A Life of Travel: My Top 2 Friendliest Countries in the World are...

Over the past week, the concept of friendliness came up a few times. It led me to think about that classic question: 'what are the friendliest countries in the world?'

Without hesitation, my answer is India and Mexico.

Of course, there are many other countries that I would label friendly, and many that you would label super friendly, too. And of course, defining the concept of friendliness is not exactly a straightforward task.

To me, an extremely friendly country is one where you could turn to the left or to the right, on almost any street, and start talking to a local person nearby. And the key is that you start talking because you know the chances are very high you'll get a smile, a conversation, some assistance or whatever you're looking for, in return.

People won't generally walk away or refuse to assist. They won't think you're weird or ignore you completely, even if you don't speak their language.

India and Mexico are two countries where I don't hesitate to strike up a conversation with almost any person around me. I'll ask for directions or help, I'll chit-chat for a couple of minutes while waiting in line or simply start talking to someone for no particular reason. The response is almost always positive in these two countries, which is why they stand out so much to me.

Naturally, I'm curious about your own experiences. What are the friendliest countries you've visited and how do you define that friendliness?

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On a completely different note, this week I learned that some gins contain cardamom. And adding fresh cardamom seeds to a gin and tonic is indeed a wonderful thing.

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Matcha, Matcha, Matcha

[Short thoughts about being a cat dad to Matcha, my kitten that we rescued in Bali last year]

The second I bend over to pick up something, take off my shoes or open a drawer, Matcha jumps right onto my back. She then eagerly searches for any higher ground to explore - perhaps a ledge, a closet shelf or a ridiculously thin shower wall. There is simply no stopping her.

Bike-Friendly Cities
It's not really a surprise that 15 of the top 20 bike-friendly cities in the world are located in Europe. I was surprised that Bogota and Tokyo were on the list though!

The Purple Islands
In South Korea, the Banwol and Bakji Islands are a magical paradise of the color purple. Houses, roads, bridges, flowers and more...they're all purple.

The Death of Hostels
Budget hostels that have been popular with backpackers for years are generally on the way out, being replaced by 'hipper' boutique accommodation and higher prices.

Early Breakfast
In the the town of Trang, Thailand, it's not uncommon for people to visit street vendors and food markets at 4:00am in order to enjoy a typical local breakfast.

Cotton Candy Caves
Located in the Munmorah State Conservation Area some 2 hours outside of Sydney, Australia, these beautiful bright pink caves are only accessible via a very tricky coastal walk.

Scottish Island for Sale
With an opening bid of only £80,000, the uninhabited and stunning 11 acre Deer Island in Scotland is indeed available for sale.

Clowns Without Borders
With chapters in 16 different countries, the Clowns Without Borders non-profit organization aims to "offer joy and laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency." Once it's possible again, they will be sending out teams of clowns to refugee camps around the world.