The eternal question: guidebooks or simply wandering? I seem to hear people discussing this phenomenon absolutely everywhere I go. I, personally, like a balance. And at the end of the day, it's all about what suits you and what kind of person you are. There are those whose idea of a vacation is spending a few days in a bustling city and there are those who think a vacation means islands and beaches. And then there are obviously those who want to see just about everything in this world- be it volcano, river, ice-cream parlor, or the local baker's house. I fit into the last type. I love spontaneity and strolls. And all the discoveries that come along with it.
But I do read guidebooks. I read them because they always have valuable insights into the place I'm visiting and because they often tell you things you almost definitely did not know before that. In my approach of balance between wandering and guidebooks, I read the guidebooks to get an idea of what to see there, what the major areas are, and I study the map so quite often I know which street comes after what even when it's my first time visiting a place! Once I know what to see, I visit those and spend the rest of my time wandering about the place, discovering one thing after the next. In another aspect of this balance, sometimes I visit places with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever on what I'm going to find there. It is one of the most refreshing experiences you can ever have.
Many have their "well-established rules" to follow when traveling but I think there should be absolutely none- well none short of breaking the law in the other country- you don't want to do that! Some people only want to fly business class and make sure that that happens. Others believe in sticking to hotel chains- so there's some level of comfort and guarantee you're going to get what you expect. Neither of that is wrong or right. It's just up to you and what you want to see. If you're more comfortable traveling in an over-prepared manner then that's for you. If you want to hop on a plane and not even have an arrangement made for accommodation then that's great! At the end of the day, you will be experiencing something different- regardless of what it is. And that is what travel is about. Exploring, learning, broadening your mind. And more than anything, it's about experiencing and living.
I love wandering about a city's streets because it is then that I most often than not come across the quirky, eccentric, or just down right beautiful.
Below you can find pictures of some of my "discoveries" while roaming the streets of various places.You'll see quite a lot from 2009 because that was the year that I truly indulged in roaming around streets and wandering aimlessly.
This little angel is being held by her elder brother who was extremely excited about getting their pictures taken.
Right after I took this picture, he started yelling at me that he'd get me arrested.
These kittens were there every day with their mother, they used to live in a tiny box beside a pharmacy and this pot was their playground. The pharmacy staff would feed them and play with them. One day, none of them were there. It's said that cat mothers like to move their children around seven times- maybe this was one of them.
At the animal market near Eminönü in Istanbul- it's extremely cramped and hot and sadly the animals aren't in extremely wonderful conditions. But these parrots were friendly.
I don't know if people are capable of eating that. Istanbul, 2009.
Puppy inside a cinema house in Istiklal near midnight. I don't know if it was a stray, but the fact that it was adorable attracted a large crowd. Istanbul, 2009.
Attitude. Mommy kitty on a vendor's stand in the Book Bazaar in Istanbul.
The path leading up to the previous view.
Paris, 2008. I've always loved this.
But I do read guidebooks. I read them because they always have valuable insights into the place I'm visiting and because they often tell you things you almost definitely did not know before that. In my approach of balance between wandering and guidebooks, I read the guidebooks to get an idea of what to see there, what the major areas are, and I study the map so quite often I know which street comes after what even when it's my first time visiting a place! Once I know what to see, I visit those and spend the rest of my time wandering about the place, discovering one thing after the next. In another aspect of this balance, sometimes I visit places with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever on what I'm going to find there. It is one of the most refreshing experiences you can ever have.
Many have their "well-established rules" to follow when traveling but I think there should be absolutely none- well none short of breaking the law in the other country- you don't want to do that! Some people only want to fly business class and make sure that that happens. Others believe in sticking to hotel chains- so there's some level of comfort and guarantee you're going to get what you expect. Neither of that is wrong or right. It's just up to you and what you want to see. If you're more comfortable traveling in an over-prepared manner then that's for you. If you want to hop on a plane and not even have an arrangement made for accommodation then that's great! At the end of the day, you will be experiencing something different- regardless of what it is. And that is what travel is about. Exploring, learning, broadening your mind. And more than anything, it's about experiencing and living.
I love wandering about a city's streets because it is then that I most often than not come across the quirky, eccentric, or just down right beautiful.
Below you can find pictures of some of my "discoveries" while roaming the streets of various places.You'll see quite a lot from 2009 because that was the year that I truly indulged in roaming around streets and wandering aimlessly.
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| Gypsy baby in Istabul |
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| Old man outside Book Market in Istanbul |
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| Kittens |
I don't know if people are capable of eating that. Istanbul, 2009.
Puppy inside a cinema house in Istiklal near midnight. I don't know if it was a stray, but the fact that it was adorable attracted a large crowd. Istanbul, 2009.
Attitude. Mommy kitty on a vendor's stand in the Book Bazaar in Istanbul.
This is the breathtaking view that I came across after wandering through the steepy hills of Anacapri in 2006. I followed a bunch of people who seemed like they were heading somewhere- it definitely paid off.
The path leading up to the previous view.
Paris, 2008. I've always loved this.
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