The JJC’s Guide To Tourism

Are you a JJC when it comes to touring places, home and abroad? If yes, don’t fret. The rules of tourism are pretty simple and straightforward. Here they are;

1. Signs and maps are for the weak!

For the weak, I say! Be adventurous! Get Lost to find yourself. Coincidentally, this should be your reason for not being able to read a map correctly.

2. If other people are taking a photo of it, it’s probably important.

3. Similarly, if it looks weirdly shaped, oddly tall or really small, it’s probably important too

While walking around Barcelona, trying to pass time, I came across this weirdly shaped building. Barcelona has quite a number of these. At the time, I had no idea what it was, but it looked interesting and so I decided to check it out. I later found out it was another of Gaudi’s masterpiece and a UNESCO world heritage site – Casa Mila.

4. Have a cheesy touristy to do list

Mine goes something like this: Have Pizza in Pisa or Champagne in Champagne, et cetera. Lists are fun!

5. Statues are important.

6. The early bird gets the fattest worm

When it comes to touring popular site attractions, getting there early (or really late) can sometimes guarantee you the best views and experiences without the influx of other tourists.

PS: I got up at 6am for this picture with the Iamsterdam letters. This place gets really crowded during the day. Because I was up early, I also got to the Anne Frank Museum in excellent time. By the time I was done with my tour, a line had been formed down the street and around the museum building!

7. Don’t be afraid to travel solo

Seriously, it’s not as scary or boring as you think! If you still need some motivation, you can check out this article I wrote about how to overcome the fear of traveling solo and how to deal with loneliness on the road.

8. If you do a currency conversion on every single thing, you’ll buy absolutely nothing!

In my opinion, almost everything and everywhere is relatively expensive for the average Nigerian traveler. While I am all for budgeting and planning out expenses, I think that if you have to do a currency conversion on everything you want to buy, you might end up being miserable. Instead, you can consider doing an overall budget conversion and have a cap in the local currency for each expense.

9. Put down the camera and enjoy the moment

Some of my best moments while travelling never made it to tape but are permanently imprinted in my mind. What’s the point of going somewhere without actually being there? Take your pictures but remember to actually enjoy the moment you’re in.

10. There are no rules.

Was it that obvious that I just made all of this up? Haha! There’s no guide to being a tourist or a traveller or an explorer. Just be you, have fun, be safe and enjoy whatever part of the world your feet take you to! 🙂

PS: JJC means ‘Johnny Just Come’. It’s a Nigerian slang used to describe newbies