Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Of course, I eventually
learned that you can't just
force people into a rough
situation and expect it to
be constructive. Today, I
am still driven to get people
out of their comfort zones
and into the real world. But
I've learned to do it more
gently and in a way that
keeps our travelers coming
back for more.
For me, seeing tow-
ering stacks of wood in
Belfast destined to be anti-
Catholic boni res and talking with locals about sectarian hatred helps make
a trip to Ireland more than just Guinness and traditional music sessions in
pubs. Taking groups to Turkey during the Iraq wars has helped me share a
Muslim perspective on that conl ict. And I consider visiting a concentration
camp memorial a required element of any trip we lead through Germany.
As a tour guide, I make a point to follow up these harsh and perplexing
experiences with a “rel ections time” where I only facilitate the discussion
and let tour members share and sort out their feelings and observations. I've
learned that, even with the comfortable refuge of a good hotel, you can choose
to travel to complicated places and have a valuable learning experience.
A few years ago, I had an opportunity to hang out on the beach for a vaca-
tion in the ritzy Mexican resort of Mazatlán. h e enticing beach break coincided
with an invitation to go to San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador) to remember
Archbishop Oscar Romero on the 25th anniversary of his assassination.
For my vacation, I opted for El Salvador—to share a muggy dorm
room, eat rice and beans, be covered in bug bites, and march with people in
honor of their martyred hero who stood up to what they consider Ameri-
can imperialism. h e march passed a long, shiny, black monument that
looks just like our Vietnam memorial. It was busy with mourners and
etched with countless names—each a casualty of a civil war their loved ones
believed was fought against American interests and American-funded troops.
It's not a matter of whether America is good or bad in a certain instance. h
This memorial in El Salvador remembers loved ones
lost fi ghting the United States.
e
