Comments on: Who Defines Dangerous: Should Travelers Pay the Cost of Their Rescues? http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/ study abroad programs Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:37:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: The Most Dangerous Hikes in the US http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-6201 The Most Dangerous Hikes in the US Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:54:42 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-6201 [...] No need to pack warm clothing for this hike. In the summer, it is not uncommon for temperatures to hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit at the Grand Canyon, and temperatures are even more intense on the canyon floor. Add to that the intensity of climbing nearly 4,500 feet in nine-and-a-half miles, and it’s no wonder that so many people call for rescues. [...] [...] No need to pack warm clothing for this hike. In the summer, it is not uncommon for temperatures to hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit at the Grand Canyon, and temperatures are even more intense on the canyon floor. Add to that the intensity of climbing nearly 4,500 feet in nine-and-a-half miles, and it’s no wonder that so many people call for rescues. [...]

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]]> By: Forget the Guidebook—This is the VICE Guide to Travel « Lonely Girl Travels http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-5472 Forget the Guidebook—This is the VICE Guide to Travel « Lonely Girl Travels Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:09:57 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-5472 [...] ago, I complained about this kind of trying-to-be-bad-ass-edness in a post blog and subsequent Matador article. Later, I came across an article titled “5 Totally Bad-Ass Travel Experiences” that [...] [...] ago, I complained about this kind of trying-to-be-bad-ass-edness in a post blog and subsequent Matador article. Later, I came across an article titled “5 Totally Bad-Ass Travel Experiences” that [...]

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]]> By: Week Reflections and Favorites 11/20/09 » nancy.the.gnomette http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4753 Week Reflections and Favorites 11/20/09 » nancy.the.gnomette Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:06:15 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4753 [...] this week, is authentic, passionate, and universal. (Check out the thought-provoking MatadorAbroad article she wrote this week [...] [...] this week, is authentic, passionate, and universal. (Check out the thought-provoking MatadorAbroad article she wrote this week [...]

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]]> By: Richard http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4740 Richard Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:48:20 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4740 Nice piece, I hear your tale about the guy in Bogota (where I live) only too clearly. I can actually picture him smugly holding court. The whole thing is pretty annoying, for, someone like him the only attraction is the bragging right. I read too many blogs of people saying they got stopped by the paramilitaries or guerrillas and nothing happened and these militarised checkpoints were staffed by friendly guys etc etc...it is all untrue, these travellers never get far off the beaten track either, and the checkpoints are for the most part formal government ones in any case. There was the guy who claimed that Colombia was under martial law and the whole country was about to kick off after the pyramid troubles, he claimed to be too afraid to leave his hotel and only ordered take out pizza. Nice piece, I hear your tale about the guy in Bogota (where I live) only too clearly. I can actually picture him smugly holding court. The whole thing is pretty annoying, for, someone like him the only attraction is the bragging right. I read too many blogs of people saying they got stopped by the paramilitaries or guerrillas and nothing happened and these militarised checkpoints were staffed by friendly guys etc etc…it is all untrue, these travellers never get far off the beaten track either, and the checkpoints are for the most part formal government ones in any case. There was the guy who claimed that Colombia was under martial law and the whole country was about to kick off after the pyramid troubles, he claimed to be too afraid to leave his hotel and only ordered take out pizza.

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]]> By: Nancy Harder http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4735 Nancy Harder Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:40:29 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4735 Stoked to see your post here Lauren. Your writing has a cool musical rhythm to it. It actually spawned a long healthy debate between my husband and me. Stoked to see your post here Lauren. Your writing has a cool musical rhythm to it. It actually spawned a long healthy debate between my husband and me.

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]]> By: Somchai http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4734 Somchai Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:37:22 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4734 Ultimately it's the tourist themselves who must pay for underestimating the risks of going somewhere. By pay I mean a currency more dear than money. In some situations there is no opportunity for frenzied calls abroad for money, no cavalry riding to the rescue. In 1994 while in Cambodia I heard of 3 backpackers grabbed of the train that used to run to Snookyville. The country was already open for tourism and there wasn't really a hot war, just a general insecurity. I think they ended up with bashed in heads, nothing anyone could do. They were all pretty young, in their twenties. Too young to lose it all on an extended vacation. I didn't like the atmosphere and left. Who can enjoy a place where you have to figure out which parts are safe and which aren't. There was no safe land route to Siem Reap. So many nice safe countries, why bother? The US State Department also has a service where you sign up on email and enter your dates of travel, and they send you email updates regarding very current events in your intended destination while you are there. Our embassies are one part of our government that work well. Ultimately it’s the tourist themselves who must pay for underestimating the risks of going somewhere. By pay I mean a currency more dear than money.

In some situations there is no opportunity for frenzied calls abroad for money, no cavalry riding to the rescue. In 1994 while in Cambodia I heard of 3 backpackers grabbed of the train that used to run to Snookyville. The country was already open for tourism and there wasn’t really a hot war, just a general insecurity. I think they ended up with bashed in heads, nothing anyone could do. They were all pretty young, in their twenties. Too young to lose it all on an extended vacation.

I didn’t like the atmosphere and left. Who can enjoy a place where you have to figure out which parts are safe and which aren’t. There was no safe land route to Siem Reap. So many nice safe countries, why bother?

The US State Department also has a service where you sign up on email and enter your dates of travel, and they send you email updates regarding very current events in your intended destination while you are there. Our embassies are one part of our government that work well.

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]]> By: Hal Amen http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4733 Hal Amen Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:18:06 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4733 Psyched to see this post here, Lauren. Psyched to see this post here, Lauren.

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]]> By: Reaching Out My Tentacles « Lonely Girl Travels http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4731 Reaching Out My Tentacles « Lonely Girl Travels Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:51:46 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4731 [...] I was especially stoked because Sarah and her man Jorge’s blog is one of my favorites. The slimmed-down version went up today, and I was happily surprised to see so much of the original post remained: my Oakland [...] [...] I was especially stoked because Sarah and her man Jorge’s blog is one of my favorites. The slimmed-down version went up today, and I was happily surprised to see so much of the original post remained: my Oakland [...]

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]]> By: Sarah Menkedick http://matadorabroad.com/who-defines-dangerous-should-travelers-pay-the-cost-of-their-rescues/comment-page-1/#comment-4730 Sarah Menkedick Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:23:33 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=2557#comment-4730 I love the description of the Swedish guy going off about his adventures. I have met similar types in all sorts of places. I find very little value in travel to dangerous places for the sheer thrill of it - in fact, in some cases, I think it's callous and just plain offensive. After all, if you're traveling through war-torn Baghdad because it's interesting or you can brag about it, you're missing a pretty important point: the area is dangerous because people are suffering and enduring wars, poverty, and conflicts. So if you're traveling there simply to brag about not getting lynched or shot, to me, that's demonstrating an incredible ignorance not only about danger but about the realities many people live in. Simone wrote a great article dealing with the concept of danger being a luxury for travelers: http://matadorabroad.com/bravery-or-brashness-a-moral-holiday-in-indonesia/. Great piece! I love the description of the Swedish guy going off about his adventures. I have met similar types in all sorts of places. I find very little value in travel to dangerous places for the sheer thrill of it – in fact, in some cases, I think it’s callous and just plain offensive. After all, if you’re traveling through war-torn Baghdad because it’s interesting or you can brag about it, you’re missing a pretty important point: the area is dangerous because people are suffering and enduring wars, poverty, and conflicts. So if you’re traveling there simply to brag about not getting lynched or shot, to me, that’s demonstrating an incredible ignorance not only about danger but about the realities many people live in.

Simone wrote a great article dealing with the concept of danger being a luxury for travelers: http://matadorabroad.com/bravery-or-brashness-a-moral-holiday-in-indonesia/.

Great piece!

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