"Down below , the sea crashed against the cliffs of Barranco and Miraflores, and a thick cover of clouds hid the stars and moon the sky over Lima. But the night was coming to an end. Day would break any moment now. One day less. One day more."
The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto, Llosa

Famous Quotes

The charm of discovering new places can only be surpassed by the experience of falling in love with an old one.

To Classify

There are three classes of travelers I have become acquainted with. First, you have the tourists: those fat, retired North Americans with hideous accents; those ill and sunburned Europeans; those Asians, posing by the statue, the fountain, the store front; those Australians, who take so much delight in doing all things touristy. Tourists really dont care where they are - they take lots of pictures in order to remind themselves later. They are wealthy, they are bored, and they want to have experiences they know they are probably incapable of having. They are British aristocracy in shorts. With cameras. They are obsessed with the new, the old, and the obvious, and they all go the same places and do the same things. They are hated for their ignorance but loved for the money that so freely flows from their cleverly concealed moneybelts, so locals regard them with a singular mocking curiosity smoldering beneath a mound of catering servitude and an endless sense of humor.
The second type of traveler is the hippie. They can be easily recognized by their dreadlocks, relaxed mode of movement, and the pervasive smell that lingers long after they have left the room. Hippies also dont care where they are, as long as they are high. They usually avoid the major tourist attractions (or go drunk as a sort of cynical joke). They seek their own kind, haunt cafes and smokey clubs, and lounge in the hostels common room on sunny afternoons. The main difference between the tourist and the hippie is that the hippie is usually on the verge of going broke. So they have more friends, talk more, and do less.
The third type of traveler is the business man (or woman). They are savvy, polite, well-dressed and knowledgeable. They also dont care where they are. In fact, they would prefer to be home, with a spouse and 2.5 children, a goldfish in a bowl and Mozart playing on the surround sound. But they are chasing the Almighty Dollar around the world, and by the time they catch it they will have to be reminded how to smile again.
The ideal traveler does not exist. He (or she, of course) is fluent in many languages and admires all cultures. The motivation for his travel is not important, but it is important that he has one. He has an excellent sense of humor, but a serious and positive approach toward life. He is intensely curious, quick-thinking, and good in emergencies. He takes great delight in people, even the miserable ones, and takes an interest in the problems and triumphs of each little village. He prefers good conversation to tourist attractions, plays the guitar, and has an excellent digestion.
To be this ideal traveler, may we all aspire.