What kind of traveller DONT you want to be?

I dont want to -

1. Skype on a laptop on beaches
2. Ever say "Wrong price, wrong size, wrong color, wrong style" - wouldnt that mean wrong country?
3. Write a blog complaining about the price of everything and whine about rats in rooms, bedbugs, bad food that cost 5 cents or sore legs from walking miles rather than negotiate a fair price with a driver..its how people make their living in their country. If everything sucks so much stay home.
4. Write a blog about every single person encountered in a country being a pervert or a scammer or a pushy salesperson or a gangster out to rip me off...if I continually get abused or punched in the face perhaps its me who is doing something wrong..or wrong country again?
5. Pack 5 trunks of costumes and props for photoshoots of me rather than the scenery
6. Scream at a store assistant that they should speak english and demand to know what sort of country does not stock jalapeno sauce..or vegemite...or marmite
7. Scream at a parent on a plane to shut their child up
8. Spend all my time in the same bar drinking and return home with photos of..a bar.
9. Spend all my time at a resort and never leave the resort grounds - even if leaving the resort grounds to go to the mall attached to the hotel equates to ''going out''
10. Have my hair braided or dreadlocked so i ...fit in.
11. Walk around in my bikini on a main tourist street...put some bloody clothes on.
12. EVER walk anywhere in a thong/gstring with a man in a thong/gstring
13. Get so wasted I think everyone is my friend and wants to breathe in my whisky breathe while im talking in one long sentence because all the wordsarejoinedtogethermate
14. Write a blog about how disgusting locals are for eating local foods...even if that does mean dogs
15. Barge around with a wheeled terror crushing other peoples ankles (Thanks for that one Shane)
16. Complain that India is too dirty and Singapore is too clean
17. Select hotels based solely on availability of wifi signal
18. Think every person who looks at me is either sizing up ways to rob me or rape me
19. Never talk to a local person only other tourists/travellers and book organised tours every day
20. Play travel one upmanship...Ive been to Bali too.

All above have been observed........what are your pet traveller/tourist peeves. Reply to this

Was sitting in the Bus Terminal in La Paz ,meditating to the chants of all the venders pitching their wares, thinking how great life is. Got on the bus and as soon as the doors were shut a group of young Nth American bakpakers started complainig "Thank god we can't hear that noise anymore, it was driving me crazy". "Yes, why can't they get a real job" ect ect ect,
I never want to be a traveller like them. Reply to this

Cindy -

Interesting list.

I was wondering what, if any, are the differences between travelers/tourists. Or have you grouped them together because they are ultimately two peas from the same pod?

Jason Reply to this

Great list Cindy.

We don't understand the laptops on beaches thing. Doesn't the sand get into the mechanisms and wreck it?

In SE Asia it's expected to barter, but I've seen people try to barter so hard with a vendor that it's just unfair. In Luang Prabang a few years ago someone was trying to get a stone chess set for about $2. Remember that these people are trying to make a living. If you can afford it, pay it.

"If it sucks so much stay at home". Here here.

One more I'd like to add:

I hope I never blog negative things about my boss, housemates, family, friends who I've mentioned by name/pictured. It's the internet guys. They can read exactly what you said about them to the whole world. Do you think they will be your boss/housemates/friends much longer after they read what you said? Reply to this

Hello everybody,

Thank you, for discussing and putting your opinion about your travel preferences. I don't really want to go to New Orleans because it's mostly about partying, drinking, music and old history. It's not a place that really interests me. If someone offered me a ticket to New Orleans, I would most likely decline and say "find someone else to go with". If it were my parents, I would stay home, I don't really comfortable staying at home all alone for a long period of time so I'd most likely get a friend to stay with it. Or at least, for nights.

Also, if there is a place that you have been that you didn't like, you may post it.

I don't mind people who like or live in New Orleans, it's just not a place I would personally want to visit as it doesn't seem as I'd enjoy the touristy stuff.

Thanks and regards,
- Bery Smith. Reply to this

In response to: Msg #137295

LOL !

Lee Ann, what you just observed about this guy is a classic sign of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He might have an irrational thoughts of germs contamination, hence exhibits strange ritualistic behaviour to alleviate his anxiety or fear of germs. It's a chronic psychological disorder and can be treated with behavioral or psychotherapy.

Strangely, I too probably have a very mild case of OCD as I exhibit such strange behaviour sometimes, especially in public toilets ! I also use paper towel or toilet paper to open/close toilet door. I also put paper towel on the toilet seat - not only because of the germs but also because I don't wanna be sitting on somebody else's urine and 'what-not' . Though I'm not like that at home, as I figured I'm immune to my family's germs. 😱

My friend's husband have a bad case of OCD. He spends hours repeatedly washing his hands. He is undergoing behavioral therapy and apparently it's working.

*************


Cindy, ditto for #3.4,6 and 18 .

- Dont' wanna be constantly whining.
- I actually feel guilty if I think I didn't pay enough because it's way too cheap or should have given them a good tip for a great service. Locals in the tourism industry do deserve a fair trade for their goods and services so they can put better food on their family table and perhaps afford to send their kids to school.
- also not all locals who are overly friendly are out to scam you. It's one thing to exercise personal safety and precaution, but it's a different thing to just being plain paranoid.


Reply to this

Hey not offended at all S & A - I did actually question my travel snobbery earlier in this thread and realised thats perhaps a part of it..ironically, aided and abetted by technology. I can blog about things, 27 years ago I didnt even have a camera and the interwebs were a far off dream. Why do I keep a record of these trips here - to play travel oneupmanship or to keep a reminder of who I was for my children should I suddenly depart. But would I skype about it on a beach, no.

As ive gotten older ive learnt theres actually nothing wrong with playing tourist, ive been on a few tours, usually private ones to places I want to see - id rather be on a local bus. Age and time constraints mean I am acting as a tourist (daytripper) rather than a traveller (been gone three years, will be home sometime in june) more often. I dont think they would let me keep my job If i took off for three years nowdays.

The problem with Bali for me (and why I used that example) is there are currently 16 flights coming in and out to bali per 12 hour period..its the place where West Aussies go because for $500 you can have a week overseas. A city hotel is $240 a night here. Theres even a song called "Ive been to Bali too".

Bery - I feel the same way about cities like New York and Vegas..they just dont do it for me. If I won a holiday to vegas Id give it to my sister. Reply to this