleep much above 10,000 ft.

Favorite places I visited during my cheap backpacker travel days
Mt. Roiraima, Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana ( Similar to angel falls but you can climb to the top. Also the setting for Conan-Doyle's "The lost world" A beautiful alien landscape full of predatory plants, weird bugs and frogs that have forgotten how to hop)
Brazilian Pantanal (all the wildlife of the amazon without all the trees to get in the way)
Lake Titicaca
Amazon river trip(actually rio branco) from Venezuelan border to Manaus
Galapagos Islands-diving with penguins

South East Alaska- Every outdoor activity you can imagine. Beautiful scenery. Wildlife. Great scuba diving.

Favorite places since my wife introduced me to the joys of luxury travel

Lakes Region of northern Italy/Milan

South East Alaska --see above
Highlight: spending a week camped on a deserted beach in the middle of winter next to a natural hot spring. Anytime you get cold or dirty just hop in the spring. Most comfortable winter camping I've ever done. spent most of the week naked

 

[waterski232002]

A significant percentage of Americans think that New Mexico is in a foreign country.

Hahaha... It cracks me up just to think about it. After we finish with Iraq, maybe we can declare war on New Mexico!

 

[Jeff698]

After we finish with Iraq, maybe we can declare war on New Mexico!

Ha ha, funny funny. Would you please mind keeping your suggestions to yourself? You never know when they might be taken seriously.

Take care,
Jeff

I joke, I joke

 

[irrka]

Southern Bolivia--salt flats

 

[turtle md]

I took the long way to (and through) medical school. I spent a year living in the Netherlands, traveling through most of Europe. Then spent another year driving up the Rockies into Canada and back down the West Coast. Then another year living between Guatemala and Honduras (where I met my wife ). Not to mention the numerous trips to Mexico (the benefits of living close to the border). Then I finally got to medical school. Took my fourth year and split it into 2 parts, so I could spend a year traveling (again) under the pretense of doing medical work abroad. I went to Sweden (my wife´s home), Dominican Republic, Mexico (again), New Zealand, and India. There are so many wonderful places out there to explore, and so many different cultures to get to know. Before I take a little break for residency (except for the electives), I plan on going to Portugal and walking the Minstrel´s Way. One of the reasons I choose EM was for its opportunities to travel and work in a variety of places.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Hey Waterski: What made Tibet such a disappointment? Was it due to inherent downsides, or more due to being overly romanticized? I ask because I have a willing & able trek guide & may go there in the future.

As for foreign countries, Costa Rica was my favorite. This was due in equal parts to the friendliness of the natives and the beauty/diversity of the land.

HOWEVER, I think that the coolest place I have ever visited is the Montana/Wyoming area. It is absolutely gorgeous, and is a geological wonderland. Not to get on a high horse or anything, but I find it interesting that when travel suggestions were solicited everyone responded with foreign destinations. The USA is a huge country with tremendous geographic diversity. Yet people from our generation seem to assume that one needs to leave in order to travel. I know a lot of people who have seen much of Europe, but not the Grand Canyon, for example. Steinbeck said something to the effect that, Soon our whole country will be connected by highways, and a man will be able to travel from New York to Los Angeles without seeing a thing. This premonition has come true, but it needn't be the case for you. I encourage those who haven't done so already to spend some time getting to know our country (particularly those of us on a tight budget).

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for international travel. I think it's wonderful that I'm about to enter a field full of globetrotters. But I think it'd be a shame if people never took the opportunity to explore the beauty right in front of their eyes, because they were always preoccupied with the exotic.

 

[turtle md]

I agree with WilcoWorld. One of my favorite trips was the mountain-coast trip I took in the US. There is such a natural beauty to that country, it would be a shame for people to miss it by thinking that travel=foreign country.