Abroad - how adventurous are you?

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I did too, and still live in the Mojave desert! I'm where the Southern Sierras meet the desert. Where were you, if you don't mind my asking, Taxy? PM me if you'd rather. It's just not often that I meet anyone that grew up out here in this neck of the woods.... :ermm::LOL:
Close is relative. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. As a kid, it seemed like anywhere we went on vacation by car, we drove through some part of the Mojave to get there. :LOL:
 
I can do hot weather more than cold...I lived in Montana for several months in the winter and froze half to death. :LOL: Sure is beautiful country there, though. Heaven on earth. :wub:

Exactly, Heaven on Earth! But then, I don't freeze easily...must have anti-freeze in my veins.
 
A question regarding travel - outside of your own country . How adventurous are you with other cuisines and cultures when it comes to eating . I bet most of us are adventurous , our natural curiosity is to " have a go " at something unless it's something repulsive . :)

The fruit/ potato combo breakfast thing on here made me think . I would of course have a go at it if on holiday , to try it . Other countries offer different foods at breakfast time which may appear as a bit odd if we are not used to it ( I am sure black pudding is odd to some as well ) . I never fancied slices of ham and cheese offered up at All Inclusive buffets , nor cakes, but I understand they were catering for different nationalities . Being English I seemed to be programmed to scoop up bacon and eggs despite my vows to be healthy with some greek yogurt and fruit . (Am in holiday mode ) .

However , at different meals then of course I would eat local cuisine (who wouldn't want to eat jerk chicken and curry goat in Jamaica for example ) .

My particular hate is places offering British food in British "type " bars or pubs in for example . Spain . I do not want to go to a beautiful hot country and sit and eat egg and chips in a greasy faux pub, I will run a mile .

What are your thoughts, eating experiences when travelling abroad . No matter how diverse your own country is I mean the experience of being in another country , and your eating and cultural experiences there .
As a general rule I'll try anything except something with more than 4 legs that doesn't come out of the sea/river, etc. I may not like it but I won't know until I try it.

I'm with you on the British "type" menus offered in a certain type of bars and pubs in Spain and similar places.

Even in Cairo I was happy to go to a restaurant catering for locals which was recommended by the guide we were with, rather than the big chain hotel. The majority voted down the scared-i-cats and the meal was lovely, the restaurant and staff were spotlessly clean and so was what we could see of the kitchen and the staff were friendly and helpful. There were, however, complaints from the zenophobes so we had to go to the Cairo Hilton the next day. OK but very boring and a rude Maitre d'.

Eating the food is part of the foreign travel experience and I've never suffered ill effects from what I've eaten abroad. I might struggle a bit with the portions shown on "Triple D", but I'd have a damn'd good try :pig:
 
Exactly, Heaven on Earth! But then, I don't freeze easily...must have anti-freeze in my veins.

I don't do heat very well, even a very hot summer over here can lay me low. It got up to 30 degrees C here for a couple of days recently. Very humid and very unusual and I was really laid low.

I can cope with cold because I know how to dress. Seven layers of clothing - fleece tops, gilets, lambswool polo-necked jumpers, wool vest (undershirt), jodhpurs, over trousers, wool tights, hand-knitted socks and heavy boots are de rigeur at the stables. Very cosy.
 
I don't do heat very well, even a very hot summer over here can lay me low. It got up to 30 degrees C here for a couple of days recently. Very humid and very unusual and I was really laid low.

I can cope with cold because I know how to dress. Seven layers of clothing - fleece tops, gilets, lambswool polo-necked jumpers, wool vest (undershirt), jodhpurs, over trousers, wool tights, hand-knitted socks and heavy boots are de rigeur at the stables. Very cosy.

I'm always amazed when I read about the layers and time it takes to dress for the cold. I've always lived in this area, and one layer of clothing with maybe a light jacket for the winter is all that's ever needed here.
My only experience with dressing for the cold has been on vacation and dressing in all those layers seemed to take forever. I also don't like the feeling of bulk and confinement from all those clothes.
 
I'm always amazed when I read about the layers and time it takes to dress for the cold. I've always lived in this area, and one layer of clothing with maybe a light jacket for the winter is all that's ever needed here.
My only experience with dressing for the cold has been on vacation and dressing in all those layers seemed to take forever. I also don't like the feeling of bulk and confinement from all those clothes.

This is true. The fewer articles of clothing you can wear and be comfortable, the better off you are. When we go to Aruba in the winter, we leave behind layers of clothing to be comfortable and spend most of our days wearing a bathing suit and maybe a tee shirt.
 
I grew up in the land of Air Force parkas and long underwear. When we go to the Caribbean, I like to take the minimum. When we go in the winter, I have a packable jacket that stuffs into a little pouch and fits in my backpack.
 
I'm always amazed when I read about the layers and time it takes to dress for the cold. I've always lived in this area, and one layer of clothing with maybe a light jacket for the winter is all that's ever needed here.
My only experience with dressing for the cold has been on vacation and dressing in all those layers seemed to take forever. I also don't like the feeling of bulk and confinement from all those clothes.

On the other hand, once you are used to it, it isn't that bad. I grew up in Wisconsin and now live in Minnesota. The cold doesn't really bother me. There have been many years I've been outside in January with little more than a t-shirt. As a kid, I remember my brother and I daring each other to be the first one to jump in a frigid lake in March or April.

Most winters, I wear nothing more than a lightweight jacket with a good insulated lining. I don't like anything confining. Some of the modern fabrics keep you amazingly warm. I can't recall the last time I wore long underwear, but it probably would have been either skiing or during some other outdoor sporting activity.

What's funny is when you see people who don't live around here. They're usually easy to spot. For example, when you see someone wearing long sleeve sweaters in July when it's 87 degrees, it's a good sign they aren't locals. I was at a car dealership last night and saw someone dressed like this.
 
I figure I can always put on more clothing if it's cold. It's illegal to take off too much clothing if it's hot.

It always cracks me up if we're in Mexico and the temp (rarely) gets below 65°F. The locals all put on their parkas. We tourists are running around in our tank tops and swimsuits.
 
As a general rule I'll try anything except something with more than 4 legs that doesn't come out of the sea/river, etc. I may not like it but I won't know until I try it.

I'm with you on the British "type" menus offered in a certain type of bars and pubs in Spain and similar places.

Even in Cairo I was happy to go to a restaurant catering for locals which was recommended by the guide we were with, rather than the big chain hotel. The majority voted down the scared-i-cats and the meal was lovely, the restaurant and staff were spotlessly clean and so was what we could see of the kitchen and the staff were friendly and helpful. There were, however, complaints from the zenophobes so we had to go to the Cairo Hilton the next day. OK but very boring and a rude Maitre d'.

Eating the food is part of the foreign travel experience and I've never suffered ill effects from what I've eaten abroad. I might struggle a bit with the portions shown on "Triple D", but I'd have a damn'd good try :pig:


There is a Scottish Pub in Vermont. About as authentic as you can get. Bangers and mashed potatoes are their biggest sellers. (the taters needed salt.) So when the waiter came to take our order, his brogue was as Scottish as possible. I automatically answered with the brogue that I picked up from my first husband. (He was born and grew up right on the border of Scotland.) Not only shocked myself, but my son and the waiter. I apologized to the waiter and explained that the only way I could understand my husband sometimes was to learn to speak with the brogue. And responding to the waiter with a brogue was just reflex.

Before the meal ended we were treated to a concert of bagpipe music. The waiter told us that his wife did all the cooking upstairs in their home kitchen. No fancy plates, pistol handle knives and forks, and as much tea as you could drink. We sat in high backed wooden booths. One of the most pleasant evenings of dining out I have ever had. When my son tried to settle up on the bill, the owner thanked up for one of his most happy evening he had, had in a long time. My son left him a hefty tip. :angel:
 
I have eaten fermented shark and I have tried surströmming, I think I done my bit for being adventures .
 

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