Why Are Backpackers Inwards Southeast Asia Too Hence Stupid?
Posted: 01/19/2012 | Jan 19th, 2012
Dear backpackers of Southeast Asia,
We demand to talk. I love you. Truly, I do. I’ve been a backpacker for a long, long fourth dimension now. I love beingness 1 in addition to in all probability volition consider myself 1 for a long fourth dimension to come. But piece backpacking through Southeast Asia over the terminal few months, I’ve noticed some disturbing behaviour that nosotros actually demand to utter about.
To hold upwards blunt: why practice you lot human activeness then damn stupid sometimes?
I’m bespeak because I’m a concerned friend. It seems similar when many of you lot wing to Southeast Asia, you lot depository fiscal establishment friction match your intelligence at the boarding gate in addition to create upwards one's hear that risking your life inward the pursuit of alcohol-fueled, drunken excitement is a smart affair to do.
And that actually concerns me.
For starters, let’s utter almost Vang Vieng, Laos. Now, I can’t walk downwardly a street inward Asia without bumping into a backpacker wearing that damn “I went tubing inward Vang Vieng” shirt. And when I meet it I wonder, why on Earth would you lot recall jumping into a shallow river piece drunkard is a skillful idea?
Twenty-two people died this twelvemonth alone. You could cease upwards similar this guy who exactly died. Or the guy inward this video who cracked his caput open:
There’s also this guy. And him. And her.
And those are exactly the examples I constitute on the kickoff page of Google!
I mean, seriously, if nosotros were dorsum home, in addition to I said, “Hey, man, let’s larn commence blind drunkard in addition to boundary into a shallow river. Oh, in addition to if something goes wrong, there’s no existent infirmary anywhere to larn help. It’ll hold upwards fun!” how would you lot react?
You’d await at me similar I was crazy. And rightly so.
This is non a skillful idea. Nothing almost it this seems remotely similar a skillful idea. Nothing. There’s nil incorrect amongst getting drunkard on some lazy river or partying at bar close a river. Heck, crevice me opened upwards a Corona in addition to sign me upwards for both. But this? Foolish.
There’s also something called “The Death Slide” side yesteryear side to this river. It got the holler due to all the people who withdraw maintain died using it, which leads to the inquiry — why are people stupid plenty to continue using it?!
People tell it’s a tragedy when something terrible happens inward Vang Vieng. No. H5N1 tragedy is a automobile accident or a menage burning down. What happens inward Vang Vieng is sad, but it’s but Darwinism. I withdraw maintain no sympathy for someone who decides to practice this in addition to gets hurt. When you lot play amongst fire, you’re going to larn burned. And since you’re my friend, I don’t desire to meet you lot larn burned.
And piece we’re on that subject, let’s utter almost fire.
I love sack every bit much every bit the side yesteryear side person. There’s something primordial almost it, but I don’t similar putting myself inward situations where I’ll larn burned. Why practice you? Throughout Asia, I meet backpackers jumping the “fire rope.” You know, the rope that locals lite on sack amongst gasoline in addition to withdraw maintain you lot skip across similar we’re inward the fifth marker in addition to playing double Dutch.
Here’s a tame version of what happens to some people:
You may hold upwards the world’s best boundary roper, but the drunkard guy who decides to bring together you lot mightiness non be. While you’re skipping rope, a bunch of drunks create upwards one's hear to bring together you lot in addition to pretty soon, you’re on the Earth scrambling away from the sack inward hopes of non getting your human face upwards burned. I lately watched a guy larn the rope wrapped around his arm. All the peel burned off, in addition to he was rushed to the hospital. I’ve seen people autumn on the rope in addition to sack their face, hair, in addition to clothes. I’ve watched people trip on the rope in addition to province inward the gasoline.
Fire + alcohol + random drunks = bad idea.
A second-degree sack is non the retentivity you lot desire to continue from Southeast Asia.
Finally, let’s utter over your powerfulness to drive a motorcycle — or lack thereof. Everywhere I larn I meet people amongst injuries: bandaged legs, huge exhaust piping burns on their calves, in addition to broken limbs. When I inquire what happened, it’s unremarkably the same answer. “I got into a motorcycle accident.”
Back home, you lot wouldn’t drive without a license, then again, why practice it here? Sure, the bikes withdraw maintain minor 150 cc engines in addition to are pretty slow. On a overnice in addition to piece of cake road, you’d withdraw maintain no problems.
But driving inward Asia is non similar driving dorsum home. Here, drivers overtake people on tiny one-lane roads, they don’t look, they halt short, in addition to they speed similar they’re inward Nascar. The roads aren’t inward skillful condition, either. They’re oft windy, steep, accept abrupt turns, in addition to are filled amongst potholes. Plus, also the crazy traffic inward Asia, you lot withdraw maintain to bargain amongst all the other backpackers who create upwards one's hear it’s a skillful stance to rent a bike they withdraw maintain no stance how to ride.
I’ve seen too many crashes in addition to near-misses hither inward Asia.
Sometimes I wonder, who the heck are you lot traveling amongst who lets you lot practice these crazy things!?
Sure, I’ve done a seat out of stupid things piece traveling. Things I’m non going cite because my parents read this website, but I’ve never done anything stupid plenty that it would jeopardize my life or health.
I love a skillful adventure, but I also similar to hold upwards alive. These aren’t things you lot would practice dorsum home, then don’t practice them overseas. Sure, it may seem similar a skillful stance at the time. Most everything does when you’re drunk. But when you lot cease upwards similar all those people inward Laos, or larn second-degree burns, or scars from a bike accident, it of a precipitous isn’t such a skillful idea, is it?
You’re my friend. I similar hanging out amongst you. I desire to continue hanging out amongst you.
But tin nosotros cutting the stupid shit? It’s incredibly unsafe in addition to makes all of us seem similar drunken idiots.
Sincerely,
Matt
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