I generally consider myself to be a traveller. The locals may look upon me as a tourist however the keen observer will see the travelling in me. But what’s the difference? Is a backpacker more of a traveller than a 50 something dragging a suitcase. The tourist might take the happy snap in front of the Eiffel Tower, whilst the traveller may sit for hours in the Jardins du Trocadero admiring the towers size and structure or just watching Parisians go about their everyday life. I’ve done both although I try to turn the tour into the experience. Even if I’m only in a town or at a popular tourist attraction for a short time, I put myself in the now and absorb the atmosphere, the sense and soak up the scenery. At a cafe on the Champs-Élysées I don’t just order tea but ask the waiter ‘how’s your day been’. Rarely is there time for a chat but when there is I revel in it. The traveller in me wants to understand who lives here, what their life is about, what are their challenges, what are their joys.
I once met a Canadian who boasted about having been in over 100 countries and aimed to go to every country in the world. In the past week he had been in 6 or 7 countries. We got into a debate ‘if you only travel from the airport to the hotel stay overnight and then back to the airport’ does that count as a country visit?
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Travel and Life Observations 