10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna en-us My friend C and I went to Jamaica on a last-minute whim, when our Vegas trip fell through and we found a cheap student deal online. We were hesitant at first, especially when the bus that took us to the hotel was full of crazy frat/sorority types, but once we arrived and noticed that we were literally across the street from the beach, at a separate hotel from the rest of the gang, we sighed with relief and had a wonderful latte at the bar. Of course, the latte was served by a beautiful and flirtatious man named Randy (ha), so if it was bad I would never have noticed. We spent the next week half on the beach and half adventuring. We saw the beautiful YS falls, saw the cliffs at sunset from a catamaran blasting reggae, went on a hilariously phony crocodile cruise on Black River, and spent a couple of hours every day fending off the incredibly aggressive (not physically) men (and one woman who took a shine to C) who cruised the beaches looking for bikinied gals to hit on. All in ... Montego Bay, Jamaica annsabananna Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:33:19 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna/experience/844 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/844 Beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. Amazing. Astounding. Lovely. Insane. Picturesque. Scenic. Delightful. Wonderful. The list goes on and on, but only because I busted out the thesaurus after Insane. Twenty-four hours into my trip to Capetown, South Africa, wandering agape through the most stunning botanical gardens I’ve ever visited, I ran clear out of superlatives. My friend D had to listen to me use the same 2 words to describe indescribably different kinds of beauty for the next four days. Sandwiched between mountains and sea (Indian or Atlantic, take your pick) and full of the beautiful African people I’ve never been able to stop missing since Tanzania (different of course, and the history is completely separate, but the huge smiles and warm nature are still very present), Cape Town is GORGEOUS. Add to the natural beauty the good exchange rate, good food, and ability to spend life in sandals and a skirt, and I’m sure you’ll all be able to understand my elation.... Cape Town, South Africa annsabananna Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:59:02 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna/experience/842 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/842 Switzerland really is beautiful. No postcard or milk-carton watercolor can do it justice. Coming in on the train from Brussels, I was lucky enough to watch the sun rise over rolling hills of snow, dotted with serene black-and-white cows. It really did seem like the land of plenty. Chocolate, beauty, and more chocolate. What more could a sleep-deprived traveler ask? When I reached my destination I was still in awe. A huge, ice-blue river winds around Bern and the tiny city itself is clean, pretty, and efficient, just like its inhabitants. My friend and I did some exploring the day I got there and had a nice dinner, then the next morning we just had time to walk up to the rose garden for a breathtaking view and then stopped in at a little outdoor restaurant for some authentic Rosti (a Swiss dish involving egg, potato, and about 8 kinds of meat) before my friend had to catch his train back to Italy. I had about 10 hours before my night train, and we’d done most of what there... Bern, Switzerland annsabananna Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:16:40 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna/experience/841 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/841 It’s difficult to put my safari experience into 200 words…I feel like I either need one amazing word or I need to ramble for pages in search of accurate description. Not only was the scenery literally breathtaking (especially the sunrises) and the animals everything from awe- to chuckle-inspiring, but the effect this trip had on my insides, my mind and my heart, was completely unexpected. I miss Africa every day. This was the first trip I ever cried leaving. The team orchestrating our safari, Tanganyika Film and Safari, was wonderful, and I definitely got attached to them. They were knowledgeable and humorous and kind, and the chef (yes, we had a chef come to camp with us), was so talented. The food was so good we all agreed we’d rather eat in camp any day than at a fancy hotel. We timed our trip to coincide with the plains migration, which meant that on any given day our jeep was surrounded by wildebeest and antelope and zebra as far as the eye could see. Literally, t... The serengeti, Tanzania annsabananna Sat, 11 Aug 2007 06:35:04 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna/experience/714 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/714 Cairns, in a word, is tourism. I felt there was little to do in Cairns besides shop at beachy boutiques and go on pre-organized (and paid) adventures. That said, Cairns can offer a ton of fun if you’ve got the bank (and the balls, in some cases) to back it up. For example, my best friend and I went on a beautiful rainforest walk, swam in frigidly clear water, took a boat ride out to nearby Green Island, and almost drowned on a harrowing (she would say exhilarating) whitewater rafting trip. The nightlife might have been more fun if we hadn’t been timid seventeen-year-old dorks, but we did agree that the men were far inferior in looks to those studs in Sydney. (nb: this was 5 years ago, so maybe things have changed...) Cairns is probably a great place for a family vacay; lots of organized tours and chachy shopping to be had, and little trouble for the kids to get into (although I did get a fabulous tattoo). The scenery is certainly beautiful and more social creatures might ha... Cairns, Australia annsabananna Sat, 11 Aug 2007 05:41:07 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/annsabananna/experience/713 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/713