You probably saw the picture above (not mine but lifted from the news as are all the others in this post.) A back-to-belly traffic jam of climbers waiting to summit Everest. If you read any othe the articles, you know that several climbers died, because the crowding made the ascent/descent take longer and oxygen was running low. People reported stepping over dead bodies on their way to the summit for a momentary selfie at the top of the world.
Where's the romance in this? Where's the glory? A helicopter takes a rope to the peak where it's fixed in place so the climbers can haul themselves up the last bit. A rope, for heaven's sake. Add to that the support of the Sherpas -- there was one account a few years ago of a woman who was bodily pushed and dragged to the top by her hired crew.
Not to mention -- well, I am going to mention -- the debris all these climbers leave behind -- including corpses.
Nope, summiting Everest ain't what it used to be.
It's the same almost everywhere -- popular destinations are crowded destinations. The scene above is Arches National Park -- which a few days ago first had two hour delays in allowing vehicles to enter and then closed entirely. (It's open now.) I'm sure the Arches are beautiful . . . but . . .
I think about Stonehenge. We visited it on our great motorcycle trip -- almost fifty years ago. We got there just as it opened and for about a half an hour, were almost the only visitors. Back then you could walk amid the stones -- even touch them. It was truly magical -- being there with the morning mist rising off the surrounding meadows . . . then two tour buses arrived.
When we visited Stonehenge again, maybe twenty years ago, tourists were confined to a path that circled the stones -- no walking amidst them any more. It wasn't especially crowded and it was still a nice experience.
The picture below suggests how things have changed.
Venice is another magical place that we visited or that motorcycle trip. Busy, yes, but one could find spots of solitude. It was our favorite city.
When we visited it again, thirty-so years ago, it was markedly worse. I remember shuffling through the Basilica San Marco, in a throng so tight packed I could only take pictures of the fancy inlaid paving at my feet.
Our best vacation in recent years was spent walking in the Cotswolds, where, except for sheep, it was just us, most of the time.
Maybe it's just me -- but I'm not tempted to go anywhere that I know is crowded. The last time I went to the Biltmore House, I skipped the house where there were long, slow-moving lines, and enjoyed wandering through the greenhouses which, for whatever reason, didn't attract that many visitors.
Old age? Or the result of living high up a mountain where we don't see our neighbors unless we want to.
14 comments:
Terrible.
Let's breathe...
Totally agree with this! We photographers have, I think, to bear some of the blame when we blog/share pictures from wonderful places. I've been rethinking my own attitude. I don't really enjoy competing for space with crowds. And I certainly don't want to be part of what damages our amazing world.
Yes, I read that Everest article and saw the video. I'm with you about crowds.
Once a beautiful place is shared, there are more and more folks wanting to go there. I try to visit the ones around here in off season times, at least mid-week because during the warmer months the weekends are most crowded. And also my love of nature means I sure don't want to stand in line to enjoy it. It's the population boom too.
We are the same. Crowds? We'll pass. There's too much beauty all around us to wait in any line for anything.
If there is a long line anywhere I continue walking, right on by.
I totally agree with you. I hate crowds, especially when they are jockeying for the best position in which to take a selfie. Surrounded by unbelievable natural beauty and they want to take a SELFIE? I just don't get it.
I am one of the lucky people who live in a fairly isolated spot. I have always loved traveling, seeing new people and different ways of life. I had a long bucket list of places I wanted to go, things I wanted to see, and foods I wanted to try. I'm not sure if it is old age or increased crowding but recently I have not wanted to walk into the fray but greatly appreciate reading about it watching movies of these experiences. Just not sure.
I enjoyed, very much, reading this. My first reaction was total agreement. That said, and having just returned from Paris, I'm of two minds. I'm happy (VERY HAPPY) to live in a fairly isolated spot that I refer to as "the lovely edge of the wilderness." While in Paris, because we've been before, we didn't feel the need to do the things that we did on earlier trips - the Louvre, etc. Versailles - once was more than enough. But, we made a game of finding old covered passages and "hidden" gardens. I've been writing about them and including photos we took while there. While doing this we also saw lots of things people make a point of seeing while they're there. And happy that we did. There's still, I think, magic in traveling if you're interested in doing it differently than a lot of tourists. We went with the thoughts of experiencing Paris differently, finding our own magic. We're both fascinated by the fact that Parisians embrace their green spaces and are actively creating more of them. "Hidden Gardens" sound like an impossibility in a city as busy as Paris, but they truly are there and worth the hunt. Walking through Tuileries, seeing people relaxed on blankets reading, gathered in grassy areas with friends, sitting in a chair just gazing at a fountain, many with their dogs napping beside them, and being able to look over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of the Louvre while doing it? Magic, methinks. Just tucked away in spots you have to be willing to find the worth in looking for. An example is a tiny shop selling walking sticks with a woman who loved spending time pulling them out of cases and drawers and telling us stories and histories of them. I loved that experience, and it was totally accidental. But too many people, absolutely, can hinder the hunt for this gal who prefers hermit-hood. And, I think I agree with jennyfreckles that maybe we photographers are partly to blame for the crowds, I know I am always hoping for "that perfect shot." Not necessarily for the shot per se, but for what I'm going to find in it later. Vicki, I always love coming here. I may not always leave a comment, but I am always here. Sorry to ramble on for so long!
Well said, Kaye. It's by avoiding the tourist 'destinations' and traveling the backstreets, I think, that one can have a really good experience. And I've been enjoying Paris and Giverny vicariously on your blog.
Thanks very much, Vicki! I meant to add a P.S. to my comment: "As for walking over dead bodies in order to get to ANY particular location in a supposed "fun" adventure? What is WRONG with people?!"
Usually in a historic place of sugnificance you want to try and connect with the past by imagination and day dreaming. Crowds defeat that effort with noise and delay.
Just returned two days ago from 3 weeks along the French Riviera, Dalmatian Coast, Venice, Florence and Amsterdam. Crowds were definitely the worst part of our experiences, not to mention the abundant line-cutters, the selfie-obsessed and generally rude individuals tromping around the world these days. Sadly, we actually found that the "ugly Americans" can now be counted as some of the most courteous and helpful people we encountered on this holiday.
Venice was a sea of humanity, as was Rome, which we were sad to see was also dirty and marred with wall-to-wall graffiti. Very disheartening for our first visit.
Our best experiences were in the smaller countries/cities in Sicily, Croatia, Kotar and Montenegro, which is the youngest country in the world, having been born from the breakup of Yugoslavia in 2006. There were still plenty of visitors in these places, but you didn't feel like you were fighting a wall of people every time you wanted to take a picture.
I guess there is no real "off-season" to go see the world's showpieces anymore, crowds are now yearlong in most of the great cities of the world. We're thinking a road trip in Alaska in May sounds less crowded...
I agree with you. I'm reminded of our visit to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in 1993. We asked why there were no postcards. The answer we got was, "We don't want people to find out how beautiful it is."
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