TRAVEL MEMOIRS
My Group Tour Taught Me as Much About People as It Did About Peru
The fascinating dynamics of group travel
To write my sociology paper in college, I spent a couple of hours observing human behavior at a food court. Social scientists put significant effort into studying group dynamics in various situations. Someone really needs to tell them to book a group travel tour.
I took my first tour, a 12-day trip through Peru, in 2014. It was a hectic schedule — we took seven flights in that short period. I expected to love Peru, and I did. But I didn’t expect the complicated interplay between travelers to be almost as fascinating as the history of that great nation.
There was a good range of people from around North America and Europe. From the mother/daughter duo to the young girlfriends to the middle-aged ladies, there was always someone new to chat with.
Half of the group was comprised of Chinese Canadians, living in Vancouver. They were quiet and respectful but moved as a collective, displaying little interest in interacting with the rest of us.
They sat together at every meal and took over a block of seats on the bus. Each time we boarded and disembarked, two of the older Chinese gentlemen would help every member of their…
