Manual labour in your travels

Traveling by bus in Turkey was inconvenient, but I don't regret it at all. I met so many locals on these buses, including one young woman who handed over her baby for me to hold while she went in to the rest stop. And the old woman sitting next to me who shared her trail mix.

Sometimes foregoing the luxuries of travel can lead to unforgettable experiences.

I crossed the Alps three times by bicycle last summer, climbing some big passes in those efforts. Well worth it, but perhaps too literal.

The traditional wine village up above Visp Switzerland is a hassle to get to. Visp itself is out of the way and not particularly a tourist town, and then local busses up toward the alleged highest vineyards in the world, and then walking trails up farther. But the little agricultural village is phenomenal, irregular slate roofs, tiny little church, and kept just as it has been for centuries by the families still living there to this day.

I have dozens more rattling around in my head, but all really have to do with reward for actual physical effort, not particularly complicated travel logistics. Before I did more active travel, there was more complicated transit logistics, but doing things that require physical effort similarly reward
trying harder with special experiences. So lately logistics have been fairly simple.

Mardee I rode buses all over Turkey. You are right - not the easiest transit but worth it, both for what you get to see, and the experience of the people around you.

Hank, if or when I get back, I would do the same thing.

Your post reminded me that I have not devoted much time to Switzerland. I loved your description of that tiny agricultural village. It seems like it definitely was worth the extra effort. I think really working for something is why we appreciate these experiences so much and don't take them for granted.

I agree! The effort increases the appreciation.

One example springs to mind: On Terschelling we hiked almost an hour through the dunes to get to the the westernmost point. We were rewarded with a beautiful (and huge) sandy beach that we had mostly to ourselves for most of the day. Being able to find this in one of the most crowded countries in Europe was rather special. We discovered lots of other beautiful spots there, but they all requires a combination of cycling and hiking to get there.

Another example is island hopping in Croatia, where you need to plan around the sparse schedule of the ferries, and once on the island you have to rely on your feet to get around. We had wonderful times there.

Hmm, I remember the Amalfi Coast early last September differently. Maybe it was because our route wasn’t through Sorrento. Train from Florence to Salerno. A couple of relaxing days in Salerno (loved their passeggiata), plus a quick train to Paestum to see the Greek temples. A fun ferry from Salerno to Amalfi for a few days (the boat wasn’t crowded). Amalfi & area were definitely crowded but still enjoyable to explore. Our time in a Ravello garden early morning was so tranquil- great memories!

At one point in Salerno, I was talking with my husband back home through FaceTime, describing my daughter & my wonderful time interacting with the locals in the historic center of Salerno. He said, “You know, you’re having a “back door” experience that Rick Steves intended when he started his tours.” Exactly!

Planning a trip with three separate car rentals. (England and Scotland 2013). The admin at the desk seems to take forever. But I couldn't see a way around it for our itinerary, and it was a fabulous trip. Glad we did it that way.

I think many younger tourists like this woman see the filtered travel videos on YouTube and TikTok. Most of them don't show the bad side of anything. Video usually show

-Young privileged person who is living in Mexico/Europe/Asia for a few months.
-Natives are always "friendly and show said people around."
-Food is always cheap and they eat at food stalls and restaurants and never get sick.
There is always a "strike the pose" scene and a sit by the vista/beach with a drink scene.
Most bloggers never show the wilting heat or sweaty body you get in summer in Southern Europe or the hiking along the Cinque Terra when its hot and you are thirsty and hungry.

I usually don't watch many travel videos on YouTube because of this. I call this phenomenon, the Eat, Pray, Love videos. I'd love to see a video where stuff does go wrong and the person tells how to fix it.

I guess walking through Spain for weeks at a time, carrying a back-pack, could be seen as manual work, but I keep going back and doing it again.

Sometimes foregoing the luxuries of travel can lead to unforgettable
experiences.

During our planning for our Sorrento trip, all I read about was how horrible the Circumvesuviana train was. It's not great, but I also think it's underrated as an efficient means of getting from A to B. And the people we met make for great stories; the couple from Brazil practicing their English with us, the couple from Germany by way of Syria with stories of their escape from Syria, the local who sat across from us from Sorrento to Naples and then a few days later ran into us at a pharmacy in Sorrento and treated us like long lost family and asked to make sure we were enjoying ourselves, The 6 Brits, 2 South Africans and 2 Canadians (us) that got on the wrong train at Herculaneum and together devised a plan how to get back to Sorrento, the wacky conversations with a British couple who drove from northern England (Black something) to Sorrento and ended up parking the car and taking public transit everywhere. The list goes on.

Some travelers hate all the planning before a trip , so might consider that “labour”!

And, this young woman knows about “manual labour” how? Not with those fingernails, I dare say. But, she does have a point about what you're not told about any given place. That's why you don't rely on social media to plan a big trip, anywhere. I hope she, and her friends, get the message.

If the TikTokker was serious, then she deserves what she got. And I doubt she's ever done a day's manual labour in her life. The same goes for anyone who travels to a place based solely on a few vlogs they've seen. You need to do your homework! BEFORE you make a single booking. I can't think of any trip that we have regretted due to complicated logistics, or due to unanticipated physical expenditures.

The only one that came close was an impulse decision to stop off and hike up to Ehrenburg castle- since we were driving by anyway... This was almost 20 years ago, before any of the modern infrastructure was in place, and the trail was very rough and steep. My legs were like rubber and I was soaked with sweat by the time we reached the top. But, oh, the view! In the end it was totally worth the pain of getting there.

And, this young woman knows about “manual labour” how? Not with those
fingernails, I dare say.

On the other hand (har har! already cracking myself up and haven't even made my joke yet), in the literal Latin sense, those fingernails are the apex of manual labor ;)

Seems like we all misconstrue the term manual labor. Here, seemingly some sort of inconvenience that may require a bit of physical effort.
Well, think again. Think again when you see landscapers out in the sun, roofers, construction of many types. Manual labor, really a part of a life that most likely none of the travelers and tourist posting here and on other sites has actually done in their lives. Let’s face it, most tourist are coming from an economic position that preempts manual labor and so any sort of physical discomfort becomes a badge of honor and morphs into a travel story to regale others at the pool party.

We were apprehensive about driving in Scotland, and it did create some very stressful moments on remote countryside roads--getting used to that side of the car, the narrow roads, sheep, oncoming trucks, etc. There were moments when my husband had to actually just pull over and chill for a while before continuing. Roundabouts were of course a stress-inducer as well. It was worth the effort though as that trip was one of our best Europe trips, and Scotland more than exceeded our expectations.

Pete, is that tongue in cheek?

Pete, is that tongue in cheek?

Did it come across that way? Which part? I'm totally serious. Besides the driving, we loved Scotland.

Digital Nomads are a “thing” now, it seems. But if one iffy her ‘em he as to resort to physical effort, does that make them a Manual Nomad?

Or is a Manual Nomad somebody who moves around, with a stick-shift car?

As for somebody with elaborately manicured fingernails at the ends of their digits, I guess they’re “digital,” even when they feel they’re toting a barge and lifting a bale.

As for somebody with elaborately manicured fingernails at the ends of
their digits, I guess they’re “digital,” even when they feel they’re
toting a barge and lifting a bale.

Well played :)

Clearly this entitled young woman does not know the meaning of manual labor. That's unfortunate.

I don't even know what a social influencer is, but apparently a lot of people follow them.

BigMike, anyone who follows them is under the influence.

In some situations, that’s a dangerous, even punishable offense.

Weren't the 'good old days' wonderful when airheads like her had no way to get attention and prove this Abe Lincoln admonition to be true: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt”

My husband pushed my then-80-pound disabled son in a jogger through trails of the BO in Switzerland in 2019. It was the only way my family could all enjoy the hikes together.

My husband lost about 10 pounds on the trip, but it was worth the effort (I say, who did not do the pushing!).

Cyn, I do know a little about the Kardashians. One of them was on the cover of Time magazine as the #1 social influencer. Maybe I need to get with the times and find someone to follow.

Treemoss, I beg to differ. Some of us have actually done manual labor, though only for a few years. And some of us actually do the manual labor around our own houses. We do understand manual labor and though planning and traveling can be tiring and complicated, it in no way compares to actual manual labor. So nice to be young and inexperienced. It becomes a problem when those young ones never gain experience no matter what they do.

Manual labor, really a part of a life that most likely none of the
travelers and tourist posting here and on other sites has actually
done in their lives. Let’s face it, most tourist are coming from an
economic position that preempts manual labor and so any sort of
physical discomfort becomes a badge of honor and morphs into a travel
story to regale others at the pool party.

I had to read this several times to make sure I was interpreting it correctly, and if I am...yikes. Do you truly think that tourists are nothing else but doctors, lawyers and CEO's? I know I'm not. I'm also no longer a manual labourer, but I was also never able to go to university, and have first hand knowledge growing up of what the inside of a food bank looks like. That influencer may come across as a naive brat, but let's not insult those that have worked their way up the ladder to a position that we can travel to our dream destinations.

As a teenager I mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, and performed whatever odd jobs I could find. Those were the days when if you wanted money you had to earn it, because mom and dad weren't just going to give it to you. Chores around the house? No pay for that as everyone in the family chips in. The thought of asking my parents for money was laughable. I had to earn it.

The Hot Wife and I do all of the labor around the house and yard, other than electrical issues or any complicated plumbing. The manual labor is one reason she looks so good.

I'm a nobody teacher and coach. We have no debt. That's how we afford to travel.

Yeah, I knew the guy from Alberta for sure had put in his time behind a shovel et al. Still a sweat of the brow ethic in that area.

Can't broad brush us all as effete shirkers - I put a food in my mouth as a young man literally digging ditches, construction work, bicycle delivery, etc. And I've done major remodeling work, re-roofed houses, etc. Inaccurate to make a broad assertion that people who travel overseas don't know what manual labor is.

Anyway the OP was tongue in cheek, levering from the silly news story to the question " has it been worth it to you to travel to places that take more effort to get to?" The question isn't really about manual labor per se ....

I'm a somebody teacher and coach.

FIFY

Thank you, Hank. I guess I was just trying to point out that we're nowhere near the elite travelers status.

From what I can gather we're probably on the lower end of the economic spectrum of this forum.

Certainly true that money makes the planes go round Mike, and that on average more international travel correlates with higher wealth, so you might be on average right about this forum's economic status?

I think a lot of people in some ways sort of stumble into having a fat little pile of discretionary funds. My wife and I didn't particularly plan on prosperity, kind of flipped a coin on moving to a city that is a major economic engine instead of a quieter more rural place. And then you do what everyone around you is doing, and then one day you look up realize you can go to Europe a lot. Oops :)

Could extend it to many travel videos including Rick Steve's where
Europe appears magical and the locals love everyone.

I did think about that when I write the post. The shows can be quite sanitized at times when it comes to crowds and hauling luggage. But his Amalfi Coast book was valuable on my last trip and extremely accurate of what to expect and how to tour around the area.

I'm just not a perpetual or professional offense taker, so I just can't care less that the young lady in some manner compared an aspect of travel to manual labor. Even dwelling on that comparison is just a strawman and it seems that too many are missing the critique of travel writers, bloggers and videographers who overly sanitize their travels. I know nothing of her experiences, so why should I take issue with a remark about manual labor?

The best part of travel is the minor inconveniences. You make a plan, and all of a sudden, realize that something has fallen thru. Thus, you must then think on your feet. This is the fun part - solving problems quickly and salvaging the situaiton.

In Italy last fall, we were traveling by train. We were on the right platform, but it became clear that the train was going to come on another one. There was no display visible, and the train was due very soon. I had to communicate with a train worker who didn't speak English to find the right platform. It helped that I found a group of Italian ladies going to the same place. We got the right train.

VAP, well said. It is a sort of strawman argument. In addition to my teaching job I do DoorDash and Amazon Flex part time on some evenings and weekends, and this extra cash funds about 50-70% of our vacations.

But honestly I'd say if one can afford travel to Europe then they're in the top 5-10 percent economically. I know many people who are simply trying to survive month-to-month paying bills. Many or most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Foreign travel in this situation is unrealistic and even frivolous.

Paul, your experience reminds me of a line from Apollo 13, where Jim Lovell (Tome Hanks) said there was always a glitch. I'd suggest that thinking through problems with jet lag can be a tough nut to crack. I can recall several situations where locals bailed me out of a confusing situation.

The best part of travel is the minor inconveniences. You make a plan,
and all of a sudden, realize that something has fallen thru. Thus, you
must then think on your feet. This is the fun part - solving problems
quickly and salvaging the situaiton.

I'm not sure if I'd consider those moments to be fun at the time, but thinking back, they are memorable, and fun stories to tell later.

I'd suggest that thinking through problems with jet lag can be a tough
nut to crack.

Day 1 of our trip to Sorrento in April qualifies. If something could go wrong, it did, and it wasn't a fun day. But now I treat it as a lesson learned and it's a story I share with others with some humour.

I crossed the Alps three times by bicycle last summer, climbing some big passes in those efforts. Well worth it, but perhaps too literal.

Hank I think it was you that you were cycling on your way up a steep grade with a loaded bike. The Frenchman (?) coming down hollered COURAGE on his way past. So now when I am cycling a grade I tell myself that...and sometimes if it's really difficult I yell it out loud

The things you learn on a travel forum

*and yes I know about manual labor. 30+ years in construction. Fortunate enough to be able to enjoy trips now with all my digits & a mostly OK back

Day 1 of our trip to Sorrento in April qualifies. If something could go wrong, it did, and it wasn't a fun day. But now I treat it as a lesson learned and it's a story I share with others with some humour.

Every disaster is a good story if you survive it.

the wacky conversations with a British couple who drove from northern England (Black something)

Blackburn , perhaps ?

Does lugging a suitcase up a staircase, or opening windows when the place doesn’t have A/C, or doing your own laundry count as menial, manual labor? None of that is insurmountable. Not everywhere has an elevator, Central Air, or a butler/maid, and not everyone has the means (or desire) to pay for those all the time. Travel is, indeed, a privilege, but some work is involved, on some level. Just showing up requires some effort.

If traveling means doing labor, Rick’s guidebook could be considered a Labor manual, for the manual labor.

Cyn, well said. You have a flair with writing. Maybe comedic writing!

Hank I think it was you that you were cycling on your way up a steep
grade with a loaded bike. The Frenchman (?) coming down hollered
COURAGE on his way past. So now when I am cycling a grade I tell
myself that...and sometimes if it's really difficult I yell it out
loud

Yep! Keep climbing Mark, Courage!

Not everywhere has an elevator, Central Air, or a butler/maid, and not
everyone has the means (or desire) to pay for those all the time.

I remember looking at a cruise one time and noting that some of the premium cabins included a butler. I couldn't help thinking how invasive that would be and how uncomfortable I'd feel having "the help" hovering over me. King Charles need not worry that I'm after his job.

Alan, the butler service is for suites only. And have no fear; they do not hover, nor do they intrude on your privacy. They are simply available to provide services that you may request. And calling them "the help" is rather insulting.