16, page 2. Sixteen Ways to Meet People When You are Traveling
The first six ways are here.
7. Travel with children - or dogs
Especially in Mexico, where people love children so much, yours will
draw a lot of positive attention. I haven't traveled with kids myself
in years, but friends assure me that it works all over the world! When
Kelly and I were in Mexico in 1979, we met an American couple because
they were traveling with their baby. That woman recently turned up in
our lives again… she now lives a few miles from us!
Travel with children.
I do travel with my dogs. We left them home on this trip, but at other
times, we've had a lot of nice conversations with other dog-lovers -
and in my unbiased view, dog-lovers are some of the nicest people!
If you travel with dogs, you will frequently be doing the next method.
8. Go for a walk
Go for a walk.
Naturally, this works best if you walk where other people are out and
about. If you are staying in a campground, getting a bit of exercise
by circling around it gives you a chance to chat with other campers.
9. Go where people are relaxing
We went to as many balnearios, or hot springs, as we could. We also
found people to be talkative in restaurants (after their meal and especially
if there was just one person). Going out dancing or sitting in a bar
can lead to conversations too.
10. Pay attention to your own feelings
When we arrived in the town of Xico after not having found a place
to stay in Xalapa, we drove past a touristy gift-shop sort of place.
"I have a feeling to go in there!" I said to Kelly, not knowing
if I just needed a break from the hunt for accommodations or what. It
turned out that the owner of the shop directed us to a place we loved
- and I bought a lovely purple blouse!
Other times, this can work in reverse. One Sunday afternoon, we were
swimming and relaxing at a balneario, and many Mexicans were doing the
same. Four black-leather-jacketed young men roared in on their motorcycles
and settled down to ogle the bikini-clad young women who were everywhere.
I was inclined to go chat with the bikers - was going to ask them how
the police treated them - but I was tired and also wanted to finish
catching up in my journal. So my feeling was to let the opportunity
pass, and I did.
11. Be willing to be rebuffed sometimes
It's nothing personal, but the person may be preoccupied, in a hurry,
or just plain unsociable. If I am not sure, I start with a very simple
comment and see how they take it. Also, if I am rebuffed and it happens
to bother me, I make a point of talking to someone else as soon as possible,
so I don't get discouraged.
12. Ask if you may take their photo, perhaps with a local landmark
This is one area where I am very shy. I don't like taking pictures
without asking permission. So what works best for me is to ask, sometimes
if I can take the picture or sometimes if Kelly can take it of them
with me.
Ask if you may take a photo. This historical picture
must have been taken in the days when
you were supposed to look serious.
Kelly, who has worked as a professional photographer, is much more
at home taking shots without asking - the wonderful picture of the priest
chatting with visitors in the El Chorrito chapter is one result.
13. Seek out people with similar interests
If you have special interests, you can ask hotel, shop, or campground
staff if they know people you could talk with. This can often arise
spontaneously too. I have a Quaker background, and in one campground
I met a man of my generation who had run the Quaker center in Mexico
City at one time. Kelly is passionate about alternative building and
got into some good conversations on the subject.
14. Go with the flow
This is related to paying attention to your feelings, but it can also
be larger than that. Our last day in Bernal is a perfect example. We
were quite enthralled with the town, and in the morning we agreed that
we would just allow the town to show itself to us in whatever ways it
did. This led to our having dinner with the only two Americans living
in the town right then, whom we met during the day. One of them sold
real estate and was able to give us a good overview of the market there.
15. Get introductions before you leave home
The internet makes this one easier than ever before. If you are a member
of any group that might have members where you are going, see if you
can email people in advance.
We met Andy Watson and Dorothy Gerhart of San Miguel de Allende this
way. They had emailed Kelly at his greenhomebuilding.com website not
long before we left home.
16. Travel with an extrovert - or maybe with a group
A friend of mine recently took the train across the U.S. She traveled
with a friend of hers who is very outgoing, and they ended up hanging
out with a varied group of people.
If you choose to travel to Mexico with a group, such as a tour group,
it will be easy to get to know your fellow travelers. Whether this will
help or hinder your getting to know the local people depends on the
purposes of the trip. Kelly once traveled to the then-Soviet Union with
a citizen diplomacy group and he met far more people than he would have
if he had gone alone - which was rarely allowed in those days anyway.
But in general, if you travel with a group, you will have fewer opportunities
to meet the local people.
Here's a summary of the list you can carry with you for encouragement:
1. Express appreciation
2. Ask questions
3. Smile
4. Offer to help
5. Buy something
6. Learn something of the language and customs
7.Travel with children - or dogs
8. Go for a walk
9. Go where people are relaxing
10. Pay attention to your own feelings
11. Be willing to be rebuffed sometimes
12. Ask if you may take their photo, perhaps with a local landmark
13. Seek out people with similar interests
14. Go with the flow
15. Get introductions before you leave home
16. Travel with an extrovert - or maybe with a group
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