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Comment by Emma_Goldman | Hacker News Reader

I think this over-states the case. There's a lot of reasons to meet up with other travellers. Unlike locals, they are free in the weekdays and often don't have any fixed plans, and want to - yep - travel. Travelling with other people is usually more fun than by yourself or just with one or two others. Also, depending on where you visit, travellers are often very internationally diverse. It can be a great opportunity to meet a highly cosmopolitan cross-section of people.

The fact you're with other people doesn't mean you can't meet and interact with the local people and culture. It's also possible to spend time with travellers one day, and locals the next day. The point is they're not mutually exclusive.

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Yeah, it’s fun to talk to a local, but they’re not gonna want to take the subway across town for that pizza you saw on Instagram.

To be fair, they might have a better recommendation for food somewhere that puts more emphasis on cooking than their social media game. And be prepared to travel a long way for the novelty of foreign company sometimes.

Then again, they might also take you somewhere they haven't been to before either because they're convinced it'll impress you more than the dive bar or McDonald's they usually meet their friends at, and sometimes the cheesy backpacker bar is more fun than both. Sometimes the cheesy backpacker bar has more local people in it than the reputable local restaurant too!

yea especially when locals do the same shit all over the world: wake up get dressed do a job / raise kids / relax eat maybe do a hobby go to bed

it's not like you get to Mongolia and are like "wow instead of jobs Mongolians just play golf all day"

You could go experience a couple nights on a nomadic tribe in mongolia though, you picked a bad place which still has some stuff.

Also hawk training for Eagle Hunting must be fun to watch...

This is true. Honestly I didn't put much thought into my comment. Meeting up with other travelers is a thing and can be fun. I've done it. I'm older now and usually stay somewhere for a few months at a time when I travel now.

Also, to me, traveling is different than touring/being a tourist. My permanent home now is a tourist town and there's a marked difference between tourists coming for a weekend and travelers who come for a yearlong work holiday visa. The 'traveler' scene is a thing, not my thing though. They have a good time of sorts. Living somewhere is different though.

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