I don’t remember if I went to a single museum in Vientiane, Laos. In fact, I couldn’t tell you what tourist attractions there even are there. But I do remember, and vividly, the day Betto sits down at the next table as I lean back with a mug of hot, too-sweet coffee and happen to glance up from my book.

I taste exhaust fumes on a hot wind I sit on the back of his motorbike, laugh with his “adopted” Laotian families as we pour water over each other and passing strangers during the new year celebrations; pass long nights in his flat with other travellers and expats; close my eyes and savour the deliciously African twang of his guitar.

We still talk on Facebook; he tells me about his new wife and life home in Mozambique, and I promise yet again that I will visit, as soon as I can. And I will. Because Betto was one of those people met on my travels that changed an ordinary city on an ordinary day into an extraordinary memory. Some of them didn’t even tell me their names, others I’ll never see again, but it is those simple encounters that make travel what it is.

In this, the 6th Blogsherpa blog carnival,  Lonely Planet’s favourite travel bloggers present their stories of encounters on the road.

Jason from Alpaca Suitcase introduces us to Monar, a precociously driven 15 year old girl met on a night’s stay in a Nubian village.  I finished the story convinced that this extraordinary teenager would make it, despite all the challenges life in this male-dominated society is bound to throw up.

Velvet Escape‘s Keith meets another memorable woman, this one a little older, who discovered that it is never too late to break free of community and family expectations, to go against the grain and to do whatever it takes to make yourself happy.

Glennia from The Silent I enjoyed an encounter with a true hero – astronaut Edgar Mitchell.  Inspirational seems a somewhat trite word in this context, like describing a motivational speaker, but reading about this gracious and generous man is just that.

In a homage to the local, Denise from Travel with Den Den reflects on the doors that are opened when you get the inside scoop on a place – “those locals you inevitably end up meeting along the way, who sometimes add little anecdotes to your adventures and other times entire chapters.”

Kat of Tie Die Travels will have you longing for the strong coffee and sweet pancakes of all-night American diners, for long conversations with old friends amid the scratching of cutlery and shuffling of feet.

Kiran of Indian Bazaars presents a beautiful little vignette, describing the serenity of the flower sellers in Bangalore’s Ghandi Market, creating a fleeting beauty.  It is a silent encounter, but haunting.

Barbara of Hole in the Donut introduces Ron and Nicky – he came to Thailand for a holiday and ended up finding love and beginning a new family with Nicky. More than just a love story, though, Ron and Nicky open their hearts and their home to whoever might need them.

I could practically smell the oven-baked, thyme laden bread, served with a healthy dose of neighbourhood gossip, in this Georgia of Ginger Beirut‘s portrait of the hospitality of a local man’ouché joint, and the vivacious woman who runs it.

I liked the simplicity of Clare of First Time Travel‘s Encounters in China – it’s a warm and simple portrait of those met on a recent trip to China. No huge personalities or crazy misadventures, just people, sharing moments of their days. These are the encounters that make travel special.

Jen of The Turkish Life also writes about ordinary yet unforgettable encounters, especially those special moments won through a little effort to learn a language.  As I remember from my early days in Spanish, it doesn’t take much to connect with a random passerby and share a few laughs.  Her last vignette sums up the beauty of travel – if only the whole world could be like this.

Nina from Just Wandering talks about Vietnamese encounters – good and bad.  The tales of brash service without a smile certainly ring true (who hasn’t felt like a walking wallet at some point in their travels) but it was lovely to see that she hasn’t become too jaded yet – you’ll always meet somebody who surprises you.

On a more serious note, Ragne from Destination Anywhere describes a couple met in Morocco – she is Japanese, and he seems the perfect example of the young Moroccan man seeking a path to the easy life through the love of a western woman.  It’s a reminder of the dark side of those handsome dark-eyed strangers met travelling; and they’re certainly not all confined to Morocco.  Here in Peru, they’re known as bricheros.

In what seems far too knee-weakeningly romantic to be true, Sophie of Sophie’s World sits next to a handsome stranger on a plane…  and shares the story of one of those encounters that are no less special for their brevity.

Hello, Pineapple?‘s Joe paints a picture of Dr. Ho, a famous Taoist physician in South West China.  Despite the fond recounting of an encounter with a gentle and fascinating character, he concludes with a (very) slight damning of Taoist medicine…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this carnival as much as I enjoyed putting it together.  You can enjoy the last carnival – Kids Around the World – at The Silent I.  The next will be in about two weeks time at Barefoot Inked – stay tuned for the theme!