Why exactly do people go to North Korea, anyway? Because it’s there?
People have different motivations. “Because it’s there” is one. I went because it’s a fascinating and bizarre destination that not many people have been to. A friend had gone and recommended it for the eye-opening, other-worldly experience. I also have a goal of visiting as many countries as I can, possibly all of them, so North Korea makes it a must-go. It’s a daunting task, though: I have visited only 74 out of 198 countries so far. My most recent additions are Israel and Palestine.
Uh… sounds like a way to find an interesting death. Venezuela? Syria? Honduras? Somalia? Afghanistan?
Some people just collect Pokemon.
I once had an uncle who went in for skydiving. He had a great parachute - worked every time - except that one last time.
Anyway, he didn’t have that void in his life anymore.
1 Like
[quote=“rowland, post:83, topic:161242, full:true”]
Uh… sounds like a way to find an interesting death. Venezuela? Syria? Honduras? Somalia? Afghanistan?[/quote]
I’ve been to Honduras: Copan Ruinas is beautiful. Somaliland, the northern part of Somalia, is a place that can be visited safely. Even the Kurdish border areas of Iraq are relatively safe.
The stability of countries can change. Venezuela is a basketcase right now, while Colombia is the newest backpacker mecca; 15 years ago it was Colombia that people avoided.
Adventurer Torbjorn Pedersen, who is on a single land-and-sea journey around the world, is now in Libya (country #130) and will be going to Algeria soon. I’d be more concerned about visiting Guinea, which some people describe as the worst country in the world.
One thing to keep in mind: the world is a far less scary and dangerous place than the media would have you believe.
2 Likes
I think it depends on the attitude. One thing is to go somewhere with an open mind and a flexible attitude, to learn, to see, to enrich yourself and be more than you are now through the experience. Another one is to take advantage of the natives or play demigod, to flaunt your status as superior being, the bad Superman Syndrome. If the SCMP’s info about that travel agency is correct, that means they were there with the latter attitude, thinking cash could buy anything, and yes, that their privilege meant they could party as they wanted where they wanted. They flaunted it.
Reminds me of a case in the ol country with a group of members of a certain political US lobby who planned a pedophile vacation. In a country where prostitution is legal, and law is flexible, they went for the children. Even that was too much. We couldn’t arrest them, they were protected, but that did not endear the US to the locals.
Doesn’t it bother you when someone comes to Taiwan expecting less developed than the jungle, and is upset we have running water and wifi? I’ve met quite a few of those. Even from the ol country we have people who believe Chinese are dirty, the food here is disgusting and won’t even try a banana. Worse when they are elite and think they can make fun of the locals because they do not understand Spanish, ride a scooter without license nor care because here laws do not exist, and take stuff from 711 for fun because the Taiwanese fear arresting them could lead to a diplomatic incident. I could go on and on, getting worse and worse.
2 Likes
I see this pretty often. People confused that Asia has a developed country and city like taipei.
I often see in the ol country those memes where people say we eat rats and bugs here in taiwan, not to say babies. I think that is why my family does not want to visit, they think this is “worse” than there. Their loss. OTOH, I wouldn’t want them to come if they are going to be that kind of people who only sees the bad things here because they believe it is a dirty, undeveloped place. Eh…
Sorry the baby part made me 
well they eat those things in china. they probably got taiwan confused with china, which isn’t hard. most people don’t know anything about taiwan.
as for having the impression of not being developed, you can’t blame people really. all the sheet metal shacks, horrendous driving, grubby looking scooters parked everywhere, rules that are not enforced, lack of pavements and lack of rubbish bins gives off that undeveloped shit hole aesthetic…
Eh, they may eat them but not everyday. Especially babies.
We are 4th world. heck if we should/can throw stones.
well anyway, the point is its not china here. my mother had a great time when she visited taiwan and she corrects people now back home when they mistake taiwan for china or thailand.
Taiwan is not a third world country, but neither is it a developed country. Taipei is a mix of developed, developing, and third world. Outside Taipei and Kaohsiung, I would not consider Taiwan to be developed.
Given the food quality here, how sure are you that some of the food is not rat? If they scrounge vegetables from the trash at the veggie market, I wouldn’t put it past some food supplier to mix rat with other meats lower food costs.
where are you eating that the food quality is this bad?
I’ve gotten sick and gotten food poisoning a few times at the night markets, hot pot places, Burger King, McDonalds.
I have never in all my years living here gotten food poisoning or sick. And I eat a lot, I would say 4 to even 8k calories depending on how active i am.
What did the locals think of Daniel Ortega? 
Stepdaughter Accuses Sandinista Chief of Sex Abuse - The New York Times
Then I’m happy for you. I have not been that fortunate. It’s luck of the draw sometimes.
Some places, I have eaten at multiple times without issue and then got sick. I would assume those days they have a bad batch of something from the supplier.
You guys know Western food standards allow for a certain amount of rat poop to be acceptable in processed food?
Oh the good old is-Taiwan-a-developed-country-or-not talk.
2 Likes
Or Chewy`s comment upstairs. We have come full circle.
1 Like