Summary

The author shares unique travel experiences from five different countries, highlighting the adventurous airports of Nepal, the windy conditions of Iceland, the distinctive cuisine of Georgia, the peaceful breweries of Austria, and the exceptionally sweet pineapples of Uganda.

Abstract

The article recounts the author's most memorable experiences from traveling to over 30 countries, focusing on the unconventional aspects that make each country stand out. In Nepal, the author describes the thrilling nature of domestic air travel, with small planes navigating through mountainous terrain and airports with minimal facilities. Iceland impresses with its fierce winds, requiring careful car parking and offering a humorous warning against outdoor bathroom breaks. Georgia captivates with its unique food culture, featuring items like wine ice cream and garlic chicken cooked in butter, alongside mega-sized dumplings. Austria's breweries are noted for their peaceful and orderly atmosphere, capable of accommodating large crowds enjoying a simple menu of beer and food. Lastly, Uganda revolutionizes the author's view on pineapples, offering fruit so sweet it surpasses even the ripest mangoes.

Opinions

The author suggests that the experience of flying in small planes in Nepal might inspire atheists to believe in a higher power due to the harrowing nature of the flights.
Iceland's wind is humorously presented as a force to be reckoned with, affecting everything from car doors to outdoor urination.
Georgian cuisine is highly praised, with the author expressing particular enthusiasm for the country's innovative dishes like wine ice cream and the rich, buttery Shkmeruli.
Austrian breweries are admired for their ability to maintain a tranquil environment despite large patronage, with the author collecting beer crowns as souvenirs.
The author's previous disdain for pineapples is completely reversed in Uganda, where the fruit's sweetness is a point of national pride and a subject of detailed discussion among vendors and consumers.

5 Most Different Experiences after Travelling to 30 Countries

The best thing about travelling is the unique experiences you get by exploring a new country/region/place.

Having crossed the 30+ country mark recently, penned below are the most diverse, unique and different experiences I had.

1. Nepal and its airports

Nepal is a hilly country. Roads are bad, trains do not exist. So how do people commute? Airplanes. Nepal has over 20 domestic airports. 5 of them feature as top adventures to do in Nepal.

Do not begin to imagine these airports to be what one’s imagination is of an airport. There is a small stretch of road without potholes, which is an airfield for landing and takeoff. There is a shed for departures and open skies for arrivals. 4 police people for manual checking of bags. Yes, they manually open your bags and check! 2 dogs for the sake of keeping people company. 6–8 perpendicular structures which I assume are to be interpreted as chairs.

ATR-72 (70–80 seaters) are the most luxurious and safest planes that are used on domestic flights. From there the size of the planes just keeps on reducing as the height of the nearby mountains keeps increasing. The smallest plane to carry people is an 8-seater which literally has no cushion seats, as they have to keep the plane as light as possible.

All atheists should take a couple of rides in the 8-seater planes, there is a good chance they will see God, if they don’t, they will start to believe in one for sure.

One time my flight took off in the midst of landing because a dog had chosen to do its business in the middle of the airfield. I kid you not!

One time, a lady police officer was off duty, so the kind and considerate policemen were allowing the women passengers to check in without checking their bags.

Another time, my domestic flight had to be re-routed to Kathmandu as by the time the flight reached its destination, it had become dark and the airport had no electricity at night.

Simple matters of a simple country.

Lukla Aiport for Mt. Everest Base Camp (Pi Source: Bibek Maharjan Unsplash)

2. Iceland and its wind

The moment you get out of Keflavik International Airport, the 1st signage reads “ Iceland is the 3rd windiest place on earth & the windiest habitable place on earth.”

Car rental agencies have competent physicists on payroll to explain to you which direction of the wind to park your car so that the car door does not bang on you whilst you are getting out of the car, that is if you are able to open the door in the 1st place.

Needless to say, men, while Iceland has a lot of open and natural areas, do not attempt to pee in the open, because as a great philosopher famously said, what goes forth, cometh back as well.

For people who understand numbers better, the highest speed at which you can drive your car in Iceland is 90kms/hr, and the average wind speed is 30–40 km/hr. The highest speed of wind recorded in Iceland has been~ 320km/hr!

3. Georgia (the country) and its food

Food is one of the reasons I love travelling. Coincidentally, I also love living, so just to balance the love for food, I have to regularly fake love for exercise and gyms. Which I fail in, quite often.

Anyways, on the matter of food, Georgia has one of the most unusual food scenes that I have ever experienced. Unique, without offering fish eyeballs or giraffe placenta or any other weird stuff that you get across the world.

It is the 1st and only place (I have been searching since) that has wine ice cream.

Shkmeruli, is the tastiest garlic chicken that I have ever had. The chicken is cooked in garlic and butter. Not a dash of butter or a spoon of butter. Georgians are bravehearts (I assume) since it is a bucket load of butter. I think they kill the chicken by drowning it in butter.

Khinkali are mega-sized dumplings. They are dumplings on steroids! It takes a concerted effort for 2 mildly built Asians to finish off one portion of the same.

There are loads of other unique stuff to eat and drink in Georgia. Check out my article on Georgia, if this interests you.

4. Austria and its breweries

I know this a touchy topic. I know this will bring forth hate. So if this angers you, I strongly recommend, sip an Austrian beer and relax.

Beer is another reason, I and my 2 kidneys love to travel. In fact, I have this weird habit of collecting beer crowns (caps) of the best of the beers, from all the countries I travel to.

Austrian beers and breweries are an amazing experience. Can 1000 people get together and still the place be orderly and peaceful? Yes! Try Austrian breweries. On approach, they seem to appear small innocent pubs with a possibility of seating 10–20 people at max. They appear to be desolated from the outside.

Why? As I realised later because half of the town is already inside. The moment you enter, well there is no ‘moment’ of entering as you keep on entering and the place keeps on revealing itself mystically.

There is simple seating beneath the canopy of lush green trees. There is beer on the menu. There are 4 items on the food menu. And there are about 1000 people enjoying this limited selection peacefully. Any time of the day.

Radler’s (Beer + Lemonade) is a great way to begin your day at the brewery on a hot day. They are joyful to sip.

Favourite Brewery- Augustiner Brau, Salzburg. Pic Source: Author

5. Uganda and its pineapples

All my life, I used to consider the pineapple as an abomination. Difficult and dangerous to undress. And once you succeed in doing this painful task, inside, awaiting you is a dose full of citric acid. The ripest of pineapples would be citrus.

Then, one fine day, I visited Uganda, and everything changed. Ugandan pineapples are sweet. Damn sweet! They do not have a hint of citric acid. In Uganda, their freshness and thereby sweetness, are as widely debated as sushi in Japan.

Fruit vendors will give you pineapples with exact information. “This one is for today, this for after 2 days, and this for 4 days later”. Do not sway away from the timelines. If you cut open the ‘after 2 days’ pineapple on the 3rd day, it could have already started its journey towards hell or heaven.

Ugandan pineapples are sweeter than the sweetest mangoes!