Calypso Island Chronicles introduces a new feature - Travel Photo of the Week. Every Friday, I will be publishing a special Travel Photo – the photo will be selected from my vast library of images from my worldwide travels to such places as Thailand, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Laos and Malaysia. Each photograph will be accompanied by a brief description or story of the special circumstances that led to the picture being taken. Occasionally, I will publish a digitally rendered watercolor/oil of the photograph to give it an artsy look. Like to participate? Feel free to submit your own travel photo with accompanying story in 250 or less words for inclusion in this new Friday Photo of the week feature.
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As it was my last day in Luang Prabang (Laos), I biked around town looking to capture some more images of this colorful and charming town. Before returning my to my hotel, I came across this very pleasant cafe located not so far from the Tourist Information office.

Overlooking a beautiful lotus pond, the setting was so very idyllic and peaceful. Too bad that the coffee (and the toast) were quite ordinary. Oh, how I really detest instant coffee! Believe it or not, I ran into another tourist at the cafe from my hometown of San Francisco who I had met earlier in the week in Luang Prabang. She was entranced by the extraordinary view too!

This picture is actually a digitally rendered watercolor. It definitely creates a better mood than the original photograph. Picture was taken in December 2006.

I’m sure you’ve encountered some obnoxious (and toxic) tourists during your travels. They stick out like a sore thumb with their insensitive, loud and vulgar ways and they make it more difficult for all of us. While passing the time in a small rural village in places like Thailand, Peru or Mexico, I’ve seen many a American lady parading through the village as if they were a runway model in a fashion show - wearing some skimpy outfit revealing as much flesh as possible - totally oblivious to the local customs of land. In most non-westernized countries, it is frowned upon when a woman bares too much skin. Modesty is the rule of thumb. It seems that these ladies want to show the world how they sexy they are - can you believe these women get incensed when the local men stare at them lustfully? Why can’t these ladies just some wear some slacks or a long dress?

In Thailand’s Pattaya, a popular beach resort especially for sex tourists, I’ve seen middle aged guys prowling for female companionship in the heart of tourist zone with no shirts on and with their bellies hanging out, acting like complete louts and jackasses. Now I’m not a prude or anything, but couldn’t these guys at least wear a T-shirt and not talk so loud? So disgusting!

Many tourists (especially from the USA and Japan) could use a course in sensitivity training. They travel to a foreign country without making any attempt to learn something about the local customs and culture of the land. Even if they were to learn to a couple of standard phrases and greetings in the local language, it would go a long way towards international relations. Can you imagine that these western tourists get upset when the locals don’t understand or speak much English? In general, these tourists treat the hotel staff and the locals in a very condescending manner just because they paid a lot of monies for their vacation. Many of these so-called well-heeled tourists believe that the locals exit only for their personal entertainment. I’m sure you’ve head the expression, the Ugly American – unfortunately, it is a reputation that it is hard to shake as Americans can act as real insensitive jerks when traveling abroad.

Then we have the photo happy tourist who barges into a small rural village, taking picture after picture of the locals in their native garb as if they were some exotic wild animal, only to disappear into their car or tour bus 20 minutes later. I’m sure you’ve heard of the long necked ladies of the Karen Hilltribe in Thailand - there are organized excursions specifically for tourists who’d like to photograph the long necks. The tour operators who organize these tours make some big monies and the Longnecks receive what amounts to a small pittance. In Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage site in Laos, tourists will position themselves at the entrance of one of the many Buddhist temples in the early morning hours to take pictures of the monks as they make their rounds. Many of these same tourists will forcefully enter the temple grounds and take pictures of religious ceremonies without permission.

Tourists can be an obnoxious bunch!