It goes without saying that I miss all the great people I met. With very few exceptions everyone was really super nice, friendly and helpful. Taking into account price, food, language, people, art & culture I would vote Portugal Best Overall, with Japan & New Zealand tied for 2nd and Greece & Holland tied for 3rd. Worst Overall was Istanbul, Turkey. It was the only place I wouldn't go back to.
And so! On to this premier edition of "I Miss/Don't Miss"!
Malvern, England:
I miss the lovely pubs!
I don't miss the awful weather!
Cardiff, Wales:
I miss the castle!
I don't miss the traffic circles!
London, England:
I miss all the mad culture!
I don't miss the crazy crowds!
I miss the beaches!!!!!
I don't miss that cold water and that wind!
Lisbon, Portugal:
I miss Bifanas, that delicious pork sandwich!
I don't miss walking up those hills!
Amsterdam, Holland:
I miss the coffee shops!
I don't miss the crazy bicycle traffic!
Lake Como/Bellagio, Italy:
I miss the amazing natural beauty!I don't miss driving those scary narrow winding roads!
Milan, Italy:
I miss the all-u-can-eat buffets!
I dont miss the prices. Everything was crazy expensive!
Rome, Italy
I miss the ancient character of the city.
I don't miss the pushy hawkers and scammers.
Athens, Greece:
I miss everything.
I don't miss...uh...man I really liked Athens!
Meteora, Greece:
I miss the monasteries!
I don't miss the stairs!
Syros, Greece:
I miss the people!
I don't miss the mosquitoes!
Santorini, Greece:
I miss the views!I don't miss the cold water! Brr!
Istanbul, Turkey:
I miss the views and vibe of the Bosphorus straits.
I don't miss the airport. Worst I've ever seen.
Singapore:
I miss the weather!
I dont miss the scary cops.
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia:
I miss the laid back atmosphere.
I don't miss all the trash!
Gili Air, Indonesia:
I miss the horse carts.
I don't miss the giant spiders.
Nusa Cenigan, Indonesia:
I miss the infinity pool!
I dont miss the giant roaches.
Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia:
I miss scooting around the mountain.
I dont miss scooting over the scary bridge to Cenigan!
Sanur, Bali, Indonesia:
I miss the house we stayed at and its pool.
I dont miss the traffic.
Tokyo, Japan:
I miss the wonderful cleanliness of the city.
I don't miss having to leave so soon!
Mt Fuji, Japan:
I miss the mountain!
I don't miss the cold.
Nagoya, Japan:
I miss my friend Takuo! And the cool trains!
I don't miss...oh come on, all of Japan was awesome!
Kyoto, Japan:
I miss the beautiful temples and gardens!
I don't miss how crowded they could get.
Osaka, Japan:
I miss the castle! So cool!
I don't miss the long lines.
Ao Nang/Krabi, Thailand
I miss the beach.
I don't miss the crazing driving!
Koh Lanta, Thailand
I miss the beach bum vibe.
I don't miss the no-see-um jelly fish.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
I miss the hotel there! So great! and Angkor Wat!
I don't miss the sad state of their country & government.
Pai, Thailand
I miss the happy hippie vibe.
I dont miss the food poisoning.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
I miss the awesome home cooking where we stayed.
I dont miss the smoke from burning season & the cold at night.
Ayutthaya & Sukothai, Thailand
I miss the amazing monuments.
I dont miss getting around on a bicycle there. Scary!
Bangkok, Thailand
I miss the rooftop pool for sure!
I don't miss the dirt and scammers.
South island, New Zealand
I miss everything about this place.
I have nothing bad to say. Racing sailboats in Akaroa & winning!!
North Island, New Zealand
I miss Coramandel & playing guitar for the Kiwis there.
I don't miss those blood sucking mosquitos in Waihei!
Guadalajara, Mexico
I miss the cool art there.
I don't miss the dance music until 4AM!
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I miss the great architecture.
I don't miss the thin air.
Sayulita, Mexico
I miss the great surf beach.
I don't miss the 10 million hawkers.
All in all there's still too many things to talk about in one post or even think about all at one time. Each place was wonderfully it's own. Whatever my expectations were I couldn't have really imagined how great it all was until I did it. I certainly don't regret taking the trip even though it came with big risks, leaving our jobs & the place we called home for decades. Our new life in Florida is unfolding no doubt as it should and we are enjoying the process. I know we will travel more in the future, though maybe not at quite the same break neck pace. Moving every 5 days on average was a bit much, but you can't see the world from your couch. You have to get out there. I highly recommend it.
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