How do you really get to know a country?

How do you really get to know a country?

So how do you really get to know a country? The answer is of course largely subjective, but there are certain factors that always help or hinder

As Kia and I enter the final weeks of our big trip, we naturally ask ourselves how well we got to know the countries we traveled to. In the last year or so we have spent everything from just a few hours in one country to over two months and everything in between.

So how do you really get to know a country? The answer is, of course, largely subjective and based on personal opinion rather than a delineated system. However, there are certain factors that always help or hinder.

Size

The size of a country obviously influences how you travel around it. We spent almost four weeks in Samoa, the country I think we got to know the most. Normally I would say four weeks would never be long enough, but Samoa is made up of two large islands and a handful of smaller ones.

alt=“Interesting facts about Samoa Bleibild”>Atlas & BootsIsland life in Samoa

We explored them thoroughly on foot, by car, by bus, by boat and even beneath the surface. We reached the highest, the lowest and the furthest east and west points. I'm confident I could draw a fairly accurate map of Samoa. Of course, the more you see of a country, the more you get to know it.

persons

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not there to make you comfortable. It is meant to make its own people comfortable," said American author Clifton Fadiman.

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable."

Clifton Fadiman

The people of a country determine, above all, its character and soul. If you really want to get to know a country, you have to get to know its people - often easier said than done. In Samoa, we stayed with local families in their beach house, where we interacted with them every day.

We ate with our hosts, went to church with them, met their family and even drove their children to school one day. This level of interaction isn't always available, but sites like HelpX, Homestay and Airbnb certainly offer a better opportunity than Expedia and its ilk.

budget

When we arrived in Argentina we were shocked at how expensive it was and decided to travel around the country as quickly as possible. We made a list of the places we really wanted to see and set out to see them.

We saw car-sized chunks of ice break away from a glacier, rugged Andean peaks rise from Patagonia, the End of the World (El Fin del Mundo) in Tierra del Fuego, and the Paris of America in Buenos Aires.

But unfortunately our budget wasn't enough for a tango show or a drink with the locals. In this particular case, a larger budget would have helped deepen the travel experience. In other cases, a small budget can have the opposite effect, forcing you to travel slowly and see more.

Sightseeing features

Whether you define sights based on landmarks, cities and towns, or landscapes you've visited, seeing them can easily become an exercise in ticking all the boxes. Sometimes in South America, when our budget and time quickly dwindled, we were certainly to blame.

alt=“get-to-know-a-country-sights”>Christ the Redeemer didn’t tell us much about modern Brazil and its people

Iguassu Falls, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain were the highlights of our visit to Brazil, but they didn't tell us much about modern Brazil and its people. Taking time to see more out-of-the-way sights will help provide an understanding that is difficult to achieve otherwise.

First impressions

The first impression counts. I think countries can be very similar to people in this way. Sometimes you know as soon as you meet someone that they will be a great friend and you will get along like a house on fire.

Other times you meet someone and know that tomorrow you will have forgotten their name. Our first impression of Colombia was one of loud roadworks and street crime. Conversely, our first impression of Samoa was azure waters and golden sand.

Your impressions may change the longer you spend in a country, but just like with people, it's probably easier to get to know someone you like from the start.

Time

Logically, the longer you spend in a place, the more you get to know it. Two months in Tahiti taught us a lot about the local culture, people and history. We were able to meet more people, ask more questions, see more of the country and speak more of the local language.

We stayed with several hosts (one for over a month) who showed us the best places, the best views, the best food, the best swimming and more. We met locals, expats and other travelers alike by the dozens.

One of my favorite experiences was being stranded (briefly) during an afternoon snorkeling trip with our Tahitian neighbor Michel, an experience that only came about because we had time to make friends and bond.

The expat life

In reality, you only really get to know a country by living there. Living and working in a country gives you insights that you simply can't get from just visiting. No matter what your benchmark, it will take time - more than what you can fit into a trip around the world or an extended vacation.

alt="Kia in Mauritius">Atlas & BootsWe spent a month in Mauritius

Valentine, a British expat in Brazil, told us: "I've been here for almost five years now and it's only in the last year and a half that I really feel like 'home'."

After our trip we plan to move to France, so I'll let you know what I think in summer 2020!
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