A travel tip for guys

Ted. Anyone who has ever met me knows that hair is not an important part of my life. However, every couple of months I get a little shaggy around the edges and need to search out a barbershop.

It turns out that they are much the same the world over. For starters, the rotating red, white and blue pole seems to be a universal advertisement. In every community, barbershops are little havens for men, young and old to hang out and shoot the breeze while waiting their turn in the chair. For a traveler, it becomes a little glimpse into another culture and a chance to have a brief chat with one or two locals. That can usually be in English, even if it’s not everyone’s first language. Frankly, it’s fun to visit a barbershop in other parts of the US as well.

In the little Afrikaner village of Montagu, South Africa, all of the barbershops had gone out of business so the guys in town went to a ladies beauty parlor. I tried it and got a great cut and had a fun chat with a group of women (fortunately, Judy came along as chaperone so I survived with my honor intact).

So gentlemen, if you are thinking about getting a haircut before taking a trip, consider holding off. You might just have a memorable experience in an unexpected place!