Why do people travel on holiday?

I was seated with old doctor friends, chatting over a cup of coffee, when the conversation turned to this topic.

"I like to go on holiday" observed one "because then I can control what I do. At work, my activities are controlled by my work schedule and my patients."

I could well empathise with him. During my years as a surgeon, I used to carry a hospital pager and whenever this pager went off – when I was driving or watching TV or in the middle of a meal – I could almost feel my blood pressure and heart rate rising. While I am sure that my being available 24 hours a day was beneficial to the patients under my care and the young doctors under my supervision, I suspect it was not so beneficial for my own health. Small wonder then that when I retired from hospital practice I gave up my pager for good. I have not even invested in a mobile phone because it reminds me too much of the pager to which I was a slave for so many years.

Not being instantly contactable 24/7 by all and sundry is probably a good thing for my health and peace of mind. Thus far I have stubbornly resisted the efforts of my family who have been persistently trying to persuade me to get a mobile phone – although I am not sure how much longer I can resist. My son made a persuasive case the other day when we nearly got lost driving to a friend's place for dinner. He just used his mobile to call our destination, get instructions and navigate us safely to our destination. Ah, the marvels of modern technology!

But we digress – I was recounting our recent discussion about travel.

"When I go on holiday," continued my friend, "I try to go as far away from home as I can. It does not have to be some touristy place as long as I can have a few quiet days off. If I can just get up late, spend time reading or chatting with my wife, manage to eat a meal undisturbed - then I feel I have had a successful holiday."

"I like to travel for a different reason", interjected the third doctor in our group, "I like the pleasure of experiencing other cultures and other lands, of tasting different foods and seeing different scenery. I prefer to avoid the hackneyed tourist trail. I like to get off the beaten track so I can learn about other folks’ customs and experience a different way of life."

I have known this particular colleague for several decades – and she still maintains that original curiosity about the world, which made her as a teenager seek pen pals in various countries, by travelling to these and other parts of the world. I know she has got more stamps in her passport than I suspect even our erstwhile foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama has (and his is a record that is hard to beat!).

She now uses her capacity for making friends to get to know people and places - and to "walk in the shoes" of folk of different races and lands. She has travelled the world over and learned of the world first hand – not from books and articles written by third parties.

The famous Arab writer Ibn Batuta observed "He who travels to other lands goes to school again" – and it is certainly true that travel broadens one’s mind, expands one’s horizons and is an education in itself.

The only drawback is that it also tends to lighten the purse if one is not careful.