As evident by this website, I quite like to travel. One of my absolute favorite activities is going to some mega metropolis over in Asia and enjoy being amongst cultures that I’ve an affinity for. It’s a credit to innovations in travel that I can fly to the other side of the globe and back for under a thousand dollars; similarly it’s allowed a tremendous amount of people to do that same. The world isn’t as connected as ever just via the Internet, but the democratization of air-travel has brought different cultures together, face to face.
The legions of travelers from China is well-known, and some would say infamous.
Of course, with advances usually come drawbacks as well, and the most acute in regard to mass travel is the overcrowding of famous tourist spots. For example, this Summer the Louvre museum in Paris had to shut its doors because the sheer number of guests caused security personnel to go on strike, overwhelmed beyond what they signed up for. What sort of “experience” is it really, to wait in line for hours to simply get in, then only to be led through like cattle to see for a fleeting moment the most popular item in the Louvre: the Mona Lisa? Museums are supposed to be places of airy openness; an environment created for quiet contemplation of the artworks on display. Sweating in line to take a selfie with a painting; the seems rather antithetical.
What’s the point of visiting when these famous landmarks get stripped of their original raison d'etre?
I had the same reservations at the Sensō-ji temple during this July’s trip to Japan. The place was packed with tourists, and the main walkway into the temple grounds is lined with many small shops hocking wares and food items to passersby. This is a Buddhist temple: hallowed ground for worship, associated with peace and quiet, and it’s turned into a busy commercial enterprise. About this I felt a tinge of sadness, and wondered what it would’ve been like before the advent of the airplane to visit temples like Senso-ji; we’ll never get that authenticity ever again.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arrogant enough to fail to see the irony that I’m part of the problem. In my defense - for whatever it’s worth - I don’t travel for the sake of putting it up on social media, hoping to gain glory from the praise of others on how awesome my life is. The vanity-driven project of ticking off travel destinations like a checklist to be showcased on instagram is not something I subscribe to. Personally, I hate lines, so waiting for hours to get into the Louvre is definitely not my cup of tea.
I’m not here to impugn how others travel, but rather it’s a self reflection. Going forwards I shall make more informed decisions on the places I visit, to ensure that I’m not exacerbating the problems of overcrowding.
Guess I’m not traveling to Venice anytime soon…
Good to a see a clean E28-era BMW 5-Series still on the road.