He misses the worlds best attractions because there are to many tourists there and the location has lost it’s authenticity.

and I agree with that sentiment.  The anti-tourist is so busy ‘traveling’ that s/he doesn’t see the world that unfolds around them. I think there’s something to be said for avoiding tourist traps which can be disappointing, but you can see a touristed destination while still avoiding the tourist traps.

Some cities I could have skipped but would have missed wonderful moments:

• Sydney – sure some parts of the city are far too crowded and feel like any other city on the planet but there’s something special about walking out to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair and experiencing sunset with no one else around. Is that Authentic Sydney? Who knows? Who defined authentic?
• Madrid – one of my favourite cities. Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Espana…all ‘too many tourists’ but I love them anyway. My favourite spot? The view/s overlooking the city from Metro Buenos Aires.

I haven’t found my Miracle Man yet, but I’ve found other incarnations. The couple in Kawaguchiko who gave Rebecca and I a lift back to our hotel. The locals in Karratha and Port Hedland eager to talk with an American… They’re there, you just have to keep your eyes open!

I think Spain will always have a special place in my heart because it was there that I went on my first overseas trip. I was 16 and traveling with my high school classmates as a part of an exchange trip. Sure, there were chaperones but this wasn’t a family trip, we were out and about on our own.

When I returned in 2002, I was able to revisit some favorite spots and find some new ones, but it was overall a feeling of homecoming. This time I was ‘grown up’ – at 22 I’d chosen to return to Madrid to take the TEFL course. Sure, I could have taken it anywhere in the world including home but why do that when I could take it in one of my favourite cities?

When looking into flights for Prague, I checked prices from Madrid. It’s an option, though not an easy one as it’s not always fun to get from Barajas to the city and I’d have to go via London. When I flew from Prague to Madrid on easyJet in January 2003 I joked that I spent more time travelling from Stansted to Luton than I did from either Prague to London or London to Madrid.

I think what I love about Madrid is how comfortable I feel there. It was about 7 or 8 PM when I arrived from Prague in January 2003 and I had no qualms about not having a room reserved. I called around from the airport and found one easily enough.

I’m not a partier, but I love the city and the country. One day, I’d love the opportunity to live there. Spain and Australia would be a real toss up for me.

Links:

My Spain Page – from October/November 2002 and January 2003.
10.19.02 – two days spent exploring Madrid and re-discovering the city.