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Mental Travel

I lived in Cuba for 3 months when it was much more insular. Not quite as extreme, the Caribbean weather, Rum, and friendly people more than of set the totalitarian backdrop!

What is interesting about these few odd ball countries is that they offer perspective. Okay North Korea is not a nice place to live, Cuba likewise has frustrations though arguably had many positives too etc. The point is, the world is almost ubiquitous: liberal economic, democratic. If the West had its way every nation would be the same. The two things - liberal economy and democracy - are no doubt better for most people but they also shape life in many subtle ways. It's only when you step outside these systems that you can even see that they exist.

In Cuba the way life unfolds was different. Eithics were different. There was no free media shaping identities or attitudes. I am not saying it was better overall, but interesting to get perspective. To see that the liberal economic, democrat model is just one system. Churchill said Democracy is a bad system but the least bad one anyone has come up with so far. I'd agree with that.
 
I spent time in Syria under the Assad major rule, probably 8 years ago and it was the same there. No I am not saying the man is not evil etc but the country as far as I could see was happy, people were happy, thriving in business and tourism, they had a free press, the had off licencees which is a step to the west in middle east terms. There was a real good vibe. I am not saying there was not an undertone but I traveled the whole country and did not see it.
 
To really enjoy travelling the world you need to have an open mind and accept the vast differences you can experience without measuring the locals culture and attitude against what we have in Britain. My son-in-law frequently travels to the sub-continent for his work and says he finds the area and people fascinating but finds the gulf in the rich and the poor unsettling and feel bad about himself.
 
The title of this thread made me think of the film 'Total Recall.' So get your ass to Mars.
 
Grays_1890 said:
I spent time in Syria under the Assad major rule, probably 8 years ago and it was the same there. No I am not saying the man is not evil etc but the country as far as I could see was happy, people were happy, thriving in business and tourism, they had a free press, the had off licencees which is a step to the west in middle east terms. There was a real good vibe. I am not saying there was not an undertone but I traveled the whole country and did not see it.
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It is simply tragic what has happened in Syria. Assad wasn't in the Sadam, Gadafi league. He was western in his attitudes and actually pretty progressive. When the Arab spring came, the party (with many more hardline people from Asad's father's days) had a choice, be firm and crush the uprising, or let it spiral. Unfortunately, they tried to crush it rather than contain it. In killing lots of demonstrators Assad became tarnished as a tyrant.

However, most intelligence people, those from the US and UK, believed keeping Assad was the smart thing to do. But for some reason massive amounts of money and arms was pumped into Syrian rebels from the middle east, Israel, Turkey and the US who all had an anti-Assad agenda. Russia has been an ally and also saw that keeping some stability was better than another Libya or Iraq. If Assad had been allowed to stabilize the country without all the funding for rebels (mostly Islamist groups who are pretty extreme), there wouldn't be the mass refugee crisis and people suffering now.

You'd think the powers that be had learnt their lessons from Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. It is truly the most tragic of situations, that could have been avoided, and Assad was probably a potential answer not the problem.
 
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I always wanted to go to Syria and Libya. So much history in both places. A few years ago we started researching a holiday but put it on hold. Then everything kicked off and I wonder now if we'll ever get to go to either country. Even if we do, it won't be the same as so much damage has been done. Lesson learnt - if you want to travel somewhere, find a way to do it, before it's too late.
(Post written from the perspective of "travel", which was in the OP. I appreciate that the people of Syria and Libya have suffered - and still are suffering - so my regrets over not being able to have a holiday there are not meant to sound selfish).
 
I'm pleased that I got to see Egypt and the City of Petra before it all kicked off in the Middle East. I use to work with a Syrian who's family had to leave in the 60's he always said what a beautiful city Damascus is.
 
Syria was amazing, I have had the joy of working all over the Middle East and Syria was by far the most amazing of all the places I visited. So much history and every part so different, amazing place
 
Have had friends go to North Korea using a different tour operator (youngpioneertours.com). Been very happy with the experience I believe, though there are very clear restrictions on what you get to see and do. Been wanting to go on one of those trips myself, but not had the chance so far.
 
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