International Living Postcards– your daily escape
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Dear International Living Reader,
Thank you for your feedback to my recent "Panama Uncensored" coverage. Mostly you had kind words…one or two of you had horrible words…and I’ve enjoyed reading them all. To be honest, I’m astounded at all the kudos I’ve received for telling you that although Panama has lots of positives, it has a few negatives, too. Is most travel writing now so bland that it comes as a shock to hear that a destination might not be 100% paradise?
Positives and negatives apply to whatever country you visit. It’s a travel writer’s job to encourage people to take a trip–but I don’t think I’ve ever acted as a cheerleader for the local tourist board.
Personally, I’d rather not be shielded from realities. That’s why, if the food sucks–I’ll tell you. And if you’re likely to get scammed, overcharged, and hassled–I’ll tell you about that, too. Why should I keep it a secret? After all, I’m traveling on your behalf.
For most people, travel is a costly business. This certainly doesn’t apply to Panama, but who in their right mind wants to spend a lot of money only to find they’ve chosen the vacation from hell?
I try to inject some reality into my writing because I’ve fallen for this "everywhere in the world is perfect" nonsense myself.
Long before I started writing for International Living, I took a trip to Morocco with my husband and young daughter. We didn’t have tons of money, and had saved up for this vacation all year. What swayed our choice toward Morocco were the magical descriptions of the country that I’d read in travel articles.
But there was nothing magical about the short-changing and the constant hassle from touts and beggars. While I could stoically put up with various creeps pinching my backside, there was something very disturbing about the men who were constantly trying to stroke my daughter’s blonde hair. (She was 9 years old at the time.)
Catching fleas from a camel…being chased through the souk in Essaouira by three men with knives (thank heavens we encountered an army patrol)…getting stoned by raggedy kids when we ventured into the back streets of Agadir…no alcohol served except for in expensive restaurants in five-star hotels which we couldn’t afford.
Maybe things have changed in the last 23 years, but that trip to Morocco was the worst vacation I’ve ever had. In fact, it would have been more fun to stay at home and chuck the money down a drain.
Who was to blame for that disastrous trip? In my view–travel writers who refuse to take off their rose-tinted glasses.
Steenie Harvey
Roving Travel Writer, International Living
Editor’s note: Much as we would wish otherwise…there is only one Steenie Harvey. Intrepid as she is, Steenie is bound by the laws of physics as to how much of the globe she can trot at any one time. We are always on the lookout for new travel writers-in-the-making. Your skill and experience are not important. Remember, Steenie didn’t start out as the first-class travel writer you regularly hear from in these Postcards. She worked dead-end jobs…and made rookie travel mistakes. If you’d like to work for us (and other travel publications), Steenie’s got some good advice for you…but beware: People with rose-tinted glasses need not apply. Take a look.
