Ok, I couldn't get a bite on my last topic regarding CREME DE LA CREME traveling so I thought I would try a different angle. I was reading NONREV1 blog and I liked the way he mentioned that we in this industry are leaders in travel and the "GO TO" people about travel and creme de la creme. I have to say, though there is truth to this statement, I would like to give my input from what I have seen in my years as an airline employee nonrever.
For starters, working for the airlines and traveling is great. It has turned me on to many a place I never been before. To be able to visit a place at the drop of a dime, stay a few days, see some interesting places is second to none. We sure do alot of this kind of adventure. It's the best. That is, if you are going to go to your destination as a nonrever, see the sights, stay in nice hotels, lock in on some tours. Only drawback is you must get home so you can get back to work and take care of buisness by paying up the bills and checking up on your home, so most trips are usually no longer than a few days. I give us "AIRLINE NON REV TRAVELLERS" a respectful 2.0 rating in Creme de la Creme travel.
Religious people such as FRIARS and BLACK ROBE types. Those missionaires get way up in there in the foreign countries. They get way inside spots that nobody knows about. Places like DARIEN PANAMA where indigenous people walk around naked in the jungle, where to get to your destination, you have to take boats, then set up a church and try to convert souls into Christianity. They live in those places for years to do the Lord's Work. No doubt about it. These are CREME DE LA CREME travellers for certain. They know all about the country and the areas they live. These are the guys you want to go to for "INTELLIGENCE" gathering prior to invading a country. These men of religion take the cake in travel bar none. Chances are, they speak the lingo of their surroundings, they rough it, sometimes sleeping underneath the stars, and some have even been known to subdue a BOA CONSTRICTOR in hand to hand combat. Creme de la Creme rating. 5 STARS.
I have always thought that the second highest travel honors goes to the long term BACKPACKER. These are the ones that go someplace and virtualy hangs out for months at a particular country visiting various areas of the country. They are usually young Europeans that have alot of time in their hands, no real jobs back home, are in between school and work, or just feel like its their mission to see the world before they hunker down and get jobs. They linger around, ride in public transportation, no sweet hotel stays or top of the line food for they are in country for months at a whack criss crossing the country usually on low budgets. Some will go on and visit other countries but some will stay and really get to know the place inside and out, which is what I think is the best way to know a place. I give them a Creme de la Creme rating of a FOUR STARS.
MILITARY. GOVERNMENT ISSUES. Great way to travel. Get stationed in Japan, Germany and see Europe and Asia. Alot of these places you can stay on base for a few dollars if you stay in the Bachelors quarters. Most bases have hotels for military at great rates. Most military people get stationed in a place for about three years or more, so one can really get to know a different country, even learn the language while stationed there. Military is high in my list of honorable creme de la creme traveller. Alot of times military goes on deployments to other countries for up to six months at a time to places like Portugal, Bermuda, Spain, Okinawa, Italy, Azores and many other places. Sometimes they will do excercises in places like Honduras, Cuba and Phiilippines. For the combat hearted, there is always a tour in Iraq, and Afghanistan for now. Military travels by land sea and air. Creme de la Creme rating. 3.0 stars
Buisness people. Especially the self employed. Many buisness men travel continously. Many corporations send their employees for training in exotic cities with room and board paid for, while GETTING PAID. I won't consider this high creme de la creme since this is WORK ORIENTATED most of the trip. But if you have a little spare time after your buisness dealings, you can enjoy the local surroundings while taking a dip in your hotel heated whirlpool on company tab. Not a bad way to travell. This can give you an idea if you ever want to take a vacation to that place one day with family members or just return someday by yourself if you liked it. I give them a 1.0 star rating respectively as Creme de la Creme travellers.
Of special note. MERCHANT MARINES. This is a poor way to see the world. Most Merchant Marines I have known stayed and worked on ship because their main mission was to save up as much money as possible so that when their 4 months was up, they would go home on rotation thus travel was always a second nature thing. Most were in it for the money, not the travel. Their pay construction was designed for putting in the time so if they took a day on the beach, they would miss out on double time incentives. Poor way to see the world. Not a CREME THE LA CREME traveller mention here. Sometimes I equated them to flight attendants because whenever I was coming back from a trip by nonreving such as VILLAHERMOSA, I would tell the flight attendant that I went to PALENQUE which they had no time to do. They were just doing a turn and the plane didn't even RON there. I would tell them how I climbed the pyramids and they only saw the inside of a hotel if that.
