# Tourist or Traveler?



## perChance (Nov 27, 2022)

Do you think of yourself as a tourist or traveler?  When I met my husband in 2003, I was neither, since then I have been both, although I prefer the road less traveled.

The Road Not Taken
_"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."_
Robert Frost


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## Nemo2 (Nov 27, 2022)

I'm still waiting for approval to cross the road.


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## hollydolly (Nov 27, 2022)

Oh I'm both... but by far the traveller.. this life has been one major journey for me with all it's twist turns, and tribulations.. high roads , low roads..  Mountains , and depths of black seas  .. and a lot of people watching along the way ..


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## Pinky (Nov 27, 2022)

Definitely traveler.


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## perChance (Nov 27, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> Oh I'm both... but by far the traveller.. this life has been one major journey for me with all it's twist turns, and tribulations.. high roads , low roads..  Mountains , and depths of black seas  .. and a lot of people watching along the way ..


I love sitting on benches and watching people.


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## hollydolly (Nov 27, 2022)

perChance said:


> I love sitting on benches and watching people.


it's my favourite thing to do...


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## Purwell (Nov 27, 2022)

In the UK nowadays, "traveller" refers more to Gypsys and others of similar lifestyle, i.e. New Age Travellers.


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## hollydolly (Nov 27, 2022)

Purwell said:


> In the UK nowadays, "traveller" refers more to Gypsys and others of similar lifestyle, i.e. New Age Travellers.


No travellers are not Gypsy's... travellers, are those who give Gypsy's a bad name


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## perChance (Nov 27, 2022)

Nemo2 said:


> I'm still waiting for approval to cross the road.


Permission denied - I know what happened in Ottawa.


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## Nemo2 (Nov 27, 2022)

Found in a Tarom inflight mag:


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## Leann (Nov 27, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> Oh I'm both... but by far the traveller.. this life has been one major journey for me with all it's twist turns, and tribulations.. high roads , low roads..  Mountains , and depths of black seas  .. and a lot of people watching along the way ..


Same here, sis, same here.


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## bowmore (Nov 27, 2022)

I am a traveler. The first thing I do before visiting a foreign non English speaking country is to buy a small phrase book. At the very least to say hello goodbye please and thank you.
I have asked for butter in a Greek restaurant and bought cold medicine in Moscow using my little books.


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## Nemo2 (Nov 27, 2022)

bowmore said:


> I am a traveler. The first thing I do before visiting a foreign non English speaking country is to buy a small phrase book. At the very least to say hello goodbye please and thank you.
> I have asked for butter in a Greek restaurant and bought cold medicine in Moscow using my little books.


In Genoa we located a small fruit and vegetable outlet which we nicknamed "The Don't Touch Store"  (the proprietor kept 'yelling' at people not to touch the merchandise);   one visit I noticed his wedding photo on the wall....he was an Arab....next visit I greeted him in Arabic......thenceforth we could pick up whatever we wanted.


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## Alligatorob (Nov 27, 2022)

Most of my travel has been for business and now that I am retired its mostly been to visit friends and family.  So probably more a traveler.

However I have been the tourist on occasion, it can be fun.


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## perChance (Nov 27, 2022)

bowmore said:


> I am a traveler. The first thing I do before visiting a foreign non English speaking country is to buy a small phrase book. At the very least to say hello goodbye please and thank you.
> I have asked for butter in a Greek restaurant and bought cold medicine in Moscow using my little books.


We were trying to find the train station in Sofia, Bulgaria for a day trip - it was about 4AM and still pitch dark.  

Met a woman out walking her dog, she spoke no English and we spoke no Bulgarian.  Impasse until  I made a non verbal gesture of chain pulling, and went "toot, toot".

Immediate comprehension and a huge smile followed by hand signals.  We found the station!


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## DebraMae (Nov 27, 2022)

I am a traveler.  My favorite memory from my last trip is the woman who stopped to ask if I would like to see her cows up close.  I like the out of the way restaurants where the locals eat, wandering, getting lost and finding my way back, seeing things that are perfect in that moment in time.  My windmill photo that is my current avatar was one of those perfect moments.

People ask if I am not afraid to travel by myself.  They ask what would you do *If*?  I tell them I will do the same thing I would do if whatever happened had happened at home.


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## Purwell (Nov 27, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> No travellers are not Gypsy's... travellers, are those who give Gypsy's a bad name


I beg to differ, I have known quite a few Gypsys in my life, worked along side them in the fields from a very young age and they prefer to describe themselves as travellers.


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## FastTrax (Nov 27, 2022)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0024696/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourist_Train


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## Gary O' (Nov 27, 2022)

perChance said:


> The Road Not Taken
> _"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
> I took the one less traveled by,
> And that has made all the difference."_
> Robert Frost


yup

I made a poster about what I think about trips


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## Alligatorob (Nov 27, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> No travellers are not Gypsy's... travellers, are those who give Gypsy's a bad name





Purwell said:


> I beg to differ, I have known quite a few Gypsys in my life, worked along side them in the fields from a very young age and they prefer to describe themselves as travellers.


Got me curious so I looked it up.  Seems some call Gypsies or Roma Travelers, but there are other Traveler groups such as the Irish Travelers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveler).

Like Holly I had only heard it used to refer to non-Gypsies.


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## Teacher Terry (Nov 27, 2022)

*Both depending on the time and situation. *


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## jujube (Nov 27, 2022)

Sometimes both on the same day.....


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## charry (Nov 28, 2022)

yes travellers are gypsies and there are lots of romanies about .... rovers , wanderers ...etc etc


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## Packerjohn (Nov 28, 2022)

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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## perChance (Nov 28, 2022)

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.
> 
> ...


Definitely a traveler- and you probably have many wonderful stories to share.


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## Pinky (Nov 28, 2022)

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


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## Nemo2 (Nov 28, 2022)

Pinky said:


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


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.


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## Packerjohn (Nov 29, 2022)

perChance said:


> Definitely a traveler- and you probably have many wonderful stories to share.


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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## Gaer (Nov 29, 2022)

"Tourist or Traveler"?

Oh, I'm just dropping by Earth for a few years.  Just camping out.


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## perChance (Nov 30, 2022)

Packerjohn said:


> You can imagine the weight and the space taken up with 36 years of National Geographic.


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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## Packerjohn (Nov 30, 2022)

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.
> 
> ...


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.


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## RadishRose (Nov 30, 2022)

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.
> 
> ...


You sure got around John. A wonderful life. What areas did you like most?


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## CinnamonSugar (Nov 30, 2022)

Have been a traveler for work and enjoyed it...  looking forward to doing more for pleasure in the future.  I have a dream visit to England all arranged in my mind... now if reality would just get in line so I could do it! lol


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## BC Flash (Nov 30, 2022)

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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