I find this topic quite funny actually... So many people like to call themselves "travelers" instead of "tourists", but quite honestly, I find those people to be the snootie types. I do hate obnoxious tourists as much as the next guy, but let's face it: we're all tourists in one way, shape or form. When I'm abroad, I do try to blend in, I don't particularly like to stand on a street with a huge map, camera around my neck, and talking loudly and obnoxiously, so yes, that can be the stereotype of a "tourist" and those that gather around the "tourist traps." They say if you take a walk down the Hollywood boulevard, and talk to people gathering around the Stars on the sidewalk, you will not come across one fellow LA resident - they're all tourists. You could say that about most popular sights, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Sidney Opera House - but to be quite frank, that's what traveling is all about.
However, there are certain places that are so extraordinary that we forgive them for being horded by the masses. You could say that about the Pyramids of Giza (I CANNOT wait to go in January), and you could most certainly say that about the places I stated earlier even. Everyone HAS to experience them, and so it's "forgivable." But it's all silly and artificial, in my opinion. The same thing can be said about your own town. So many times you take a place for granted, you live your day to day life there, but you never take the time to truly appreciate it. Often times it takes a friend to come visit you, and you decide you want to go the "tourist" route in your own city to show your friend the area and voila! You learn so much... and you gain a newfound appreciation all of a sudden... sometimes it's important to go the "tourist" route, and that's actually my favorite thing to do when I go to Puerto Rico now. Living in Puerto Rico, you take for granted your sorroundings, the beach, the mountains, the rainforest - I mean, Puerto Rico has so much to offer (more on this later! I can't wait to write this blog...) and it wasn't until I brought Jesse, where we experienced Puerto Rico "the touristy way" and now it's my favorite thing to do when I go back to visit...
I think the problem with "touristy" is that it's just a general term for anything relating to "out-of-towners", and with that, it can also carry much negativity. So you know what? I do take tons of touristy pictures when I'm on vacation and I'm proud of it. :) So the lesson here is that being a tourist is not a bad thing. The truly important thing is that you're immersing yourself in another culture, and the bottom line is that there are sights in this Earth that are a necessity to see, and I applaud any traveler, tourist, or obnoxious American (the stereotypical kind only, no offense to anyone!) who came all this way to see the sights, and to see another part of the world. Bon Voyage!
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
- Paul Theroux
My best attempt at a "touristy" picture :) (Us in Cozumel, Mexico)
**Sidenote: For a great read, read "The Ugly American", it's a great book - albeit about foreign policy but it's a perfect read regarding those stereotypes!
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