The importance of people
On Sunday the oh-so-knowing New York Times Style Magazine was devoted to Travel, and one of the articles was about how travelers are no longer satisfied with the sights, they want to meet the people.
There were two aspects of this news that were interesting. One, it was presented as news, as if all of a sudden we have discovered the rewards of human interaction. Hasn't anyone at the magazine read Paul Theroux? Do they think he's been going on and on about the museums all these years?
Two, the people-to-people exchanges the article discussed were arranged by tour companies, as part of their service. They involved guides taking tourists back to meet their families.
In other words, it was a personal touch made possible through a financial transaction. In which case, the actual meeting would inevitably be a little artificial, not to mention awkward, as an entire tour group invades a local's home.
As every backpacker knows, the best encounters happen by chance, and are usually one-on-one affairs, when the only currency is curiosity.
Comments
I have been traveling to Paris for about 10 years. The reason I keep returning is not so much for the obvious tourist attractions but for the friends I have made over the years.
I initially made these connections through websites like www.tripadvisor.com and www.craiglist.org. But then I heard about social events like the famous Jim Haynes parties (www.jim-haynes.com) that are run every Sunday night. It's gotten to the point where I really don't care so much to see Mona Lisa when I visit Paris. I would rather sit at a cafe with Thierry and Alexandra. I would rather take a trip to Amiens with Suzanne and Veronique. I love chatting with Christian Constant at one of his restaurants. To me, that's travel.
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Posted by: Arnoux Prince | September 9, 2008 6:14 PM
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Posted by: Arnoux Prince | September 9, 2008 6:17 PM