My A to Z of Travel

A fun travel questionnaire I grabbed from Isabel’s blog at The Sunny Side of This. 

A) Age you went on your first international trip:

I don’t recall my very first international trip which was probably from Mexico to USA. But I certainly recall my first trip to India (from Mexico) at only 6 years young!

B) Best foreign beer you’ve had and where:

Berliner Weisse in Berlin, Germany.

C) Cuisine (favorite): 

Tough to pick just one. I’ll have to say Mexican and Italian.

D) Destinations–favorite, least favorite, and why?:

Favorite: Italy. Whistler, Canada. Meherabad, India.

Least favorite: My time in Hamburg, Germany was not very exciting. I think my friend and I just didn’t know where to go. It was a very short trip, on the way to somewhere else. I’m sure it’s a lovely place if you get to know it.

E) Event you’ve experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:

1. Extremely poor families inviting me to their home and offering me snacks and chai in India.
2. The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.
3. The color of the ocean in Cancun, Mexico.
4. Dinner in Paris, France.
5. The views hiking in Logan Canyon, Utah.

F) Favorite mode of transportation:

I love riding trains.

G) Greatest feeling while traveling:

Arriving to my destination. I love the feeling when I arrive at my destination and the excitement of what is to come from the trip, going to my hotel room and getting ready for adventure!

H) Hottest place you’ve ever traveled to:

India, and it wasn’t even during their summer.

I) Incredible service you’ve experienced and where?:

India. Hospitality there is off the charts.

J) Journey that took the longest:

Mexico City to Ahmednagar. 5 hour flight + 15.5 hour flight + 6 hr drive to get to our destination.

K) Keepsake from your travels:

I used to collect shot glasses from my travels. My favorite was a stuffed moose I bought in Canada, took him with me everywhere I lived and recently disappeared. I think from when I last lived in India. I love matryoshka dolls from Russia too, I brought my mom one which I love checking out every time I visit home. Is that an oxymoron? “visit home”?

L) Let-down sight, where and why?:

The ruins in Greece where a bit of a let down but I was only 7 when I saw them. Not the funnest sight for a 7 year old.

M) Moment where you fell in love with traveling:

I think I was born with it. I don’t recall a specific moment. I just remember always loving it.

N) Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

The Leela in Mumbai. And the Westin in Whistler.

O) Obsession–what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:

The scenery in general, landscapes, local modern and historic architecture, and food.

P) Passport stamps-how many and from where?:

I don’t know. I’ve had many passports in my life. My current one is only about 2 years old so it probably has stamps from Mexico, USA and India.

Q) Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where?:

The Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna.

R) Really Frightening: where’s one place you’ve visited where you felt unsafe or uneasy?

I can’t remember any place that made me feel that way. Whether it is to my advantage or disadvantage I don’t have that kind of fear, of being hurt by a stranger or anything related. I’m not afraid of being in dark places or small streets, etc… I don’t have a fear of danger.

S) Splurge-something you have no problem spending money on while traveling:

Museums.

T) Touristy thing you’ve done:

I took the turibus (a double-decker bus that takes you around the city) in my very own hometown, Mexico City! This happened after I was no longer living there but was just visiting.

I also took a bike tour in Berlin, Germany and although I generally dislike guided tours, I prefer to guide myself, this was an absolutely great way to see Berlin and finish off at the beer garden!

U) Unforgettable travel memory:

The time I lost my flight in Mumbai and what followed.

V) Visas-how many and for where?:

I’ve had a US visa, Indian visa and Russian visa.

W) Wine–best glass while traveling:

I don’t remember a specific glass as being the best but in general the best I’ve had was here in the US because it is where I’ve had the most wine, a lot of it comes from abroad anyway.

X) Excellent view and from where?

The view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower is pretty amazing.

Y) Years spent traveling:

Not sure how to answer this. I started since I was very young and have been taking trips ever since, but I haven’t done long term traveling.

Z) Zealous sports fans and where?:

The National Mexican Football (Soccer) Team. No era penal!

Feel free to grab the questions and post them on your blog, I’d love to read them!