Where Would You Go?

I love BKK and have been there several times but my wife has never been to Asia. The first time in BKK was in 1980 while stationed on an aircraft carrier which was making a port call about Xmas if I remember correctly. I was probably shooting with a Nikon or Leica M4-P and I have kodachromes of the palace. It would probably have been Kodachrome 25. When I was back in BKK about two years ago with my daughter, I was again shooting with a Leica and I swear to god that the colors of my slides from 1980 still match my photos from two years ago.

It's too bad E6 film does not age as well as kodachrome and it is too bad kodachrome is no longer made.
 
Top on my to do list is the Ulster Way, a 625 mile trail system that encircles Northern Ireland. Gonna be a big dose of scenery, culture and personal moments, if I'd ever get that vacation!

Truly remote wilderness is awe-inspiring, but hiking in a populated region with history is fun as well. The experience of continuously phasing in and out of civilization is transcendent...
 
My daughter and I did the Portuguese portion of the Camino de Santiago four years ago after completing the West Highland Way. Remember reading the climate in that part of Spain was very similar to the rainforest of the Olympia Peninsula of the Northwest. And so it proved to be.

I would like to spend more time in Madrid. We spent most of our time in Spain on the Camino and then Grenada.
 
Departure for Scotland is about three weeks away. My wife and I have pretty much packed (or at least thrown all the gear we want to take unto the bed). My basic photo kit will be MP240 with 25/50/90 or 135 vice the 90.

Question is whether to take the FujiX70 which worked great on my walk across England last autumn or carry the M5 body as a backup and which would also allow film use if I have the urge.

I know everyone has an opinion. Besides a 8-10 days being a tourist in Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow we are walking 80 miles around Loch Ness. I would only take one camera body during the hike. For some reason my body is not getting any younger.
 
I'll say it again, Madagascar.

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Japan's certainly an easy pick - there's a seemingly endless variety of things you could see, do and eat there. Outside of the big cities, a surprising amount of the country is covered in forest dotted here and there with farming and fishing villages. Do try the resort onsen if you get a chance! Hanging around a public bath, eating good food, and wandering around the hotel in a bathrobe may not seem like much to boast about, but they've elevated it to an art form in Japan.

Had a wonderful time in Korea too. Not so much in the way of old buildings as the land, the people and the food, oh yes the food. I think Koreans in particular had this great idea that, if food tastes best hot off the fire, why not bring the fire to the dining table?

If you have the opportunity, do take Korean or Japanese airlines to your destination as they still take food, service and cleanliness seriously.
 
ktmrider said:
I am not knocking the US but I really don't count domestic trips since I do so many of them. I was a pilot for 33 years and saw a lot of the US from the air and spent lots of time on the ground between flights. Additionally, we did a lot of wilderness travel by canoe, horse or even foot. I have probably seen 90% or more of the US park system.

I mean all I have to do for US or Canadian travel is jump in my truck, add gas and go. And honestly traveling in Mexico only involves about 30 minutes at the border doing Customs paperwork which is then good for 180 days.

So, I don't think I have missed much in my own backyard but am wondering what is over the fence and on the other side which may be worth seeing.
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In that case (since your a pilot I can assume you don't mind flying - unlike me) go to Finland. I've been to Japan, Spain, most of Europe, North America and my favorite was Finland. Travel time by air from East Coast to Helsinki is about the same as Tokyo so I doubt I'll ever go again. But Finland in Jan is amazing.
 
Thanks Mark. I am waiting for my wife to tell me her preference for a February trip. After we get back from Scotland on 1 October, she heads to Anchorage for three months. Her family is there and we are going to literally see if we can go home again.

I love the North and although light is limited in the Arctic in February it really has a certain quality.
 
Beemermark said:
In that case (since your a pilot I can assume you don't mind flying - unlike me) go to Finland. I've been to Japan, Spain, most of Europe, North America and my favorite was Finland. Travel time by air from East Coast to Helsinki is about the same as Tokyo so I doubt I'll ever go again. But Finland in Jan is amazing.
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+1 for Finland. I've spent quite a bit of time there (my brother lives outside Helsinki) and it's massively underrated as a travel destination. It doesn't have the big landscape 'features' of some of the other Nordic countries (I'm thinking of the Swedish mountains and Norwegian mountains/fjords), but the forests, lakes and coastline are beautiful, and there's trails absolutely everywhere.
 
nickthetasmaniac said:
+1 for Finland. I've spent quite a bit of time there (my brother lives outside Helsinki) and it's massively underrated as a travel destination. It doesn't have the big landscape 'features' of some of the other Nordic countries (I'm thinking of the Swedish mountains and Norwegian mountains/fjords), but the forests, lakes and coastline are beautiful, and there's trails absolutely everywhere.
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And the people are the greatest. The language is a bit of a killer though.
 
So, is english common in Finland as it is in Iceland or Norway? Those place names in Iceland were some real tongue twisters.
 
ktmrider said:
So, is english common in Finland as it is in Iceland or Norway? Those place names in Iceland were some real tongue twisters.
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Yes, you wouldn't have any issues at all travelling with only English.

The odd thing about Finnish is that its a very isolated language (it shares vague roots with Estonian and Hungarian but that's it), so you won't see or hear words which sound familiar (as is usually the case in places like France). So in practice, it's unlikely you'll see a sign and be able to puzzle out what it means :)
 
nickthetasmaniac said:
+1 for Finland. I've spent quite a bit of time there (my brother lives outside Helsinki) and it's massively underrated as a travel destination. It doesn't have the big landscape 'features' of some of the other Nordic countries (I'm thinking of the Swedish mountains and Norwegian mountains/fjords), but the forests, lakes and coastline are beautiful, and there's trails absolutely everywhere.
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+1 for Finland.
We’ve only visited Helsinki but very scenic/photogenic, easy to navigate, everyone spoke English. At least they use the mostly same character set to English so you can become familiar with common words and signage. They don’t see many North American tourists outside Helskinki so I’m sure you will be welcomed.
Plus, Russia is a close neighbour - St Petersburg is only 3.5 hours from Helsinki on a modern train.

We had a wonderful time in 2013 with our almost 4 year old on a 3+ week DIY trip Helsinki-St Petersburg-Helsinki-Stockholm-Copenhagen.
There is a berthed overnight cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm that I would recommend over flying.

However, I think the OP is considering winter travel. So this area/route may not be his first choice.

Michael.


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