Hey! I thought there’s no better way than to kick off my 2nd hundred of posts with an ABCs of travel. Many Travel Bloggers have been doing the game of Tag with this ABCs and I duly got caught by Tom of Waegook Tom and Tom of Active Backpacker to do this! Here’s my ABCs of Travel!

A. Age you went on your first international trip:

As an young ickle cute (I’m still cute now) boy of 7, my parents decided I was old enough to appreciate an international holiday. Why? Because they would be able to justify the cost (don’t ask, it’s a Yorkshire tightwad thing). But my parents took me to the gorgeous island of Majorca (Spain). I absolutely loved it. It was a series of many firsts…I’ll never forget my first plane trip.

Young Ickle Me!

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

I’m sure my opinion will change once I go on my 2012 Travel Plans but for now, I don’t think nothing can beat a bit of Indian Cobra. Very light, refreshing and a perfect accompaniment to a heavy meal…but I haven’t tasted one since I started my new year resolutions…

C. Cuisine (favourite):

Anything Vegetarian that’s has a party on my tastebuds! I do eat meat but I just prefer vegetarian food. So I’m looking forward to be going to SE Asia to experience all those tastes!

D. Destinations, favourite, least favourite and why:

Favourite destination has to be Jinja, Uganda.  Cannot say how much I really enjoyed my time there and the gorgeous views and sunsets.

Sunset

Ugandan Sunset

Least favourite has to be Newport, Wales. What a horrendous place…find out here.

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

Viewing at the top of the Salzburg Fortress and seeing all the beautiful scenery. Definitely a wow moment.  Until it got spoiled by a Japanese taking a picture of my nostril.

F. Favourite mode of transportation:

Train. You can always chill out, sit back and watch the world go by. Also, you get to meet all sort of characters that board the train and you never know how the journey might just go!

G. Greatest feeling while travelling:

The thrill just before you arrive. What will you expect? I love mystery!

H. Hottest place you’ve travelled to:

Uganda, Uganda, Uganda! It’s on the equator…go figure.

I. Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:

The Green Lantern Restaurant in Jinja, Uganda. The owners bent over backwards to ensure we had a good time. They needn’t to but the attention was fantastic right down to detail! Even when the power got cut off and they produced candles in makeshift holders

J. Journey that took the longest:

The plane journey from London to Entebbe. We had to be grounded in Ethiopia due to a few birds flying into the plane engines whoops! But we weren’t allowed off the plane to relax in the lounge and stretch our legs. SO 4 more hours were added on top of the extremely long journey then. I went doolally by the end!

K. Keepsake from your travels:

I love my hats so I think I’ll be getting a new hat every time I visit a region haha. However, this Austrian hat definitely has been a keepsake..

I made a friend!

L. Let-down sight, why and where:

The weird spire thing in the middle of Dublin. I’ve been unable to find out what’s it for and why! The only use I got out of it was to navigate the city.

M. Moment where you fell in love with travel:

Pushing a a car off the ferry in Malta with the locals shouting behind. I had a grin the entire time and that’s when I fell in love with travel.

N. Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

Hotel Eder in Munich! It’s not 5 star or anything but it was just right for a week stay. It had everything you needed and the service was brilliant….well not everything…they didn’t do English breakfast tea…I need my tea! Watch my blog for my posts on Munich!

O. Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while travelling?:

I say Food, because I just adore local cuisine and they always marvel me when they are brought out of the kitchen to rest in front of me. Out comes the camera snap snap!

However, close friends will glare at me and tell me no as they say I’m obsessed with taking pictures of me posing in front of landmarks. I think not…right?

I did have one friend say that I have an alarming obsession of photographing toilets. Okay, that was one time, ONE time, when I saw a genius idea of storing toilet rolls and wanted to document it.

Toilet Humour

P. Passport stamps, how many and from where?:

Uganda, Germany, Malta

Q. Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

The Michael Jackson shrine in Munich. It’s really meant to be a shrine to the Bavarian Dukes but for some reason, occupied by a crazy lady, this shrine is covered with Michael Jackson Memorabilia and candles lit in memory of him. It was definitely quirky!

R. Recommended sight, event or experience:

Scoffing your face with Fish N Chips on the seafront in Hornsea, UK. Nom nom nom!

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

Food, Food, FOOD! I have no problem forking over to enjoy the local cuisine! I can’t see this changing when I’m on my travels this year!

T. Touristy thing you’ve done:

Going on a walking tour of London dressed as tourists!

Big Ben

U. Unforgettable travel memory:

Probably the very last section of my white water rafting trip down the River Nile. The heavens had just opened and it was absolutely chucking it down meaning the massive rapids became even more rapid! So rapid that they were bigger than a house! I remember it like in slow motion as I saw them as we approached. Thundering lightning across the skies, soaked to the skin, the guide battling to keep the raft together. We managed to shore up against the bank and he told us to get out as quick as possible. The river swelled underneath us and we had to scrabble up a extremely muddy and slippy bank. People were grasping on to any handholds they could get. As we got to the top, I remember looking behind me to see the bits and bobs of the rafting spinning around in the rapids  and looking on in awe. Then a truck pulled up, and gave us all bottles of beer in the warm rain to enjoy the view whilst dripping wet. What a fantastic memory!

V. Visas, how many and for where?:

Only the one. Uganda.

W. Wine, best glass of wine while travelling and where?

Can’t really remember. I was always have a lovely glass of wine when I’m home but when I’m travelling I seem to sample the local beer but when I’m on my travels this year, I’ll make sure I’ll have that glass of wine as well!

X. eXcellent view and from where?

Sunset over the River Nile in Uganda. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Y. Years spent travelling?:

It’s hard to put a number on it but I say I started travelling when I was 16 so 10 years…I’m old sob sob sob.

Z. Zealous sports fans and where?:

Look no further than my hometown of Hull. Hull FC fan til the day I die!

So that’s it! That’s my ABCs of Travel done! I nominate Becki of Backpacker Becki and Toni of Reclaiming My Future for their ABCs of Travel!