I thought it would be fun to write a little bit of your first impressions when you arrived to a country you have never been before.
Only rules are: 1. Keep it short for each country. 2. Don't be offensive ( you can be sincere but polite)
Brazil: was amazed by the beach, but felt a bit insecure.
Peru: very poor, but people were extremely friendly and curious.
Cuba: I liked the environment and landscapes a lot, but I got the feeling that locals were willing to use tourists as a way to escape the country.
Uruguay: felt like a more peaceful Argentina.
France: I enjoyed the Notre Dame cathedral a lot, was surprised to see how ethnically diverse it was
China: I was surprised about how much people ignored traffic laws. I was amazed at the Chinese characters and how misterious they looked.
Spain: I loved the buildings of Madrid and how well preserved all historical sites were, it looked like it was much wealthier that it actually is.
Netherlands: the landscapes look surprisingly rural, but very pleasant. People were very tall and everyone was riding bycicles. The sun went down at 23:00.
Germany: almost no historical buildings. Everything looked new, didn't make me feel I was in Europe.
Belgian: loved the designs of the small houses. They had their own unique identity.
Israel: very high airport security. I was surprised by how expansive the irrigation system was. The food was very good.
Phillipines: I didn't like the cities, but I loved the small coastal towns. The weather was surprisingly mild.
Taiwan: I went there after living in china for a long time. It felt like a warmer ( weather wise and people wise ) version of china. The traditional characters everywhere fascinated me. People's accent is cute.
United States: I was in los Angeles after COVID. It felt extreme. Extreme opulence next to extreme poverty. Huge cars next to tents. Everything felt bigger.
South Korea: the first time in Asia I felt like it was in a foreign country. Couldn't understand anything written. Felt lost. People had great hair, but everyone was wearing super conservative without any colors.
Japan: was surprised about the showers and toilets. People spoke very different from the movies and the animes. The cities were extremely clean.
Cambodia: loved the temples and coastal areas. I was much more poor than other countries in south east Asia .
India: I was surprised by the amount of cows on the road. The temperature was scorching. The food was vegetarian but amazing.
Malaysia: It was much more developed than expected. Also with many foreign workers.
Thailand: it looked like all of Europea moved there. Have never been to such a touristic place. I really enjoyed it though.
Singapore: the architecture was beautiful. Vertical gardens everywhere. The city seems designed to protect the people from the rain and the sun. Chinese spoken with a huanan accent everywhere.
South Africa: was in Durban. It was a lot wealthier than expected. Very few poor people. Very pleasant weather. The food was really heavy.
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