re: The commodification of travel
I relate a lot to Herman's recent post, in more ways then one. His thoughts on travel are very similar to mine, and the fact that he's writing from Kyoto is even better.
You see, I spent a semester studying in Japan 14 years ago (good grief has it been that long?). I went to a business school in Tokyo (武蔵大学), despite being a computer science major. I honestly had never been interested in traveling until then. The only reason I found myself in Japan was having been lured into the International Studies office by a sign saying "Free Pizza (Learn About Exchange Programs)", and hey, my college town did have good pizza!
While in Japan, I visited Kyoto during the freezing cold of November. I went with another American in my program, we stayed in a hostel, hit the 銭湯 (public bathhouse) every night and hopped around on bus to each destination. We had little plan outside of a small list of things we wanted to see. Most of what we ended up doing was the result of recommendations from our hostel host.
And we had a blast.
Kyoto was near empty at that time. For example, when we visited 伏見稲荷大社 (the fox shrine that consists of thousands of Torii Gates leading up a mountain), we hiked for hours and saw only a handful of people. To escape from the crisp air, we stepped into a tea house and had a wonderful conversation with the owner (who was just happy to have company).
It's one of the most memorable times of my life.
I absolutely love Japan. I've been twice, a second time in 2017. But now, like Herman, I don't know if I would return. At least not to Kyoto.
To explain why, let's switch countries. The first time in Taiwan, my wife and I went to a famous museum. We went by city bus and a whole lotta walking. Most people arrived by chartered tour busses.
As we browsed the isles at a leisurely pace, we were constantly interrupted. First would be a person wearing a speaker, holding a little flag and talking in a microphone. Then, the herd of tourists would follow, each cramming their bodies infront of whatever object so as to get a selfie. They'd stay just long enough at each object to grab a picture, then shuttle off to the next. Not a person read the plaques or admired the details.
It ruined the experience, I remember leaving that museum very frustrated.
Unfortunately, I've heard that's the state of Kyoto these days. For example, the Geisha district my friend and I randomly found ourselves walking through while looking for dinner was closed due to unruly tourists.
People travel for the photo, the checkbox, the badge of honor. They don't dare do or eat as the locals, they instead are pin-balled between selfie spots, only to end the day at a buffet of their home cuisine. When they get home, they post their photos, rake in the likes and forget the whole experience.
And look, I've been part of these groups before. My wife is Chinese, and this is the normal way Chinese travel. A big reason for this is visas, a lot of countries (Japan included) don't allow Chinese tourists that are not part of a tour group.
The first time I saw the Great Wall was as part of a tour group, the same with the China/Mongolia border. They shuttled us from selfie spot to selfie spot. We had very little time to explore. Each meal was a buffet. Most of my memories are of the inside of the charter bus, not the attractions themselves.
I hated it.
People are surprised when I mention I'm a repeat visitor to a small set of countries. I've visited Taiwan twice, Japan twice, China twice and Mexico 5 times. I'll get comments of "you really should do X country instead of places you've already done".
I fall in love with cultures. And food (same thing). The last time I was in Taiwan, I was there for a month living in an Airbnb working out of a cowork spot. I met so many amazing people. There was the guy who designed the paint for subway cars that took me to a local noodle shop. The American that asked to join me for a day of temple adventures. And the guy who's wife insisted he invite me to sit with them at the theater and share the beer they snuck in.
The second time in Japan I stayed in the same suburb as my dorm from my student days. In Mexico, I worked remotely from cafes and explored the incredible food malls of Mérida.
I'm not into tourist spots, I'm into finding out what stores are in the alley, discovering what small town is at the end of the Tobu Tojo line, going behind the scenes on a TV show set at the top of a skyscraper, or discovering where the random boat I found that accepts my transit card takes me (it was an island with a bar on the beach, awesome night).
That's what travel should be. Stepping into the unknown, excited, and a little afraid. Discovering the local culture, food and people. Making connections and memories that last a lifetime, so when things get tough you can sit in the shower, remembering the water in the public bath house washing over you.
14 years ago I sat on a futon, resting my worn luggage against the wall. After 20+ hours of travel I had made it to my new home in Saitama, Japan (さいたま市). As I sat there, I had a panic attack. Where the fuck was I? What was I doing in a country I knew nothing about. Hell, I didn't even speak a single word of the language, how could I possibly survive on my own for the next semester?
An hour or so later I calmed myself down and went on a walk to a department store with a few of the other exchange students. I marveled at how similar, but different, everything was. I also gawked at the insane price of fruit.
Three hours later I unexpectedly found myself in a public bath. Talk about culture shock!
The next day was the start of the best 4 months of my life.
That's what travel is.