h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What is a success?

For me it would be to come back knowing what the locals think of their history, unemployment situation, government, living standards, education system, children, the influence of America, their church, the cost of living in their country and what life is really like ther (red tape, waiting times for operations, provision of school books, vandalism, what they eat). And to find out how they spend their evenings. And maybe even join them. Just once.

I mean - how many of us have actually studied our local cathedral or been to the local museum or art gallery? Is that really what life is about?

However, I never usually get to speak to more than the odd ticket seller at museums, as, for my husband, a holiday is only a success if he comes back with a slide of every single stone in every single archaeological dig in the area. Having children did mean that we got the occasional day at the beach or climbing rocks, but not even a drink with other holidaymakers or tourists we met was ever possible. We are always so exhausted in the evenings from working out Latin inscriptions and climbing mountains, trying to work out which Jurassic period this, when Napoleon that.

I didn't want to complain about my husband; I have learned an awful lot from our holidays, and become interested in things I may not have otherwise.

But it goes to show that a "successful" tourist might mean many different things to many different people.