When traveling there is more to it than just the sights and sounds

CPerkins

CPerkins

Traveling can be a form of adventure. Not just in the sights and sounds, but the people, customs, history and other unique attributes we might find in any given area. We have enjoyed foods, dances, costumes and interesting customs. We have also seen desperation at levels not otherwise experienced.

In many ways we have beautiful sights in our own backyard that could keep us busy if travel only meant seeing the sites. I thought it might be interesting to get others take on what they get out of traveling.
 
Travel expands my mind. It gives me a broader perspective on people places and things. Helps me to deal with stress better and cope with things when life gets me down.
I gain more energy and feel refreshed when I have been somewhere new, even if it’s in my country.
I seek museums and natural history/ historic places and like to see how people liv/ lived and it gives me a better sense of connection.

those are just a few things I can think of for now, as I am currently in London
And have just been to the British museum and I came out feeling so invigorated and awe inspired by all the artefacts it’s fascinates my mind how our human ancestors lived and what they believed and did.
 
I find the food interesting...I look forward to the different cusines and also, not having to cook yourself. And waking up in a different place where you don't know anyone..
But a lot of the time it's to see relatives and people you DO know that live far away, or to be going with travelling companions and bonding with them. When I go on garden trips yes its to SEE the gardens but also sometimes it's to buy new plants or just identify new plants.

When I visit libraries I look at the layout and see how the libraries arrange their books. I'll often try and find a hot pool or something because travelling can be wearing and it's nice to have a soak in a hot tub or themal pool. Because I live in the city (or suburbs), going to the country or the beach is an adventure. It feels like freedom to be out in the open or see lots of animals grazing peacefully which if they were in the city would be cooped up in cages. I don't have a view of anything where I live, I just see the neighbours houses all around me, lots of fences and my garden.

If it's the bush its just to breathe in that forest smell, and all that oxygen. I love it, I notice the difference. In the city you are pretty much breathing car fumes if you are walking anywhere near a busy road.
 
A number of years ago my wife and I went on one of the cruises in the Caribbean. Visiting Jamaica we took a tour of the countryside as well as exploring the streets of Kingston.

We met people of very diverse backgrounds mostly poor. The cruise line suggested not to walk off the main street, but we did. It was here that we found more desperate shop owners clearly different from those found on the main streets.

Visiting a historical hotel in the middle of the island sitting at the top of a hill, we saw a cardboard shanty town at the base of the hill. This community seemed to house 100 people or so and could be seen from the parking lot of the hotel.

Part of what we enjoy in traveling is getting a better feel for life outside of the United States. In many ways Americans just don't realize how blessed they are even when they are poor. The poor in other parts of the world often are much more desperate. It is humbling to see how thankful some are for the little they have which to them seems a great deal.

God can really open our eyes as we travel. We have had a number of experiences enjoyed the sights and sounds, but the education God gives is the part I often remember the most. In Guatemala it seemed an entire town came out to wave us in to port, to me it was a highlight of that stop. Guatemala is not a wealthy country either, but it's people came across as friendly, welcoming wherever we went.
 
I went on a cruise on my own (my motive wasn't really to the sights and sounds its was just to get away from it all, plus, I didn't have to drive) and it went to Melbourne, then around my own country, NZ. The cruise visited a lot of ports, I did get off in Melbourne though I had been there before, to me, it was just like another, bigger city, but I had a day trip on the puffing billy train (again, another ride in which I didn't have to drive!) and so if you asked me why its just when I travel I do like to relax and be taken along on a trip, I would even find an airplane ride exciting even if it just went around in a loop..I would be on a plane! In the air! I couldn't pilot one myself I'd probably crash it.

I even find the airplane food and cruise food and hotel exciting because its not what I would ever cook at home!

My eyesight isn't that great anyway - so grand vistas would probably overwhelm me.
When the cruise got to Gisborne practically the whole town turned out to greet us as people rarely visit Gisborne being so far away from the main centres. It was as exciting for them as it was for us. But in Auckland people were probably busy working, and see cruise ships come into port every couple of days, so it's not nearly so much a big event.

When I went to the US I was astonished at how big everything was, just everything was big. Huge Food portions, huge cars, huge houses (with three car garages) its like supersize me. Lots of junk foods on offer. But then it's a big country with more people.

When I went to London and the UK, it was the history that impressed me the most, they had years and years of it, and much of it not nice history...it was horrible! The things people did to each other - terrible! I didn't like the pollution, I would blow my nose and soot would come out. But the people just got on with it. They have to. They are stuck on this island and have to live together somehow. Or they could emigrate to New Zealand which a lot of them did.
 
I think if you are poor and got no land you are not allowed to build anything that won't get a building consent so you just have a temporary dwelling. Hence cardboard shacks. Here, the poor live in their cars, or garages, or overcrowd a house, or sometimes hotel or holiday parks or hostels.
Or under bridges. The working poor have homes but sometimes just cant afford to heat them in winter. They may just be renting. They can't afford repairs and sometimes landlords just don't bother. Then with lack of heating they get all mouldy and everyone gets sick.

Here the govt is offering to put heat pumps in and landlords can get it free. They are much more energy efficient. Otherwise open fires are banned (fire risk). A lot of people just can't afford to heat their homes, so when someone from the UK mentions central heating people in NZ go what is that? In winter we just put on extra clothes!

Besides that people living in the city can't just go out and chop up trees for firewood.
 
For me visiting other countries helps me to see the blessings and curses we have in our own country. In America we take for granted a great many things. In many ways the US is a land of opportunity, but many Americans can't see the opportunity staring them in the face each day.

Traveling can give us greater awareness on many issues. Like you mentioned Lanolin pollution is of greater concern in some areas than others. It can also help us to see how the lack of resources can be a blessing in the lives of some as well. Not that the lack is a blessing, but it is amazing to see families act in love supporting, sharing, helping in ways some of us don't commonly see. Communities willing to share a meal when they already have so little to share with. It can be humbling and inspiring at the same time.

I'm fascinated with history, architecture and nature in general. Traveling gives many opportunities to enjoy these things.
 
I watched a documentary on the slums in South America favela and south east Asia and I was so moved I nearly cried.
Those people are dirt poor but are so connected and supportive of each other they make me realise how spoiled some of us are in the U.K.
not that I condone poverty, but just watching the children play with the rubbish makes me think how we in first world countries have been spoiled by consumer culture and how they are richer than some of us in the sense that they still have a sense of community and contentment amidst all their troubles.. Their smiling faces going about their business was humbling.
 
Well if rubbish is all you are given, you play with rubbish.
I've played with rubbish. Anything my elder sister tossed out, it would be mine. One mans trash is another man's treasure.
When it's inorganic collection day here, a lot of people go out and scavenge. Free stuff!

The council had to stop that but its like - free stuff! Almost new! It can be fixed up! lol It's just the way it is. If you can't earn much, that's just what you do. You share what little you have.

though I wouldn't say EVERYONE was content. Sometimes you do get a bit tired of not having anything new, especially if someone else flaunts their new stuff in front of you...and then assumes that you just have to buy it to be like them. When you got no money and know you'd never be able to afford it.
 
CPerkins said:
God can really open our eyes as we travel. We have had a number of experiences enjoyed the sights and sounds, but the education God gives is the part I often remember the most. In Guatemala it seemed an entire town came out to wave us in to port, to me it was a highlight of that stop. Guatemala is not a wealthy country either, but it's people came across as friendly, welcoming wherever we went.
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One of my personal most memorable visits was to Central America on a short term mission. We built a children's playground in Belize, then took a day of relaxation and went to Guatemala. At the border was an intense Guatemalan soldier. After we showed our visas and passports, he let us through.

I said hello to him and he was surprised that someone actually acknowledged him. He actually let down his guard, smiled and greeted our group and myself.

It was very warm. Our group didn't wear "American vacation clothes" but old jeans and running shoes or sandals. I wore an old white t-shirt with the cross on the front.

In Guatemala we visited the pyramids. It was easy walking up to the top. It was surreal because the very stone ground we walked on was where people stood, slept, ate and sacrificed to the gods over 2000 years ago. But walking down was tough because the steps were very steep.

When we went back to Belize we had our Christian Sunday worship. Our hosts (long term missionaries) and the good people filled the place with a different experience of their faith. My pastor and I couldn't help but cry with joy because of the Spiritual presence of the Lord.
 
I guess this difference between rich and poor is, when poor people have enough money to go travelling, they like to go see how the other half live and gawk at the rich people's homes. If by chance they win the lottery, maybe one day they can buy a home like that.
When the rich travel, they'll go and see poor places and congratulate themselves on how lucky they are.

However, one time a very rich lady invited me to her mansion from church. I was like wow. It was very luxurious. She gave me a job as a gardener and wanted me to hang round. It had views over all the city and was like a country style French estate with a pond and potager.
I decided to return the favour. I invited her to my home in the suburbs down in the valley. I didn't give her a job but then she didn't really need to do any jobs at my home..it wasn't that high maintainence as her vast two storey mansion was lol. I think she was envious that it was smaller.

When she died her husband sold it for $4 million, and none of her daughters wanted it because they had their own homes and did't want to be lumped with looking after a huge mansion. She would ask church members if they would clean it for free. I don't think anybody really wanted to, but just to humour her some people offered. Sometimes what the rich people pay you is not much either, but they do think they are doing you a favour.
 
Lanolin said:
I guess this difference between rich and poor is, when poor people have enough money to go travelling, they like to go see how the other half live and gawk at the rich people's homes. If by chance they win the lottery, maybe one day they can buy a home like that. When the rich travel, they'll go and see poor places and congratulate themselves on how lucky they are. However, one time a very rich lady invited me to her mansion from church. I was like wow. It was very luxurious. She gave me a job as a gardener and wanted me to hang round. It had views over all the city and was like a country style French estate with a pond and potager. I decided to return the favour. I invited her to my home in the suburbs down in the valley. I didn't give her a job but then she didn't really need to do any jobs at my home..it wasn't that high maintainence as her vast two storey mansion was lol. I think she was envious that it was smaller. When she died her husband sold it for $4 million, and none of her daughters wanted it because they had their own homes and did't want to be lumped with looking after a huge mansion. She would ask church members if they would clean it for free. I don't think anybody really wanted to, but just to humour her some people offered. Sometimes what the rich people pay you is not much either, but they do think they are doing you a favour.
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That's why they're rich. Many wealthy people became that way because they are frugal with their money and use it very wisely for the purpose of growing what they have.

Not all wealthy are like that and were very generous in their giving.
 
There are less expensive ways to travel. So someone doesn't have to be rich. Some jobs give many travel opportunities. God can make anything possible if there is any good in it.

My main point is that traveling is not just about the sights. When we visit places, we are visiting places that others live in, I feel we miss something if we don't get to know at least a little about the people. Art, food, culture, history, the town square, whatever else that might interest someone.

I was fascinated when we visited London during the Mad cow scare. In spite of that fear there was a huge line to get into the McDonalds near Piccadilly square. We also drove past a place on that trip where the smell of burning cattle was intense all from the same Mad cow issue. The London response just came across as strange behavior.
 
I recall seeing some power plant from the air over the British Isles and I wanted to take a photo on the plane as I'd never seen it before and wanted to have a record of it but the flight attendant told me off.

I recall seeing bombed out pubs, and people said there were riots and the Scottish weren't happy, neither the Irish, towards the English and what they had done to their land. A lot of the land was deforested, like there were hardly any trees and it was bare.

that trip was done to visit my sister, but she only wanted me around for 4 days in London and insisted I go round seeing the sights by myself on a bus. I met the other backpackers who often moaned that living in the UK was very expensive. I learned a lot of history though. Thankfully I didn't get lost which I probably would have had I done it all on my own, but I still felt like a lost soul cos I didn't have any friends on the trip. I did making friends with random travellers while we shared the bus/van. But I never saw them again.

I think I would have rather have stayed at my sisters and did day trips but you can't ask too much of your host to put you up. A friend of mine wanted me to go to London with her years later but I was studying at the time and I didn't have any money. She went on her own. It's a really long way to go so you need to spend a decent amount of time there to make the travel worthwhile.
 
Lanolin said:
I recall seeing bombed out pubs, and people said there were riots and the Scottish weren't happy, neither the Irish, towards the English and what they had done to their land. A lot of the land was deforested, like there were hardly any trees and it was bare. that trip was done to visit my sister, but she only wanted me around for 4 days in London and insisted I go round seeing the sights by myself on a bus. I met the other backpackers who often moaned that living in the UK was very expensive. I learned a lot of history though.
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Hi Lanolin;

What you shared reminded me of the movie BraveHeart which is one of my all time favorite movies. I believe the 3 countries today coexist because of our Christian faith, but the history of religion, political and history still have scars today and this can be normal for bordering countries.

When you visited your sister it would have been a blessing to just hang out with her most of the time. My brother who retired from the Air Force years ago chose to remain in Korea and does not want to come back to the United States and today is still adamant about it. He loves traveling to the neighboring countries and they're close to Korea. He hasn't gone to China yet.

So when my wife and I visit him in Gunsan which is on the west coast of Korea, I'd like to spend most of our time hanging out with him.

The other backpackers who grumbled about the cost of living in the UK being very expensive is correct but it's hard to move because England is a wonderful country.
 
CPerkins said:
My main point is that traveling is not just about the sights. When we visit places, we are visiting places that others live in, I feel we miss something if we don't get to know at least a little about the people. Art, food, culture, history, the town square, whatever else that might interest someone.
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Indeed.
I Also find that my assumptions and prejudices get caught out when I travel and mingle and become aquatinted with other people and cultures and connect. Some of my assumptions It just goes to show how sometimes our minds are already made up before embarking on a new journey … to the point where I actually start think to myself, I wonder what hidden assumptions I’m going to become aware of today lol
 
I recall the Scots guide showed us the where the battlefield of Culloden was. I thought Scotland looked a lot like the South Island of New Zealand, very wild and rugged and also a bit desolate, though they had nowhere near the same height of mountains. We tasted haggis, and we also learned how the Romans would have stopped at Hadrians wall and got no further because they weren't used to the cold and mud.

Going to Ireland, I went all around the Emerald Island and when we got to Northern Ireland we saw Londonderry and Belfast and the turf war that was Shankill Road. We were shown the plastic bullets that were shot at opposing sides and we saw barbed wire and the painted roadsides, and the murals commemorating the terrorism or decrying it, never sure which. It was a very sobering trip.

Also we saw the fields where the potato famine was. The Irish had their own language, Celtic which the English suppressed. They wouldn't let them speak it. They were pretty much used as cheap labour and to extend their territory. Pretty horrific stuff. However the gospel did reach Ireland and I saw many signs of Saint Patrick explaining it to the Celts using the shamrock as a symbol of the trinity.

I remember the Giants Causeway. It was not, as geologists like to claim, a rock formation that was laid down 'millions of years ago' no! The Irish had a MUCH better explanation..it was put there by giants. lol
 
Lanolin said:
I recall the Scots guide showed us the where the battlefield of Culloden was. I thought Scotland looked a lot like the South Island of New Zealand, very wild and rugged and also a bit desolate, though they had nowhere near the same height of mountains. We tasted haggis, and we also learned how the Romans would have stopped at Hadrians wall and got no further because they weren't used to the cold and mud.

Going to Ireland, I went all around the Emerald Island and when we got to Northern Ireland we saw Londonderry and Belfast and the turf war that was Shankill Road. We were shown the plastic bullets that were shot at opposing sides and we saw barbed wire and the painted roadsides, and the murals commemorating the terrorism or decrying it, never sure which. It was a very sobering trip.

Also we saw the fields where the potato famine was. The Irish had their own language, Celtic which the English suppressed. They wouldn't let them speak it. They were pretty much used as cheap labour and to extend their territory. Pretty horrific stuff. However the gospel did reach Ireland and I saw many signs of Saint Patrick explaining it to the Celts using the shamrock as a symbol of the trinity.

I remember the Giants Causeway. It was not, as geologists like to claim, a rock formation that was laid down 'millions of years ago' no! The Irish had a MUCH better explanation..it was put there by giants. lol
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History can be quite fascinating and seeing where events happened seems to make these events come to life.
 
Lanolin said:
I recall the Scots guide showed us the where the battlefield of Culloden was. I thought Scotland looked a lot like the South Island of New Zealand, very wild and rugged and also a bit desolate, though they had nowhere near the same height of mountains. We tasted haggis, and we also learned how the Romans would have stopped at Hadrians wall and got no further because they weren't used to the cold and mud.

Going to Ireland, I went all around the Emerald Island and when we got to Northern Ireland we saw Londonderry and Belfast and the turf war that was Shankill Road. We were shown the plastic bullets that were shot at opposing sides and we saw barbed wire and the painted roadsides, and the murals commemorating the terrorism or decrying it, never sure which. It was a very sobering trip.

Also we saw the fields where the potato famine was. The Irish had their own language, Celtic which the English suppressed. They wouldn't let them speak it. They were pretty much used as cheap labour and to extend their territory. Pretty horrific stuff. However the gospel did reach Ireland and I saw many signs of Saint Patrick explaining it to the Celts using the shamrock as a symbol of the trinity.

I remember the Giants Causeway. It was not, as geologists like to claim, a rock formation that was laid down 'millions of years ago' no! The Irish had a MUCH better explanation..it was put there by giants. lol
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The Irish always have a better explanation for everything 😊

Paddy is walking through a graveyard when he comes across a headstone with the inscription "Here lies a politician and an honest man."'Faith now,' exclaims Paddy,, 'I wonder how they got the two of them in one grave.
 
CPerkins said:
Traveling can be a form of adventure. Not just in the sights and sounds, but the people, customs, history and other unique attributes we might find in any given area. We have enjoyed foods, dances, costumes and interesting customs. We have also seen desperation at levels not otherwise experienced.

In many ways we have beautiful sights in our own backyard that could keep us busy if travel only meant seeing the sites. I thought it might be interesting to get others take on what they get out of traveling.
Click to expand...
In the military, I was stationed for a year in northern Greece and 10 years in Bavaria Germany. I traveled Europe and southwest Asia extensively, acquiring the equivalent of a college education just having fun. As an added bonus I learned to speak Greek and gained a fluency in German. I now reside in Chattanooga Tennessee where I'm able to enjoy many local wonderful sites including the Great Smoky Mountains.
 
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