I want you to do something for me when you set on your grand adventure traveling around the world.
I want you to take a couple of toothpicks and place them between your eyelids and keep them there.
I want you to make sure you travel with your eyes are wide wide open.
If I could find a way to do the same with your mind and heart, I’d get you to do that too. In fact, if I was in charge of passports and visas I’d make it a travel requirement.
The new travel requirement
To me, I find it a little silly that I even have to suggest it, but I am continually flabbergasted by the amount of people who continue to travel wearing hats of ignorance.
It’s very simple.
When you travel, talk to those who live in the place you are traveling through. Find out a little about their life and culture. Look at their homes, their clothes, the food they eat, how they get around, what sort of work they do, how many hours they are working.
Use the information you gather from your five senses to learn and to question and to try to understand.
Imagine for a second that you were living their life. How does it make you feel? Are you jealous or grateful? What would living their life mean you would go without in your real life? How would living their life be difficult or challenging? What does this mean for your real life? Are you privileged? Are you lucky?
Now that you have kept your eyes open, immersed yourself, walked a mile in someone else’s shoes, questioned, and answered, what have you learned? What has this taught you about you and your life and that of the wider world?
How should you walk forward from this point forward? How can what you have experienced help you become a more tolerant person, an understanding person, a kind person, someone who wishes to turn that fortune that they have been given by birth right to make the most of it, to feel gratitude, to grow, to help others?
I read an excellent post the other day written by an Egyptian Mina Mahrous, titled “No, Not everyone in the world can travel.” Mina does a great job of highlighting the fact that not everyone in the world can travel like is often touted by travel bloggers. It’s an important read for everyone, travellers or not.
Not everyone in the world will ever earn enough money to travel and then, as Mina points out , many are denied access into many countries because of their nationalities.
Those of us who are able to travel do so as a result of mostly luck – luck of where we are born. The rest of it is comprised of making decisions, making the sacrifices and saving the money to bring your travel dream into reality.
Are your travel experiences opening your eyes up?
What astounded me by that post was nothing that Mina wrote, but the comment made by so many other travellers that Mina “had opened their eyes up.”
My thoughts were why were they closed when you were travelling? How did you not notice this as you were buying your cheap buckets of whiskey and staying in bungalows on the beach for $10 a night?
Didn’t you notice the beggars on the street? The locals working from sun up to sun down with no overtime? Didn’t you hear it in the stories they shared with you over a cup of tea or a bowl of noodles they prepared for you?
How can people wander around the world so oblivious to the fact that the majority of the world live in poverty and we in the Western World are so so privileged just by the nature of our birth?
Didn’t this change your life while you were traveling? Didn’t it make you want to be better, to be so grateful for all you have?
A hideously shameful eyes shut tight travel experience
It reminds me so much of a horrible experience we had in Vietnam. We were sitting outside eating dinner by the river in Hoi An. We randomly chose the first restaurant we came to.
The owner greeted us with a warm smile and broken English and the menu looked good so we warmly accepted her invitation to dine with her.
The food did not disappoint, nor did the cold Saigon lager. The peace and happiness we felt was soon shattered when in walked a group of Australians. Five minutes later I wanted to hide under the table in shame knowing that my voice sounded like them.
They demanded that as they were bringing in a “large” group they should be given free beers (beers that cost $1). It was a quiet night and the owner struggled knowing that they would leave and she would lose business. But if they stayed, she would lose money as she could not afford to give away free beers.
She pleaded with them and tried to make them understand that they she could not afford to do that and that times were quiet and tough.
She told them how great her food was and the views of the river from her table. Yet they ignored all of this, so intent they were on scoring their special cheap deal in South East Asia where you can live off $20 a day.
“Well we’ll just leave then,” the leader of the gang, her unruly red curls bounced this way and that with each exploitative demand.
Fear crossed the lady’s face as they started to move off and she hung her head in defeat. She waved them back and showed them to a table upstairs avoiding all eye contact. We could hear their victorious laughter for the remainder of the night.
Arseholes.
They made me sick. These are the people whose visa applications should be denied. No entry allowed until you fulfil the travel requirement of having your eyes, your mind, your heart wide open. Buy some toothpicks if you need some help.
You cannot travel without the awareness of the life circumstances of the people whose home you walk through. You cannot live without this.
Sure I know that we get back into the grind of our lives and we get caught up in our problems and forget. We bitch and moan about trivial things and not having enough. I do it all the time.
But, I know how to catch myself out and remember those people I’ve met on the road who have so much less than me. I remember how they opened my eyes up.
The man with no arms and legs, the child begging for water in Africa, the smiles and kind hands and hearts from those I met, wanting to live my life, but never begrudging me for my luck.
These people on my travel road opened my eyes up.
Don’t travel the world for $25 a day and tell everyone how to do it, yet remain oblivious to the fact that all those people in that country you lived off for $25 a day could never travel and do the same.
By all means share your knowledge to help others travel and to inspire them but don’t do it at the expense of being ignorant to the lives of those who are around you.
Share their stories too. Allow them to impact and change your life.
Embrace the new travel requirement and tread softly across countries with your eyes wide open.
Do you travel travel with eyes wide open?
Great perspective on travel. I hate reading the stories of being in the moment where people abuse and neglect the interests and well being of other people and cultures for their own self interests. I cringe when I hear Americans talking too loudly (and that cultural respect is very insignificant compared to the story you told).
We’re not perfect. We aren’t always going to be open minded and get it right when we travel. However, she would travel in a way that attempts to understand and respect others. When we fail, we can learn from it and apologize when we can. But we should always try.
Well said Jeremy. I think we have to understand that we will mess up and its okay as long as we recognize it and then learn. Life is a continual process of learning and growing.
Very well written and thanks for linking my post! 🙂
Actually in Egypt I work in Sharm el Sheikh, one of the most touristy cities in Egypt and I meet loads of those groups you’re talking about, it is just disgusting! But Karma get’s them 😉 So I know that such a group might have gotten some free beer from that lady, but they paid double the beer’s price for something else somewhere else…and some else was laughing that victorious laugh hehe 😀
I just really hope people would at least be more considering, it is not sympathy that poor are looking for, it is consideration
I loved your post Mina. I so hope they got their karma- they deserved it. I love how you say “it is not sympathy that poor are looking for, it is consideration” Perfect!
I certainly hope so!
I think a lot of people are afraid to strike up conversations with strangers, or there is a language barrier. But even when I was in that situation, I always had my eyes open. I am an observer by nature, and my favorite travel activities involve wandering aimlessly in a town and finding a comfy spot to sit and people-watch. Getting a glimpse into people’s lives and noticing the small oddities and wonders is what has always made me go home from a trip feeling re-energized and satisfied.
I love the people watching, You can learn so much! I think the more you talk with strangers the easier it gets You find that people really are so friendly and love sharing their life with you. A smile will always break down any barrier
Hi Caz,
You make some valid points here. I’m not an experienced traveller, but I know exactly what you mean and I’ve seen some pretty disgusting things too. The problem is, some people don’t care. It’s a very sad state of affairs, unfortunately.
It can be so depressing. I think you are right lots of people don’t care and sometimes its because they are so immersed in the world of their own pain, which is also sad.
Well written Caz. Yes, I do travel with my eyes wide open at all times, and if I catch myself beginning to close my eyes I force them back open.
I often think how some would enjoy traveling if they didn’t go to any of the “top 10 attractions” of a destination. Would some people even have a good time? Not saying those are bad, but getting away from the touristic norms, doing local activities and building relationships with others is what I think is the best way to learn and grow from traveling. When we keep our eyes open, there are so many opportunities to learn and discover about the country / people we are visiting, and of course, being respectful is of ultimate priority.
Great point Mark. I think when you go more local the culture around you becomes more real so you do pay attention and immerse yourself in it more. My first overseas adventure was through Sumatra. It was not really a popular travel destination so it really forced us to get immersed into the local culture. I think that did wonders for developing that part of me who wants to interact with the locals. We did so much of it in Indo and had the most amazing time. It broke so many barriers down.
Well said – those of us who are in the position to save money for travel in the first place are already incredibly lucky in the grand scheme of things. The story about the group in the restaurant makes me mad just reading it!
I was getting really mad writing it and remembering too. Was such a vile thing to see and I still can’t believe that people are capable of being so heartless
The thing I love about travel above and beyond everything else is experiencing new cultures and ways of life – and having my eyes opened to be that much more appreciative of the world we live in. I too would have cringed knowing my accent sounded like a group of people who were completely missing the point. Unfortunately it’s all too common in frequently travelled places. More consideration less worrying about that single dollar!
We didn’t want to speak after that so ashamed were we at the disgusting display of ignorance. It’s always a surprise to me when I see things like this happen. People just take a long time to get out of their ME world sometimes
One of the aspects I love with travel is the opportunity to meet and talk to the locals. I know, even when my chips are down at home, that I really am very lucky! I’ve worked hard, saved my money, and travelled the world. I have seen the poverty in Bolivia and other countries and it makes me sad. I know there is little I can do, but I try to spend locally, and be conscious of their situation. I am not flashy. I tip my guides on tours. In Nepal – I gave money and t-shirts to the porters. I do feel that we should also remember those down on their luck at home – people in our own backyards are also down on their luck! I was rushing between appointments yesterday at work when I saw a man sitting quietly on the side of the road. He had his cup out, and was wishing everyone a very pleasant day. He had a wonderful smile on his face – I don’t know his circumstance, but after rushing by, I turned and offered him a cup of coffee. I don’t think he believed that I would be back – but the smile on his face and kind words of thanks was all I needed. I guess what I am trying to say – sometimes we should open our eyes at home too!
I feel your embarrassment Caz – to have your fellow travellers come in and bully the restaurant owner like that – I would probably feel compelled to compensate for their atrocious behaviour!
Great point- we really do need to pay attention to those who need our support at home as well. We can’t forget that. Each of us have a responsibility to help improve the life of others and to treat them with kindness and respect.
I was recently delighted to be asked by another blogger for some travel advice. Specifically, he asked for advice on how to immerse yourself in another culture quickly. I said something similar to your requirement, to take walk and observe everything and everyone when you arrive. Without the camera. Without agenda. Just walk and observe. And then eat where you see the locals eating 🙂
It’s always sad to see the group of travelers who aren’t self-aware. Sometimes it takes a minute to adjust, and that’s okay, but you should always try to be conscious of your body, words, and actions, especially in a foreign culture.
We’ve had some of the best experiences by eating where the locals eat. It’s such a great way to get to know the local culture and have some surpising experiences. I like your advice- spot on
A nice reminder that travel is a privilege….AND a responsibility.
It starts with a question: Are you traveling to TAKE from the world (photos, memories, stories about that time you got a Vietnamese woman to give you free beer)? Or are you traveling to be part of the world–to GIVE yourself?
I like that- travelling the world to give yourself. Perfect!
Oh, that large group makes me so mad! Causing all of that drama and stress on that poor woman over a dollar beer. Luckily, your floaty positivity during the rest of the post made up for it! Wonderful way to start my morning. 🙂
I’m so glad Abby! Still baffles me how they did not notice the expression on the lady’s face. It broke my heart
I published a post last week about an old woman I had met on my travels. Someone then responded to me on Twitter saying “So now, old women are tourist destinations?”. My response was that travel is as much about the people we met as it is the places we go.
Unfortunately the main stream travel market hypes people up that much with promised amenities and cheap deals. In Turkey, they are currently constructing all inclusive resorts which provide food and drink on tap 24 hours a day.
The result is that people do not go out of these resorts. It is damaging the local economy and people get to find out nothing about Turkey at all. The worse part is that they don’t seem bothered and are raving about the cheap deal on booze that they get. No matter that it is infact watered down! 🙂
Wow Natalie I can’t believe someone said that to you because I do believe people make the destination and I write about the people I meet all the time. Who cares about the nice hotel bed or pool, it’s the people that make a destination special.
Oh not that is a terrible thing for someone to say. It’s a shame people travel like this as they miss on so many rewarding interactions and connections
And here I thought we Americans were the only ugly “Arseholes” in the world. Great topic and one that sadly the people who need it most will never consider or digest. Those of us that realize this situation, have to step up more often and “help” our fellow travelers understand their actions more. Hopefully it will not result in a fist to the face! Ha!
No there are plenty of ugly Australians- just go to Bali and you’ll see what I mean! I felt like crash tackling and rubbing their faces in the dirt!
There are arseholes of every nationality out there, alas. We yanks and ozzies just have voices that carry. 🙂
Hit the nail on the head! Seriously your insight into how people should travel is brilliant guys. Wish that everyone could travel with 10 years of travel experience when they first start. Hopefully just leaving their homes before they start with their eyes open will help a little bit.
That would be nice wouldn’t it. The old wisdom hindsight thing! My first adventure was in Sumatra Indonesia so it helped open my eyes up quicikly, but I think I was more than willing to have them open and embrace the adventure ahead.
Great perspective Caz…pretty sure I wouldn’t like any of that group in real life…
Yep. Certainly wouldn’t have want to drink one of those beers with them
This is a fabulous post Caz. So often people focus on getting everything for as cheap as possible, and how they have scored one over the local population by achieving some record low price for something entirely trivial. Often, the price difference makes no real difference to their travel budget (at which point the word “principle” starts being waved around), but is something that will likely make a difference to the person at the other end of the bargaining. Opening your eyes, your mind, and all your other senses, should, as you say, be a requirement of travelling!
Everyone loves to get a deal but it should never be at someone else’s expense, it has to always be win win. I think the more effort you make to get to know the local culture the more human they become and not just a pawn for the game of getting everything as cheap as you can
I love when you write stuff like this, Caz. I was horrified just reading about that group you saw demanding free beer. People need to be more respectful when they travel. And it is so important to learn at least a little bit about the people and the culture of the places you’re traveling to. Great post, and I hope more people realize how privileged they are to have the opportunity to travel.
Thanks Ali. I think it was one of the worst displays of human behaviour we’ve ever seen. Craig and I were so appalled and we could not get past it for a long time. Travel is an absolute privilege and I am so so grateful for it.
I totally agree that beyond just keeping your eyes open in situations of poverty, for me the whole joy and purpose of travel come from opening my eyes to any differences and learning about other cultures. Otherwise I’d just stay home!
I agree Emily- some of the things I remember most are my interactions with the locals- even those that lasted for mere minutes
What a wonderful post, I absolutely agree. I’d like to think I fulfill the requirement. I can understand that a group might hope to get a discount. I knew I would stay in one place for a relatively long time on my trip and asked if a discount happened to be available. Yet I was polite in asking, and I never dreamed of demanding or of being so disrespectful. One of my favorite parts of travel is connecting with locals and other travelers, and learning about their lives and who they are. It makes the experience so very much richer.
Yes absolutely. Bartering and asking for discounts is quite normal in travel, but we all have to draw the line with that so we don’t take it too far and end up insulting and disrespecting those we are bartering with. I had to pull myself up several times when bartering- reality check would set in when I realized I was haggling to save 50 cents!! Not a lot to me but a lot to the person I’m trying to beat.
I think everyone has to start somewhere with their perspectives… some do so very late in life. I guess that group were either very inexperienced travellers, or just plain ignorant. I do feel your pain though, and we see it all the time especially when it comes to getting stuff cheaper / for free. It’s embarrassing. If you’re an inexperienced traveller, you can keep your eyes open by just going with the principle of “If I wouldn’t do it in my hometown, I shouldn’t do it here either”. Can be applied to many situations, another cringe-worthy one is dress code… that one just drives me mad over and over again. How insulting some people can behave on holiday!
I like that philosophy. It’s so simple, just take a asecond to think about treating others as you would like to be treated as well.
You are absolutely right, though if you would be in charge for visas there would be unfortunately less travelers and tourists in the world, as the majority of people would not qualify sadly for your visa.
Ha Ha. This is true!
Couldn’t agree with you more on this Caz. We should be talking about this topic more! Not everyone can travel, and the goal of a budget traveler shouldn’t be staying under $25, it should be about maximizing the experiences you can have on that budget. The saddest part is that budget travelers often have the most opportunities to get to know locals, and often pass it up, like you said, immersed in their own pain/lives instead.
I agree it should be about maximising your experiences instead of trying to win the Who can travel for cheapest prize. I think if you can travel at these cheap prices and have all these amazing experiences then the least you can do is show respect and gratitude for the locals who will never experience their own country at those prices like you can
What an excellent, thought-provoking post, Caz! One of the central tenets of ecotourism (and a personal favorite of mine is that travel should enhance the local community– you should buy directly from the indigenous people, respect & embrace the local culture, and never take more than you give. But that requires consciousness, a gift clearly not all travelers are equally blessed with. As Ayngelina said, for us interacting with locals and learning about their lives/culture is one of our favorite parts of traveling!
It is absolutely my favourite as well. On my recent trip to Thailand, I was with a group of Thai people and I had the best fun. I learned so much more of the language and culture and just felt like I was growing as a person because of it. I LOVE interacting with the locals. My brain just doesn’t understand why you would bother going to other countries if you didn’t want to get to know the people who’s home it is.
Urgh… I wish you hadn’t mentioned that group was Australian. It made me even more mad (and not that surprised).
I wonder if they would have acted differently if they had known what their actions would mean to that family. Would opening their eyes actually change their behaviour and attitude? Or maybe the people who don’t open their eyes shouldn’t bother because they’ve already made up their mind about the world.
Hmmm something to think about. I can’t imagine anyone not understanding what their actions would mean and not acting with kindness and compassion, but then again how could they be so oblivious?
YES to what you write here, Caz, YES to everything.
I can’t believe that group in Vietnam. Seriously, I hope they rot – what absolutely disgusting behaviour over the sake of $1 and how demeaning for the restaurant owner to have to relent to such a bunch of twats and their rude, arrogant, shameful behaviour.
You’re right in saying that we are so lucky just due to the countries of our birth (I’m a Brit myself). My partner is Korean and, as I plan my RTW trip next year, he’s not able to join me. He simply can’t afford it – the job market in Korea is far too competitive and, unlike me, he can’t just pick up a gig teaching English when he’s low on funds. He’s fluent, but he wasn’t born in the “right” country.
Wow… your story about the people in Vietnam is very depressing. It also reminds me of the travellers that spend their whole trip complaining about the places they are visiting… I can’t stand them!
Hi Caz,
Your make some great points in your post. My first real eye-opening experience came when I went to Granada, Nicaragua. I was staying at a nice hotel in the center of the city for three days. Each morning we ate breakfast outside and people came up to us begging for food. This had never happened to me before and I didn’t know quite how to react. For many I think traveling truly is an eye-opening experience. BUT, you will always run into others who expect everything to be exactly the same as in their home country. And, if they can get away with being rude, then they will.
It’s quite jarring when you first experience it and you really don’t know what to do and how to react. It’s even worse when it is the children coming up to and begging
I find that how much or how hard I haggle has a lot to do with the person I’m buying from. If they’re clearly someone who tries to take advantage of people wherever possible through underhanded means, then I try to get the lowest price possible, since I feel my money would be better spent on someone else, i.e. someone more honest.
But in a situation like the one you described with that group of Australians, I would never even think of trying to get something for free. In fact, when I’m obviously dealing with someone who’s just trying (and struggling) to make an honest living, I’ll usually even leave a tip, even though I’m actually strongly opposed to the custom of tipping in general.
You definitely need to assess each situation. And I agree I would rather give my money to someone else if a person wasn’t playing by the fair win win rules. Those Aussies were dispecable.
Another great post Caz. I actually thought of Mina’s post while I was reading, I was going to mention it in my comment, then I saw you mentioned it 🙂 I really appreciate bloggers like Mina, and even Lois (@WeRSoleSisters) who, despite where they were born, still do everything possible to see the world with open-eyes.
For me, it’s always a difficult line to draw.
I want to entice my friends, family, and countrymen to travel and get out there and explore.. even if they have a low-budget. But I don’t want to see them trying to score freebies at the expense of a small business owner struggling to make ends meet.
I partied my way around Europe. I even tried to get a group discount on a meal or two. But it didn’t take long to discover the 10€ they were charging me was because I was a tourist with Australian travel dollars to spend, while locals were paying 3€.
I travel with eyes-wide open. I buy souvenirs and spend money at local eateries and street markets. But I refuse to pay 3x the price just because of where I was born.
Some great points here, such as talking to locals and discovering their life and culture:)))
I really appreciated this post as the situation that you experienced with the Australians has been similar to a few that I have witnessed. It always makes me quiver! Travel can be the best education that one can get, but only if they travel “with their eyes open” . That is, learning about the culture, meeting the locals and most importantly respecting them.
Absolutely. It’s not much of an education unless you do open up to learn. A bit of a waste of money otherwise- you might as well stay at home and get your travel break that way.
I think its very arrogant of you to dictate how people should experience their travel adventures. we see what we want to see. Just because you want one thing from your travels someone else wants other things. Live your life and stop telling people how to live theirs.
Thanks for your comment Jo, I appreciate it. I certainly see your point and my only fault here is that I just really want people to be nice to each other. Other than that I’m pretty happy for people to live their life how they want and I won’t judge them. What is it that you do Jo? Tell me a little more about yourself? IT would be nice to get to know each other before name calling. Wouldn’t you say though that we should all be aspiring to be nice and leave kind words only? which was really my point.
I’m not quite sure really why people choose to live from a place that is about taking advantage and being rude and why someone who travels wouldn’t want to be nice and want to learn from the countries they are travelling in. What do you think of the example I gave in the post as to how that group of people treated the Vietnamese lady. Do you think this is appropriate and really in me saying that it isn’t is that me dictating how someone should live or merely illustrating a point that we should travel with the aim of respecting others?
I hope you have a great day Jo and be sure to come have fun with us on facebook! You’ll soon get to know us and see we rarely judge how others choose to live
I don’t consider it arrogant or judgmental to call someone out on despicable behavior.
Then again, I *am* pretty arrogant and judgmental myself, so you probably shouldn’t listen to me.
I’ll always listen to you Sonia!! Yeah I couldn’t quite get the arrogance part, I mean I was certainly judging their behaviour but its not like it was aspirational behaviour or they were just living their life the way they want. We each have a certain responsibility to be kind to people regardless of life choices.
Hi Caz, I am Australian and I feel awful that anyone, especially fellow Aussies could treat that Hoi An restaurant owner so badly. The prices are so cheap anyway, it shows a very mean spirit. I hate to think what the restaurant owner learnt about Aussies and travellers in general on the occasion in question. I feel sick.
I agree. How can you treat someone like that over $1 beers especially when you have so much and they so little? Pretty low act. I’ll never forget the restaurant owners defeated and shamed look on her face. It was sad.
Oh I totally agree with you. The local people can make a destination for me. Travelling IS about interacting with other people, learning about different ways of life and growing your own perspective.
Unfortunately sometimes the behaviour of other tourists can ruin a destination. It’s no wonder scams and traps develop in countries where making a living is hard. It’s the tourists that behave poorly that make locals not care about squeezing every extra penny!
I don’t consider your view arrogant – far from it!
Thanks Bethany! Thought it was a little strange call. I don’t think advocating for people to respect others is arrogance. I think it hit a raw nerve somewhere. i LOVE going to new places and meeting the local people. I always find the exchanges so memorable and meaningful. I think you have to be very open to learning to appreciate it
There’ll always be someone trying to justify their own (bad) behaviour by putting you down. Respecting the local population is never arrogant. It’s the opposite. It’s arrogant to waltz in and feel like you’re better than everyone else in the room in any situation – be it a university class, a cocktail party or a third world country.
I can definitely relate to this experience. When I was traveling in India, I was always appalled at how little the locals have to live on, and how the tourists were sometimes taking advantage of this, haggling over mere pennies with folks who looked like they could use some extra income.
Pretty sad. You can’t go to another country and not be aware of how the locals live. It’s all about having a little bit of compassion and understanding
Caz, out of curiosity, did you ever have the urge to stand up and say something to the Aussie group? It’s easier to think about in hindsight, but I’m not sure I could have sat there and let them take advantage of someone like that. Although, had I actually been in the situation, I may not have acted. Sometimes its easy to get caught up in observing and not realize. Regardless, good article. Another reason I always recommend this site to people.
Yes Tim. It’s probably my biggest travel regret that I did not get up and say anything and is something I feel guilty about quite a bit.
Well how can anyone close their eyes while we are traveling:) but great post.
Very well said!
More than ever, travel should be a great learning experience. When I go travel, I always think of it as opportunity for me to experience their culture, interact and connect to the people and understand what it’s like to live in their lives. This made me stop and think about how fortunate I am for what I have and that I should stop complaining about the things I don’t have!
It’s just sad to know that there are really people who don’t care! I just hope more people think like you, Caz. Otherwise, they just missed the most beautiful thing traveling offers!
I agree Ivy! There is nothing better than learning from other cultures. We just had a beautiful experience with some people in Vanuatu and it made my heart sing to know that travel gives me so many amazing opportunities
An excellent and certainly an eye opening article.