Traveling To The Third World

http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/04/traveling ... c-41889349

"The thing about visiting the Third World when you live in the First World is that it’s a rich, eye-opening, heart-warming, perspective-building cultural adventure and the other thing about it is that it sucks.

You know that upsetting person who posts pictures on Facebook of themselves doing some delicious- or beautiful- or wild-looking activity in somewhere like Tanzania or India or Peru? And even though they’re posting for their own purposes as part of a skillful weave of Image Crafting and Jealousy Inducing, it makes you yearn anyway as you sit there in whatever sh**ty life you’ve chosen for yourself?

The thing you need to remember is that they did some careful cropping on the photo—they cropped out the misery. Misery is a government requirement when you visit a country like Tanzania or India or Peru, but that’s easy to forget when you’re not there.

So it’s not that your upsetting friend isn’t having a great time—they are—but beneath their sh*t-eating open-jaw delighted smile and upward-extended arms grasping into the succulent mist of a waterfall, just a couple feet down are aching, blistered feet, malaria-ridden-mosquito bitten legs, and some gurgling diarrhea nightmare.

You should still be jealous—just not that jealous.

Let’s pause for a moment to examine the distinction between traveling and going on vacation. "...

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After visiting Africa, it really makes me appreciate Colorado.

I seem to recall some recruiting slogan that had to do with joining the Navy and seeing the world... They left out the part about getting paid less than minimum wage while swabbing decks, polishing bright work, and taking your turn in the scullery scrubbing pots and pans. Traveling on the Navy's dime was always a mixed bag for me but if I had it (almost) all to do over again I would. Truth be told, the low points in my Navy career were mostly self inflicted, peppered with a few incidents involving XOs and COs who picked me for the SLJs over others for whatever reason.

There's a difference between going somewhere and performing your assigned duties and going somewhere because you can of your own free will and doing whatever you want. Olongapo City was no fun when I had the misfortune of being on duty assisting the MAs as they performed Shore Patrol; Getting chased out of bars by the Shore Patrol because you or a shipmate did something stupid - AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT? Priceless!

Of course there's also the sober, real tour of the third world. Getting away from the main drag and seeing first hand how the indigenous people thrive and survive. Understanding how much harder those people have to work for the few things they have by seeing them in action is humbling, more so is their generosity. People who have to work very hard to feed themselves and keep a roof over their families, in my experience, are often also the first people who want to share a bit of what they have with everyone who visits them from near and far. I'm confident that the indigenous people I have encountered in the third world through my travels would have gladly shared what they gave me as a gift but I always tried to have something to trade or give as a reciprocal gift and/or some cash to offer so I didn't feel like a freeloader. Then there were the people who were insulted by the suggestion that I was required to reciprocate... I'd "drop" some cash or stash it someplace obvious as I was leaving and thanking them for their generosity.

But, let's not forget the ugly side of urban centers of the third world, or the rest of the world for that matter. Roaming bands of kids crowding around strangers, offering to carry luggage and shopping bags only to grab them and charge off in to the most obscure locations in the city or surrounding bush to enjoy their newly won spoils. Con artists, thieves, and others doing what they do, be it immoral, criminal, or just begging for cash, food, and anything else they can get to help them survive.

It's hysterical! :rofllol
"On the misery front… You risk becoming a self-righteous douchebag who’s way too proud of themselves for their third-world experiences."

BlazerBob wrote: waitbutwhy.com/2014/04/traveling-third-w...-90fba6d16c-41889349

"The thing about visiting the Third World when you live in the First World is that it’s a rich, eye-opening, heart-warming, perspective-building cultural adventure and the other thing about it is that it sucks.

You know that upsetting person who posts pictures on Facebook of themselves doing some delicious- or beautiful- or wild-looking activity in somewhere like Tanzania or India or Peru? And even though they’re posting for their own purposes as part of a skillful weave of Image Crafting and Jealousy Inducing, it makes you yearn anyway as you sit there in whatever sh**ty life you’ve chosen for yourself?

The thing you need to remember is that they did some careful cropping on the photo—they cropped out the misery. Misery is a government requirement when you visit a country like Tanzania or India or Peru, but that’s easy to forget when you’re not there.

So it’s not that your upsetting friend isn’t having a great time—they are—but beneath their sh*t-eating open-jaw delighted smile and upward-extended arms grasping into the succulent mist of a waterfall, just a couple feet down are aching, blistered feet, malaria-ridden-mosquito bitten legs, and some gurgling diarrhea nightmare.

You should still be jealous—just not that jealous.

Let’s pause for a moment to examine the distinction between traveling and going on vacation. "...

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I totally agree with Otis, except when in the Air Force you actually live in the third world country for however long your overseas tour is. I was stationed in Ankara, Turkey for two years in the early 90's and it was so eye-opening for a young early-20-year-old to see and experience.

Wouldn't trade it for the world and absolutely loved the Turks that I met. The only thing I really missed while I was there was the road rules being followed...if you've not ever driven in a third world country it IS an experience--not just the first few times you are on the road, but every single time. Learned a lot about paying attention to everything, even what is behind you, when I drove there.

Whenever traveling overseas, always tell your doc and see if you can get an anti-diarrhea prescription to take...my mom did that when she visited me in Italy on my suggestion, and she said it was so helpful. The rest of it is "part of the experience" and should be enjoyed!

Any time that you leave the United States, you are going to a lesser place.