It’s the season of travel. Many of us are blessed enough to enjoy the luxury of traveling, and this exciting adventure enriches our culture and experiences. However, we must remember that when we are tourists in another area, it is important to be respectful to the land.
Sometimes tourists can have a bad reputation. We all want to explore, but need to put ourselves in place of the people who are opening up their home to let us experience.
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I was just in Mexico touring ancient Mayan ruins, and our tour guide lead us up to a temple at which point a woman jumped on the main projecting stone and ordered her husband to take a picture of her “as a Mayan King!” What she failed to realize is that this stone was the site of ancient Mayan sacrifices… I was horrified and so was our Mayan-descended tour guide and other surrounding tourists.
She hadn’t listened to the guide when he was explaining where we were (in a temple) or what everything meant (sacrifices happened here).
Traveling is about more than getting a good Instagram picture (although it is a huge bonus if you can…). Traveling teaches you history and culture and makes you appreciate the world around you and the differences in the people you come to learn about.
Before you travel somewhere, brush up on the history of the area and get to know where you’re going. Read about the do’s and don’ts, such as how to avoid accidentally being disrespectful. Make sure you’re informed about the customs and practices of the region so that you will be able to enjoy the travel as much as possible.
Make an effort to learn while you're touring rather than just seeing the sights. There’s a reason that this place you're at is important, and it’s most likely worth knowing why.
Immerse yourself in the new culture. It can be scary at first, but rewarding in the end. If you’re in Mexico for example, why get a hamburger when you can get an authentic serving of chicken mole?
Be considerate of your surroundings and be someone that you would want visiting your country in a flipped situation. By following these suggestions you’ll ensure a positive experience for yourself and those who have taken you in as guests in their homeland.
