Tourist or Traveler?

I prefer traveling alone, so I can go wherever I want, when I want. Do others here prefer solo travel?
 

Pinky said:
I prefer traveling alone, so I can go wherever I want, when I want. Do others here prefer solo travel?
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When my late wife died I thought I'd never again say "Look at that, doesn't it remind you of....?" Now my lady & I go together or we don't go...suits us both...a chacun son goût I guess.
 
perChance said:
Definitely a traveler- and you probably have many wonderful stories to share.
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Truth be told, I have always been inspired by the National Geographic Magazine from the USA. I have been received them for 36 years and have read every issue including stories about bugs, snakes and worms. When I would visit a country, I would often seek out places that were portrayed in National Geographic.

Then the entire catalogue of National Geographic since 1888 came out in a boxed DVD set and I gave my magazines away. You can imagine the weight and the space taken up with 36 years of National Geographic. Gee, I used to hate moving days.
 

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Packerjohn said:
You can imagine the weight and the space taken up with 36 years of National Geographic.
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My father was a big National Geographic fan - I loved looking at the maps.

He never read fiction - I remember him reading encyclopedias and science year books. After my mom died, he talked of downsizing (living in the same house for about 45 years they had a lot of stuff), but he never did.

He died in February (96 years old) and now my sister has the house and all that stuff - she is a hoarder so I am sure the stacks of National Geographic that dad accumulated will be there until she dies.

I remember the one with the Afghani girl - Sharbat Gula now lives in Italy.

Perhaps the next time I visit my sister we can pass some time looking through old National Geographic magazines. I think there are a bunch of Canadian Geographic magazines too.
 
perChance said:
My father was a big National Geographic fan - I loved looking at the maps.

He never read fiction - I remember him reading encyclopedias and science year books. After my mom died, he talked of downsizing (living in the same house for about 45 years they had a lot of stuff), but he never did.

He died in February (96 years old) and now my sister has the house and all that stuff - she is a hoarder so I am sure the stacks of National Geographic that dad accumulated will be there until she dies.

I remember the one with the Afghani girl - Sharbat Gula now lives in Italy.

Perhaps the next time I visit my sister we can pass some time looking through old National Geographic magazines. I think there are a bunch of Canadian Geographic magazines too.
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That is an interesting report about your father. I too am at least 95% non fiction when it comes to books. I believe that most people love fiction. Maybe it's to escape while reading about some sort of romance or murder mystery. I prefer to read biographies, travel, history or maybe self-improvement. I walk my own line.
 
Packerjohn said:
I'm definitely a traveler! Bought a motorcycle and traveled all over Europe. Been down the Amazon with a local boat sleeping in a hummock. Drove my car from Canada all the way down to Panama City and back. Took the Trans-Siberians Railroad from Polish border to Vladivostok buying my own ticket. It cost me $150 Canadian as opposed to seeing tours along the Trans-Siberian for $5,000 with a "guide."

I worked on a kibbutz in Israel, spent 13 days in the hospital there and swam in the Nile without getting sick. I got mugged in Peru and almost drown in Indonesia. Back packed with my last wife for 5 months through East, South and SW Africa. I have backpacked for 2 months in China (Great Wall, Pandas, World's Biggest Buddha & prayer wheels). Another time, I backpacked for 2 months in India, from the cold in the Himalaya Mountains to the heat at the southern tip of the country. I have been to Nepal and saw Mount Everest. Traveled twice in SE Asia; overland from the the Chinese border, down Vietnam, through Laos, Cambodia and all the way down to the southern tip of Thailand to Singapore.

I don't like to hang around "tourists." Tourists that join a group to see a country or place are good. Those folks sitting on the beach, getting drunk all the time and staying up all night at some disco and spending more money at some resort where they are isolated from the country and spending more money in 1 day then some locals make in a year, is a "horse of a different breed." They are not tourists; I'm not sure what they are.

I am not trying to "rain on someone's parade". I understand that for millions of people, a week or 2 at some all inclusive is a wonderful, stress free holiday and I wish them the best. It has just never been my kind of trip. Cruising is another type of travel. Never been on a cruise ship but I have drunk straight vodka with Russians on trains, slept in grape fields in Switzerland and visited Poland 8 times over the years.

I am not dead yet. I sure would love to "hit the road" again.
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You sure got around John. A wonderful life. What areas did you like most?
 
I am "cheap" and didnt realize I was a Traveller. "Tours" never appealed to me - always planned my trips solo - USA, UK, Europe.

When my daughter and sons were in their teens, we did a "driving" trip from Scotland to London. It was great. Both sons now live in the UK and have UK/Canadian citizenships (they are both engineers). My daughter was in California but she prefers Canada.
 

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