Find Your Adventure: Around the World

[partyon]

30 minutes ago, LeftCoastOppa said:

BTW, kudos to whoever did the artwork for the stamps

 

It's @gm4queen's artwork!

[willenette]

*** K-dramas have allowed us to see a glimpse of the wonderful destinations around the planet that we have not known otherwise. The venues featured in popular series often see a surge in tourists. If you follow Korean dramas ardently, you know that the places shown in these shows, be it fried chicken shops or stunning beach side towns, are spots you may definitely want to be at. Although in some instances the shows created entire sets just long enough for production before tearing them down (Squid Game is a prime example) there are many others that were filmed in regular destinations in South Korea. I love Jeju Island - I'm enchanted every time it pops up in a k-drama and it was no doubt one of the major reasons I stuck with Welcome to Samdal-ri aside from Ji Chang Wook of course, Our Blues and Boys Over Flowers! Jeju is so beautiful! Something about this place is just so calming. I also like Cheonggyecheon Stream! It captures the urban landscape/mood of Seoul at the end of day very well and it’s nice to see it in dramas where the leads just walk along the stream (like Heartbeat). And the water is clean. There are some interesting sculptures around it. Bukchon Hanok Village is also my favorite area – I always walk thru there when I’m in Seoul, gorgeous historical houses, masonry walls, absolutely beautiful! When I watched “Fight My Way”, it’s the reason why I went to Busan. Hocheon Village is one of the most popular places in Busan. It’s often said that television provides a window to the world — I am very fond of Korean food; which is why I always make sure to eat Korean food : Tteokbokki, Kimchi, Kimbap, Bibimbap and Korean fried Chicken. And of course, I have to mention that I love the Banchan (side dishes) that comes with Korean meals; In fact, Korean FOOD was the first thing I loved about the country.

 

I can only make guesses for the clues mentioned :  

Clue #1

 

• I was banished to the other side of the world: I should feel lucky, since I have sun and beach and surfing to occupy me in this glorious city. Exiled as I was, I still craved the attention of my family that shunned me due to my mum's standing. Back at school, I*'m again at the top, except for my ex best friend who feels betrayed (and dare I say hurt).

 

Spoiler

Is this Lee Min Ho and Kim Woo Bin's drama "The Heirs"? The opening surf scene was filmed in Huntington Beach, California. Sigh..............that I haven't visited the location since I don't really dig beaches.

 

 

Clue #3

 

• I have some money saved, and travel to a foreign country with my old, but valuable camera. The camera is broken due to a car accident, but oh wonder I met someone who feels like she can breathe for the first time. I show her around all the sights I experienced in this wonderful sunny city. We say goodbye, and we say hello when we return: Her as the CEO and me as her employee! Oh the scandal! 

Spoiler

I guess this is Park Bogum's drama "Encounter". The drama location was Cuba.  I took my 1st trip to this place 2020. It was one of my most interesting trips because Cuba isn’t like anywhere else : Many ATMs are out of cash. Bank cards don’t work and there’s a 10% fee added to exchange of US dollars. The internet barely works. The internet isn’t heavily censored like China’s but it’s simply hard to access. All these things considered, I was kind of stressed the couple of days. Basically, I needed to work out my Cuba budget because I was most of the time greeted queuing up for currency exchange. The Cuban prices were a bit high. Yep, I was actually in Havana and, over the next few days, I was to discover what Cuba is really like to visit. We’ve seen the Instagram photos of Havana, like those pink Cadillacs and colourful houses. Well, partly. The colorful houses exist; so do the Cadillacs. There are indeed parts of Old Havana that are truly photo paradise. But there are also backstreets upon backstreets of rundown houses, construction and piles of trash. Now, I know Airbnb is allowed in Cuba. The last couple of years have changed everything in Cuba. Cubans love to drink, dance and socialize. Cocktails in Cuba flow freely and are very affordable. Many of Cubans are loud. I can’t deny things about Cuba were challenging but there was a lot I also enjoyed. While there were plenty of things I liked about Cuba, I wasn’t blown away by the food. There were a few dishes I enjoyed, though. It made me realize how accustomed I am to convenience. Whether it’s dinner, a cab or a gift for a friend, usually when I want something, I reach for my phone and order it. In Cuba, there are no shortcuts. For this alone, I’m so glad I got to visit and learn about Cuba first-hand, rather than from a book.  

 

[rocher22]

Clue #1

Spoiler

The Heirs

 

 

 

 

Clue #2

Spoiler

Taxi Driver

 

 

 

 

Clue #3

Spoiler

Encounter

 

 

 

The stamps and the guide texts....      

[agenth]

I’m posting the clue from

mobile, hope that everyone can find the stamp

 

 

clue #4

• This is my journey from shadows to spotlight (from my past to a new, different life), where every step is a testament to resilience and ambition. From humble beginnings of my grandfather to a life adorned with luxury, witness the transformation unfold as history is rewritten. Amidst the glitz and glamour, discover the story of a phoenix rising, where dreams take flight against all odds.

 

[YongZura⁷]

I was waiting for you.... @agenth  😎

 

I'm not sure why .... I wonder sometimes about the country ... 

 

Spoiler

4. Reborn Rich - Turkey

 

Love baklava btw 😉

 

 

[rocat]

22 hours ago, partyon said:

didn't even find fish & chips on the menu....?

 

22 hours ago, partyon said:

Nowadays it's much harder to go there. You can't get a visa exemption for another country anymore if you visit this one

 

I thought only the US applied You Shall Not Pass. Which other countries would stop you from entering? But no plans to visit just yet…

 

22 hours ago, partyon said:

or me, I have a hard time finding good coffee there.

They do a lot of light to medium roasts too. We’ll need to find you a cafe to have that one good cup.

 

21 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

also expecting some more countries in the Europe and Asia continents...

Ditto to that.

 

Clue #4

Took me awhile…

 

Spoiler

Reborn Rich

 

Istanbul, Turkey

 

Brings back fantastic memories from last year! Tried the hammam- was bathed and scrubbed clean like a baby. Once you get over the weirdness of having a stranger clean your pits without giggling, it’s nice. And Ibrik coffee, the amazing Hagia Sophia and Bosphorus.

[partyon]

5 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

I'm not sure why .... I wonder sometimes about the country ... 

 

What do you wonder about the country?

 

@rocat You can't get an ESTA if you've visited it after 2021 anymore. So it doesn't ban the visit, but it makes it harder for you to go to North America after that. Lots of Europeans visited it before the pandemic, but it has probably become less popular now.

 

1 hour ago, rocat said:

They do a lot of light to medium roasts too. We’ll need to find you a cafe to have that one good cup.

 

I have no plans of going back to Australia in the near future. Chingu, I even struggle finding a cup of coffee that I like in your country....

@sadthe1st knows all about my struggles there.

I'm a Central America coffee person.

 

1 hour ago, rocat said:

Tried the hammam- was bathed and scrubbed clean like a baby.

 

Chinguya, best hammams in the world: Morocco. Well worth while to go to a small private hammam for locals. I felt like had been reborn after a one hour scrubbing session. I've tried hammams in many countries (including Turkey, Jordan and some in Europe). Nothing beats Morocco.

 

 

9 hours ago, rocher22 said:

The stamps and the guide texts....

 

Thanks for your kind words

@willenette Thanks for sharing your travel stories.

[4evrkdrama]

6 hours ago, agenth said:

 

clue #4

• This is my journey from shadows to spotlight (from my past to a new, different life), where every step is a testament to resilience and ambition. From humble beginnings of my grandfather to a life adorned with luxury, witness the transformation unfold as history is rewritten. Amidst the glitz and glamour, discover the story of a phoenix rising, where dreams take flight against all odds.

 

 

Was waiting for you for so long,

I kept refreshing the page and then i slept

Spoiler

"Frm my past to a new different life"

 

"Grandfather"

 

"Resilience and ambition" "humble beginning and luxury"

 

Its ReBorn Rich

 

Place - Turkey Istanbul

 

 

I have not travelled to Turkey, though its been always in my bucket list

 

But i have tried many turkish dishes and am in love with them 

To name a few,

Bakalava

 

Not so much into sweet foods

But this has my heart, where there is baklava there is me

 

Turkish kebab 

 

Tried it from qatar , in different forms

Kebab platter, Kebab wrap (Harbiye Durum) , Kebab and rice.

They are super juicy and yummmmmmmm.

Dolma - stuffed grape leaves

 

rice and meat, wrapped in grape leaves .

Its sour in taste but i love it.

The thing abt arabic foods are each  country has its own version of these foods, claiming its origin there

But regardless they are a must try !

 

Stamp collected

 

Spoiler

 

 

[partyon]

29 minutes ago, 4evrkdrama said:

Was waiting for you for so long,

 

@agenth's printer ran out of ink, so she couldn't print out your next boarding pass.

33 minutes ago, 4evrkdrama said:

I kept refreshing the page and then i slept

 

You this morning?

[larus]

On 4/26/2024 at 6:34 PM, agenth said:

Clue #4

• This is my journey from shadows to spotlight (from my past to a new different life), where every step is a testament to resilience and ambition. From humble beginnings of my grandfather to a life adorned with luxury, witness the transformation unfold as history is rewritten. Amidst the glitz and glamour, discover the story of a phoenix rising, where dreams take flight against all odds.

 

Finally, a location I have visited. 😁

 

Spoiler

 

 

[partyon]

1 minute ago, larus said:

Finally, a location I have visited. 😁

 

Chingu, you said you hadn't been outside of Europe? You only stayed in Istanbul on the European side?

[larus]

9 minutes ago, partyon said:

Chingu, you said you hadn't been outside of Europe? You only stayed in Istanbul on the European side?

 

I was last year. Yeah, I stayed on the European side.

 

 

[agenth]

3 hours ago, larus said:

Finally, a location I have visited. 😁

 

nice! still no location revealed that i visited

4 hours ago, 4evrkdrama said:

Dolma - stuffed grape leaves

 

my mum's neighbour gave me some, and i tried it for the first time. it was really nice! 

 

4 hours ago, partyon said:

@rocat You can't get an ESTA if you've visited it after 2021 anymore. So it doesn't ban the visit, but it makes it harder for you to go to North America after that. Lots of Europeans visited it before the pandemic, but it has probably become less popular now.

 

 

whoah. can you get an ESTA and then visit cuba and then go back, within the 2 year period of ESTA?

 

10 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

I was waiting for you.... @agenth  😎

 

so sorry! i did think about you waiting, though, if that helps  

 

17 hours ago, willenette said:

I can only make guesses for the clues mentioned :   

 

did you manage to find the stamps as well? 

 

and thanks for writing more about your travel story. you are right, i'm quite used to convenience as well. i mainly use apple pay when i travel, so even in Korea I had to withdraw a lot of money, because there apple pay rarely works. not exactly the same situation you found yourself in, but i hope one day to explore the city as well"!

[YongZura⁷]

 

 

3 hours ago, agenth said:

 

so sorry! i did think about you waiting, though, if that helps  

 

 

😉 At least I'm not alone @4evrkdrama was here waiting too.  No waiting for you today 🤣 However, I've a question.

Spoiler

Do you put the link to the answer on the day the clue is revealed or are all the links in the threads already? 🤔
(In case I come across a drama that I've never watched)

 

Ooohh ... I was just wondering about the historical element, @partyon

 

I was there technically (transit)... Still remember searching for BTS album on the flight but only found their Japanese album not the Korean's album  Hmmm... I wonder again.

 

One of the activities I used to have in mind if I ever visited the country is the hot air balloon ride 😎 Has anyone tried it before?

 

[willenette]

10 hours ago, partyon said:

 

Chinguya, best hammams in the world: Morocco. Well worth while to go to a small private hammam for locals. I felt like had been reborn after a one hour scrubbing session. I've tried hammams in many countries (including Turkey, Jordan and some in Europe). Nothing beats Morocco.

 

 

@willenette Thanks for sharing your travel stories.

 

@partyon  I do agree with you. When I was there, I tried Heritage Spa and I was lucky enough to be visiting that place because I experienced a real Moroccan pampering session. But,for me nothing beats Dubai and Qatar based on my experienced for best Hammam Spa. 

4 hours ago, YongZura⁷ said:

 

One of the activities I used to have in mind if I ever visited the country is the hot air balloon ride 😎 Has anyone tried it before?

 

 

@YongZura⁷  Yes, I have ridden in a balloon many times but, I was scared the first time in Northern California and that was NY's day but, I wanted to experience it. And I wanted to know if I have acrophobia. Some folks with fear of heights find they do not experience that at all. Plus I meet a lot of exceptional friendly people in the sport of ballooning. Being a stewardess before, I have a better understanding of when to be afraid! Balloons travel with the wind so you don’t feel turbulence in the way you do with an airplane. Flying in a balloon feels as if you are standing still and the world below you is moving. And it definitely it is an adventure! It was fun. You know the feeling since you have tried it. For me skydiving is scarier. 

[willenette]

6 hours ago, agenth said:

 

did you manage to find the stamps as well? 

 

 

and thanks for writing more about your travel story. you are right, i'm quite used to convenience as well. i mainly use apple pay when i travel, so even in Korea I had to withdraw a lot of money, because there apple pay rarely works. not exactly the same situation you found yourself in, but i hope one day to explore the city as well"!

 

@agenth  no.........because I think I need to go to drama thread to claim that, right? But, it's fine, just commenting here is enough for me.     Apple Pay isn't widely used or integrated in Korea. In Korea, when the card machine reads your chip, it will first try to decipher, which purchaser network it will process from - whether it's from BC, KB, Hana, Shinhan, Lotte, Samsung, etc. So, Apple pay using foreign card will fail at this stage. You won’t be able to rely on it at all. It has very limited availability. Although, my friend works for her in 7-11 during our recent visit.  

11 hours ago, 4evrkdrama said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

"Frm my past to a new different life"

 

"Grandfather"

 

"Resilience and ambition" "humble beginning and luxury"

 

Its ReBorn Rich

 

Place - Turkey Istanbul

 

 

I have not travelled to Turkey, though its been always in my bucket list

 

But i have tried many turkish dishes and am in love with them 

To name a few,

Bakalava

 

Not so much into sweet foods

But this has my heart, where there is baklava there is me

Stamp collected

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

@4evrkdrama  Istanbul is a lovely city, with so much flavor to offer and during the summer months is overwhelmed with tourists from all over the world, particularly from the US. Best luck and enjoyment in your travel to Turkey in the future. Here, there are more taxis than passengers and you are more likely to be haled by a taxi than the other way around. There are more restaurants than people eating I think - hahaha - There are more shops than people buying stuff. Istanbul has great weather. While landing into the airport, one gets to see the Sea of Marmara and many ships and boats all around - what a delightful sight! I love Baklava, too! I'm a sweet-tooth person.  @partyon  Turkish Ham-am was interesting, too. It's just that the prices for tourists were three times the local price.  

[agenth]

Attention passengers boarding on clue #5

 

this is for you:

 

• You pass by a hotel most famous for its divine swimming pool, almost as if you can see all the orchids of the world: a famous shopping street, the beautiful flowers in the gardens. Enter the world of me and my three sisters as we navigate life, love and loss in the pursuit of our dreams. 

[rocat]

16 hours ago, partyon said:

You can't get an ESTA if you've visited it after 2021 anymore. So it doesn't ban the visit, but it makes it harder for you to go to North America after that. Lots of Europeans visited it before the pandemic, but it has probably become less popular now.

Sanctions, probably?

Hmmm…wonder how long a block is for…

 

11 hours ago, agenth said:

 

whoah. can you get an ESTA and then visit cuba and then go back, within the 2 year period of ESTA?

That’s a good solution!

Can they send you home just cos you came from Cuba though?

 

16 hours ago, partyon said:

no plans of going back to Australia in the near future. Chingu, I even struggle finding a cup of coffee that I like in your country..

Kekeke…fortunately or unfortunately, my country is not known for good third wave coffee - all imported. Local coffee based on the robusta beans IS kinda dark and bitter.. 

 

16 hours ago, partyon said:

Chinguya, best hammams in the world: Morocco

Yep, would vouch for that but I wouldn’t say the best for me though it was where I got my very first one. Memorable…being rolled around like meat and cleaned. Kekeke.
 

5 hours ago, willenette said:

agree with you. When I was there, I tried Heritage Spa and I was lucky enough to be visiting that place because I experienced a real Moroccan pampering session. But,for me nothing beats Dubai and Qata

I haven’t been to any in Dubai or Qatar…sounds very nice! Why are they good for you?

 

16 hours ago, 4evrkdrama said:

olma - stuffed grape leaves

I love these!! But gotta be careful though - I ve had some with fibrous middle stems and I had a field time trying to rid those that got stuck in my teeth. 
 

Clue #5….waiting…

and waited for but didn’t watch any with 3 sisters in it…but I think I KNOW! Kekeke

 

Spoiler

 

[YongZura⁷]

35 minutes ago, agenth said:

Attention passengers boarding on clue #5

 

this is for you:

 

• You pass by a hotel most famous for its divine swimming pool, almost as if you can see all the orchids of the world: a famous shopping street, the beautiful flowers in the gardens. Enter the world of me and my three sisters as we navigate life, love and loss in the pursuit of our dreams. 

 

I was waiting for this 😍

 

Spoiler

 

5. Little Women - Singapore

 

 

My favourite airport - I can spend hours here 😂

[willenette]

34 minutes ago, rocat said:

Kekeke…fortunately or unfortunately, my country is not known for good third wave coffee - all imported. Local coffee based on the robusta beans IS kinda dark and bitter.. 

 

I haven’t been to any in Dubai or Qatar…sounds very nice! Why are they good for you?

 

 

@rocat  As much as I want to drink coffee, even blended one I don't because IDK why I'm having a hard time sleeping at night when I drink one. That's why, when I crave for one I choose decaf. So, I can say that I'm not a coffee person. I love Dubai because of its ultra-modern  infrastructure.  When looking at a city view map of Dubai everything looks deceivingly close together, but it's not. My sister-in-law works in Dubai so, I've visited three times now over the past few years. As a result I've had the opportunity to experience the tourist side of Dubai. It's just that restaurants in Dubai can be very expensive. If you are the type of person who enjoys visiting a country to experience the culture and history then Dubai isn't really the ideal place for you. It's worth stopping off here on your way to another country simply for the experience. It Is not safe to travel to Qatar right now because of the conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region. It could affect Qatar. Dubai and Qatar are just a short flight or drive from each other, making it possible to visit both within one trip. Actually, I've never imagined visiting the place. But, going to the Middle East had always been a dream of mine. At first, I was a little apprehensive; I didn't know much about Doha. But the opportunity to see the real Middle East was an immediate yes for me. And every person I met and interacted with on this short trip was friendly; they were genuinely welcoming and excited to see tourists visiting their country. And in the end, that's the experience that will stick with me. 

44 minutes ago, YongZura⁷ said:

 

I was waiting for this 😍

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

5. Little Women - Singapore

 

 

My favourite airport - I can spend hours here 😂

 

@YongZura⁷  me, too, I like Changi International Airport. It never ceases to amaze me that Changi continues to be voted as the best airport in the world. In terms of inside beautification, greenery, ambience and comfort this airport is one of the best ones.  But, for me I really love Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan).  

1 hour ago, agenth said:

Attention passengers boarding on clue #5

 

this is for you:

 

• You pass by a hotel most famous for its divine swimming pool, almost as if you can see all the orchids of the world: a famous shopping street, the beautiful flowers in the gardens. Enter the world of me and my three sisters as we navigate life, love and loss in the pursuit of our dreams. 

 

@agenth  for this clue, I don't really have an idea.....