I've been there!

[Brian Ellis]

I've stayed in all the coloured parts of this map. I did it because I was curious about the proportion of the world I've seen, less than I thought. Weakness: the base map I used has the US States, but not the Canadian Provinces, distorting the impression somewhat (I've stayed only in Québec and Ontario). Pity I've never been to Russia: it would have made a good coloured splodge!

[ZokesPro]

I've been to the biggest purple splodge and almost every province in the purple splodge and almost all the states beneath the big purple splodge.

My dad however has been to 120+ countries, lucky wanker.

[GNEP]

Hehe Brian - I think we think far too alike! I did exactly the same a little while back, and drew exactly the same conclusion (I've had less time to fill in the blanks though ) - will have to see if I can dig it out at some point (although I seem to remember a I couldn't find a map with the US states as well as countries - do you have a link to the original you used?

George

[lecter]

Here's where I've been...did the color-in thing before, but www.passportstamp.com is more straightforward, you just input the countries and it fills in the map for you...doesn't even have the US states, though.

[Jessterw]

Thanks for the link lecter, hadn't seen that site before.

Sadly, my travels have been limited to mainly just North America. I've been through or lived in most of the continental US (never been to Alaska or Hawaii), and visited Mexico, Puerto Rico (too small for the map apparently), as well as Japan.

I've been to Canada, but so have most visitors to Niagara Falls, so I wouldn't even bother counting that

[lecter]

Yeah, didn't count Niagara Falls either...I've also been to Hong Kong & Macau, but that doesn't quite count as China

P.S. My nick's leCter, Jesterzwild, I don't come from Texas or smthn

[Jessterw]

Heh, oops. Not sure why I did that.

[TnT]

Pity I've never been to Russia: it would have made a good coloured splodge!

I'd like to go to Russia one of these days, but currently I was warned about the Neo-Nazi problem and constant "neck stabbings".

[lecter]

I'd like to go to Russia one of these days, but currently I was warned about the Neo-Nazi problem and constant "neck stabbings".

It's not a big issue in that sense, Moscow is very multi-cultural (in terms of race, because culturally speaking everyone is expected to be Russified )...there are three other huge issues with travel in Russia nowadays imho:

1. If you stay at a hotel, it's expensive...very expensive. If you see something decently priced, God knows where it is or how it really looks like.

2. They don't like individual tourists, they don't want individual tourists, they have nearly 0 infrastructure for individual tourists...you'll run into a whole number of issues just getting a visa if you don't do it thru a travel agency. Once there, if you don't at least learn the alphabet (which is actually quite easy...), expect to get nowhere fast.

3. The largest country in the world has never heard of the concept of a metered taxi...there are close to none such things (and the ones that actually have a meter never want to use it) and you're expected to thumb a ride if you're traveling late at night or to a location not quite covered by available public transport.

On the plus side, the subways in both Moscow and St. Petersburg are excellent for getting around (just not if you're coming back from a club at 3AM) and there are some truly outstanding sites to be seen...

[Brian Ellis]

Hehe Brian - I think we think far too alike! I did exactly the same a little while back, and drew exactly the same conclusion (I've had less time to fill in the blanks though ) - will have to see if I can dig it out at some point (although I seem to remember a I couldn't find a map with the US states as well as countries - do you have a link to the original you used?

George

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BlankMap-World-USA.png

[GNEP]

Hehe thanks for the links chaps - just filled in the passport stamp one (there are probably some I've forgotten... especially in Europe). And the result confirms exactly what I already know - I don't like hot places A band north and south through the temperate (ish) zones in each hemisphere...

My theory of travel has always been: go where the wine comes from. The climate is gooood. Which leaves Oz and Kiwiland, which are vague plans of mine anyway

[az]

I don't like hot places

Me neither. Which is quite bad, seeing that al of Germany is one hot place at the moment.

I've only been to Korea (don't remember), Austria, Prague, and lots of places in Germany I can't remember.

[Brian Ellis]

Tried the passport, but it has the disadvantage that you can't see small countries (Malta, Maldives, Brunei, HK etc.) on yhe map. However, the following table is interesting (for me):
World: 40/243 | Africa: 3/60 Eastern Africa: 1/19 | Middle Africa: 0/9 | Northern Africa: 2/7 | Southern Africa: 0/8 | Western Africa: 0/17 | South America: 0/15 North America: 3/37 Caribbean: 0/24 | Central America: 1/8 | Northern America: 2/5 | Asia: 17/55 Central Asia: 0/5 | Eastern Asia: 3/9 | Southern Asia: 2/10 | South-Eastern Asia: 7/13 | Western Asia: 5/18 | Europe: 17/49 Eastern Europe: 0/9 | Northern Europe: 4/16 | Southern Europe: 4/15 | Western Europe: 9/9 | Oceania: 0/26 Australia and New Zealand: 0/3 | Melanesia: 0/5 | Micronesia: 0/8 | Polynesia: 0/10 | Antarctica: 0/1

BTW, my criterion for including a country is one or more of the following:
a) I've slept there for at least one night
b) I've lived there
c) I've done at least one work visit there
to the exclusion of:
a) An aircraft stopover/change where I don't pass through immigration/customs
b) Motoring through even with stopping for fuel, meals etc.

[GNEP]

Pretty much the same criteria here Brian, or the list would get a wee bit larger...

[agallag]

I've done up a map with some very rough Canadian province divisions.