As a traveller, most of the instructions and advice I read on travel web sites bores me. People are always pointing you towards the typical tourist traps, instead of unveiling  new and undiscovered treasures which promise fun and rewarding experiences. I’m not the only one with this pet peeve. The character I want to introduce to you in the following lines not only goes by the name of Joël Henry, but goes the extra yard.

Joël Henry is not just any tourist. He is an experimental tourist. In the mid-90s, while dining with some friends, this journalist who writes for the Art channel decided to apply his love for games to his love for holidays. So it was that he founded The Laboratory for Experimental Toruism (www.latourex.org), an entelechy compiling travel ideas devoid of conventional touristic restrictions.

Among his proposals are such gems as getting to know cities by only visiting the last stop on a subway line, catching a train precisely at 12:12 and getting off at the twelfth stop or discovering by yourself and in-depth the K2 area of a city’s map. Whether you think his ideas are stupid or just plain zany, no doubt you’ll agree that chance and random selection often improve the quality of one’s travels. I confirmed this for myself during our ExperienceLess venture, months ago when we launched Trourist.

Going over the top for a moment … who would be willing to choose their next destination from a list of places where a crime took place a year ago? Pushing the envelope a bit further, would you prefer instead to set loose a cricket on a map for a minute or so and then embark on a trip following its aimless wanderings? Now it’s your turn: do you have any wild, out-there experimental tourism recommendations that you’d like to share with us?

Heaven knows why, but as I showered this morning I began wondering about the five things one should do in any new city. Following is my handful of ideas, though I’m sure you can come up with many more.

Taste a new dish. Even though we often eat more with our sense of sight than our sense of taste, sampling the local gastronomy is a great way to bond with the culture of the place we’re visiting. Besides, it can be a source of inspiration and creativity and way of astounding others when you return home.

Knock back a few pints at the local pub. You know the kind: small, divey, off the beaten path, where beer still can be found for under 1,5€, the sort of place locals hit after a long working day. These are the types of haunts where you’re likely to meet that bizarre someone who’ll offer you conversation that is priceless.

Take the metro-subway-underground (take your pick, assuming they have one). Each time you make one of these subterranean voyages it’s like an intensive course in sociology. Personally, I love observing the variety of people that make up a city, checking out their assorted fashions and unpredictable behavior …

Get lost. Yeah, no kidding. Some of life’s best experiences come from discovering small niches we happen on by chance, be it the result of taking the wrong road or catching a bus in the opposite direction. As they say: many times the right way to go is the wrong way.

Catch a sunrise. That special instant when the city is waking up while you still haven’t gone to sleep. It’s as though the universe were frozen for a few seconds, only to go into triple overdrive seconds later. It’s a can’t-miss moment, particularly if the company and setting is right.

Surely many of you intend to travel somewhere during the upcoming weeks. After all, one does have to take advantage of the warm summer weather. Some of you will pick a city, others some deserted beach. And still others will trek up some mountain. One thing is for certain: all of you will want to discover a special nook or have a genuine experience wherever you go.

This aim of helping you find real treasures during your travels has been from the start the number one concern for all of us here at Trourist. Little by little, thanks to your participation and sharing of experiences such as a cool creperie in Paris or that tea stop in Granada, we are achieving our goal.

Now, during Summer 2010 we wish to introduce a new initiative: the Trourist guides. For those of you travelling to San Sebastián, Barcelona and Berlin during the next few months you’ll be able to download and print Trourist for each of these cities (London and Madrid guides coming soon). Included in these guides are the best experiences shared with us plus advice from bloggers and trourists from these destinations.

We hope from the bottom of our hearts that you find these guides useful, whether it’s for trips you personally embark on or those done by friends and acquaintances (whom you’ll want to surprise by sending them a copy). To download these guides free of charge, all you have to do is visit the following link to Issuu.

I know for certain where you’ll be.
(And also where you won’t).
You won’t be where a murmur is missing,
or in the cold silence where melancholy fills
the lifeless streets found in every city,
Nor will you be where today is like tomorrow,
Nor where the ambience has the insipid air of a Monday morning,
Nor in a photograph where you look awkwardly out of place.
You will not be alone seated in a chair,
a bridge that links you to that other world
constructed by smiles and conversation,
Nor will you be locked inside the four walls of some room
Nor waiting on an endless line without not knowing why
Nor will you be oblivious to what is going on around you.
No, I don’t have to go looking for you.
I know where to find you.
You’ll be in the spotlight of a battle,
or anchoring aweigh at dawn,
dreaming with your eyes wide open,
feeding your most venturesome spirit,
and experimenting until surprises leave you breathless.
You’ll search for that something
which makes your voyage special.
Oh yes, my dearest TROURIST friend,
I know for certain where you’ll be.

Even though this ranking may exhibit my personal bias, I believe it provides a useful calendar for any trourist electing to visit the Basque Country during the summer season:

St. John. Hernani, June 23rd. If one has to pick a single moment above all others, I’d have to lean towards the txupinazo because of its symbolic representation as the launch of the St. John festivities. On this day, at noon, a very special atmosphere can be felt in the Plaza de los Gudaris, overflowing with expectant merrymakers eager for the rocket launch  signaling the commencement of five days of non-stop partying. Merrymakers and hell-raising go hand in hand during this period because for many it is the beginning of the summer festival season and the end of final exams, a double cause célèbre.

La Blanca. Vitoria. August 4th. The beginning of this feast is marked by the descent of Celedón (an effigy of a mythical legend) every fourth of August at six in the evening. Over forty-thousand people congregate, bottles of cava in hand, at the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca (the White Virgin Mother, hence the feast’s name) to witness the most important instant of the following five days. Once this moment is over, bedlam ensues and the feast is on. The highlight of every afternoon comes just before the bullfights when the “blusas” (residents of all ages dressed in traditional festival garb) form flanks and cheer passersby as they cross back and forth in front of them, to the tune of deafening music played by local amateur brass bands known as charangas. Just as they are in other parts of the Basque Country, txosnas (mobile bars run by cultural and/or political organizations) are another mainstay at these feasts. Every night, young people meet to drink and take in the concerts which have been scheduled.

Aste Nagusia. Bilbao, August 21st (this year). For five nine days, the feast just takes over the streets of the city and thousands of persons enjoy the convivial atmosphere that always predominates in Bilbao. The feast’s origin dates back to 1978, when several Bilbao associations decided to organize a contest to garner the best ideas for a Semana Grande (Big Week) in the city. The nine-day extravaganza is run jointly by the local town hall and various comparsas (local associations and groups) throughout the city. Thirty years later, the Aste Nagusia of Bilbao is one of the most popular and most frequented feasts in the Basque Country. Following the txupinzao (above-described) and inaugural speech, the peculiar Marijaia (Festive Mary), symbolic mascot of the feast, steps out onto the balcony of the Arriaga Theater to kick off the festivities, which  take place in the various txosnas of diverse stripe and persuasion across the city. No indoor bars for the feast’s duration, this party is held in the street.

Antzar Eguna. Lekeitio, September 5th. A sea of people attired in blue overflow the txosnas to be found at the seaport of this lovely fishing village. The climactic moment occurs at 4 p.m. when the village’s cuadrillas (groups of friends) set out in boats to take turns participating in the local festivities in a more direct manner. A representative from each boat grabs onto a goose which is tied to a chord and held at the opposite end by 20 people. This tug-of-war causes the elected goose-holder to bounce off the water’s surface several times before yanking the goose’s head off (assuming he manges to do so). Following this bizarre display of dexterity, the feast romps into full swing, non-stop till the wee hours of the morning. The best part of the program? Without question, the day fare.

Euskal Jaia, September 9th. Decked out in traditional rural farm worker (baserriterra) wear, the people of Zarautz and neighboring villages hit the streets every September 9th to live the most special day of the year for this breezy coastal town. Unquestionably, cider is an indispensable element in the Euskal Jaia of Zarautz. It is served by the ton at Barren Plaza and Musika Plaza, but also from carriages and supermarket carts prepared especially by local cuadrillas for the occasion. No doubt, it’s a great way to conclude the summer fanfare and begin the back-to-school haul full of energy.

Needless to say, you are more than welcome to participate in all the feasts you find to your liking or consider worthwhile. There’s something here for everyone!

Antzar Eguna. Lekeitio.

If you’re travelling across the U.S., sooner or later, like it or not, you’re going to end up eating a burger or two. In some cases, it’ll be because nothing else on the menu catches your attention. Picture it: you’re on the road, hunger’s got the best of you and your choice of “eats” is a circular piece of meat on a bun or a couple of slices of pizza. Tough choice, especially if its the fifth day in a row you’re facing it. Sometimes, even when you do have alternatives, your travel mates — native or otherwise — will drive you to some joint that only offers the Terrible Two. Yeah, life can be like that.

Like they say: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, so the most sensible thing is to find an emporium which serves quality burgers. In a perfect world, this hamburger haven would be located in some quality brewery or someplace a tad more homey where you’d savor the taste of a juicy burger buried under a heaping pile of onions, layers of blue cheese and other culinary delights. Time for a reality check. In all likelihood, the place in question will be some fast-food chain, so why not know for sure which of these are the best.

A couple of years ago, I spent six months in California . Many of my university mates raved with absolute devotion about IN-N-OUT, a fast-food outlet where cheeseburgers, fries and shakes were the only fare. I got so sick of hearing about the friggin place that I finally went and, to my surprise, liked it, though I was left with a disturbing existential dilemma: Can one truly experience something genuinely life-enrichening at a fast-food chain? What’s your opinion? Do you know of eateries, fast-food franchise or otherwise, which could be considered an Experience?

After tallying point totals from jury members, we have the three winners from our latest Trourist experience contest: LO-Month.

Beginning with the category for Best Overall Experience, and winner of a Diana+ Deluxe Pack, our lucky contestant is Cande Abril, who shared with us a most unusual experience to be lived in the Navigli neighborhood of Milan. Cande recommends a rendezvous through an area formerly teemng with canals filled with water but which nowadays is a cluster of assorted establishments. Let her tell you about it.

In the category of Best London Experience, Kate Turner walked away with her hands full. She won a Diani Mini + Flash. Her delectable experience, never better said, consists of a visit to the market in Borough, where “fine eats” from all around the world can be found, with special mention of a section devoted to nothing but sweets. Again, we think it’s better if she speaks to you about it first-hand.

Lastly, in the Best Barcelona Experience category, Laura Hernandez will also be able to enjoy a Diana Mini + Flash of her very own. Laura touts the possibility of getting to know local artists short on fame but long on talent at a marvelous gallery with a marvelous name called Miscelania. She, too, should be the one to fill you in.

Congrats to all our winners and all those who participated, the bar level for experiences was set extremely high. Real travel gems were shared, which I’m sure will have you living to the max your travels wherever you go this summer.

Once more, we encourage you to share with others those places that are oh-so-special in your city or that you’ve come across during one of your recent jaunts. And not to worry, in our next contest we will include all those experiences shared since the conclusion of LO-Month.

Finally, we cannot sign off without thanking again Lomography Spain for sponsoring this contest.

Temperatures which plummeted to 40 below at night. Threatening avalanches capable of uprooting anything in its path. Hardly any food or water. The constant menace of death to family, friends and colleagues, all the while feeling powerless to do something on their behalf. And the cruelest cut of all, hearing over the radio that all rescue attempts from this frigid sentence had been abandoned. Death seemed a macabre certainty that would be delivered by the icy temperatures and shortage of food supplies.

This was the reality faced by a group of Uruguayan students at more than 4000 meteres during 72 days when their Chile-bound plane crashed into the Andes Mountains. For those of you familiar with the story, naturally I am speaking of “Alive”, the moving novel and equally moving feature film. It is one of those stories of superhuman sacrifice and courage that leave you spellbound. A story which I had the privilege of listening to directly from one of the survivors, Nando Parrando. Without a doubt, it is the lecture which has had the greatest impact on me not only because of the events therein but also due to its inspirational message.

Nando Parrado was, along with Roberto Canessa, a survivor of the plane crash, who following two months of being trapped in the Andes, decided to challenge the surrounding peaks in search of liberating themselves and their companions from this overwhelming tragedy. It was a challenging journey they decided to undertake only because they had no choice; the alternative was sure death. It was an odyssey that would require 12 arduous days of non-stop trekking through ice and snow, uphill over steep summits.

What most impressed be about the encounter with Nando Parrado was a photograph he showed us taken the first day he scaled the nearest summit. Picture it: two months of having barely eaten at all, your energy-meter is beyond empty and when you finally muster the courage to do the impossible, i.e. leave this ivory tundra, all that lies before you as far as the eye can see is an endless topographical map of snow-capped peaks with no signs of civilization in sight. A similar photo follows:

Total desolation, is it not? For sure, but life is about having courage and believing. A hero can be the person who remains standing or the person who falls, but never one who abandons the fight. That’s the moral of this tale. One which enabled Nando Parrado to escape from a situation much more complicated that any of us has ever known.

The Trourist community has been quite active the past few days. During the month of May, real pearls of advice have been submitted by travelers, like yourself, who seek genuine and special experiences from the destinations they visit.

In the category of Best Experience, we’ve narrowed it down to 10 finalists, any one of who has a chance of winning the Diana+ Deluxe Pack. Mikel García Nograro, for instance, proposed a unique way to spend a Sunday in Cape Town. Maria Agirre, in turn, invited us down to a bar/gallery right smack in the middle of San Francisco. Gerrit Lamch took us to a very special place in Montreal to have breakfast. Borja Serrano waxed lyrical about embarking on an adventure along an idyllic passage in New Zealand. Nagore Guarretxena discovered a place to photograph geishas in Tokyo. Alba Rosales whisked us away to a mysterious bar in Cracovia. Pablo Adrian Medina suggested a water reservoir in Tulum. Ryan showed us a few places to hit when spending quality time in Galway. Cande Abril opened our eyes to a most interesting rendezvous in Milan. And Kate Turner recommended a lovely spot to have a cocktail with your significant other in Oxford.

In the category of Best Experience in London and Barcelona, and vying for a shot at a Diana Mini +Flash, we’ve selected 3 finalists from each city. In London, Oscar Cervantes told us where to grab dinner on Marylebone High Street, Adam Smith invited us to a cafe in Soho and Kate Turner (yes, Kate again!) called our attention to a great market where you can go whennever you’re ready for a shopping spree. In Barcelona, Isabel Martí suggested a tea house in the Gothic section, Laura Hernandez introduced us to an area overflowing with provocative creations by talented artists, and Jon Santa mailed in a night out eating Japanese cuisine.

Who’s going to win in each category? The various juries will have their verdicts in a few days. For the moment, though, everyone’s a winner because we all have more genuine and special experiences to choose from. Thanks to all those who particpated in this fun event!

And for those of you wondering: we are now 2500 trourists!

The jury is formed by:

Francesc Balagué: http://www.francescbalague.cat/

Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll: http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/

Lara Dunston and Terence Carter: http://grantourismotravels.com/

Lindsay Hogg: http://thetravellerworldguide.com/

Mike Baris: http://www.mikebarish.com/

Pasquale Caprile: www.lomography.es

Because I wanna enjoy myself to the max.
Because I hate paying more for less.
Because I prefer to pass than settle for the mass and crass.
Because I choose to DO not just SEE.
Because I like having thought-provoking chats with locals.
Because I want to live unique and meorable experiences.

The half-dozen reasons cited above are what I usually tell people whenever they ask me why I’m not a tourist nor care to be. No doubt, I could come up with many more. Recently, an eclectic group of friends and Erasmus students destined in San Sebastian got together. Drinking one beer and another, we posed the question: Why aren’t you a tourist?

Following is a short video with some of their replies:

There are tons of reasons for not wanting to be a tourist, what’s yours?