A traveler, not a tourist!
(from Paulo Coelho's "Comme Le Fleuve Qui Coule - Voyagez autrement")
1. Avoid the museums. If you're in town for a few days only, "isn't it more interesting to experience the present than the past"? People tend to feel that they have to see the museums when they visit a place since "it's where lies the culture". "Visiting a museum requires time and objectivity", you need to know what you want to see there, or you'd just get out thinking you've seen everything you need to see for your entire life but forget all about it half an hour later.
2. Frequent the bars/pubs. Find a place to sit down and have a drink. Pick up a newspaper or a book to dive in, and maybe a discussion with a total stranger.
3. The best tour guide is someone who lives in town, know what to see and where to eat, but doesn't work for a travel agency.
4. Travel by yourself, or with a company. Being in a tourist group is just the laziest way to travel; you speak your language, stay with people you know, follow the instructions given by the tour guide, and are more occupied with the group's rules than the place you're visiting.
5. No comparison, please!
6. Verbal language is not the only language. Some people think that when they travel alone, they'll get lost right away. Well, the only thing you need is the business card of your hotel, and in the worst case, all you have to do is hop on a taxi and show them the card.
7. Don't buy too much. Spend money in things that you can't take home with you: meals in a local restaurant, an interesting play, etc.
8. Don't try to see the whole world in one month. You should rather be in one town for 4-5 days than visit 5 places within a week.
9. It's an adventure. It's much more interesting to discover a church that no one has heard of than to be in Paris and feel obligated to see the Louvre. Go to see the Louvre, but also let yourself get lost in streets and alleys looking for something less known.
The article is from a compilation of stories by Paulo Coelho. It particularly stands out for me since most of the ideas coincide with my own opinion about traveling, while the rest creates some new thoughts in me. Ever since I am old enough to travel "consciously", it never occurs to me going on a tour to such and such place in such and such days. No offence to anybody but I honestly don't see the point of taking a tour bus to a sight, spend half an hour rushing to "see" everything while listening to a guy "blah blah-ing", hop on the bus again, head to the next dot on the map, which might be totally lame but since [somebody famous] has lived there, you gotta see it, and make you want to scream out loud "I'm not interested so fuck off!".
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