Four tips for finding friends when traveling alone

Friends often seem just to appear when you're traveling solo, as I've written in many previous posts. But I enjoyed this amusing blog post on four ways to up the odds, written by Travel Betty. She describes those times when you just want to talk to someone instead of being on your own.

An abbreviated version of her tips:

One: seize on any commonality to open a conversation.

Two: scope out the scene at a restaurant and get yourself seated near the person or people you think you'd like to meet.

Three: remind yourself that you're not seeking a best friend, just someone to pass the time with for a little while.

And four: keep in mind that people at home like you, why wouldn't people in whatever country you're visiting? (hm, I don't think of this as a case of "ooh, people won't like me" but, whatever.)
  
I will add number five that is in direct contradiction, but also an addition, to tip  number one. And that is, approach people quite different from you. Those with whom you might have little commonality at all. Now, they're going to be interesting!

That's what happened in Egypt when I saw a gaggle of girls in head scarves giggling and chatting in the souk in Cairo. It was a sight to see for me, these young girls in colorful garb. Well, I shouldn't say sight to see so much as photo to take.

It was a little uncomfortable, but I approached them and asked if they minded if I took their photo. I wasn't sure they understood English, so I did the old charades motioning thing.

But their English was great. They were college kids hanging out after classes and they were only too pleased to meet Americans and talk about their classes and their lives in Cairo. Even gave me a demo of how to tie a head scarf after I asked.

Well, I don't think I actually asked for a demo. That's a bit forward. I happened to notice that they used pins to secure the scarves, when I'd always thought that Muslim women were just skilled in wrapping them tightly to keep them in place. I asked about that. One thing led to another. (And though I got the demo, I couldn't for the life of me repeat what they showed me.)

I've been back from Egypt for several weeks now, but yesterday I emailed, as promised, this and other photos to the young women who'd given me their addresses.

All in all, it was a very unlonely afternoon!

Photo: Ellen Perlman. Three college women, Cairo souk.

 

Comments

[Martinha]

Hi..
Nice blog..
Congratulation..
☆ Martinha ☆
=)
http://travelandtrips.wordpress.com/

[Ellen]

Thanks Martinha!

Ellen