I sometimes like to think of myself as “well-traveled” … and in a touristy, middle-America way I suppose I am. It’s not as if I’ve lived abroad, that is.

But I’ve spent at least a year outside the U.S. (between World Cups and Olympics, I’ve gotta be close). Thing is, a lot of that year has been spent in a fairly limited number of principalities. France, England (though not lately), Italy, Mexico …

So I had no trouble coming up with this list. Countries I have never set foot in … or not been in for more than a few hours (because of some transit relay or tiny drive-by).

From 10th to first:

10. Namibia. I know the place is essentially empty, there in southwest Africa. But that’s part of what I want to see. The nothingness of it. I’m fascinated by the concept of an enormous desert right on the ocean. And German-themed Windkoek, too.

9. Costa Rica. The only country in Central America that isn’t a mess. One of the few in the world without an army. I’d want to see the rain forest, at sea level, but I’d also like to spend some time in the capital, San Jose, up there almost a mile above sea level. Also, a place where the dollar is still worth something. And the place I’ve been telling people, for 20 years, I’m most likely to disappear to. If I disappear. Like, if one day, I’m just … gone … I’m probably in a hotel bar in San Jose, nursing a mojito that costs, like, a quarter.

8. Sri Lanka. Yeah, quasi civil war going on at any given time, but you always hear that Sri Lanka has the best beaches in the world. I’m not a massive beachy person, but “best beaches” is something I want to check out. Lots of elephants there, too, right? A big city (Colombo), too.

7. Fiji. I’ve seen nothing of the South Pacific. I’ve heard good things about Fiji. Though, yes, if it’s anything like Hawaii a sense of boredom/island fever would come over me within a week. But a week to 10 days? You bet.

6. The Netherlands. Been all around it but never in it. I want to see wooden shoes, dikes, tulips and Amsterdam. And maybe a Dutch soccer league game. Ajax and somebody. I want to see Arnhem and “the bridge too far.”
5. Chile. All sorts of things here. Not so much cultural as geophysical. From the Atacama Desert in the north (apparently the driest desert in the world) to the desolate islands near Cape Horn to the long spine of the Andes, to the watered (if narrow) plain where most of our winter fruit comes from. Yes, I know we’re talking about lots of travel while traveling. And I want to fudge a little and spend a couple of days on Easter Island (which Chile owns) and see the giant statues and walk around with a copy of Jared Diamond’s book “Collapse” in my backpack. A trip within the trip.

4. Iceland. How can 250,000 people live on an island as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska? I want to see the thermal pools, a glacier and Reykjavik. Have to go in summer, of course.

3. South Africa. Another place with some great scenery, both physical and zoological. A lot of big game lives there. I also want to go to see How Things Are Working Out, post-apartheid, in the only African country with a significant European population. If I could see a World Cup game in the process (2010), that would be very cool.
2. Armenia. I think at least one of the post-Soviet newbie countries should be on the list. Let’s try Armenia. Lots of history, lots of sights, pretty freakin’ exotic but (I think) almost like an outpost of Europe. Certainly, lots of Americans came from Armenia.

1. New Zealand. Everybody who has been there raves about it, but my only “visit” there was measured in minutes, while refueling on the way to Sydney. English-speaking, massively scenic in an amazingly variable way. From the tropical north island to the rugged, almost Alpine south island. Auckland, big and cosmopolitan, Wellington, Christchurch (known as “the most English” city in the world … Yep, No. 1 on my list.