My Most Surprising Travel Destination

[mike carey]

8 minutes ago, EastCoastGuy said:

Nearly all of them are! It was a long time ago. I think a lot of the younger generation leaves the island when they get older

Many of the Bounty survivors' descendants live on Norfolk Island, an Australian territory.

[Islesguy]

I have had way too many surprising overnights in the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta. Such is life as an exclusive Delta flyer. The least surprising one, in a sense, was the day of the northeast blackout in 2005. I was in JFK when the lights went out. Thanks to some ingenious gate crew members, we left after a 5 hour delay and I made it to Chapel Hill in time for a business thing the next day.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, mike carey said:

'Surprising' is when you are surprised that you ended up there, not if the world is surprised that you were there. I had no idea that I would end up in South America, so that qualifies, likewise for remote atolls in the Pacific. (And I didn't mention Tahiti in my earlier post.)

I would think that a trip from one continent to another takes planning, and one can't just surprisingly end up there. Pre-Covid19, were there flights from Australia to South America, or did one have to change planes in California or Mexico City?

Where will I end up? It'll be a total surprise...

[Luv2play]

2 hours ago, EastCoastGuy said:

Nearly all of them are! It was a long time ago. I think a lot of the younger generation leaves the island when they get older. 

I've read the two books, Mutiny on the Bounty and Pitcairn's Island, which came out in 1935. They were great reads. I have the first editions.

[lonely_john]

4 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I wouldn't consider Siem Reap or Iguazú to be "surprising" destinations.

They are in my bucket list but I still haven't grown up the balls to travel to India or the African Continent which I think hold some of the most shocking destinations in the world, to no say "surprising".

Ironically, I had my most surprising trip while visiting Iguazu. I planned my itinerary with the 3-border that Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay share in that area.

I had already visited the Brazilian side which was "meh". During my 1st night on the Argentinian side I logged into Grindr to browse the locals. A blank profile sent me a message along with a picture and a firm intention to meet up. It was a 6' tall muscular Paraguayan who was horny to fuck a gringo. If someone asks me to describe him, he looked like https://rent.men/rennehubbard but tanned, all body hair trimmed, no beard, and same thick eyebrows but nicely threaded.

He picked me up outside my hotel and we went to a bar for drinks before doing anything (safety first). I also wanted to make sure that he was family and not a thief or scammer. He said he couldn't host so we went to a motel. While driving, he told me that we were no longer in Argentina or Brazil, but in Paraguay. At first I thought he was joking because we didn't cross any passport control and Paraguay is considered unsafe by Brazilians and Argentinians and they recommended to visit only by day, but then I saw the street signs. We had in fact, crossed to Paraguay. While laughing (I don't know what expression I had in my face) he explained that there are some streets shared by both countries that locals use as a shortcut to avoid passport control, and cross from Argentina to Paraguay, by car, in a few minutes.

It was one of the dreamiest sex experiences I had in my life, for FREE.

Edited July 3, 2021 by lonely_john

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, lonely_john said:

They are in my bucket list but I still haven't grown up the balls to travel to India or the African Continent which I think hold some of the most shocking destinations in the world, to no say "surprising".

Ironically, I had my most surprising trip while visiting Iguazu. I planned my itinerary with the 3-border that Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay share in that area.

I had already visited the Brazilian side which was "meh". During my 1st night on the Argentinian side I logged into Grindr to browse the locals. A blank profile sent me a message along with a picture and a firm intention to meet up. It was a 6' tall muscular Paraguayan who was horny to fuck a gringo. If someone asks me to describe him, he looked like https://rent.men/rennehubbard but tanned, all body hair trimmed, no beard, and same thick eyebrows but nicely threaded.

He picked me up outside my hotel and we went to a bar for drinks before doing anything (safety first). I also wanted to make sure that he was family and not a thief or scammer. He said he couldn't host so we went to a motel. While driving, he told me that we were no longer in Argentina or Brazil, but in Paraguay. At first I thought he was joking because we didn't cross any passport control and Paraguay is considered unsafe by Brazilians and Argentinians and they recommended to visit only by day, but then I saw the street signs. We had in fact, crossed to Paraguay. While laughing (I don't know what expression I had in my face) he explained that there are some streets shared by both countries that locals use as a shortcut to avoid passport control, and cross from Argentina to Paraguay, by car, in a few minutes.

It was one of the dreamiest sex experiences I had in my life, for FREE.

Yikes! Something fishy happened. I last went to Iguazu Falls 3 years ago with my lyin' Paraguayan (the man I almost married until I found out he was 2-timing me big-time). We stayed at a hotel in Ciudad del Este, in Paraguay. While there is a ferry from Puerto Iguazu in Argentina to Ciudad del Este, if you go by road, you have to first take a bridge from Argentina to Brazil, then another bridge from Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil to Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. There are NO shared streets, since there are rivers between the countries. While passport controls are loose between Brazil and Paraguay (it's a bit of a madhouse on the bridge between those two countries), I will assure you that documents will be checked between Argentina and Brazil, both ways. Also, US citizens must have a visa prior to entering Paraguay here, and you cannot just get it on the spot. At the quickest, you can leave your passport, photos, application and fees at the consulate in Brazil in the morning, and pick them up in the afternoon. While it is possible to "sneak in," especially if you're in a vehicle with Brazilian or Paraguayan plates, without a visa, if you're caught you will be put in jail. 

If you went into a car in Argentina and ended up in Paraguay, and didn't notice crossing two bridges and two borders, you were either asleep or heavily under the influence of something. 

[Luv2play]

41 minutes ago, lonely_john said:

They are in my bucket list but I still haven't grown up the balls to travel to India or the African Continent which I think hold some of the most shocking destinations in the world, to no say "surprising".

Ironically, I had my most surprising trip while visiting Iguazu. I planned my itinerary with the 3-border that Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay share in that area.

I had already visited the Brazilian side which was "meh". During my 1st night on the Argentinian side I logged into Grindr to browse the locals. A blank profile sent me a message along with a picture and a firm intention to meet up. It was a 6' tall muscular Paraguayan who was horny to fuck a gringo. If someone asks me to describe him, he looked like https://rent.men/rennehubbard but tanned, all body hair trimmed, no beard, and same thick eyebrows but nicely threaded.

He picked me up outside my hotel and we went to a bar for drinks before doing anything (safety first). I also wanted to make sure that he was family and not a thief or scammer. He said he couldn't host so we went to a motel. While driving, he told me that we were no longer in Argentina or Brazil, but in Paraguay. At first I thought he was joking because we didn't cross any passport control and Paraguay is considered unsafe by Brazilians and Argentinians and they recommended to visit only by day, but then I saw the street signs. We had in fact, crossed to Paraguay. While laughing (I don't know what expression I had in my face) he explained that there are some streets shared by both countries that locals use as a shortcut to avoid passport control, and cross from Argentina to Paraguay, by car, in a few minutes.

It was one of the dreamiest sex experiences I had in my life, for FREE.

Sometimes you gotta go with your gut instincts.

[lonely_john]

18 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

didn't notice crossing two bridges and two borders, you were either asleep or heavily under the influence of something. 

Fully awake, no drugs, we crossed a bridge, never passport control. This was in the middle of the night so I don't know if that made a difference. The motel was located in Ciudad del Este.

Edited July 3, 2021 by lonely_john

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, lonely_john said:

Fully awake, no drugs, we crossed a bridge, never passport control. This was in the middle of the night so I don't know if that made a difference. The motel was located in Ciudad del Este.

Again, there is NO bridge from the Argentine side to Paraguay (nearest bridge between those two countries is over 100 km away). If you came from Argentina by motor vehicle you had to cross 2 bridges. If you came from Brazil, there would be only one bridge. As I mentioned previously, you must have a visa prior to entering Paraguay from Foz do Iguaçu if you are a citizen of the US, Canada, or Australia (UK citizens don't need one). While immigration control is very loose (passports usually not checked) for vehicles crossing that bridge that have Brazilian or Paraguayan plates, if you entered Paraguay without a visa your entry was illegal. 

[lonely_john]

Just now, Unicorn said:

Again, there is NO bridge from the Argentine side to Paraguay (nearest bridge between those two countries is over 100 km away). If you came from Argentina by motor vehicle you had to cross 2 bridges. If you came from Brazil, there would be only one bridge. As I mentioned previously, you must have a visa prior to entering Paraguay from Foz do Iguaçu if you are a citizen of the US, Canada, or Australia (UK citizens don't need one). While immigration control is very loose (passports usually not checked) for vehicles crossing that bridge that have Brazilian or Paraguayan plates, if you entered Paraguay without a visa your entry was illegal. 

Lol, I don't know what to tell you. This happened in 2007 or 2008 so I don't clearly remember everything and except for some roads with lights, everything was completely dark so I don't know exactly if the bridge we crossed was over water or land. All I know is that I had no passport with me in that moment, maybe I wasn't in Argentina but Brazil? And some minutes later after leaving the bar, we crossed to Paraguay, without crossing any passport control. Also, I doubt the route he took, which is almost exclusively used by locals, is publicized by tourism or government agents.

[EZEtoGRU]

30 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

If you went into a car in Argentina and ended up in Paraguay, and didn't notice crossing two bridges and two borders, you were either asleep or heavily under the influence of something. 

It really depends on when one was there.  I lived in Brazil between 2004-2007.  Sometime in that period, I went to Iguazu for a conference and I can assure you that one could cross from Brazil to Paraguay/Ciudad del Este with no immigration checks.  Things may have changed since then but it was basically an open border at the time. 

As an aside, Ciudad del Este in Paraguay was known as THE PLACE in South America to buy stolen merchandise...including semi-trucks, learjets, and helicopters as well as smaller items such as stereos/televisions/cellphones, etc.  Most of the stolen goods were from Brazil and Argentina.   

 

[lonely_john]

3 minutes ago, EZEtoGRU said:

It really depends on when one was there.  I lived in Brazil between 2004-2007.  Sometime in that period, I went to Iguazu for a conference and I can assure you that one could cross from Brazil to Paraguay/Ciudad del Este with no immigration checks.  Things may have changed since then but it was basically an open border at the time. 

As an aside, Ciudad del Este in Paraguay was known as THE PLACE in South America to buy stolen merchandise...including semi-trucks, learjets, and helicopters as well as smaller items such as stereos/televisions/cellphones, etc.  Most of the stolen goods were from Brazil and Argentina.

Thanks for the comment @EZEtoGRU. I also think that I misunderstood what this hot Paraguayan told me in his broken English when explaining the route we took to cross into Paraguay evading passport control.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, lonely_john said:

Lol, I don't know what to tell you. This happened in 2007 or 2008 so I don't clearly remember everything and except for some roads with lights, everything was completely dark so I don't know exactly if the bridge we crossed was over water or land. All I know is that I had no passport with me in that moment, maybe I wasn't in Argentina but Brazil? And some minutes later after leaving the bar, we crossed to Paraguay, without crossing any passport control. Also, I doubt the route he took, which is almost exclusively used by locals, is publicized by tourism or government agents.

There is one, and only one, way from Brazil to Paraguay, the Friendship Bridge. Of course, some approaches to the bridge are less known and used than others, but no way to cross other than the bridge. If you're in a vehicle with Brazilian or Paraguayan plates, it's unlikely passports will be checked, but obviously if you got caught with neither visa, nor even a passport, you'd be in big trouble. Member states of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay) have complete freedom of movement (and living/working) among those countries. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Unicorn

[Epigonos]

Many, many years ago I spent six weeks traveling throughout India.  I was fortunate enough to obtain an internal pass to visit Gangtok, Sikkim. I hired a driver and an old-World War II British Land Rover and made the difficult trip.  Along the way I stopped at the Buddhist Monastery at Rumtek and spend a fascinating hour talking (through an interpreter) with the Fourteenth Reincarnated Gyalwa Karmapa. Upon being introduced to him he presented me with a Tibetan Buddhist Khata Scarf as a greeting gift. I still have that scarf and it is one of my most prized possessions. 

[Luv2play]

1 hour ago, Unicorn said:

There is one, and only one, way from Brazil to Paraguay, the Friendship Bridge. Of course, some approaches to the bridge are less known and used than others, but no way to cross other than the bridge. If you're in a vehicle with Brazilian or Paraguayan plates, it's unlikely passports will be checked, but obviously if you got caught with neither visa, nor even a passport, you'd be in big trouble. Member states of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay) have complete freedom of movement (and living/working) among those countries. 

All this talk about Paraguay and its relations with Argentina and Brazil got me thinking about Graham Greene's novel set there. Like many of his novels it's a pretty dark tale. I have the book somewhere in my house but can't remember where or what the title was. I think a priest was involved. And a wh**e. 

[Guest]

45 minutes ago, Epigonos said:

Many, many years ago I spent six weeks traveling throughout India.  I was fortunate enough to obtain an internal pass to visit Gangtok, Sikkim. I hired a driver and an old-World War II British Land Rover and made the difficult trip.  Along the way I stopped at the Buddhist Monastery at Rumtek and spend a fascinating hour talking (through an interpreter) with the Fourteenth Reincarnated Gyalwa Karmapa. Upon being introduced to him he presented me with a Tibetan Buddhist Khata Scarf as a greeting gift. I still have that scarf and it is one of my most prized possessions. 

 

Was that when it was still an independent kingdom? Do you know if one still needs special permission to go there?

[Luv2play]

11 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

Was that when it was still an independent kingdom? Do you know if one still needs special permission to go there?

Sikkim, now there's a name. Wasn't there a princess from there who married someone famous about 60 years ago? Or have I got that wrong?

[+ nycman]

27 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

Was that when it was still an independent kingdom? Do you know if one still needs special permission to go there?

Looks like their "permit" process is insane and very "regional", even within the region itself. 

https://www.sikkimtourism.gov.in/Public/TravellerEssentials/pap

[CuriousByNature]

14 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Sikkim, now there's a name. Wasn't there a princess from there who married someone famous about 60 years ago? Or have I got that wrong?

There was an American, Hope Cooke, who married the Crown Prince of Sikkim in the 1960s and then later became Queen Consort.  I think they eventually divorced.

[+ Charlie]

47 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

Sikkim, now there's a name. Wasn't there a princess from there who married someone famous about 60 years ago? Or have I got that wrong?

 

31 minutes ago, CuriousByNature said:

There was an American, Hope Cooke, who married the Crown Prince of Sikkim in the 1960s and then later became Queen Consort.  I think they eventually divorced.

Correct on all points. Hope Cooke was an acquaintance of my first partner, and she had dinner at our home one night when she had come back to America during a rough patch in her marriage to the prince.

[+ Charlie]

8 hours ago, Luv2play said:

My only surprise destination which I hadn't planned, was an overnight visit to Paris. I was traveling with two American friends and we had flown into Warsaw from Prague. My agent had forgotten to tell me I needed a visa (the Americans didn't). So I got stuck at the airport and rather than spending the weekend in the airport, I flew to Paris for the night. It was the only flight I could get which would get back to Warsaw the next evening when we had tickets back to Prague.

Since I know Paris well, I knew exactly where to go for a fun evening. My travel agent reimbursed me for the extra expense. But I never got to see Warsaw 

A good friend of mine had planned an around-the-world trip, and he arrived in New Delhi from Tokyo, expecting to spend two weeks in India, only to discover that he needed a visa, a technicality he had somehow overlooked. After a few hours haggling with authorities, he was forced to fly on to London the same day. He never did get back to see India.

[+ Charlie]

Locals sometimes do know routes to avoid complications like border control. When a friend and I were living and working in northern Czechoslovakia, one Sunday morning our landlady asked if we would like to accompany her husband and herself to an interesting old church in the countryside, and we agreed. When we got there, I said, "You know, our Czech isn't good enough to understand the service." She said, "That doesn't matter, it's in Polish." I looked confused, so she said, "Oh, we're in Poland now." We were on back roads and never crossed any obvious border going there or coming back.

[Epigonos]

I was there a year or so after the quasi-independent kingdom of Sikkim was seized and incorporated into India.  I do not know, for sure, but would imagine that a special permit to visit is still required as Sikkim abuts the Chinese border. I actually started my trip to Gangtok from Darjeeling, in the lower Himalayas, which, at the time, also required a special permit to visit.  I vividly remember that there was a funky little train that I rode to get to Darjeeling. 

[mike carey]

11 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I would think that a trip from one continent to another takes planning, and one can't just surprisingly end up there. Pre-Covid19, were there flights from Australia to South America, or did one have to change planes in California or Mexico City?

Quite so, when I got off the plane, I wasn't like, OMG, I'm in South America, how did that happen, so not surprising in that sense. It was surprising in that it was not a trip I had long contemplated but rather, one that was the result of an unexpected suggestion.

LAN as it then was (now Latam) flew to Santiago from Sydney via Auckland. Qantas later started flying there non-stop, and Air New Zealand used to fly from Auckland to BsAs. Qantas also added Rio during the winter of 2016, and it's one of their planned Project Sunrise destinations. I think Aerolineas Argentinas also flew to Sydney and/or Auckland at one stage. If I recall correctly, at one time when range was an issue, Qantas also flew to BsAs with a technical stop in Rio Gallegos.

[Rockey]

While dating my husband he introduced me to Quatemala. I visited Quate City, Antigua, Tikal, Lake Atitlan, Pana, ChiChi, Samuc Champey, Lake Izabal, Rio Dulce, Livingston and Monterrico. Geographically it’s a fantastic country.