Where the Solo Goes

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A writer on Insider mentioned that of her 40 trips, 20 have been solo. That got me thinking about how many countries I have visited solo. This includes many that I have done with others. Or multiple times. Also, please note that some travelers do not consider traveling solo and traveling alone to be the same. Solo: (Belgrade) Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece (4 times), Bucharest, Romania, Istanbul (twice), Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Lyon, Champagne, Berlin, Lisboa, Porto, Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Russia, Japan, Porto, Portugal, Finland, Warsaw, Poland (3 times), Iceland, Thailand, Mexico City, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada, Slovakia. Looks like 25. I do not regard it as a big deal. Most were intentional, a few were not. But rarely do I feel alone. In Athens, I was adopted by my Greek brothers, Stavros, Giorgos, and Vasili. In Santorini, it was Kostas. In Crete, it was Alex. In Croatia, it was Goran. I did feel some isolation when I volunteered at a refugee camp in Poland outside of Warsaw. I had to give up my phone for the day as well. And I have visited many friends that we have made over the years: Angela in KL, Jason and Chun in Penang, Roath and family in Cambodia, Itsuyo in Tokyo, Katy, wherever in the world I can find her, same for Dirty Pat, Cesar in Amazonia, Barry the V in Cape Town, my adopted Greek brothers in Athens and Crete, Tom and Pansy in London or wherever I can find them, Kenbob and Nelly from Atlanta. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for solo travelers is where to eat. I think the options are great. I can usually find a seat at a bar, drink and eat, and mix with everyone. I rarely do takeout, since my hotel room is too quiet. Even seated at a table, conversations are easily started. But I do realize it is more challenging for women, both to sit alone, and speak to strangers. Occasionally, there are activities that require two people, such as a wine tour, bike ride, or walking tour. Again, easily solved. Place a sign on the hotel bulletin board for a "companion" for the day. You never know who you might find. On one of my trips to Athens, I was followed back to my hotel by a man from China. He was eager to make a friend, perhaps too eager. He asked if I was there on business. When I said no, he gradually disappeared. One of my best experiences occurred in Munich. I have told the story before. I had an early flight the next morning, so I chose to have an early dinner. I ended up at a restaurant nearby, the Munchner Stubn. The waitress seated me with two gentlemen. Through the evening, after some food and several beers, we determined that we were all Americans. When one of the guys left, two women sat down, and proceeded to buy us drinks and shots of something. We had a great time. I stayed until closing and ended up staying awake until my 4am wakeup call!! Crazy. May I repeat the Crete story here as well? After my all-day food and wine cycling tour, the shop owner kept pouring the wine from his farm up in the mountains. Around 10pm, we decided to have dinner, joined by another local, and another tourist like me. I remember stumbling back to my hotel for an early cab ride to the airport. But I really got a big dose of life on Crete, with great food and wine. And fun people! Just so you don't get the impression that everything revolves around drinking, I can re-tell the story about the fish market in Athens. A stranger offered to grill my fish for me! Not only that, he hosted me and a stranger I met on the plane, at his apartment. His sister fried potatoes, plantains, and made the biggest green salad I have ever seen! We brought a few bottles of wine and had a feast! It was on my first full day in Athens. Nothing compares to isolation like riding the Trans-Siberian Railway across Siberia. But with so many people on the train, it was easy to make friends. My roomie was a young Swiss fellow. I met other Americans, many Germans, many Russians, including some cute Ph.D. students. Lots of people from places like Australia, Germany, and Austria, but very few (none) Asians. I even met a KGB agent, who sang Russian lullabies at night. And another Russian who hacked into the "secret" national wifi network since we did not have wifi on the train! Just stay away from the rot gut Russian vodka (which serves double duty as auto fuel). I guess if you choose to be alone, that is your decision. I have never felt alone while traveling.

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