One of the most interesting parts about travel is meeting people. Strangers you get to say hello with and the next thing you know, you’re already sharing hearty conversations with them over a cup of coffee. Or partying with them nonstop until one of you drops. Best is when you see yourself planning for a trip with this once stranger you now call a friend.
In the world of travel, it is just common to come across with thousands of strangers everyday. Building connections is easy but making it last… (Crickets…) So let me share you some of the people I met during my travels for the past 18 months.
10. The Know-It-All’s
They always have something to say about everything. They like to strut their own stuff to the point of being obnoxious. While I love talking to people who know a lot of things, I hate false pretenses. Believe me. I accept opinions and respect them. There’s no need for them to be forced into me. The moment people walk into the room, I know who are the smart ones and those who pretend to be so. There’s really not a need to act smarter than what you truly are because the more you try to look the smartest, the dumber you seem to people who really know. It turns people off and drives them away.
The world is a diverse place and so are people. We are all different and each of us still has plenty of opportunities. To learn. To improve ourselves. To gain knowledge. We need not to envy those people who went ahead of us. They too still have a long way to go. Probably you know something they don’t and that’s the essence of having a pleasant conversation. It enables people to share their knowhow which other people can learn from and vice verse. A conversation is not supposed to be driven just by one person or people who make a fool of themselves by trying to act smart and hoping people would believe them.
9. The Rip Offs
These are the kind of people you better have nothing to do with. They are those people who will try to squeeze out your pocket empty for their own personal gain. They aren’t really concerned how much you’ve worked your butt off to save up for your travel as long as they make money out of you. They can be some tricycle drivers, tourist guides, travel organizers, commissioners even peddlers. While I don’t say they are rip offs in general, I’ve always come across with one from this particular group of people. It’s inevitable to chance ourselves with one of them. It’s just up to us to be cautious, more so reprimand them of their wrong doing in the nicest way possible.
While I don’t hate them, I just don’t understand why they do what they do. It may be due to their circumstance. Perhaps, they’re going through some difficult times. But we all are. Everyday we fight our own battles. Our own demons. Haven’t these people realized that? No matter how hard life gets, it is not enough reason for anybody to exploit other people. In fact, no one should take advantage of other people. Period.
8. The Retirees
Oh…. I love these people! Coming across one of them is such a delight. These are the people who have endured the hardships of life and have survived their greatest battles. Some of them have served in the armed forces, in government offices or private institutions. They have spent their lives in service and dedication trying to protect the country, raise their families and send their children to the best universities and they’re simply taking the pleasure of rewarding themselves. I adore seeing them playfully posing for a groupie using their GoPro cameras as if they’re teenagers. I just love to see their fulfilled, worry-free faces. They have so many interesting stories to tell. Their knowledge and wisdom were molded perfectly by experience and it reflects in their actions. How they’ve stood the tests of time and overcame them is something we all can learn from.
7. The Business Minded
People such as myself travel to discover new things and get brand new experiences. We travel for adventure or to pleasure ourselves. But these people make travel their business. They are those who make money just to travel the world. They get discounts coupons and freebies from renowned brands and establishments. They get free passes to luxurious hotels others don’t get the chance to. I don’t know how they do it but it amazes me.
6. The Daredevils
“Cliff Diving? Check! Skydiving? Check!!! Bungee Jumping? Not yet but maybe when we get to NZ.” says a daredevil. Daredevils is what I call the people who travel for the sole purpose of feeling the rush of adrenaline all over them. It’s like they keep a checklist of adrenaline-induced activities for a certain place they visit and take it from there. These people have no qualms whatsoever with being spontaneous. They don’t have an itinerary nor do they bother to plan where to go next. They just do what they do in the most exhilarating way possible. Trekking up a mountain and down, crossing rivers and walking for hours don’t bother them as long as a promise of great adventure awaits them at the end.
5. The Bookworms
These people care to read as much as they care to see the places they travel to. It’s just awesome how they make room for one or two hardback books in their luggage or backpack. As much as I love to read, I find it hard to make space for one medium size book inside my backpack but these people bring with them an entire library (I’m exaggerating of course). I remember vividly when a white girl approached me asking if I can exchange my Game of Thrones book over her Fifty Shades of Grey set. I found her really pretty it almost made me say YES but the book wasn’t mine. I was just lucky the hostel (where I stayed) owner’s daughter happens to read good books.
4. The Go-To Guys
Scissors. Swiss Knives. Wet wipes. Pegs. Flashlights. Gloves. Hammock. Meds. Name it! These guys often have extra available. They’re like boyscouts and we all know boyscouts. They’re always prepared. They have the tools. They know how to go about things. While we are still trying to figure out the puzzle, these guys already knew what to do. These are the people you’ll love to be around with when you travel especially if you happen to be the kind who always screw up. Like myself.
=”http://lazada.go2cloud.org/aff_ad?campaign_id=961&aff_id=64999&format=javascript&format=iframe” scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″ marginheight=”0″ marginwidth=”0″ width=”336″ height=”280″>
3. The Young Ones
I’ve noticed that most of the people who travel nowadays are very young. Some of them are in their early 20s or not even in their 20s but surprisingly they already have 3 to 5 countries to their names. Whereas I. I haven’t even been out of the country yet and I’m 28! I find the idea of going overseas intimidating (but it is something I plan to do. Soon.). But to these young souls, hopping from one country to the other is just a piece of cake. Their enthusiasm is infectious. I hope I can say that they remind me of myself but heck no coz when I was their age, I was all cooped up in my room watching non-sense from the idiot box. But THEY. They are just amazing. At such a young age, they’ve already exposed themselves into the realities of the world and the people around them. I admire their courage. I hope more and more young people would dare themselves to travel and see that not everything can be learned in school but most of them are taught outside of their comfort zones.
2. The Jesters
These people know the funniest thing to say at exactly the right moment. They know the door to your funny bone. They don’t have to resort to sarcasm and cheap insults to the point of letting someone down to make other people laugh. They joke a lot but still can keep up with intelligent conversations. They are the life of the party. Their punch lines are just about what you need when you’re too tired to climb up that mountain or too scared to jump off that cliff (into the water). A good hearty laugh with them can take all your worries away. It fuels you to keep on going. Travel isn’t the same without them and all you could do is miss them or hope hard to bump into someone like them along the way.
1. The Good Samaritans
These are the people I met along my journey whom I least expect to be the people to lend me a hand when the situation gets dire. These are the people I was so wary about but they turned out to be the good guys. These are the people who went off their ways to help me in all ways possible. Driving us to and fro our destination and making sure we arrive there safely with all the things that we need in place. Like what Nestor Caunan (of Calatagan Batangas) did. Or granting us free entrance to Maria Christina Falls upon learning we run short of money and even offering to lend us a few bucks to make sure we could head back to our hotel in Cagayan De Oro as did the head of NPC Nature Park and his staff.. Or it could simply discounting our bus tickets, letting us pay P60 for each of us instead of P145 as did the bus driver of Rural Bus Transit in Iligan. Such act of kindness no matter how small is really appreciated. It makes me believe there is still hope in humanity after all.
***Lets talk about the people you have met during your travels. Share your stories in the comments box below. 🙂
