Lost in Laos: Elephants and Grubs
2/1/2010 – It’s 4:20 AM and dark looking into the jungle treetops from an elephant tower outside Banna, Laos. Despite there being no elephants to see, it’s been a good adventure and time to reflect.
Adventure
Yesterday, I taxied from Vientiane with MJ and Huichen, we trekked through the jungle with local guides, showered in a creek, communicated bad jokes in broken English, feasted upon awesome local fare and burnt our eyes on local moonshine.
Reflection
I came on this trip to see and do things I hadn’t done before, travel Thailand and Laos. During my travels, I’ve find myself in constant self-reflection of how to interact with others.
Interestingly, I’ve been more concerned about what others, not those close to me, but those we’re seeing and interacting with, think. After all I’ve experienced in the past week, its become a case of, I’d like to let these people know that not all tourists are grubs.
Grubs
What’s a grub you ask, well I’d show you but, a) we ate all of them or b) somebodies parents would be seriously upset over a bunch of squirming, sightless, white ground dwellers.
“Grubs” is my personal categorization of the tourist gone too indulgent.
Not all people thumping their chest, barely clothed, dread-locked, hasn’t washed in a month, following the party, subsisting on beer and french fries while loudly talking and spewing bits are a grub, some 0.001% aren’t.
For those not matching above, there’s two identifiers of the clean and polite grubs.
- Those that only want of others
- Those that don’t give anything positive back
I’ve found, wherever grubs go, bad impressions are left and leaving me to ask:
- What is the legacy I want others to find when they cross my paths?
- How can I contribute to smiles and happiness of locals?
So what can you do to prevent becoming a soul sucking grub?
Became a Better Tourist
- Ask for native food
- Buy local handiwork
- Be curious
- Be socially responsible
- Encourage honest local and national culture and livelihoods
and now…
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