Sometimes I feel really lame when I travel. It's hard to put my finger on why but I think it has something to do with exactly what I'm doing right now. Hanging around in a little touristic spot doing nothing but leisure while the world goes on around me. Laos, a very poor country, has most of its people working hard to barely scrape by...and here I am swinging in a hammock or blogging...being so utterly bourgeoisie. I feel a little sickened with myself. Maybe that's why I don't like rest days and why I like suffering in the heat and dust all day in the saddle. Maybe suffering a little bit makes me feel a little better about being here...like I'm earning my distance and experience or something. I have felt this way before...and always in poor places where a bunch of other travelers are. We all stroll around with our sunglasses and sandals and little shoulder bags in a semi-random pattern looking for something or nothing.
The locals around here are not suffering, however. But they do have a hard life...harder than anyone reading this.(which isn't very many people!)
4 comments:
Hey. I take offense to your lameness as I sit here in my pajamas sipping coffee... Don't you know I exercise vicariously through you? Get off your butt and jog a couple laps around, or even better, through a rice paddy!
Damn the catholic school guilt, grab 10 cent beer and eat like a king!
@terry
OK, done... While I'm at it I think I'll grab a local and have them do my laundry too! And what the hell, get a massage as well. Thanks for your support man!
Just think of the poor people back in your hometown wading through 170cm of slush. That should make you feel better.
Spring has arrived here and we're living in a gigantic slurpee.
I'm with Terry, get with the program and unleash your inner hedonist.
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