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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Tuesday, 14 October 2008 |
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Responsible travel is a topic I feel the need to talk about as I end this segment on my travels to Central America. It’s not a common phrase and I’ve done a bit of research on it. I’ve come to the conclusion that most of my travels are “responsible travels” and not only am I keeping in line with my moral, ethical, and value system I find that it actually brings me closer to the people and the culture I am visiting. Responsible travel is a new way of traveling for those who've had enough of mass tourism. It's about respecting and benefiting local people and the environment – but it's about far more than that.
If you travel for relaxation, fulfillment, discovery, adventure and to learn – rather than simply to tick off 'places and things' – then responsible travel is for you. Responsible travel is about bringing you closer to local cultures and environments by involving local people in tourism. It's about doing this in a fair way that helps ensure that they will give you an even warmer welcome. For example, a local guide from the destination will open your eyes to their cultures and ways of life far better than an expert guide could ever do – they will also earn a much needed income from you.
The responsible traveler prefers smaller groups, and to meet some local people (as well as fellow travelers) rather than be surrounded by 1000's of people from back home. They don't like being herded about in a large crowd like nameless faces and understand that traveling in smaller groups makes local people and cultures more accessible.
The responsible travelers wants to get a little bit more out of their travels, and to give a little bit back to the special places and people that they encounter. They want deeper and more real travel experiences. The responsible traveler values authenticity – experiences integral to local people's traditions, cultures and rituals - rather than those created for tourism, or those whose existing meanings and uses have become lost as they have been packaged up for tourism. No more 'Greek nights' in resorts with the only Greek people there to serve food please!
At the same time the responsible traveler understands that some cultural experiences are best kept private, and that their visit would be an intrusion. They believe that traveling with respect earns them respect. Responsible travel is about re-discovering how to experience nature and to be in it, feeling it, smelling it and learning about it rather than just looking at it. Through this they replenish their souls. They would rather get out on foot than sit in a big bus, and are determined to leave no physical evidence of their visit but their footprints.
The responsible traveler understands local peoples relationship with environments, and that income from tourism can be a powerful incentive for conservation. The responsible traveler values diversity – diversity of people, cultures and environments.
They believe that they can grow as individuals through these experiences, and that their trip can make a positive contribution towards conserving global diversity.
Above all else the responsible traveler wants to cut loose and experience their world. The experienced responsible traveler knows how difficult it can be to do the right thing – and is humble and learns from their mistakes. Whether they travel independently, or through a leading responsible travel operator, the responsible traveler makes and experiences a difference.
Some of the small things I do make a big impact on the cultures and on the environment. Some of these include the following: Buy local produce in preference to imported goods Hire a local guide - you'll discover more about local culture and lives, and they will earn an income Do not buy products made from endangered species, hard woods or ancient artifacts Respect local cultures, traditions and holy places - if in doubt ask advice or don't visit Use public transport, hire a bike or walk when convenient - its a great way to meet local people on their terms and reduce pollution and carbon emissions Use water sparingly - its very precious in many countries and tourists tend to use far more than local people Remember that local people have different ways of thinking and concepts of time, this just makes them different not wrong - cultivate the habit of asking questions (rather than the Western habit of knowing the answers). If at all possible I try to speak their language as mush as possible and assimilate to their cultural, linguist, and religious values. This may mean setting my own values aside for the benefit of getting to bond and build rapport with locals. The most important thing I do is study the history of the county and the people to better understand them and their perspective. I was once one of those travelers that had a checklist of things to see..The Coliseum, The Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu but as I began to travel I began incorporating this into a more responsible way of traveling which has yielded me some of the best results and fondest memories. Often this has resulted in a deeper understanding and appreciation of the people, their culture, their arts, their way of life. It has lead to knew friends I am still in contact with. It has helped stimulate their own economy and give them a sense of pride in the way they do things. I view myself as a diplomat, that I may be the only American some of these people may meet and I want their first impression to be positive as we only get one first impression. Lastly, it cultivates and open-mindedness and understanding on both sides. I for one don’t litter or throw stuff on the ground. Locals see that and may pick up those new habit simply by watching my action without any preaching. Lead by example. In all, I highly advocate for “Responsible Travel” as a way for bridging gaps, making friends, and implementing positive influences into global relations and global environmental issues. |
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The one part I don't like about travelling |
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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Sunday, 12 October 2008 |
Well, I am by the airport in Tegucigalpa killing time until my flight
leaves. This is the part of the trip I don´t usually like. By this time
I´m tired, run down, and just want to get home and instead the time is filled with waiting,
lines, and my favorite...US Customs....I can go anywhere in the world and
never have a problem until I return to the states...that is usually when all
the drama starts.
So last night I went to have my ¨last supper¨in Tegucigalpa which was good.
I then came back to my room and sat out on the patio because there was an
awesome lightining show. I then packed which I could not believe how much
stuff I had...I squeezed everything into my backpack plus I had to make sure I put
everything in the right bag since you know how finicky they get now about
liquids and sharps and stuff. I was up quite a bit last night because of
mosquitos and bites. That is one thing I will not miss.....at 2 am...I
finally gave in an sprayed myself in DEET which I don´t like to use...but I
couldn´t deal with it anymore.
This morning I got all ready and took the taxi ride from hell to the
airport. Of course I got here so early I was able to check in without any
problems though I didn´t have some papework they wanted for me to leave the
country and when I explained that I came to Honduras by bus from
Nicaragua...they said "Oh...that is why" OK. I then had to go pay that
departure tax....some countries charge it and some dont. The thing that
shocked me was that it was $35 to get out of honduras....but you have to
pay. SO I paid my taxes and am now just waiting for boarding. I will fly
to miami and have three hours there....but I also have to go through
immigration and customs there so that will take up most of that time...then
a 6 hour flight to Los Angeles. I get in at 11:30 pm....the last bus from
the airport to my place is at 11:35 so I will have to take a cab which
pisses me off because I can take the bus all the way to a block from where I
live and pay only $1.25 but the taxi will cost almost $40.
Well, I´lll let you all know when I get home. Take care.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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El ultimo dia de mis adventuras |
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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Friday, 10 October 2008 |
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last day of my adventures....well I am on my last full day and back in Teguciglapa. After I finished writing you all yesterday....I found out that I can check two bags on the plane without cost because it is international. So I was very happy about that. I went to eat at a restraunt listed in my lonely planet book. It was a surreal experience....I felt like I was in a Salvatore Dali painting. There is a statue of Our Lady of Supya that was stolen in 1986 and she is the patron of Honduras. Later that year..the statue turned up in the mens room of this resturant and they made a shrine to her. So you stand at the urinal and there is the virgin mary watching you. The food was good and there was only two other people in the resturant. There was a man playing a synthesizer providing live entertainment. I then noticed he had no eyes....he was completely blind and playing the synthesizer and the waitress would put a straw in his mouth so he could drink his coca cola. To add to the bizarness of it all...he was playing ABBA on the synthesizer...so there I was eating chorizo in a cafe being entertained by a blind man playing Fernando on a Synthesizer with the Virgin Mary watching me in the unrinal!! After my bizarre dinner I went to the central park and sat and rested for a while and chatted up someone named Santiago. I went to bed and this morning headed back to Tegucigalpa. I went to the first church in Tegucigalpa built in 1574. I then walked over to the National Gallery which i´m not key on museum but it was interesting and they had some great renaissance and colonial paintings as well as some artifacts from Copan. After I went over to the congress building which is a sad site...but there was gathering going on...so I went to investigate. It was a rally for the handicapped and disabled people...so there were down syndrom, parapalegics, cerebral palsy, blind, all gathered for social justice and equality. It was very interesting and some of the handicapped people were providing entertainment by singing and dancing.  I then went to the "other side of the river"...what an experience....it was the epitome of Les Miserable. I saw a mother picking lice out of her daughters hair, an old lady with leprosy, men with no legs, massess of people every where begging, cowering, sitting around. It was awful....It was somewhat scary. It was so crowded and overwhelming and smelly and hot....I got a little dizzy and wanted...needed to get out of there. I then got back accross the river and had a late lunch. I then went to do final shopping and drop the stuff off at my room...I have so much stuff. The last thing I bought was two CDs of Reggaeton Mix Music...which I love to exercise to. Reggaeton is sort of a mix of Reggae, Latin Rhythm, Hip Hop, and Carribean all mixed into one. I can really describe it. Though I get made fun of a lot that I am the only white boy that likes Reggaeton.
I then stopped and had an ice cream and the rains came and they were torrential....I kept wondering how the people who live in the shacks on the side of the hills survive this. There was lightening so close it was so bright and the thunder cracked almost simultaneously I thought I was going to go deaf. So all that is left is to eat dinner and pack tonight. Sleep and then get to the airport, change money and of course make my last run to Duty Free. It is hard to believe that two weeks ago I arrived in Managua.....I am sad to be leaving and yet happy to return home to the comforts I know and the people I know. Of course it will take a week or two to recover from all this as I dissemenate, absorb, and make sense of all that I have learned on this trip. As with all other trips...this trip was no different in that it strengthened my spirit, it opened my eyes again to the many injustices in the world, the unfairness of life, and the human capactiy to triumph over a world and an environment that is so very often harsh and uncaring. To see the poor laugh, to hear them sing, to see the sick dance, a blind man to play a synthesizer,....now that is triumph over the cruelties that life has handed them. And I cannot go home and forget these memories...some happy..some sad. And they will remind me of all that I have to be grateful for...gratitude for all the things I take for granted such as my friends, my job, my apartment, having two eyes, two ears, two cats, food in the pantry, a TV, cable, medical coverage, etc. The list is ad infinitum....and so many of these people will never have any of it. And again I am grateful to have this experience...to not be sick...to not be so drunk I dont know where I am....to be so scared not to get out of my small world. Another year, another trip, and another great experience....I will let you know when I get home safe and sound...and of course post the 400 plus photo. With love and gratitude.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 |
Hello all. I am currently in Comayagua, Honduras....the original capital of Honduras dating back to 1525 and lasting until 1880. I think as old as this city is....the internet here is older....it is slower than pouring molasses in january in minnesota....Ive already cursed at this damn internet several times because I had a few other things I needed to do...one check my checking account and two look at the American Airlines WEbsite to see how much luggage I can bring back. They keep changing all the rules and I don´t know what I can bring...and I have a load of souvenirs, etc. So much in fact that I need to buy another bag before I leave...but want to make sure I have the right size.
Well, after baring my heart and soul last night....i had dinner and went to bed early. I woke up and something bit me during the night...not a mosquito....the whole back side of my calf is swollen and wont stop itching. So i took a benadryl which helped a bit.
I cant remember the last time I have taken a bus in Los Angeles and I have never taken the metro...I have this fear I am going to get lost or something. Yet I can be in some strange country and think nothing of hopping busses. The bus situation in Honduras is chaotic. There is no bus station...you just flag busses down and ask where they are going and you really have no idea if you are on the right bus. To get off you just yell out approximo...and they stop and you get off. There is no organization or specific area to catch a bus. Sometimes its just at a gas station and you hail a bus down. Well, i hailed a bus down to get to Comoyagua...but got on the wrong bus and ended up in the slums of Tegucigalpa...what an experience. I then navigated to get on the right bus and got to Comayagua two hours laters.
 Comoyagua was the original capital and I saw the oldest church La Merced here built in 1525. It is a charming town and the people are very friendly and want to use the limited English they know. This trip is odd...because usually I end up meeting up with other backpackers from Australia, England, Germany, etc. Yet on this trip...I have run into only one the entire time. Most of my other trips were on ¨tourist circuits¨that are travelled often by backpackers...such as my south east asia stops, or my turkey, jordan, israel stops, etc. Even my peru trip was on the ¨gringo trail¨.....but this trip is completely off any tourist circuits and there are no other backpackers. So often people look at me like what are you doing here..
 La Merced, oldest church in Comayagua
Well, until manana... |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Wednesday, 08 October 2008 |
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I am currently in some mountain range...though I dont know the name. Its odd...there are banana trees and pine trees. I am in the cloud forest and it is gorgeous..it sort of looks like Sound of Music meets Latin America.
Well, last night after I wrote I ate dinner and went to the grocery store because in my room i had nothing to read and nothing to watch TV...so i did the next best thing listened to my MP3 player to some local latin music and ate a half of box of oreos since they were only a dollar. It did provide me with some time to think and meditate which was nice. When i woke up I felt really tired and run down but got all packed up and found my way to the collectivo..a big van that squishes as many people in it as possible...and rode it to valle de angeles which is gorgeous and mellow. The drive was scenic with green tropical hills...a slight mist was falling and I could have enjoyed it more except that the van driver was a maniac. I was sure the van was going to flip over the cliff. But everyone else seem to take it in stride.  Parque Central in Valle De Angeles Its a very chill town high in the mountains. It was an old spanish minining town. I do feel a bit tired...it gets very tiring cacthing busses, taxis, speaking a foreign language,making sure I am on the right bus, am I getting off at the right stop. It is like perpetually being on guard which does tire one out and taxes me. Plus I need to always be on guard for picpockets, etc. It is always odd to travel to places where I am the only white person...I get so many stares and points and it is the one time I am very self conscious about the color of my skin. But overall I am holding up very well. Valle de Angeles also has ton of stall food which I know isn´t the safest but it is always the cheapest and the yummiest...I figure if I haven´t gotten sick by this point...I only have three days left. Well, I am only here for one night and then off to Comoyaguqa....my last stop before heading back to Tegucigalpa. Unfortunately, I dont have time to fit in Copan because it is on the other end of the country. It will have to wait for another trip. But there are some acient ruins near comyaqua... which was the first capital of honduras until 1880. So now I a just relaxing and unwinding and will go to dinner tonight. I found a place that serves chorizo de la parilla so I will probably get that. It is hard to believe that the trip is winding down and in four days I´ll be back home. I am sure that by the middle of next week...when I am at work...I will think to myself`"what trip?" I´ve gotten a few emails where some of you have asked me why do I do such hard trips? Such exotic difficult trips? Go to places that most people dont want to go. I had some time last night to meditate on that and there are several reasons why. Primarily...travelling is when i feel most centered and most spiritual. I am focused on the here and now and my main priority is baisc needs..sleep, food, safety. I enjoy meeting and learning all the new cultures and people and food. I also realize due to my history....that I am mortal...and someday will die. My time on earth is limited and I don´t want to come to die and find that I had yet not lived. I want to experience and see as much as I possibly can in this life. When my time to die comes I want to look back on my life and say^It was a good life...I lived it to the fullest and I experienced as much as I can. On the other side of the coin...I think my love for travel is part of my addictive personality...I get a rush and the adrenaline pumps when it is unknown and scary. It gives me a high. Also,i think my love for this lifestyle is partly reactionary....growing up I was poor, didnt experience much, very overweight, and always felt less than....I felt others could run faster, do more push ups, were smarter, were better socially, and that i never really excelled at anything. With backpacking I found the one the thing that I can excell at. Also, when I was younger I was scared of everything...scared of swimming, scared of people, scared of doing a lot of things...and so now I feel like there is nothing to scary to overcome. And lastly....after my trials as a child and my own battles with depression, alcholoism, anxiety, and on going medical issues coupled with my journey of coming out..I have survived them all and they have all been part of the journey that has brought me to sitting in an internet cafe in Valle De Angeles, Honduras writing to my friends and family...some of which I have known since childhood, some that have helped me on this journey, some that I have travelled with, some that I have let down, some that I have earned their trust. Everone on this email list has touched my life in a special way and has helped make me the person I am today. So when I look back upon all this....what is there to be scared of a dangerous city, or a flooded town, or stall food, or homeless children in a park....I have faced fears and struggles far greater than those. Well, I didn´t mean to get so philosophical but I guess that is what happens when I dont have TV, books, DVD, etc to distract me from myself. i hope this email finds you all well and healthy and my love and gratitude for you being a part of my life, a part of my journey, and shaping me into the spirit I am becoming. With peace and much love and gratititude |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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Written by Keith Rhoades
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
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Well, after I last wrote....I went around town a bit and visited the cathedral and another church. I also learned that Honduras is the country where Christopher Columbus actually reached the main land on his fourth trip....his previous three trips he ended up on islands in the carribbean. Anyway, I had about $60 in cordobas from Nicaragua that I wanted to get changed into Honduran currency and none of the banks would do it. They would only accept US dollars or pounds. I decided to go into the black market...usually you can find money changers on the corners near the banks...so I scoped it out and found one. Of course you dont get the best exchange rate and it is risky cuz they could give you counterfit money or just run with you money...but i´m pretty savvy...and I got $50 in Lempira for my $60 in Cordobas..so I was happy. I then wanted to go to Parque de Paz and asked several taxi drivers if they would take me. They said they wouldn´t because it was to dangerous. So I said screw this....I´ll just walk. It was about a mile up hill and was indeed very seedy. People were sleeping in hovels and shaks along the river, it just reeked of poverty and everyone stared at me. It was unnerving to have so many people staring at me...it was as if the trees and the walls had eyes. I got to the parque, took my photos and came back to town unscathed and actually only two guys asked me for money but left me alone. I came back to the main center of town and had lunch at a torta shop which was nice. I miss nicaragua...i felt safer there and plus it was more free...things were open later and you could get stall food every where. Here it seems a bit more ¨cold¨ and there isn´t all the great stall foods and people selling stuff in the square. I suppose they are scared of being robbed. Well, I am catching up on emails and going to have some cofee soon...I have to do everything by 5 pm as everything shuts down. Tomorrow morning I am leaving for Valle de Angeles...Valley of the angels. WEll, until tomorrow...take care. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 October 2008 )
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Nicaragua & Honduras 
