Improving my traveling skills

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These are the kinds of sites I used to prioritize when traveling. I had a lot of room to improve

I foolishly used to think that traveling was kind of boring. “Places are all the same” I thought. “They all have people, and trees, McDonalds.”

But actually I just sucked at traveling.

In my defense, I was a child and had no money and no power to make the decisions myself when I traveled. But also there is a skill in traveling well. Now I am a man and developed this skill a bit. So I have put childish things like disliking travel and having no money behind me.

These are reminders for myself of what I have learned, so I can refer back to it next time I go to a new country.

Let me know if you have any additions from what has worked well for you!

Preparation:

  • Learn some history and culture: Start with general history to get a foundation, and then focus on whatever is interesting about that country (famous people, industry, trade, religion, art)

    • Follow up by watching YouTube videos on the most interesting bits

  • Listen to music of the country beforehand: especially traditional, pop, indie

  • Find books / movies from the country

  • Browse the country’s subreddit: Interesting to see how people talk about themselves!

  • Prepare lists of:

    • At least 3 places of historical / economic / cultural interest to visit

    • At least 3 foods to try

    • 1 interesting church to go to

    • Topics I want to learn more about by talking to people in the country (1)

While there:

Now I see things that are very interesting to me, like 500-year-old ruins and trees

  • Accept invitations (2)

  • Ask people what they think of history, world events. Cross-interrogating a topic like “Do the police help people?” across different countries can be super interesting

  • Ask people how they get along with other peoples. E.g., asking Somali-Kenyan driver if he feels discriminated by other Kenyans

    • Remember not to take answers at face-value

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1. As an example, here’s how I’ve prepared for a trip to Istanbul in late April:

  • Learn some history and culture: Read a general history of the Ottoman empire, a book on the Ottoman’s maritime power (related to another book I had read about the Portuguese empire), and a book on current events. Of particular interest to me are the whirling dervishes, Ottoman architecture, trade throughout the empire, and the interaction between Islam and Christianity (especially the Armenian Catholic church)

  • Listen to music: Their “traditional” music (not sure how authentic it is) weirdly reminds me a lot of progressive rock. Also found a few cool indie bands

  • Find books / movies: Read half of The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk

  • Browse the country’s subreddit: Lots of it was in Turk so I coulnd’t understand, but a few jokes about Turks and Greeks not getting along

  • Prepare lists: I’m unusually prepared and have a whole notion document of things to do and foods to eat. Especially excited to go to an Armenian Catholic church.

    • I’m particularly interested to ask any Turks who will talk to me about if they have a sense of connection to the Ottoman empire, how they feel about joining the EU, what they think of Erdogan, if the police help people, and their views on religion

2. One fun example of this: In Lamu town in Kenya, some guys invited us to eat barbeque on the street. We joined them, and got to participate in the chill night neighbourhood streetlife of Lamu - a lot of old men just sitting aorund, talking, heckling each other.

One of the old men told us about the history and mythology of Chinese sailors who got stranded on Pate island nearby, 500 years ago. He gave us a book recommendation on the topic, and said 20 years ago he had given a tour to a New York Times writer working on a story (presumably when working on this article)