Off-Topic

No idea yet outside of Santiago -- best friend is being stationed there in the Foreign Service for 2 years. He just left today, so I'll wait a few months before I start planning it.

Didn't some country recently change in the middle of the night? That must be confusing as hell.

Samoa...completely random

I don't even understand that -- don't countries also determine which side the wheels on their cars are based on the side of the road traveled? How the heck does that work when you change sides?

I live in Switzerland where you drive on the right. I have known British friends that moved here with cars with steering wheels on the right side. I don't think you can register them here, but you can keep the UK plates and drive here.

Driving on the left side of the road is a trip. I've done it in England and Scotland a couple of times. Requires concentration, but not nearly as dangerous as it seems. Stick shift is a little confusing - pedals are in the same place but have to shift with your left hand. Better if you go with an automatic the first time out.

Imagine the disaster of no sleep for 3 days straight (red eye to JoBurg, 2 late nights and early mornings doing safari's, and then an 8 hour drive back to JoBurg), the pedals and shifter, and a new clutch I've never used before (Volkswagon clutch) all the while being in a seedy area rest stop with 4 guys eyeing you up and a 18 wheeler about to run you over because you just stalled the car 2x in a row.

I've found it pretty easy getting going once you adjust to the left hand shifting. There's usually traffic wherever you pick up the rental, so you just follow everyone else. The time I came closest to getting killed for looking the wrong way was after my first night in Ireland in a tiny town, when I started to pull out onto the correct side of the road, but I only really looked left to see if anyone was coming. A truck coming from my right honked at me as I slammed on the brakes, but I came really close to getting knocked into next week.

I would also recommend Kerala. Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram were amazing and the latter provided great beach resorts which made up for me not going to Goa. I found my trip to India to be awesome. I got sick. I saw poverty that saddened the shit out of me. I was hassled by countless people looking to con me. Nonetheless, there was so much to see and do that I'm actually planning to go back. I don't know when but in the next few years.

Definitely.

How often do backpackers ever go back to the same place?

upvoted