Countries traveled to. Sharing experiences, thoughts, pictures, etc.

[Amygdala]

While working in the kitchen today, I started passively watching a documentary about Armenia - the land of Noah's Ark on my tablet. As I was watching it, I thought about all the different countries and cultures and English congregations I or my husband and I have visited. My list is long, and no particular order, but on reflection, I try to remember each country with a particular thing that stood out. Canada is where I'm from and have lived in 2 major cities (Vancouver & Toronto), but never traveled to the east coast. The US - which I have travelled a bit, but unfortunately not to all the states, I wil list where I have been through or visited.

NORTH AMERICA:

 

Canada - Vancouver, BC and lower mainland,  Vancouver Island, BC, Interior of BC, Toronto, ON, Banff, AB, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Toronto, ON, Cochrane, ON, Windsor, ON, Montreal, PQ

 

USA - Washington, California, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York & surrounding towns, Florida, Houston airport

 

Mexico - Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Playa del Carmen and surrounding locations (can't remember all the towns we visited. But enjoyed meeting up with some Mennonites while travelling the countryside on bus. German language was interesting mix of English and low-German)

 

CENTRAL AMERICA:

Honduras

Guatemala

 

EUROPE:

 

Germany - NRW (live and travelled throughout the province), Leipzig, Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart (and many small towns surrounding Stuttgart), Augsburg, Helgoland, North Seaside, Nuremberg, Hamburg, and actually too many places to list!  Depending where you travel, a different German dialect is spoken. So in Bayern they speak differently than the usual "high German" main language.

 

Denmark - Ribe

 

Netherlands - Holland, Venlo, the Hague

 

Belgium

Luxembourg

 

Switzerland - Zürich, Geneva

 

Austria - Vienna

 

France - Paris, Montpellier, some alp ski mountain too (forgot the name)

 

Italy - Rome, Naples (lovely, hospitable English group), Capri Island, missing another city across the border to Monaco

 

Czech Republic - Prague (beautiful!)

 

Romania - Arad (found accomodations while meeting a pioneer couple who took us to their kingdom hall while a CO visit from an Italian brother. We met a sister who runs a Pension. We must have looked the sight!), Sighisoara (home of Dracula), Brasov (smallest street in the world), Carpathian mountains (forgot where but where the oldest running steam train exists. Rode with the gypsies on an overnight train)

 

Hungary - Budapest

 

Monaco - Monte Carlo (work event. Roger Moore (former James Bond) hosting the company event at Prince Monaco's antique car collection hall. Black tie event).

 

Spain - Barcelona, Alicante, Valencia, Peniscola, Castellon

 

Portugal - Porto and down the coast to Lisbon (best wines IMO). Worth a 2nd trip!!

 

UK - London, England, Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh), missing some towns in England forgot name

 

Iceland - Reykjavik and surrounding cities (English congregation hands out postcards as they get so many visitors. lol) Beautiful country. Friendly brothers. Windy!!! Worth a 2nd trip!!

 

ASIA:

Thailand - Bangkok (English congregation met a brother from hometown Vancouver, BC), Chang Mai, travelled around but can't remember all the names

 

Laos- bought handmade rug

 

Philippines - Manila

 

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, (travelled around but can't remember all the names of the cities and beaches we visited. English congregation super friendly. Invited over to dine with former business man who became our brother. He treated all the visitors to a chinese restaurant where we met some from Australia.) Beautiful butterfly gardens! Very paradise-looking parks. Very muslim country. Brothers had the magazines without the name "Watchtower" or "Awake" on the front.

 

UAE - Abu Dhabi (entertained by an outdoor show including dancers, camel rides and buffet foods. Gold flakes camel milk cappuccino served at a touristy hotel - cost 20 euros for the cup!)

Not long enough stay. 3-day layover stop on our way to Malaysia.

 

May update the list if I forget to add a place or two...

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[Amygdala]

Highlight in Thailand - Riding elephants, and in the water too! Delicious vegetarian foods everywhere. Almost thought we would die on the way to the Elephant park because it was raining like cats and dogs and the man who took us there in his car didn't have functioning windshield wipers. He used a manual one with his hand out the window to clean away the rain. Finally he stopped at the side of the road and bought tobacco to spread on the window and divert the rain.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[AH173]

5 hours ago, Lieblingskind said:

USA -  Ohio

You two are the world travelers! Congratulations.

 

Any place in particular in Ohio?

[Amygdala]

When I lived in Toronto, I met a brother from Akron who used to always come up to Toronto and visit the social scene. So often a group of my friends would drive down to visit him and stay with his family who had a house in the country where we could all stay. We sometimes drove to Cleveland in the evenings. But I really enjoyed visiting the winery out there, and hanging out with the friends, while he played on his guitar. The winery overlooked beautiful scenery. We also went jet skiing and pontooning out there. Good memories.🤩

[Amygdala]

On my side I forgot to add Detroit, Michigan to the list, and my husband's side Chicago, Minneapolis, Kenya, China, Australia and Indonesia. But the countries I listed above is where I mostly traveled, and together with husband and daughter.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[Amygdala]

I met my husband while he was traveling to Canada and the US to visit relatives in southern Ontario, and traveling on business to Chicago. He just walked into my apartment one day in Toronto with my friends from Ohio. They were all staying at the same place of a mutual friend, and I had put together a bbq gathering with a few of my friends at my apartment. Who'd thought?

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lieblingskind