A, B, C yeah you know me...

So, it seems I've been slapped with the olde A,B,C 'yeah you know me' tag game that is circulating the travel blogging community...

Much thanks to Niel Niel orange piel (sorry its childhood thing for me, much like hearing denis the penis) from BackpacksandBunkbeds for his tagging prowess and the insight into his wild roving life as an intrepid traveler. Mucho appreciation big man!

So without further ado...

A: Age you went on your first international trip

Call it the beginning of the end. I took the international plunge at quite a late age of 20, midway through a law degree. Feeling like there was more to life and that I needed some form of direction rather than being coerced along by societies norms and doing 'what was expected of me' I ventured far and wide.... Living in little olde remote NZ often means we are late starters on the travel scene but when we go, we go....

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

I possess a nostalgic love with Quilmes in Argentina. It comes down to purely the good times with good people.

C: Cuisine (favorite):

Back home my nickname stems from my affiliation with a particular 'fush n chup' shop but this fails the cuisine test. So im gonna go with Spanish food. Or Indian, or Italian. Food is a god I worship regularly. Feed me now thou great jehovah.

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why:

For selfish reasons I choose not to disclose my fav destination in the world, its a very remote, untouched and unspoiled slice of paradise that few travellers have visited. I wanna keep it that way :p

Least fav, uhm, downtown Tegucigalpa on a dark night is not that desirable.

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

Surviving near death experiences always bring out a bit of 'wow' factor as you gasp at the reality of a dicey/crazy situation.

F: Favorite mode of transportation:

Train. Punto Pelota. Paul Theorouax summed it up when he said... "I have seldom heard a train go by and wished I was not on it" (forget inner city london)

G: Greatest feeling while traveling:

Freedom is a beautiful feeling. People in the past have died for it, luckily I have been born into a world where I only have to travel to get that feeling.

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to:

Living in a tent in the tropics of far north Queensland was pretty hot. Altho, the extreme heat was offset by being in the only place in the world where the rainforest meets the reef. Primo.

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:

The Quantas lady at Johannesburg airport when I staggered up the stairs a broken man after a journey of 3500km overland through 4 countries with no passport and no food for 3 days. She 'saved the day' bringing perhaps the most loco journey of my life to a close.

J: Journey that took the longest:

Probably that one.

K: Keepsake from your travels:

Different things have different meanings from different places and different people. Too many to go into. Lets just say Ive got bits and bobs scattered around in safe keeping spots around the world.

L: Let-down sight, why and where:

The equator. I couldnt see it.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel:

Would have to be my first travel experience abroad. It was a feeling that I had longed for, I knew more to life existed than outside the walls of little olde NZ. And the experiences I had over the period of year traveling by myself were life changing. I feel in love with travel and harboured a love for all things international.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

A bling love hotel. It was....yeah.... nice?!

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

Actually Im obsessed with 'not' taking photos whilst traveling. After leading around tour groups who couldnt do anytihng but take photos, my obsession with 'not' taking photos fostered out of the frustration of seeing people miss the real experiences/essence of travel in replace of snapping photos.

(put your F%3k!n camera away and enjoy the moment dickwad)

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?

On my second passport, thank fuck. A passport full of stamps has given me incessant ball ache at immigration checkpoints around the world.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

Maximum security prison in Quito. Quirky, edgy and just plain olde slim shady.

R: Recommended sight, event or experience:

The experience of traveling solo. Its such an enriching experience, you really get to know yourself, test yourself, challenge your values, nurture your morals...

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:

Street food. Im a sucker for it...

T: Touristy thing you’ve done:

I used to be a tourist guide.

U: Unforgettable travel memory:

There have been many. But if I had to choose one, Ill go with one of my first. I know its cliche but its a memory that has stuck with me ever since. It was the first time in my life that I was put in a situation where I really realised how fortunate I was and how many opportunities in life I actually had. It changed me fundamentally, my first experience living in the shoes of others. One could say that the empathy values within me were awoken...

V: Visas, how many and for where

The V word. Its taunted and teased me for the past 6 years. Visas can wax it.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

Australian Goon.

X: eXcellent view and from where?

Beneath the worlds tallest waterfall in Canaima National Park. Like any amazing view, its a bit of a mission to get to but its spell binding...

Y: Years spent traveling?

Give or take 7 years. In fact my time in London is the first time i have stayed in one place for longer than 6 months since I left uni many moons ago.

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?

A derby football match in Rio de Janiero at the Maracana or a match in Buenos Aires between Bocas and River Plate. Adrenaline is feverish.

Coolio. Thats my A,B,C of traveling Me. Tag, your it....

@TravelApprentce

@latinabroad

@digidrift

@BackpackerBecki