Jun 22

Jun 22 Just see rather than must see

The idea for this blog came about after I read a piece about the joys of determinedly veering off the beaten tourist track when visiting new places.

It struck a particular chord with me because my own experience has been that, whilst the not-to-be-missed tourist attractions can be both thrilling and rewarding, they can also be rammed with other tick-this-off-the-must-see-list visitors, or occasionally just not live up to the hype and anticipation.

Whilst I’m not suggesting you avoid the go-to places when you’re somewhere you’ve never been, I would definitely advocate that taking the time to wander away from them, down the streets where the locals live, or along a path less well trodden, or into somewhere that looks unremarkable from the outside, can reward you with experiences, encounters and discoveries that are all the more memorable.

Making unexpected memories

Examples of this that spring to mind for me are a magical trip to Venice where, after two days of dutifully diving into the visiting crowds heaving along the best known streets and canals, across the beautiful squares and into the many magnificent buildings, we emerged from our hotel on day three and deliberately turned the opposite way. For the next couple of hours, we wandered down streets and alleyways and along quiet side canals, stopping off in a tiny neighbourhood cafe and all the while soaking up the sights and sounds of local life (most notably for me, how they string their washing between the buildings. It took me a while to work out the pulley system that made that possible). It was a brief but memorable taste of the authentic Venice. The one far removed from the frenetic tourist hot-spots.

Then there was the time, on a cold but sunny day, on and out-of-season winter visit to Vancouver Island, we when were deposited on a tiny uninhabited island half a hour’s boat journey from the small western town of Ucluelet. The driver assured us that although we would be totally alone on the island, we would be able to find our way along the barely there track that wound its way through the forest by looking out for the red ribbons tied to trees and plants along the way, and promised he would return two hours later to collect us.

What followed was one of the most gloriously spectacular walks I’ve ever done.

Huge trees towered above and around us as we picked our way along the barely visible path, clambering over and under their giant roots, the reassuring red ribbons revealing themselves at exactly the intervals when we thought we might be lost after all.

The all-important path markers (excuse the fuzziness of the pic, I might have been panicking we’d missed one and lost our way!)

And when we finally emerged into a little rocky cove on the other side of the island as the afternoon sun began to set, we were greeted by still clear water and the sound of a distant boat engine getting ever louder.

Another lets-just-stop-and-look-at-that moment happened on an unforgettable trip I did with my mother and sister to Vietnam and Cambodia (which I wrote about in THIS BLOG). We were in Hanoi, a city teeming with residents and visitors alike, and chaotic traffic, when we spotted a steady stream of people going into an unremarkable church on a side road. Intrigued we followed them.

The simple white facade of the building gave no clue to the astonishingly ornate and intricate beauty of the interior. Made all the more eye-poppingly colourful by the offerings being stacked in front of the golden alter by the visitors as part of what turned out to be some kind of harvest/food festival.

The worshipers welcomed us warmly, explained as best they could in the international language of signs and smiles what was happening, then plied us with tasty titbits and delicious drinks. We emerged onto the side street over an hour later, replete from the experience and their generosity.

Writing this reminds me of so many other un-scheduled, off-track moments and experiences (don’t worry, I’m not going to foist any more on you now). I wonder if it does the same for you?