People-watching

I love people-watching. It is probably my favorite sport. Some people hunt crocodiles for fun, I watch people. You can watch the human beast in it's natural habitat, doing things that may not be that interesting at first glance, but upon analysis, can give good insight into the normal practices of the species, and the creature's tribe.

People watching in Paris

People-watching is generally a sport practiced at places with high foot traffic, and with few hiding places. You don't want the creature to simply hide in it's cave the whole time, like the gorillas at the zoo have a tendency to do. Airports and other transit stations are great places for this, but here you may be seeing many foreign species that have been introduced to the location, and are not in fact natives to the region. I like spots where there is a good mix of native and non-native creature-traffic. City centers are often the best for this. I am a huge fan of sitting at an outdoor cafe/restaurant and watching for a few hours while enjoying my food and beverage.

People watching in Morocco

It can be a very cheap sport to practice, but lately, it is getting more and more costly. No, I don't need a new uniform or gear, but the best people watching is done outside, and here in Spain you actually pay MORE to sit outside. You can order the same exact coffee, beer, water, or food, and if you eat it on the terrace, you pay up to 25% more. (In Marrakech, there was one place we had to pay an entrance fee!) At first I found this a little strange. I could go inside, and have nice air conditioning, or pay more to sit in the heat. Hmmm... But it actually makes perfect sense. We are animals that don't like to be caged. If I have to pay a few dollars more to be rid of the bars and chains, it will be done. Not only that, I get to be outside with all the other liberated creatures and watch them carrying out their normal routines.

As I sit here in Seville, Spain, outside a restaurant in 97F/ 36C with 40% humidity, sweating profusely and listening to the construction 30 feet away, I think: those few extra dollars are totally worth it!

Nude Beach Etiquette

One of the coves in Cabo de Gata

Growing up, I learned a lot of etiquette. From my parents, from TV, in university, and at work. Traveling around I've been exposed to cultural differences with regards to etiquette. For example, in the states, people usually order their own meals, and eat from their own plates, however in many countries, communal dishes are ordered and shared, sometimes eating with the hands. In fact, it would be rude to want a plate for yourself. In the last few days, I have been made aware of my ignorance in a whole new area: nude beach etiquette.

The "glamorous" world of hitch-hiking

Hitching in Poland

The first time I hitch-hiked (or autostop as it is known in Spanish) was in Poland. Correction: the first time I attempted hitch-hiking, was in Poland back in September of last year. It was a really strange experience. My host at the time had recommended I do it to get to Prague and he knew a good spot to do it. Although he wasn't going to travel with me, he "escorted" me to the location and stood by providing moral support - which I definitely needed. In certain parts of Europe, hitching is a viable mode of transportation. It is somewhat romanticized among the backpackers and I figured since I was backpacking in Europe I should try it. However, in my memory, I had a very different stigma about hitch-hiking. Growing up in Southern California, I don't recall seeing what I would have classified as "backpackers" trying to hitch a ride. What I remember is middle aged men sitting at freeway on-ramps looking disheveled and stinky.  Surely I've seen younger cleaner versions, but those don't stick out in my mind.  Perhaps it's because they always got picked up quickly before I saw them?

Regardless, my first hitching experience was a tough one. I stood out there for nearly two hours without a single offer. Discouraged but still upbeat, I ran back to the train station to catch the last train of the day that would have gotten me all the way to Prague without missing the connecting train at the border, leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere. The day was not a complete failure because for I learned a lot. I learned what it felt like to be on that end of the hitching sign, and it wasn't as easy as I thought. Since then, I have hitched a number of times in various countries, and each has been a great experience.

Make mistakes? Time to quit.

I have gotten sloppy and made mistakes. It may be time for me to quit traveling. Ha! If I took the approach that some people take in life (if you screw up, give up) then I would probably hang up my trekking shoes and call it quits. But I prefer to take a different approach!

In nearly 10 months, I had gone with only losing one article of clothing. A long sleeve Columbia Sportswear zip-top thing that I left that on a bus in Poland. That was in September. Since then, I hadn't lost anything else… until a few weeks ago. That’s when everything started turning south.

On my last night in Sydney, I went out to the bars and wore my one and only rain coat - that I had actually purchased in Estonia when I finally got tired of being wet. When I got back to the hostel, I joined the few remaining drunkards still up playing guitar and singing in the lounge. I took off my wet coat and set it on the back of the chair to dry while I hung out with the gang. My poor coat was never to be seen again. Now, I’m sure that one of my “hostel buddies” took it to their room for “safe keeping” intending to deliver it to me the next day, but alas, I went to the airport without ever giving them the opportunity. Just the other day, I lost my Oakley sunglasses (real ones!) that had lasted me from Africa in 2008 until now, and my coolio hat that my brother gave me. Both were lost on the same day, at two different locations. I lost them both while hitch-hiking, so the lucky drivers got a parting gift. I then lost my bright yellow "party" Ray-Ban sunglasses (totally fake) so now I am left with NO eye or face protection. Finally, this morning, I left my host with my quick-dry shammy towel. Time to air dry!

At this point, I would say that I  am a very experienced traveler; some would even call me an “expert”. However, (and here comes the moral!) no matter how expert you get at something, how naturally something comes, or how easy it is, you can still screw it up. It is important to pay attention to what you do every time, because when you slip into a rut of routine, you are bound to make mistakes! And in some careers, when you get sloppy and make mistakes it may be taken as a sign to take a break or retire from the game, but in most cases, it can, and should, be taken as a sign to wake up and refocus. It's as easy as taking 10 seconds to double check before walking away. But ugh, that's such a long time!