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The first time my mother took me to Beijing, it was a mess. There were few streetlights, few shops that sold western amenities, yet I loved it. It was different
by foodislove 9y ago
The first time my mother took me to Beijing, it was a mess. There were few streetlights, few shops that sold western amenities, yet I loved it. It was different. There was no Starbucks, yet every little alleyway there were stalls that sold dumplings to deep fried dough to stinky tofu.
Now, all the alleyways have been closed down. Starbucks, KFC, Macdonald's and other generic shops dot the landscape. Every major city now serves Starbucks styled over-roasted coffee along with obligatory Gucci, Toyota, and Apple shops.
It takes a lot of effort to really experience something different. Perhaps the author is right that it's about brownie points these days, but I'm an old school romantic and I still love that feeling of visiting a city or town that I've only heard before in books.
If I'm lucky, a place turns out to be better in real life than my dreams. No doubt there are real costs for mass travel and the impact is often negative. But that's the by product of a Nash equilibrium whereby I do want to see the world and all its wonders.
- tonyedgecombe 9y agowhy not want to explore and experience more? Because you are literally destroying what you supposedly cherish by visiting it.
- foodislove 9y agoCompletely agree. It's a Nash equilibrium. If nobody visits, the destination stays the same. If only I visit, then the destination stays the same yet I derive immense enjoyment. If everyone visits, the place goes down the drain and everyone loses.
- fapjacks 9y agoWell, even the most overrun places have some kind of invisible system which keep the tourists confined, even if it's unintentional. Sort of like that one version of Sonic the Hedgehog which was completely on rails and the player was never allowed to leave the prescribed path. There's literally a moat around Waikiki. Most people visiting a place foreign to them are already extending themselves beyond their comfort zone and tend not to leave the prescribed path, even if they're "out exploring". Having lived in some of these popular tourist destinations for most of my adult life, I've found that there seems to be a fairly common heuristic for leaving these areas and getting out into "the real world": Find a bar away from the main lines of public transportation and spend a couple of hours there meeting and talking to locals. It's like fishing, and having the right attitude is the bait. I travel pretty frequently and this works almost everywhere you can find a bar. The places I end up are completely devoid of tourists. And those are the places most likely to lack a McDonalds or Starbucks in favor of a local cafe or street vendor. I guess it really depends on what anybody wants out of the experience.
- cafard 9y agoIn Venice some time ago, we walked about ten minutes off one of the main streets, and largely had to ourselves Sta. Maria del Orto, which had been Tintoretto's parish church and has a number of his paintings. Meanwhile, the area around San Marco was jam-packed with tourist groups.
- kaybe 9y agoMy city of 150,000 people is visited by millions of tourists every year. I never even see most of them since they all hang out at a very limited area and many are on guided tours just there for half a day. It's not really a problem.
- carlmr 9y agoKind of made me think of my first (and only, non-layover) visit to Beijing. Also ate food in the alleyways. This was only 8 years ago. It's sad that this experience is lost to time. I did go to China again last year. Even in remote non-Beijing towns there's a Starbucks or two now. What can we do against this globalized sameness? How can we uphold traditions in our own countries, to not let them succumb to these trite business models?
- bmaupin 9y agoMy guess is capitalism is the main driver of most of this "globalized sameness," in which case we could vote with our wallets. But I know from personal experience that's easier said than done.
- nxsynonym 9y agoEncourage discomfort in travelling. It's a hard sell, especially for those who are "obligated" to travel. Unfortunately most people want to go somewhere "exotic" and still have all the familiar comforts of home, but with a different backdrop.
- gbuk2013 9y agoIf you haven’t, come visit Georgetown, Penang - I think you will like it. :)