Thoughts and Experiences of a Travelling Tourist - Essay Example

Thoughts and Experiences of a Travelling Tourist “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine Travelling is something fun and it teaches things that you cannot learn without travelling, Travelling is recommended because it will open your mind to different things like other cultures, religions, and different life style. One also learns important things, such as how to respect other nationalities and cultures. What is more, from traveling, we will know how to control our spending of money and how to appreciate our life as well. I travelled to many countries around the world and I am still excited to visit more countries. When we talk about the “Arabian Gulf” for example, Qatar, Kuwait, and Dubai, they almost share the same culture, religion and language. People can find the hospitality in those countries that they never seen it before because it is a part from their culture. Arabian Gulf countries always attract people who search for summer activities like adventure, hunting, diving, luxurious hotels, traditional food, and so many other things. Furthermore, turrets always change their mind about those countries if they have misunderstood about Arab, Islam, or the Middle East in general. Middle East countries have been known to the world as dangerous countries because of the media and news, which have biased views. However, we sometimes need to see thing closely (Harrison 34). On the other hand, countries always share something together, which makes one say: it is really a small world. For example, when I went to Egypt I found that they share languages with other countries, with some of speaking Arabic, English, or even French. Egypt was really different country than all countries I’ve visited before, however. The people there are always happy and want to have fun and celebrate most of the time. They are willing to help others, especially tourists. We should not also forget the important things that make Egypt an attractive destination in Africa, which is Phrenic ancient, Nile River, museums, and the different cities like, Sharm Alshiekh, which is an awesome small city on the beach, located on the border of Israel. I also took a trip to Paris, arriving at Beauvais Airport outside the city. Thankfully, the airport offered shuttle services to take travelers to the city center, which depart every twenty minutes after the flight. I used the metro to commute around the city since it was cheaper, although sometimes I preferred to use the hop on or hop off tourist buses in the city. Taking a ride on these tourist buses allows one to see many parts of Paris in a few hours, and the tickets were valid for two days so one can use them around the town, wherever one may be. Visiting Paris, as my friend said, is incomplete without seeing some art. Paris is home to some of the most beautiful and awesome museums, with a visitor having a wide range of topics to choose from when visiting them. Being a lover of paintings, I visited the Louvre, where I found out that entrance was free every first Sunday of the month. St the Louvre, it was awe-inspiring to take in the Mona Lisa, as well as various impressionist works the Musee d’Orsay. In Paris, art is everywhere and some metro stations have decorations that correspond to the sights nearest to them, for example, the Concorde, Louvre- Rivoli, Palis Royal, and the Abbesses. Public restrooms, like the one at the Madeline Church corner are worth a visit just for the incredible art it possesses (Birkeland 56). Taking a Seine river cruise is another tradition that could not be missed when visiting Paris. It is especially breath taking at night, especially if taken on a romantic context, taking in the city light’s spectacular view from the original French Bateaux while cruising down the river. It would have been better to carry a sweater as it got chilly but it was a lifetime experience. The visit to the UK was on a British bank holiday, with the weather being cold and rainy most of the evening and afternoon. It was enjoyable watching kids [lay football in alleyways in the rain, as well as the legendary fish and chips from a takeaway. It was hard to miss the numerous takeaways present, making it clear that the British loved their fish and chips. The next day was different to the first as it dawned sunny and fine. Most of the day was spent driving leisurely north via South Yorkshire and Derbyshire countryside. We stopped for lunch at a typical village pub in Worley opposite a church (Cohen 83). No visit to the UK is complete without some bit of football and, as such, we set out for Elland Road where Leeds United was facing Oxford United in the second round of the League cup. The atmosphere in the ground was electric and it was clear that the British love their football. There were entire families and couples watching the game, although the chanting degenerated into insults, which I found unsuitable for family a family experience. The match ended in a three nil victory for Leeds United. The next day began with a leisurely breakfast before driving off south to the outskirts of Coventry. Here, we visited three large Tesco Supermarkets looking for various memorabilia to carry home for my wife and for myself. After picking up what was needed, it was time to explore the center of the city but the rain was back in force. It really does rain loads in Britain. Instead, I drove along a new road out of Coventry into Braunston village at the Northamptonshire-Warwickshire border to spend the night. Overall, the British are a witty people with a love for sport and their beer. I learnt to take my frustrations out in sport with my visit to Elland road where grown men spoke unprintable words. A friend told me that outside the ground, they were calm and peace loving citizens. Finally, I took a visit to my best friend’s ancestral home of Valencia in Spain. Valencia is a prosperous provincial town whose people have maintained an emotional and firm attachment to their town known as “mi pueblo”, which means buying chicken live from one’s neighbors, eating freshly plucked fruit, mountain walking, bumping into old acquaintances, and eating a lot of home cooked meals. The tapas in the pueblo are also different and visiting El Lucio or El Bancocito was also a lot of fun. Another ingredient of life here was the siesta, brought on by the unbearable temperatures during the day that go as high as forty degrees Celsius between two and four p.m. the local community go to the “cine de verano”, a cinema in the open where they carry a sandwich and watch movies under the stars. Another popular and endearing pastime to these people was their after-dinner chat with neighbors in the cool night mountain air (Roberson 14). My visit to Spain taught me the strength of a close-knit society, especially in Valencia. It was interesting to note that the trickling in of outside influences had dulled the sense of “el pueblo” but the people still cared about the plight of their neighbors. The people on Valencia, and most of Spain’s countryside, are friendly, unlike during my visit to the United Kingdom. My visit to Spain was the best of the lot. Annotated Bibliography Birkeland, Inger J. Making place, making self : travel, subjectivity. Aldershot : Hants Ashgate, 2009. Print. This book explores fresh understandings of place and place making during the late modernity era, covering vital themes of mobility, subjectivity, tourism, space, and time. Via a combination of groundbreaking theory and utilization of innovative case studies, including France, Spain, and Britain, Inger Birkeland provides his audience with a vital contribution to the fields of tourism and sociology. Cohen, Erik. Contemporary tourism : diversity and change. Boston : Elsevier, 2008. Print. This book brings the writers major principle articles regarding tourism sociology that he has had published over the last thirty years. Part 1 deals with the opening up of tourism to sociological studies and changes involved in contemporary tourism. Part 2 involves the author’s work concerning the interfaces between tourism, language, crime, and religion. Part 3 constitutes of various studies that represent the diverse aspects of his empirical research. Roberson, Susan. Defining Travel: Diverse Visions. Jackson: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2007. Print. As the travel field crosses theoretical and academic boundaries, it consolidates literary criticism, psychology, history, geography, sociology, and anthropology. The recognition of travel’s multidimensional quality drives the author to present various travel experiences in Europe and Asia, as well as the approach to discovering what these travels add to the tourist’s life. The essays, however, can be confusing, especially on what constitutes the home site and travel, as well as the role of travel in gathering knowledge. The author contends that the role of travel in life is wayfaring. Harrison, Julia. Being a tourist : finding meaning in pleasure travel. Vancouver : UBC Press, 2009. Print. This book deals with the experience of travelling abroad, and what feeds the impulse of leaving the comfort of one’s home and exploring fresh and new horizons. The author analyzes various conversations with travelers and tourists and asks them why they invest their resources in travel. She suggests that tourists and travelers are fuelled by a search for connection and intimacy, as a strategy to make sense of their life, and to express personal aesthetic. She also reflects on the benefits that these travelers get from their sojourns into foreign lands. Well written and engaging, it is also a read for cultural studies, sociology, and anthropology, as well as those interested in travel writing and tourism studies. Top of Form Bottom of Form Read More