How many countries have you been to?

[MillionMilesAway]

I will add New Zealand to the list then. Lol. Of course that experience in Japan is a real positive interaction and only enriches a trip away.

When I was backpacking through Indonesia (Sumatra) I was approached multiple times a day and rather than it be a chore, like with aggressive sellers, it completely made the trip.

Often I was asked if I could have my picture taken with a new born baby and when trekking in some areas I would be approached and invited for tea and food with the village elder. Conversation would be a bit stifled, due to the language barrier, but still they are cherished memories of experiencing something new and hopefully leaving a positive footprint on my trip.

This was in Hiroshima and there are lots of schoolchildren in organised groups. At lunchtime, they all sit down in lines with their bento boxes!

They may have been confused by where NZ is on the peace bell - it's not next to Australia, but nearer South America.

As you say, it makes for memorable instances. The kids in Laos looked at our pasty white, hairy legs as we used the village tap to wash mud off.

 

[peoffrey]

I've known different nationalities speaking to each other in English as the language they both mutually understand. Icelandic Sunna and Swedish Ingela always spoke to each other in English. Both stunners, of course. It was the same in Berlin. Some Swedish lads were on a beano and the barman spoke to them in English.

On a side note, does anyone know Munich? I'm considering a Dusseldorf, Munich and Berlin triple header this side of Christmas and need the best area to stay. I've had a recommendation of the central train station. As you can imagine, I like currywurst, beer and football.

 

[franksinatra]

I had a gourmet burger and chips in a little fryer basket served on a wooden board in Berlin and the waiter had no idea where Wales was. I'm all "Manic Street Preachers" "Gareth Bale" and he still smiles politely.

The steward on the flight to Istanbul was convinced I was a Liverpool fan because of my Wales jersey. I think we all know what's wrong with that one...

Its incredible really but I suppose many Brits would not be overly knowledgeable of say Moldova, Andorra etc.

Incidentally I was in the Harbour Pub yesterday in Solva. Did a cracking Vegan burger and chips in there.

 

[peoffrey]

I know both of those countries. Someone in my place of work had never heard of Georgia and a man in the pub thought I was going to America. The look on his face when I said it was via Istanbul... He couldn't understand.

The fact I'm having egg and chips for dinner indicates I'm not a vegan although I'll sometimes have a vegetarian option for no real reason. Cheese salad baguette, cheese omelette or a margarita pizza certainly.

 

[dozzie26]

In my student days my mate and I were on the beach in Portugal and we kept getting hassled to buy Omega and other brand name watches that we didn't want and couldn't afford anyway. Some local lads also told us that they were dud and the jewels in the mechanism had been taken out and the watches would pack up very quickly.

We were always approached in English so we started to pretend we were Icelandic or Czech even to the point of speaking gibberish to each other when approached. The hustlers were so frustrated that we apparently couldn't speak English and quickly gave up on us.

It works a treat. I like a good chat if you catch me on a good day but the tourist trap places do my head in. The Mrs is Albanian so when touts or Roma approach me, I just speak to them in Albanian and make sure my hands are either in my pockets or on my belongings. It works a treat as they back off instantly or don't understand a word you've just said.

 

[peoffrey]

I've endured attempted pick pocketing in Paris, a taxi scam in Tbilisi, a hostess bar in Istanbul, football thugs in Belgrade and yobs in Seville too.

Tirana pubs weren't selling any of the cheaper drinks despite them being on the menu. Three or four places all insisted it was Carlsberg or Paulaner as opposed to the local brew.

 

[dozzie26]

I've endured attempted pick pocketing in Paris, a taxi scam in Tbilisi, a hostess bar in Istanbul, football thugs in Belgrade and yobs in Seville too.

Tirana pubs weren't selling any of the cheaper drinks despite them being on the menu. Three or four places all insisted it was Carlsberg or Paulaner as opposed to the local brew.

That's how these places work unfortunately mate. If you were with somebody local you'd have been treated like a King and probably not paid. Did you find the Albanians okay on the whole though? Definitely going to plan a trip there in the New Year.

Recently returned from Crete and it was rammed out with scummy Russians drinking supermarket vodka from the bottle in the streets, well past the midnight curfew. Can be a real problem in these tourist hotspots, a strange mix of nationalities all with different cultures and norms, it rarely works and pisses the locals off (money is money for them at the same time).

 

[peoffrey]

They were friendly and hospitable people. I didn't hear of any trouble etc. We had about 1500 Welsh over.

My cab driver from the airport to my hotel was the Albanian Victor Meldrew. Such a funny bloke who appeared to hate his job.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Dozens.

it was rammed out with scummy Russians drinking supermarket vodka from the bottle in the streets, well past the midnight curfew.

I make sure that if I go to any tourist hotspots, I go to the ones where this particular nationality are not around in any numbers, although I stick to Spain now, more or less. They are the most obnoxious, boorish, rude, racist, arrogant,
loud group on the planet imo, seen them in various European places and never seen or heard a nice one yet.

 

[dozzie26]

They were friendly and hospitable people. I didn't hear of any trouble etc. We had about 1500 Welsh over.

My cab driver from the airport to my hotel was the Albanian Victor Meldrew. Such a funny bloke who appeared to hate his job.

They are pretty straight talking people on the whole, with a dry sense of humour. There's probably more Albanians in the rest of Europe than there is in Albania itself. Did you go to Tirana only or some of the seaside places too?