tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post9025282955244165391..comments2023-12-31T05:01:58.031-06:00Comments on Young Stranger: Pictures!John Gustav-Wrathallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557940681381951271noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-20231600379469170402010-07-14T09:51:52.897-05:002010-07-14T09:51:52.897-05:00When we travel we try to stay with the locals and ...When we travel we try to stay with the locals and eat in their homes where at all possible, staying away from the big cities and standard tourist destinations. It really makes a huge difference. I'm glad you were able to do this - the insights and perspective gained are magnified 10 fold. <br /><br />Beautiful photos! Beautiful family!Beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06159223254071653666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-21530113123394213222010-07-14T08:09:39.749-05:002010-07-14T08:09:39.749-05:00Yeah. When I was younger and freer, I made a point...Yeah. When I was younger and freer, I made a point of not "traveling" but trying to live in a country for at least six months and learn the language and meet people over a longer term. I always wonder how you can know a place without knowing the language.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15606922510495018342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-46262415241720362692010-07-13T07:56:42.605-05:002010-07-13T07:56:42.605-05:00There's something about gays being targeted as...There's something about gays being targeted as tourists that I find unsettling. I suppose it's better than being explicitly told gay tourists are unwelcome...<br /><br />Maybe its because I'm uncomfortable with the idea of tourism <i>per se</i>. When I visit a foreign country, I don't want my interactions in that country to be merely commercial. I make some effort to learn their language and learn something about their culture and history, and I want to be appreciated by those I meet there as a whole human being with a culture and language and history of my own, not just as a bag full of dollars waiting to be dispensed at shops and resorts...John Gustav-Wrathallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03557940681381951271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-10888411357081205382010-07-13T07:04:55.775-05:002010-07-13T07:04:55.775-05:00Travel can in some ways feel like an escape from t...Travel can in some ways feel like an escape from the "real world" of work and routine. But it also gives you rare opportunities to reflect on all the things you take for granted, to see them from a different perspective. And the more you get to know the language and the ways of the country you are visiting, the more they become a permanent part of you, and of your way of seeing the world. So I can see why in Islam, for instance, the <i>hajj</i> (pilgrimage) is expected of all faithful.John Gustav-Wrathallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03557940681381951271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-6189945017782492992010-07-13T02:56:44.744-05:002010-07-13T02:56:44.744-05:00I'm really glad you posted these! Gave me some...I'm really glad you posted these! Gave me some desires to see Europe and that part of the world. That sun at night is so cool! <br /><br />And my first thought on seeing the train picture, before reading the caption: Boy, that looks like the most spacious airplane I've ever seen!<br /><br />(And for some reason, they use "pride" sometimes here, but usually the Hebrew word, Ge'ava. Tel Aviv is also promoted for gay tourism.)<br /><br />Travel is great.sarahttp://sarainisrael.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com