1. Why is it that people find relaxation in countries that live in poverty?
2. Will there ever be a time when English and North American people are forgiven for their ancestors?
3. Should there ever be a time when English and North American people are forgiven for their ancestors?
The first half of this excerpt hit really close to home for me. In June my good friend and I bought ourselves plane tickets to Panama to celebrate transferring from Saddleback (it took is long enough). As Kincaid narrated the way through a tourists arrival in Antigua it was difficult not to draw comparisons. She talks about the ease of going through customs as a tourist, while implying that a native carting necessities home would suffer through the process. I can't speak for any Panamanians but I do know that when my friend and I booked a last minute flight to Panama City from Bocas del Toro and forgot to remove the liquids from our carry ons security stopped the bags, looked at us, and waved us through anyways. Kincaid also mentions an old library that was closed for repairs for over a decade and scathingly writes of how the English and the North Americans chalk it up to being quaint. The view from the rear of one of our hostels was dilapidated housing, with mattresses on the ground outside to escape the heat, boards on the windows, bone-thin cats and dogs wandering around looking for food, and it was considered quaint, I can't say how many people I saw sitting and appreciating the view that it offered, taking pictures of it to remind them when they got back home. I did too.
It's hard to imagine that in countries such as Panama and Antigua, that are plagued with tourists as a constant reminder of the insensitivity of the "civilized" world to their desperation, that we will ever be distanced from the deeds of our ancestors. Kincaid asks her readers "Do you know why people...are shy of becoming capitalists? Well, it's because we, for as long as we have known you, were capital..." And when you think of it from that point of view I really don't know that we ever should be forgiven.
This is a great post! Traveling to Panama seems like it was a real eye opening experience. I feel you and your friend had an opposite view then what Kincaid's stereo type was about tourist visitng poverty. When she says that all tourist care about are the good and beautiful parts of the city, I don't think she is all the way correct. Many people notice and sometimes admire the culture like you and your friend saw others appreciating the way of life in Panama.
ReplyDeleteI like how you compared your own experience as a tourist, people really do take for granted what it is like for people in these countries who are poor and have to cater to the needs of rich white people who come to visit. I like how you included pictures and you described what live was like for the locals of Panama, many people stay away from the reality of the country they are visiting and just stay on the beach and the tourist areas.
ReplyDelete