The world has gotten smaller as many pundits put it but then again, not everything in it has turned into an English-speaking dominion with a McDonald’s outlet everywhere. The fact is, there’s so much more diversity in the world than what your television shows you. These culture-shocks countries will expose you to something that you’ve never experienced before and some weird amalgamations that you never thought were possible.
10.Moscow, Russia
Younger people know Russia as the remnant of the feared USSR and without a doubt it threatened the world with Communism back in the 60’s until it fell down in the late 80’s. Moscow for instance has one of the most awe-inspiring architectural achievements and not to mention it is rich with culture and history just like Paris or even London. However, Russia is still struggling right after the fall of the Iron Curtain and because of that there’s a staggering amount of ironies present such as corruption and poverty that can be usually found in third-world countries. You should however watch out for beautiful women who would approach you because chances are, they are prostitutes who need some cash.
9.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Arguably the richest country in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh is covered in mosques and modern buildings right in the middle of the desert’s sweltering heat. Don’t be fooled by what your eyes tell you because this country only follows the strict Islamic Sharia law. The shock that you’ll get here is that there is very little freedom accorded to its citizens and sadly, women here are treated like second-class inhabitants, so if you’re for gender-equality, Saudi Arabia is the last place that you would go to. If you’re looking for a great way to spend your night away however, you can forget about it because there aren’t any bars present here. In short, people here have so much money but the sad part is that there’s very little to do at all.
8.Delhi, India
If you want to know what chaos and overpopulation mean, this is the place that can teach you those words the hard way. Delhi is overpopulated because in every turn there are people everywhere. Additionally traffic discipline is totally non-existent with automobiles moving just about anywhere they want to. If you plan to go to Delhi, be sure to bring additional some cash because living here is nowhere from being cheap. Lastly if you’re a woman, dress in a conservative manner if you don’t want to receive inappropriate remarks from the locals.
7.Beijing, China
Arguably one of the oldest cities from the world’s oldest civilization, Beijing is an enormous place where the old and new meet. However, no matter how much people romanticize Beijing there are some things that won’t escape the traveler. The place is so polluted that it is uncommon to see people wearing face masks wherever they go. Additionally, if you think your place is crowded wait until you see the constant throng of people that never seem to abate.
6.Cairo, Egypt
The Egypt of today is sadly not even the shadow of what it once was in the ancient times. It’s a city of immense contrasts with people chanting holy Islamic songs while Western music is playing loudly across the other street. Cairo is also an overcrowded place and it is also the religious center of the country. The rules here are extreme that men and women are not allowed to touch each other in public. If that’s not enough, you should be wary of what you’re going to eat because it is not uncommon for travelers to suffer gastrointestinal problems when they visit this place.
I’ll be finishing this entry next time but the whole point of this post is that there’s diversity everywhere and all it takes is an open-mind if you’re really the traveler and adventurer that you claim to be.
