My top 3 travel highlights in the last 12 months

1. Last year, I went to the Yellow Mountains in China. It took my family 12 hours by bus to get there from Shanghai. When I arrived there, I was already exhausted, and had a feeling of homesickness. Yellow Mountains are one of the four most famous mountain regions in China. This area is known for its beauty and wilderness. On the first day, my family did not do anything special. We just had a look around the village we were in. To be honest, there was not much to see.

   On the second day, we started hiking at 6.00a.m., because we decided to take the long hiking course which takes about 12 hours. The local people told us that not that many people take that course, not only because of its length, but because of its danger. However, we did not listen. When he reached the Yellow Mountain, we were shocked by its size, beauty, and the fact that at least 15 people die every year while hiking.
    The hiking part wasn't easy. It took us about 8 hours to reach the mid-point. Also, I felt dizzy as we got closer to the top because of my altitude sickness. Because of me, we had no other choice than to stay at a hotel in the Yellow Mountain. Even though, we weren't able to finish the course, we were glad to see such a picturesque mountain. It was like a mountain from fairy tales. It was so beautiful that no one could describe it unless they went to the mountain for themselves; it sure was a great experience.



2. This year when my family was living in Germany, we got a chance to travel to Venice in Italy. Unfortunately, instead of taking an airplane, we used my dad's car to get there. I can't remember how long it took us to get to Venice but for sure, it wasn't short. I've always wanted to go to Venice, my friends told me that it's a flowing city and it might disappear by 2050. It was a perfect chance for me to have a look at Venice before it disappears (if what my friends told me was true). When we arrived in Venice, we had to leave our car outside the city because cars were useless there. Boats and gondolas were the only transport system in use. Venice was much more beautiful than I expected. There were many people there because of the Gondola Festival but this didn't impact on our enjoyment.

Everything there was a new experience for me, for example, people riding gondolas instead of driving cars. The highlight of this trip was when we went to a local restaurant and had dinner. We ordered many dishes but the spaghetti my brother ordered stood out the most. It was not like any other spaghetti I had tasted before; it was genuine Italian spaghetti. As a result, my family ended up ordering three more of the same dish! Italy was fantastic, the food, the people and even the things we bought, were perfect. One day, if I get a chance, I would like to visit Italy again and taste the same spaghetti once more.

3. If you think about Munich, Germany, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For most people, it's probably the Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is when German people wear their traditional clothes (Lederhosen and Dirndls) and just drink all day (that is my definition). I got a chance to go to Oktoberfest because my dad's friend from work invited us. We went to Oktoberfest on the first day (it lasts for about a month). It seemed like all the people in the world decided to go to Munich, and get drunk. All I could see were people drunk and having fights. However, my dad and I got rid of the fear and went inside the park where the Oktoberfest takes place. In there, we couldn't move because it was so crowded with people. We moved whenever the people around us moved. We almost got into a fight when I accidentally bumped into a tall German looking guy, who got quite angry at that. My dad and I had no other choice than to come back home. Later on, when I asked my friends if Oktoberfest is always like that, they told me that my dad and I shouldn't have gone there on the first day. It's when there's the most number of people. Oktoberfest wasn't a pleasant memory for me, but it made me want to go there next year, but not on the first day.