Muthoni Mutonyi

Daily writing prompt

What countries do you want to visit?

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I have been to a few countries, enough to know that I like it and that I am not done. Every trip adds two more places to the list, which is how a wishlist works and why it is never finished. Here are the five currently at the top: Australia, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Japan. I have given each one a reason, because I am that kind of person.

1. Australia: The Land Down Under
   A whole continent, and I would like all of it. The Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, which I understand is mostly red and enormous. Big cities on one side and wilderness on the other, with kangaroos and koalas in between, going about their business. I plan to see the cities, the coast and as much of the wildlife as will stand still for a photo.
2. Maldives: Paradise on Earth
   White sand, turquoise water, an overwater bungalow with a ladder straight down into the sea. Coral reefs full of fish that have never heard of me. Spa retreats. Sunsets that look edited and are not. I would snorkel, I would dive, and then I would do nothing at all for several days, which is the part I am best at.
3. Saudi Arabia: Old and New at the Same Address
   A country that has changed a great deal in a few years and has recently opened its doors to visitors, and I would like to walk through them. The ancient sites of Al-Ula on one end, the Riyadh skyline on the other, and the pilgrimage to Mecca at the heart of it all. I want the souks, the famous hospitality, and a close look at how tradition and progress are managing to share a country.
4. Iceland: Another Planet That Accepts Tourists
   Waterfalls with names I will rehearse before I go, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. The Blue Lagoon. The Northern Lights, which I am told do not appear on schedule, so I will need patience and a very good coat. Volcanic landscapes, glaciers to walk across, and a culture I would like to understand from the inside rather than from a documentary.
5. Japan: Ancient Temples and Bullet Trains in the Same Afternoon
   Tokyo for the crowds and the lights, Kyoto for the history, Mount Fuji for the view, and a traditional ryokan for the kind of quiet that requires a reservation. Sushi made by someone who takes it seriously. Cherry blossoms, if I time it right. A tea ceremony, where I will finally learn to sit still without checking my phone.

The short version

The list is not finished. It never will be. Every trip adds a new place to it, usually because someone I meet says “you must go to” and I believe them. Australia and the Maldives for the scenery, Saudi Arabia, Iceland and Japan for the chance to be somewhere that works nothing like home. New places, new food, new people, and a few more stories for the collection. I will report back.