Acquantices, travel mates and friends

Travelling alone. It is a whole different way to view South-America by yourself. Most people that I´ve met travel together. Friends from home or from the road. I am not that much of an loner, as you might think. First of all you meet much more people, alone, than travelling together. Every day in a hostel, between 5 and 15 new people shake your hand and make conversation. I can´t even remotely remember all the names of all the persons that I´ve met. Not even on the same day. Some conversations don´t go any further than: what is your name, where are you from, how long have you been travelling, and, how much longer do you have left. Then quietness. But most of them, after the initial questioning, move on towards better areas. Some about simple stuff like books and music (´I hate reagaton´), others about the country you are in right now, and how aweful it is for the poor people who live there. And then there is the talk that goes to higher grounds, stuff like culture, life style and religion. You learn a lot talking with other people from the same, but different countries, other backgrounds or mind changing point of views.

Since this topic is called ´Acquantices, travel mates and friends´, obviously the first group is the people you talk to, play cards or enjoy a beer with. But as soon as they, or you, leave, you forget them, their names and personalities. Quick paragraph, for short relationships.

Travel mates, is the kind of people that you not neccesary meet in your hostal, but in the bus terminal or the actual bus. That means some of them are not going to be more than acquantices, and I have covered that part already extensivly (ahem). The people that choose to travel with you, are more like friends, although not necessarily, you stick with them for a while, but wouldn´t conversate about the deeper parts of life. You can talk with them for hours on buses, which take hours also, without having any serious meaning.

Then you make friends. It really happens. They know about your past, present and ideas of the future. How you feel, what kind of traveller you are and how much budget you have. Clearly these people are the same type of people as you and handle travelling the same way. Like me, my friends wouldn´t stay in expensive hostels. We worked together in Loki La Paz, got to know each other a bit better. Eat super local in these super local ´mercados´, where no other traveller dares to go. Got stomach problems all at the same time (mercado?), and visit the same places. We stick around, and, while staying in close contact, make sure we meat each other ones in a while. Not always possible, since people leave to home or other destinations. You add them to facebook (forced onto me), and get invited to their homes where you have a free place to stay (for a week of 3). Wisconsin, here I come...

Explaining travelling (alone) in a far away, poor(er), Spanish speaking country is difficult and maybe incomprehensible for the home stayer.

En ....... zoals altijd hele mooie foto's!!!!!!!
En ....... wanneer kom je weer naar huis.???????

Ok. Interesting post. We new how you travelled, and where. Now we also know with whom. I had to lookup Reaggeaton. Turns out te be some kind of mix of all genres I hate :) haha. Hang on there! Are there any clubs / venues where you can enjoy decent music?

In Brazil and Argentina yes. Here no.

ahhh its been so long since i said hello to you! how is life?

also, are you really going to visit wisconsin some day? hehehe that is an interesting part of the US. you should go visit new york city, too, and see shawn!

Yeah maybe, Robert invited me. Shawn won´t be there, when I arrive I guess. Still travelling around.

aardbeving???
ferial vertelde zo iets!
nog even en dan zijn we op het zelfde continent.
lennart zit bij C en B !

Ja, een maandje ofzo terug. Ik weet het, er schijnt nogal wat ingestort te zijn in de plaats waar ik was.

En Lennart doet goed z'n best bij C en B. We ziten weer op het Internet!!

Gelukkig heeft hij niet lang hoeven zoeken naar de key voor XP :).
Ow.. en Ocke is een droge: "mja, half het dorp aan gruis.. maar heb er niks van gemerkt". :P

was je maar hier!!!zijn zaterdag in foz. we genieten cervesas,etc. gr.jusc. betts.amand.hans.henk.love

The beers are cheaper here, thus better! :-)