2025 Smackdown: Asia vs Europe
after 17 mo. in Asia, we're BACK in Europe: here's what we've learned...
As much as I am fascinated with the East— the mysticism, the Buddhism, Hinduism, and a host of Eastern religions— and they DO resonate with me on a spiritual level-- I think I am firmly planted in the Western world. A large part of that is because of the age of some of the things that I've seen in the museums. There’s old—and there’s ancient.
I prefer ancient.
The statues and artifacts from thousands of years ago, before the time of Christ, just compel me to explore. I recognized this on our second stay in March 2019, when we lived in a small medieval city called Tivoli, about 20 minutes east of Rome. Our small apartment, which we called The Cave since it only had one tiny window in the front door, was 500 years old. Seriously? In the town was a gorgeous park, a natural ravine called Villa Gregoriana, and the city was founded in 1215 BC. They even celebrate its annual birthday, and that town is 500 years older than Rome. Mind you, my home country was only “discovered” (yea I know…highly controversial) just over 500 years ago—as old as our Tivoli apartment.
Since my roots are eastern Europe, I am more grounded in the European vibe than Asia, but others may feel differently.
I have not been to China or Japan, so I have yet to experience the true ancient histories of the east from those country, but we have explored much of Southeast Asia, and, as much as I liked it, it was not the same. Understand, these things I share are my own opinions and thoughts, and others may disagree, and that’s cool. If you have your own thoughts, please share!!
Here’s some pros & cons of both:
Asia:
Pros:
Very affordable, some of the cheapest housing and food we have found anywhere
Really “nice” weather, as long as you can handle HOT, and sometimes, very humid
You can go year round with no warm weather gear
Countries are pretty close together, so getting from one to the next can be easy—and cheap
LOTS of coastline and islands for water lovers, divers, and sailors!
Each country has its own visa and immigration laws, so it’s easy to stay longer with just a visa run!!
Great bus system in most; good trains in some
Very free & casual lifestyle; people don’t “judge you” based on what you wear, etc…
Surprisingly good (and cheap) medical care and facilities
Terrific, but unusual food to many…
Cons:
English usage iffy. Some places, larger cities and tourist stops, generally not a problem.
There’s the other side of the heat issue…and it can get downright oppressive
Bugs? Yea, so we’ve heard—and seen—but surprisingly not an issue over a year and a half
“Comfort level” means, “is it comfortable being there, or does it feel weird? I think for many, Asia can be a tough sell at first, since it is so different than the West.
Lousy or non-existent train system in many countries
Poor roads for driving, no “highways” in many
Sanitation can be spotty, resulting in dirty streets, rivers, canals, etc…
The West: Europe generally, but can include other areas, too
Pros:
The West can seem very familiar and comfortable due to movies, TV, and our educational focus on western history versus eastern
Terrific food which can be easy for those who are uncomfortable with new food
More affordable than North America, but not as cheap as Asia
Europe is easier to “fit in to,” ie, to adjust to their lifestyle
Good medical and emergency medical services
Many good road systems for driving
Overall very good public transportation
Schengen: a double edged sword. Border crossings easy, no immigration usually, but limited staying periods (90 days in 180 days)
Cons:
Euro vs US dollar conversion poor right now
COLD (generally) during winter
Specific spots:
There’s Europe—and there’s “eastern Europe,” commonly referred to as the Balkans. South from Slovenia to Greece, sometimes including Turkey, they are 12 countries that have some of the best of the west (culture, history, food), and with some of the affordability of the East.
The most common question we get asked is, “What’s your favorite country?” and sometimes we falter, but Croatia usually comes out on top. It’s not as cheap as it was before entering the Schengen/ EU, but it’s usually cheaper than western Europe. We lived in Turkey and Albania for longer periods, and enjoyed them both. For US passport holders, Albania is a blessing since we can stay for 12 months.
I could dive even deeper if Mexico, and South and Central America are included, but since we were COVID stuck in Mexico for 15 months, and I lived alongside northern Mexico (Southern Cal) for four decades, I’ve had my share. I DID enjoy Ecuador and Peru, and there are many South American countries we would have liked to explore (COVID restricted at the time), but did not get to. Many expats have their favorite hives in Mexico, Ecuador, Columbia, and other Latin American spots, but for Kat and me, that’s not on our radar. MAYBE to visit, but we don’t see ourselves back in that part of the world again.
Australia and New Zealand are not to be excluded! They are a world away—literally- but we spent just 11 days in Oz and only had a layover in NZ. But the Aussies and Kiwis are some of the friendliest, most inviting people we have ever met! We have several new friends that have invited us to visit and stay with them, and we will probably graciously accept at some point. Both are comfortable if you come from an English speaking country, but both are quite expensive.
Overall, these decisions are all very personal and based on a lot of factors, especially “comfort zones.” We like what we are used to, and feel uncomfortable with the unfamiliar. But even that can be fun, and help us grow! Asia was hugely unfamiliar to us at first, but now we know our way around, where countries and cities are located, and have some insight which makes them more inviting. Some (us included) may be put off by western Africa, Uzbekistan (or the other “stans”) or “out of the way” places, and that’s OK. Kat and I have been to over 50 countries and we have no illusions to hit them all! Now it’s time to return to those places we love, maybe find rooms where we want to LIVE or stay for a few months, and eventually slow down.
as quoted by John Lennon.
True enough.
The answer as to which is better, East or West; Asia or Europe, is inconclusive, but I believe the answer is yes. And it definitely requires a rematch!
We must be on the same wavelength as we're in the middle of writing a very similar thing comparing Mexico, Thailand, and Eastern Europe to each other. Great minds!
If you are seeking true ancient history, circa 10,000 B.C., then I highly recommend Egypt. I visited two years ago with a very well informed tour guide and it was enlightening. Much of Greek history was modeled on ancient Egyptian history. The history pre-Arab, pre-Greek invasions, think in the time of the pyramids and Pharaohs.