"Here" and "There" (and too many stickies)

[Lager]

I'll get the brackets out of the way first. Raoul-isn't it true people generally only look at page one of forums? I think academics run seminars on this ...anyway aside from stickies there is not much room on the page so threrads disappear fast. Just a thought old buddy.


Hmmm. Yes OK. When I spent 4 years in Asia I spent a lot of time looking for ---cheese dvd's good beer books pubs etc etc. Now that i am home I go looking for kimchee ramen green tea Chinese soap Asian films etc. I even live in "Chinatown" for Gods sake.

In turn brings me to a great book I just finished---Naked Tourist which just came out. Author (as I see it) sugests there is really nowhere to go anymore (not totally original its sort of the Beach idea) It's all Hilton hotel and KFC CNN bad movies and so forth---the "tourism industry " is so pervasive it is impossible to travel anymore. He says the only real uncharted place left ate thePapua New Guinea rain forests-----and soon there will be the Hilton and English teachers even there...


Do I have a point ? Not really---just that the idea of "adventure " doesnt treally exist anymore. Except internally----I recall taking a lot of abuse on the spoon (fun funfun) for telling someone If "adventure" is what he was after got to Koreatown in California rather than Korea itself. But people want tio think they are inventing the wjheel. But then again people don't even think in adventure terms anymore---it's all about bucks and consumerism.

OH you will bee glad to know (or not) that Osborne would approve of you guys. LIVING in a place is a different story from mass tourism---but hey-don't let it go to your heads.

Cheers all.

[George61]

G'day Lager. Sorry to disappoint you, but I was teaching English in PNG 40 years ago!! No Hilton, but the Bird of Paradise in Goroka was pretty flash (for those days)
Depends on the type of touro you are.....some people never get out of the Hiltons, but others do silly things like ride horses in Tibet or Mongolia! I'm sure there are plenty of places left to visit, but people are lazy. I can watch the Matto Grosso on TV. I have no desire to actually go there. I'm scared of anacondas!!!

[Ruth]

Hey Lager, it's GREAT to hear from you. Which Chinatown are you hanging your hat in?

Can't totally agree with the author, but I understand the point. If I relate it to China: it is possible to come to this country, stay in a 5-or 4- or even 3-star hotel and be very comfortable. Wander on your own or go with a tour group. Either way, if you stick to the big cities and the main tourist attractions, your vacation won't be much different than a vacation elsewhere, other than the language issue (which you will get if you go to Europe and people survive that).

Adventure - it's possible to find just a couple hours north of Toronto if you really want it.

[Lotus Eater]

Sort of the difference between 'tourist' and 'traveller' isn't it? Skipping across the surface of a country, eating westernised food, seeing the dolled up 'traditional' shows, buying from the government approved tourist places. All hotels begin to look alike after a while. So your tour then becomes 'which was the most comfortable airconditioned bus, which was the best hotel" rather than anything about the country.

[Ruth]

After we kids were raised my parents travelled lots. They often went with tour groups. Mom's favorite ones were where they got to stay put in a place for a few days rather than a day here, a day there. Staying put allows you to get the flavour of a place. After Dad was gone she went to Portugal with a friend. They stayed in the same place for 2 weeks and did day trips. She got a real feel for the community while there - watching the crops being tended on the terraced hill outside the hotel window, chatting with local vendors. Not exactly 'adventure' but more of a feel for the country than the hop, skip, jump kinds of vacations.

[con's fly is open]

Adventure is whatever is new. Doubt anyone could live long enough to get bored, unless they're not trying hard enough.

Oh yeahk, good to see ya, dude! Ever gonna come back to the Big Silly?

Getting tired of being asked?

[Lager]

Recall a post on the spoon that sort of relates----someone said they would not go back to Vietnam due to all the locals trying to sell them stuff. A quote from the book is that we say we want to see "the other" but cant take it when we actually come face to face with it--and without the power of our own culture behind us..
Another target is the Lonely Planet idea of travel which he would say is the Hilton on a budget.

Anyway it's entertaining if you get a chance-I wont rant.

Otherwise hello old crowd----George thats cool you were in PNG...

I was thinking of coming back (might post later on it) but honestly I sort of like being home right nwo. In Alberta things are booming and lots of work---also looking at some re-training. Also want to travel (hmmm) more here-the US and maybe Mexico.


Some things I buy are Bee and Flower soap almost as cheap as China---teas meals of course pastry I even saw a big foot massage place in Vancouver...Lots of China stuff and Asian to say the least