Going to local parks is a favorite activity of mine.
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Category Archives: Travel Tips A to Z
Offer to Help in some small Way
When on the usual tourist trail I often feel like I am not really in the the place. Like I’m in a bubble with a barrier between me and the place.
My son and I had a talk about this isolated feeling. It is easy and comfortable when traveling in a group to create your own bubble. Especially if there is a language barrier. But it leaves us feeling like we missed out on something. When the two of us travel together we try to interact with others, both local and fellow travelers. But with the emphasis on local.
Nutrition
I am not a picky eater…or at least I don’t see myself as one. As the chief cook and bottle washer at home I get to chose what food is in the house and how it is prepared so my assessment doesn’t get challenged much, except when I am traveling.
I try to be not picky, and always point out that I did eat a spicy fried cicada one time, just to be polite, it wasn’t that bad. But sometimes you aren’t awake yet and suddenly realize that what you thought was orzo pasta has eyes, and you just aren’t up for the adventure.
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Markets
One of the great ways to see a place is at markets. They can be supermarkets, little corner convenience stores, street markets, farmers markets…Whatever they are you will get a feel for the place. You will see people interacting and get a chance to do so yourself.
I just realized that I used Markets for M last year, as well, in my China A to Z series-I must be a true believer!
Some markets from my travels (but not China since I did that last year):
An open air Saturday Market in Port Douglas Australia.
Language…and communication
I am not gifted at languages. In part because I am not particularly auditory. I am a bit on the tone deaf side, and it is getting worse as I get older, as is my hearing in general, and I like silence most of the time.
I studied Japanese for a year, over a year before my first trip there. We weren’t planning the trip when we took the course and I wasn’t actually all that interested. I only took it because that was the only way the community college would let my then 14 year old son take the class (we were homeschooling other subjects).
Brag: He was 14, I was 41 and everyone else in the class was between us, including the instructor. We BOTH aced it! (I was so proud).
But when we got feet on the ground, my carefully learned Japanese flew out the window, except for a few phrases. (My son did better.)
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Keep Your Wits about you
I touched on the importance of observation in my Crossing Streets post. Just being aware of your surroundings can make a situation where things can go south not do so.
There are situations where you know what the risk is and yet you find yourself being dragged into the situation. Well maybe you don’t, but I have had it happen to me. It is all well and good to know the risk, the problem for me is knowing what to do instead, or how to extricate once you realize something is awry.
I try to keep my eyes open and notice things in general, and I’ve given myself permission to be rude and just pull out if I feel uncomfortable. I also act like I don’t understand sometimes, when I do if it makes pulling out easier.
A picture can be worth a thousand words
This ATM ate my card
Jet Lag
Sorry no magic here. The only cure for jet lag is time, and we humans adjust by about an hour a day.
I don’t know about you but I have read volumes about jet lag trying to find a magic bullet. The thing is that if you have commitments in your regular time zone there is only so much pre-adjusting you can do.
So what I do is plan for it.
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Handiwork
Perhaps because I sew, I take an interest when I see people making stuff by hand. Factory made souvenirs don’t interest me much. I don’t buy a lot since mostly travel alone I need to stay light. But watching and learning doesn’t cost, or weigh, anything.
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Indulge Now and Then
I tend to be a relatively frugal traveler. My main souvenir from any trip tends to be my photographs and notes to help me remember my experiences. I am not a great purchaser of souvenirs and, mostly, I don’t opt for the most expensive option much of anywhere. However, the point of being in a place is to be there, not to save the most money whilst being there.
Ice Cream
One of our family’s travel indulgence’s is an afternoon ice cream break, when we can find it. It started as a now and then thing but has become fairly regular. So much so that we called our family walking trip to France in May of 2001, our “Tour de Glace”. (Glace being French for ice cream).
Go Out Every Day
I am an extreme introvert and sometimes I really want to just hibernate. I let myself take it easy but, unless I am ill, I always go out at least once. Here are some simple outings that you can do anywhere, even when you don’t feel up to much. They aren’t about mind-bending scenery or tourism, just being where you are.
A walk in the park.
XingfuMama 