During this trip we have had an ongoing debate with a few fellow travelers about what constitues a genuine visit to another country.

The issue that keeps coming up is: at what point can you say you've been to a country? The issue is spurred on by the checklist or scorecard mentality. The "Where you've been" app on Facebook is a very tangible example of this.

After heated debate an eventual agreement was reached at a round table in El Calafate, Argentina. We had people from 4 countries in on the discussion. This was not a formal event. It involved beer and sitting around.

We concluded as follows:

"I've Been To": This is good enough to check it off a meaningless list or adding it to Where I've Been. All that needs to happen is that you step foot in the country for any amount of time. For an airport connection/transfer you need to actually step foot outside of customs.

"I've Seen (or visited)": A much more debated point. Do you have to spend the night? Two nights? Three? Is it about time at all? Is it about seeing a certain percentage of the country? The general consensus was that it depends on the country and what you do. Generally a night spent was a requirement.

This debate isn't over! We'd love to hear your thoughts on it.