Before traveling, I find it prudent to learn about a country, or even a city in my own land so as to truly enjoy it and understand the local lifestyle.
So many people travel in ignorance, which leads to confusion, bad perceptions and unfortunate confrontations.
The best book publisher by far, who's guides are updated yearly, is Lonely Planet. It's not just filled with pretty pictures, but has pertinent information as to travel options, accomodations, health issues, dining, local customs, etc. A map is printed of each city within a destination and there are plenty of professional photographs to catch one's eye.
Check them out, and you will travel armed with the proper knowledge needed to have a successful journey.
Their address is: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Traveling with an Open Mind
Many times when people travel, they want to visit another world locale without really leaving their home country.
I remember when I was 15 and visited Jamaica for the first time. Yes, we stayed in a resort, but that was only for sleeping and breakfast. Otherwise, we hired a driver for the week, an excellent guide named Stanford Marsh, to take us around the country. It was good to see the real people and the way they lived.
It was during this time that I realized that life in these locales is not "paradise" as the colorfully designed brochures would have you believe. I remember one of those days being taken from Ocho Rios to Kingston via the Blue Mountains. The roads were narrow and actually treacherous because if one veered just a little too much, it was about a two thousand foot drop off. It was that day that I first tried curried goat. Very good, but Jamaican food is hot, hot, hot.
Not to digress, but I'm sure most of the American visitors were not interested in seeing the country. Many think that sitting by the pool and sipping a fancy alcoholic beverage, only to venture to the hotel dance club and retire to a room with satellite television is visiting a country. Nothing could be further from the truth.
So, when traveling to another land, try to really get to know the locale, the people, the customs and the food. McDonalds in India is a travesty.
Also, when venturing to another land, especially in the Third World, do NOT expect all to run smoothly. Chaos is a part of life, and when it occurs, instead of getting upset about it, just think to yourself that it is an aspect of the country, which adds to the real experience. Now, I'm not advocating purposely putting your life in danger (i.e., traveling to a war torn country), things like delays and persistent street vendors are very common and should be viewed with curiosity instead of annoyance.
I would advise reading books from the Culture Shock Series. These books give excellent information regarding travel and living in many countries. A link to check out these publications is:
* http://www.expatriates.com/directory/books/cshockbooks/
I remember when I was 15 and visited Jamaica for the first time. Yes, we stayed in a resort, but that was only for sleeping and breakfast. Otherwise, we hired a driver for the week, an excellent guide named Stanford Marsh, to take us around the country. It was good to see the real people and the way they lived.
It was during this time that I realized that life in these locales is not "paradise" as the colorfully designed brochures would have you believe. I remember one of those days being taken from Ocho Rios to Kingston via the Blue Mountains. The roads were narrow and actually treacherous because if one veered just a little too much, it was about a two thousand foot drop off. It was that day that I first tried curried goat. Very good, but Jamaican food is hot, hot, hot.
Not to digress, but I'm sure most of the American visitors were not interested in seeing the country. Many think that sitting by the pool and sipping a fancy alcoholic beverage, only to venture to the hotel dance club and retire to a room with satellite television is visiting a country. Nothing could be further from the truth.
So, when traveling to another land, try to really get to know the locale, the people, the customs and the food. McDonalds in India is a travesty.
Also, when venturing to another land, especially in the Third World, do NOT expect all to run smoothly. Chaos is a part of life, and when it occurs, instead of getting upset about it, just think to yourself that it is an aspect of the country, which adds to the real experience. Now, I'm not advocating purposely putting your life in danger (i.e., traveling to a war torn country), things like delays and persistent street vendors are very common and should be viewed with curiosity instead of annoyance.
I would advise reading books from the Culture Shock Series. These books give excellent information regarding travel and living in many countries. A link to check out these publications is:
* http://www.expatriates.com/directory/books/cshockbooks/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
