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Post by Hedonista on Oct 19, 2009 10:49:07 GMT 2
...and money was no object. Maybe you could have 2 bases spending around half the year in one and the other part of the year in the other with some travelling in between. What your top choice/s be?
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Post by happytraveller on Oct 19, 2009 10:51:28 GMT 2
South of france, somewhere near Avignon probably.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 19, 2009 11:22:09 GMT 2
Namibia like a shot.
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Post by Hedonista on Oct 19, 2009 11:40:34 GMT 2
My choice would definitely be the Philippines although I would like to keep a base here in Portugal as well.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 19, 2009 12:22:00 GMT 2
I used to live in Manila you know, but the two things that made it less appealing was the culture, in fact lack of it, it just seemed too bland and Americanised though there was a little about, and the food wasn't 'Asian' enough and wasn't anything enough really.
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Post by missalaska on Oct 19, 2009 14:31:46 GMT 2
Really mark, where in Namibia?
Nicaragua and South Africa (I'm currently dreaming of owning a small holding in the Cape Winelands or Karoo)
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 19, 2009 15:26:21 GMT 2
That's the problem MissA, where exactly. Not Windhoek if I could help it, nor Walvis Bay. Possibly Swakopmund if there weren't so many bloody tourists and you didn't have the fog there. Nowhere on the main B1 road like Keetmanshoop, Mariental, Otjiwarongo or Tsumeb. Luderitz would be ludicrous, Rosh Pinah? nope too remote and wrong religion. Gobabis? Possible but a bit too far east. I'm thinking more Outjo, Khoriaxas, Kamanjab if I went for a town, somewhere a little off the main routes but with in reasonable reach of a main road to travel to the interesting parts a bit quicker.
But ideally I'd have a Lodge stuck in the middle of the desert with efalumps and rhinososauges wandering past.
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Post by Voy on Oct 19, 2009 16:00:33 GMT 2
I'd keep Maine for sure, but the warm weather one might change, as if it weren't for polo... S Florida is just tooo damnnnnn borrrrriiinnngggggggggggggggggg. it would have to have hills as well as water -- dunno really. I don't know enough about Central America...
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Post by Hedonista on Oct 19, 2009 19:20:48 GMT 2
I can imagine Manila would not been too pleasant, I agree it really has very little going for it as a city. I would like to live on either Cebu or Bohol or maybe have a look at Palawan (not been there yet). We just long to live at least part of the year in the tropics and specifically in South East Asia and having travelled around a lot of the region have found the Phils to be the most appealing with the friendliest people. The food may not be as good as other countries in the region I agree but with all the great ingredients to hand we could cook ourselves. Then Asian cities like Hong Kong are just a short flight away for a serious food fix.
Its a dream that we really hope to make a reality one day once all our kids have grown up and if we can get back on our feet financially after being nearly wiped out in the last year...
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 19, 2009 19:51:29 GMT 2
Out of Cebu, Bohol and Palawan I preferred Palawan. Just seemed a bit more natural and authentic. See what you think.
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Post by missalaska on Oct 19, 2009 21:59:44 GMT 2
That's the problem MissA, where exactly. Yeah Namibia is so beautiful but the towns aren't really up to much, you'd have to secure that game lodge. One of my friends who grew up in Swakop moved back there a couple of years ago and she is finding it really tough and quite lonely. She wanted to stay in Cape Town but because of issues surrounding her professional qualification (homeopath) she has ended up back in Swakop.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 19, 2009 22:27:19 GMT 2
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Post by missalaska on Oct 19, 2009 22:59:18 GMT 2
Looks crazy. On Sunday I went to one of these 'close to Cape Town' 5 star game farms with the husband as he sells the trips we went to one he calls 'supposedly the best of a bad bunch'. I know I've been spoilt and have had opportunity to see lots of parks etc but it was terrible. For starters all the staff seemed to be interns, very pretty all blonde and young but they knew shit all and the customer service was lame.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 20, 2009 5:57:33 GMT 2
very pretty all blonde and young Don't you think that's the reason he wanted to go there?
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Post by missalaska on Oct 20, 2009 9:37:04 GMT 2
He didn't know before he went, actually they pissed him off. Our guide failed his 'test' immediately through lack of local knowledge!
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Post by quixote on Oct 20, 2009 15:37:43 GMT 2
Haven't traveled to enough places to be certain. Somewhere (ideally 2 places) that doesn't get too cold,or too hot.
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Post by theklia on Oct 21, 2009 20:36:37 GMT 2
At the moment my best place is Interlaken, Switzerland. I am sure there are other places that I could live - just haven't visited many countries yet to discover new places
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Post by Big Iain on Oct 22, 2009 14:56:01 GMT 2
Interlaken is a great choice indeed actually!
I would have a place in France, somewhere like Nimes or Beziers or Perpignan in the South or maybe in the Alps? I reckon that Perpignan would be the one right now.
I would also have a big appartment in either Manhatten or San Francisco where I could have the occasional week for a fix of City living (and have the occasional bender too!)
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Post by happytraveller on Oct 22, 2009 15:08:06 GMT 2
At the moment my best place is Interlaken, Switzerland. I am sure there are other places that I could live - just haven't visited many countries yet to discover new places Oh, that would be nice ! It's only about 40 minutes drive from where I live
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Post by theklia on Oct 25, 2009 11:41:48 GMT 2
Yes HT, so next time I will be in Switzerland I have to tell you beforehand to organise to meet up. I am so sorry that I told you at the last minute the previous time I came to Bern and it happened to be a busy week for you and couldnt meet up.
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Post by happytraveller on Oct 28, 2009 13:48:16 GMT 2
Yes that was a shame it didn't work out. It was the same week last year Writeon was in Switzerland and I just did not have time. Am sure it will work out next time !!
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Post by welle on Oct 28, 2009 22:53:08 GMT 2
First Choice to live: San Francisco, USA
Second choice for extended getaways, tough tough choice.
Maui, Hawaii Berlin, Germany Basel, Switzerland Bali, Indonesia Lake Tahoe, USA Dordogne region, France Provence region, France Lago Maggiore, Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland San Diego USA
Impossible to choose.
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Post by Big Iain on Oct 29, 2009 0:47:20 GMT 2
If money is no issue I would be visiting Tokyo a hell of a lot and touring all over Japan. I would love to disappear to South America for a year too just to see as much as poss.
Monument valley and the Grand Canyon The Himalayas/Tibet
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Post by siduri on Oct 29, 2009 5:40:00 GMT 2
I'd just move back home, but live on the other side of the border. Switzerland that is - in Schaffhausen or near there. Somewhere along the river so I could just jump right in for a swim during the summer. Then I'd get a second flat in Amsterdam so I could spent time there, too. There's no way I want to live there permanently anymore, but I would not mind visiting frequently and having my own place there.
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Post by Big Iain on Oct 29, 2009 10:20:36 GMT 2
Which part of Amsterdam, Sid? I may have asked you in the past but I seem to forget. I had a mon-fri flat in Watergraafsmeer for almost a year and loved it.
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Post by Tilly Star on Oct 29, 2009 19:59:01 GMT 2
I would have my farmhouse in Urdaibai in the Basque Country and somewhere in London as well sorted. Nowhere far fung for me as if money was no object I could just travel where I liked.
I would like somewhere in Morrocco, but I couldn't give up this city completely.
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Post by Baz Faz on Oct 30, 2009 0:08:15 GMT 2
Hedon, I would like your view after you visited Palawan. We went there (apart from Manila the only place we went to) on our Phils holiday. Lovely people, unspoilt countryside, nice beaches (except for sandflies), untouristed. But no depth of local culture or tradition. One bonus on our visit was that we discovered Mrs Faz's elder sister (a doctor) contributed to the British-Palawan Trust. So we contacted Dr Socrates in Puerto Princesa and had a a good and informative day with him and were impressed by the work he does. Still, I cannot imagine living there.
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Post by welle on Oct 30, 2009 9:24:21 GMT 2
I forgot one (how could I):
Santa Cruz, California.
I was just there today. That place is so beautiful it makes you sing out loud.
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Post by siduri on Oct 30, 2009 19:38:37 GMT 2
Ian, now that I read it I remember. You once told that. I lived in Amsterdam-West for the first 2 years which I didn't like too much. Then I moved to Amsterdam-East it's right next to Watergraafsmeer. Don't know why, but the east part was always my favorite part of the town to live.
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Post by Big Iain on Oct 30, 2009 19:51:41 GMT 2
Apparantly the East part with The "islands" near to the docks is super trendy and expensive now. I knew someone who lived there in Stuurmaankade backing on to the water and it was quiet but nice at that area.
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