As many of you know, I live in New Zealand for part of each year. Many of my peer group (retirees) travel abroad on cruise ships or take tours with large groups of people. Nothing wrong with that, but then they claim to be all knowledgeable about the countries they visited for ONE DAY. They will leave on a cruise ship from Sydney, Australia (after spending one or two days in Sydney) and then on to the South Island of New Zealand, putting into Lyttleton Harbor and visiting Christchurch for one day. Then on to Tauranga and Auckland on the North Island and back to Sydney. When they get back to the states some of them (this is true), think that NZ and OZ are one country.
They dinned well and had a ball on the cruise, but learned very little about the places they visited.
Younger people on the other hand (and mostly European) will backpack or ride bikes throughout NZ and Australia, pick crops along the way to earn a bit of money, visit with the locals and learn quite a bit about the country they are visiting. Most of these European young people speak English as well as their native tongue. I have met very few young American kids doing this.
My conclusion?---------There are exceptions of course, but I think that when Americans travel abroad it's for the excitement of the travel it's self and not to learn something. After all, don't we know it all?
I have sailed on cruise ships many times, but don't really count it as a learning experience of the countries visited. I have also gone with my wife to Europe and Asia, traveling on our own (no tour group) for two months. at a time and do count that as a learning experience.
I certainly do not claim to be an expert on any country that I ever visited, but do feel that I have a better than average grasp than many.
Oblivious Traveler's
Oblivious Traveler's
Lon;687223 wrote: As many of you know, I live in New Zealand for part of each year. Many of my peer group (retirees) travel abroad on cruise ships or take tours with large groups of people. Nothing wrong with that, but then they claim to be all knowledgeable about the countries they visited for ONE DAY. They will leave on a cruise ship from Sydney, Australia (after spending one or two days in Sydney) and then on to the South Island of New Zealand, putting into Lyttleton Harbor and visiting Christchurch for one day. Then on to Tauranga and Auckland on the North Island and back to Sydney. When they get back to the states some of them (this is true), think that NZ and OZ are one country.
They dinned well and had a ball on the cruise, but learned very little about the places they visited.
Younger people on the other hand (and mostly European) will backpack or ride bikes throughout NZ and Australia, pick crops along the way to earn a bit of money, visit with the locals and learn quite a bit about the country they are visiting. Most of these European young people speak English as well as their native tongue. I have met very few young American kids doing this.
My conclusion?---------There are exceptions of course, but I think that when Americans travel abroad it's for the excitement of the travel it's self and not to learn something. After all, don't we know it all?
I have sailed on cruise ships many times, but don't really count it as a learning experience of the countries visited. I have also gone with my wife to Europe and Asia, traveling on our own (no tour group) for two months. at a time and do count that as a learning experience.
I certainly do not claim to be an expert on any country that I ever visited, but do feel that I have a better than average grasp than many.
Yep we all go for different reasons don't we.
I must say I learned a lot from Raven and Voodoo and Spot when I was in England yet spent most of my time site seeing when I was in Paris with my GF and her beau.
2 very different experiences.
They dinned well and had a ball on the cruise, but learned very little about the places they visited.
Younger people on the other hand (and mostly European) will backpack or ride bikes throughout NZ and Australia, pick crops along the way to earn a bit of money, visit with the locals and learn quite a bit about the country they are visiting. Most of these European young people speak English as well as their native tongue. I have met very few young American kids doing this.
My conclusion?---------There are exceptions of course, but I think that when Americans travel abroad it's for the excitement of the travel it's self and not to learn something. After all, don't we know it all?
I have sailed on cruise ships many times, but don't really count it as a learning experience of the countries visited. I have also gone with my wife to Europe and Asia, traveling on our own (no tour group) for two months. at a time and do count that as a learning experience.
I certainly do not claim to be an expert on any country that I ever visited, but do feel that I have a better than average grasp than many.
Yep we all go for different reasons don't we.
I must say I learned a lot from Raven and Voodoo and Spot when I was in England yet spent most of my time site seeing when I was in Paris with my GF and her beau.
2 very different experiences.
�You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.�
• Mae West
• Mae West
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RedGlitter
- Posts: 15777
- Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:51 am
Oblivious Traveler's
Since I have never traveled out of country except for Mexico (brief visits) I don't know about the overseas thing but I've traveled the states pretty well and I can liken it to that. Both the behavior of foreign travelers and that of our own in a different state. People of all walks can be really obnoxious. I've got about five examples I'm thinking of but they would take too long to tell, but I believe I get the drift of what Lon is saying.
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Indian Princess
- Posts: 1953
- Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:55 pm
Oblivious Traveler's
When my stepbrother finished high school, he took a year off and backpacked through Ireland. Said it was the best thing he ever did.