Eco-Tourist Woes

Bulabog Beach, Boracay 
(Photo by Ocean Hour Philippines)

Since becoming a conservationist, I've turned into a slightly more stressed out traveler. Instead of enjoying and discovering new experiences while traveling, I've become quick to see what is wrong. Instead of recounting the wonderful things I see, I recount the violations I noticed. I've really ruined the "tourist experience" for myself.

A friend said to me, "Your standards have just become higher because you now know better." Well, that's one way of looking at it.  There is no way I could ever just experience things as they are because I'm more aware now.

Just to be clear: I don't go berserk and tell people not to do this or that, ok? I just quietly seethe most of the time.

Another friend, who I see as an "ultimate traveler", told me today that he stays away from a lot of "must visit" places lately.  I asked him if we (SPS) turned him that way. "YES", he replied with a wide unblinking stare.

There must be a way to remain a responsible traveler without ruining the experience for others.  Would these work?

The Queen of Manila

Let's get this out of the way: I am NO fan of Imelda Marcos.  But after 3 hours of walking this and that way with Carlos Celdran on his "Living La Vida Imelda!" tour, in which he revives the sensationalism around the Marcos couple from the 60s to the 80s, I got to wondering why I don't like the imeldific First Lady of the Martial Law era.  Moreover, where did I get the idea that she's downright despicable?  I was barely 7 years old when the Marcoses were booted out of the Philippines (and flown to Hawaii, of all places!).  At the end of the tour, I still wasn't a fan but I walked out of PICC with a newfound admiration for Imelda.  My friends and I were in a semi-daze; we couldn't stop talking about her over dinner.