When I was in Stratford Upon Avon, I was standing in line to try to get tickets for a Shakespeare play. I stood for some time when I struck up a conversation with the man behind me who had been waiting just as long. He was actually a tour director from Israel!  It was right at the time when the tension of the bombings were happening between Israel and Palestine.  To make a long story short, we never did get tickets, but instead we ended up sitting down to a cold beer on a beautiful sunny evening and talked about his personal experience of every day life in Israel, and of the issues of his country throughout past generations of history.

Oh, so many stories.

As a single mom, taking my two children to The Netherlands (their first to Europe)…was an

amazing experience for us all. They learned that people know so much about Americans.

They ask intelligent questions, they know how to speak “…like 12 languages!” according to

my 11-yr old son.  He was embarrassed into taking Spanish in school and paying more

attention to my few Greek lessons.  That had been a struggle before (with their “all-

American” father).   

 

My first trip to Europe was Greece.  I was embarrassed that they knew more about my

country, my president and my officials than I did. It was embarrassing to say I didn’t know

who, what and why the politics were happening…they knew and taught me why they

loved what America used stood for, why and how the Americans helped them during wars,

how they didn’t during other ‘wars’, what happened and when in our elections.  YES, they

knew a whole lot more than I.  A young, busy, divorced, single, working mom, still…my world

was small.

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I knew I had to go back to Greece and see as much of the world as possible.

Hence, along came an opportunity to take ITMI classes in San Diego, got Certified. 

Eventually, I created and escort small, private group visits, sailing the Greek islands &

villages.  Through the many years of traveling, especially to friends and family in Greece,

one included my landing in Athens on 9/11.

 

What I learned was amazing when contacting US Foreign Embassy for advice on whether

or not to cancel my group tour.  Also, a professor from the university, a chemical scientist

/ecologist/economist consultant to corporations, large companies, and some countries.

So knowledgeable, explaining the differences in opinions from the Europeans.

 

My ‘group’ travelers were to meet me in Athens on 9/18.  All flights delayed or cancelled,

total confusion with hotels, boats, I cancelled the tour on the 16th.  To my amazement, the

group found and paid for new flights where necessary, and only two ladies chose not to

make the tour.  We had one of the most enlightening and enjoyable sails of the Greek

Islands with sympathy, anger, debates, with much tears of joy and friendships left behind.  

                                                          #######

 

My daughter went to Norway as a foreign exchange student.  FANTASTIC experience for all.

She was there at 16 yrs old thru her 17th birthday. Today, she and her husband and two children

are reuniting with her host family in Norheimsund for the first time.  Nicole is now 35 yrs old.

They’ve stayed connected all these years.  I call that connecting worldly…world peace.

Travel should somehow be required for all.

Mary Damigos

Pame- Visits to Greece

There’s more, so many wonderful experiences to note here.  Yes, I shall write a book myself.

A TRAVEL STORY

In 1986 I traveled to Germany with a friend.  We went to many of the well-known cities that were available to us.  At the time the Cold War was on and the “Wall” was in place splitting Germany in half.  When we got to West Berlin we learned that the best museums were on the East Berlin side so we went to the tourist bureau and with their help we booked a trip into East Germany.  We booked hotel nights in the cities we were interested in and really didn’t think about the implications of spending American dollars in a country that was restricting their citizens from leaving. 

Our first night was in Potsdam, at the hotel where the Potsdam Treaty was signed. It was a lovely property and we wanted to learn more about it so we spoke with a hotel clerk.  His name was Timothy.  His English was exceptionally good and we were delighted with his vast knowledge of the area.  He in turn asked us many questions about California and the US.  He saw many of our television programs via satellite and was a big fan of the USA.  When he offered to take us around Potsdam the next day, we were delighted to have his services.  He was about the same age as our sons back in the states and was as friendly as could be.  He talked about his desires to travel abroad and get out of East Germany but if he escaped, he had family who would be left behind and probably harrassed.  His frustration was obvious.  He was young and adventurous and had a love of travel. 

We got along very well with Timothy and asked him if he could take more time off from work and travel with us.  We offered to compensate him but he would hear none of that.  He managed to get a few days off.  We picked him up at his home and were introduced to his mother who spoke no English.  She offered us tea and cookies.  We found out later that it was an honor to be invited in.  No sooner did Timothy get in our vehicle that he played his tapes of American music.  His grandparents in West Berlin ordered them for him and snuck them in.  This is why his English was so good.

My friend and I spent the next three days with Timothy sharing food and even our hotel room with him.  We unofficially adopted him as our “German son”.  At the end we put him on a train back to Potsdam and kissed him goodbye never knowing if we would see him again.  We left for the Austrian border which we could pass through but he could not.  The reality of the Iron Curtain struck home like it never had before. 

When the wall came down, Timothy wsa there – cheering – experiencing the flush of real freedom for the first time.  He sent my friend and me a piece of the wall.  It is a reminder of the inhumanity of man when power is abused. 

We kept in touch with Timothy.  After the Iron Curtain finally came down, we invited him to visit us in the States.  He has done so twice and may come again this year.  Thanks to the post office and now e-mail we continue to communicate more than twenty years later.  And we have never cease to realize how precious freedom truly is.

Linda Stolow

 

I absolutely and whole heartedly agree that traveling could be a political act, if you mingle with the people of the country you travel to and listen to what they have to say, in my experience I believe people of other countries are much more informed of the world politics than Americans.

We are just fed what ever the media and the our politician want us to know, while in other countries people have much more analytical mind to read between lines.

Alexander Goren

 

I agree that travel makes a more informed voter. When I was traveling in New Zealand with a group of
Aussie’s our discussion consisted of comparing our political systems and health care.  As we were the
only two Americans on the trip, the Australians were anxious to learn from us and visa versa.  Not only
were we learning but developing a great friendship with these people.

Jeanette Arevalo

Rick Steves is usually right on. And I think that is certainly true here. Having models to study can only make us more knowledgeable.

Even the most casual observer can see the methods for the collection of taxes, government involvement in healthcare and attitudes and laws concerning immigration are hot topics in Europe as well as here in North America. 

Tourists I host from the UK are quick to see similarities and differences and they are eager to discuss them. The exchanges, from my experience, have been more inquiring than confrontational.

It is enlightening for them to see where American and Canadian voters come down on these issues. Meeting North Americans while standing in line or over a sandwich when they scatter for lunch gives the more forward Brit a chance to chat.  The results can solidify or change their opinions or leave them in need of more education.

For me this also works in reverse. When observing and discussing these issues during travels to the UK I can imagine what life would be like if their approaches were copied here. 

And I don’t even have to leave home. Just this evening one of my travelers from Wales was educating me on the VAT (value added tax). I thought I understood it, but I was ignorant of the British business tax and when it applies.

 

Darrell Hosack ITMI #170

I do agree with Rick Stevens, travel is a political act.

What politics mean?

Smart, foresight,commune and community, learning and adopting new ideas.We not travel just to tell our friends that we been in China, and yes, the Great Wall is there. Or we been in Australia and the Outback is – well – it is out….there…..

I just returned from Croatia, and this relatively small Country just fascinated me! With three thousand year history, most people never moved an inch from the house where they were born, they lived in five “Country”, had to learn five languages, pay 22% taxes – and they are happy, friendly, warm, congenial and street smart. They really do not like to work, always late to work and they leave work as much earlier as later they arrived. Start the day with a shot of “grappa” (grape whiskey) just to make sure they have a friendly smile.  Build an extra story on they home and rent out the rooms to visitors, to make an easy euro. Women sitting on the beautiful beach and crocheting what they later sell, but they do not hang on to the tourists and shout in their face pushing their merchandise.If they do not have what I am looking for, recommend an other women down the street, who is also crocheting, she might have what I am looking for. And smiling. I send my friends to buy her work too.

There are beautiful ancient buildings in every city what are still in continues use – for 1700 years! Not just empty remains, rocks or forbidden castles. You have the feeling everywhere, that the homes made by the Romans, the castles of the Venetians, the villas of the Austrians are still is use, antic on the outside, modern inside. Not just empty remains of ancient times to get the tourist pockets empty. They offer something we can all share, the locals and the tourists, beauty, history, art, home made pag cheese and certainly grappa.

I am ready to return any time! K. Toth

Rick Steve’s released a new book called “Travel as Politcal Act”.

The book is touted as a guide for those who have an appetite to learn.  Steves says, “If you make your travels a political act, your vacation can be the most intensely educational time of your life. Rather than coming home fatter, you can come home smarter – with a better understanding of the inter-connection of today’s world.”

If you don’t understand the significance of the title…What we believe Rick Steves is trying to say, is that travel makes us a more informed voter on issues involving your own country and other countries around the world.

Sound familiar??

We believe it is a guidebook similar to what ITMI Tour Directors and Guides could have collectively written and shared with friends and family.

The question of the week is…

What are your thoughts or opinions on this subject?  Please share a story or example of “Travel as a Political Act” as you interpret it.

Ted, Randy and ITMI staff