At the end of our ten-month, seventeen-country trip around the world in June, 2008, Joy and I created this list to summarize our observations. We called it the Garske Awards. These awards only cover the countries we visited on that trip: USA, Fiji, NZ, Australia, Bali, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, India, Qatar, South Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Denmark.

The world’s favorite food, based on popularity and widespread availability: pizza.  They make some bizarre varieties around the world, but everyone loves it. Runner up: noodles.

Number of times we felt threatened: zero

Number of times we felt endangered: every time we rode in a car in India

Number of times we got dirty looks or unfriendly treatment due to our nationality: zero.
Number of times concern was expressed to us about US militarism, foreign policy and the GOP nut jobs running our government (2000-2008): dozens.
Number of times we were asked about the 2008 US presidential election: dozens.

Number of times we heard “America will never elect a black man,” – dozens.

I told them we would, but few believed it. Much of the world was astonished by the election.

Baggage brought on trip: One small carry-on bag and one day pack, each.

Budget overrun: about 20%. It’s the unexpected stuff that gets you.

Worst night of the trip: Australia: a hot, cramped, damp, airless coffin-like trimaran berth on a Whitsunday Islands sail boat excursion, in a rainstorm.  Runner up: also Australia, our first night, a Saturday in Sydney, at a cheap hotel with thin walls across the street from a loud, popular pub and the local ER (think: drunks yelling, barfing, and sirens all night long), where we learned that earplugs are absolutely essential for international travel.

Most beautiful country: New Zealand.  Runners up: USA and Italy

Least beautiful: India (some very nice spots, but nearly everything is covered in dried poop dust).

Best society: Denmark (no poverty, no crime, free health care, free college, six weeks vacation for all, minimum wage $15/hour, etc). Runner-up: Australia.

Society most needing improvement: Egypt (police state in 2008).  Runner up: India (a mess, but at least it’s a democracy of sorts).

Friendliest people: New Zealand.  Runners up: Bali and Turkey

Best food: Italy. Runner up: USA

Most memorable meal: New Zealand (green-lip mussels we gathered while snorkeling, french bread and excellent chilled NZ sauvignon blanc. Mmmmm.)

Best art, humanities and cultural treasures: Italy

Best building: Taj Mahal

Best ruins: Egypt.  Runners Up: a seven-way tie: Turkey, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Greece, Italy, Bali

Best hotel values: South Africa, Bali

Worst, most discourteous and dangerous drivers: India

Best drivers: USA (really!)

Best weather: Denmark (a shocking dark horse), California

Most disappointing weather: Australia, tons of rain, flooding

Most expensive countries: Europe

Most expensive meal: Santorini

Least expensive meal: India (a 25¢ lunch of naan (flat bread), dahl (spiced lentils), and palak paneer (creamed spinach). Runner up: Bali

Most affordable country: Bali, (Indonesia)

Most charming neighborhoods: Greece

Most beautiful city: Sydney.  Runner Up: Istanbul

Biggest pleasant surprise (city): Istanbul

Most beautiful waters: Fiji. Runners Up: Hawaii, Italy, Turkey, Greece

Place we’d move if we had to leave the USA: New Zealand

Places we’d most like to explore more of: Botswana, Australia, Indonesia

Country with most potential for rapid improvement: Turkey

Place with best combination of activities, beauty, friendly people and variety of unspoiled environments: Hawaii. Runner up: New Zealand

Health on trip: excellent. One five-day cold in Australia, some annoying allergies and one or two minor episodes of intestinal distress, quickly cured.

Feelings upon concluding the trip: Satisfaction, excitement about seeing friends and family, excitement about getting some good sushi and Mexican food.

Conclusions: Travel is safer, and a lot easier than it used to be.  ATMs, the internet and international cell phones have changed everything. Tourism infrastructure has improved everywhere. The cost of all this is decreased variety, decreased adventure, and increased homogeneity.

Cultural differences don’t mask the fact that people are the same everywhere. They all want the same things, and are all capable of amazing feats of creativity, kindness, brutality and selfishness.

Unfortunately, the world cannot support our hungers much longer. Humanity will soon strip the world like a plague of locusts unless we make substantial changes in our behavior. India is a stark warning: a vision of the future if we don’t get our act together: poor, crowded, filthy, diseased, with extreme weather, crime and violence.

The world is an amazing and beautiful place. Each day we get to experience it is a wonderful day.