After spending nice days in Dubai, I needed to think about which place to go to next. At this point of the trip, I was quite surprised about myself since I had managed to decide day after day what to do and did not plan each single day in advance.
I loved the idea of visiting an emirate that nobody had ever heard about and where there is nothing touristy to do or see! I hoped that I would be able to sense the real emirati culture there, which was impossible in Dubai. That’s how I landed in the Emirate of Sharjah!
And that’s the perfect timing to write a little essay about traveling!
In Sri Lanka, which was my next destination, I found a nice quote written on the wall of a little restaurant in Galle that I want to share:
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.
The difference between a tourist and a traveler is a quite frequent discussion topic while traveling. Indeed, within the backpacker world, it is often frowned upon to do so-called touristy things. Many travelers are very proud to tell you that they avoid all the touristic places and only want to experience the real country. I agree with them when they say that the real culture of a country cannot be found at the touristic hotspots. But I don’t like their implication that people enjoying touristic places are idiots. I think it is quite arrogant to assume that places millions of people love are not worth seeing. To me, these kind of travelers are the hipsters of the backpacker world. They want to be unique and special, but at the end, they all do the same “off the beaten track” things! And – how paradoxal! – their only presence at a “hidden spot” makes it touristic!
I personally would love to be so cool and to pretend that I am a real traveler and not a tourist, but it would not be true. I think the mixture of both types of activities makes traveling interesting!
Alternating traveler and touristy places… Places where there is “nothing” to do or see can be quite amazing. If you are open-minded enough, you can find something interesting to do anywhere. Each place has something to offer: maybe a restaurant with local people, a colorful market or a pretty hike along a river. These places might not be photogenic but so real! But places without tourists also have no touristic infrastructure. They are hard to reach, have no hostel and no place where to enjoy food in a relaxing environment. Isn’t having a drink at a nice cafe at a nice spot one of the best travel activity? And where do you find such a cafe? Only at a touristic spot… Touristy places might be overcrowded and have lost in authenticity, but there is always a reason why they are famous and touristic. And usually it’s because they are worth seeing (or used to be before getting too busy!).
So yes, I am proud to announce that I am a touristy traveler! I want to see the touristy places and I want to explore normal neighbourhoods where normal people live. I want to tick places off my check list but I also want to get lost and to experience authentic things!
So… let’s go to the next destination… the Emirate of Sharjah… a real traveler’s place!
Free like a bear 