Amongst a slew of books I read this year about artificial intelligence, social media, religion, politics, economics and the environment—all in an attempt to understand what is going on in this world at this time, what might be factual and what is hyperbole or outright nonsense—who would ever expect that a photo-packed coffee table travel book would be the most prescient?
Places to Visit Before They Disappear, by Jasmina Trifoni, was published in 2017, just seven short years ago. Fifty natural and man-made “places” around the world are illustrated by magnificent photos. A relevant history and description of why each is worthy of a visit is included, as is a concise one-line reason why each specific place is in danger of disappearing.
With an hour to fill and no plans yet for winter travel or vacation, I opened the book excited to learn which locations Trifoni would recommend. The excitement was short-lived. Turning the pages one by one, recognizing names and photos of places we might all dream of exploring, I was shocked to realize that many of the places were already gone.
War, religious battles and the subsequent depopulation have either destroyed or made the cultural and architectural gems of Aleppo, Palmyra, and Bosra in Syria inaccessible to travelers. Ancient Sammara and the biblical Tower of Babel in Iraq, and Yemen’s magnificent Islamic “vertical” cities of Sana’a and Shibam share a similar fate.
Warm ocean temperatures are bleaching Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and also Belize’s Barrier Reef, the longest in the Northern Hemisphere. Melting glaciers threaten parks and natural reserves on every continent, and flooding and wildfires are destroying irreplaceable biospheres regularly.
Mass tourism is degrading Venice, the Taj Mahal, and Mount Kilimanjaro to name but a few. Silver mining is destroying 600-year-old Potosi in Bolivia, and New Caledonia in the Southwest Pacific, which has half the world’s known nickel supply. Poaching and illegal fishing are quickly devastating the wildlife populations of Nyerere National Park in Tanzania and the rainforests of Atsinanana in Madagascar.
Human activity is taking its toll in a myriad of different ways.
Vacations and travel are both tremendously important in helping us maintain a balanced and enjoyable life.
A traditional vacation is about looking after our own needs: an opportunity to relax, clear our heads of the daily grind, rest our bodies or do more physical activity as required, rejuvenate and chill. Lounging on a warm, sandy beach or skiing the slopes of Blue Mountain both qualify, as does a week sightseeing in Paris or London.
Hong Kong, Dubai or Bangkok are examples of more exotic destinations that illustrate the blurred distinction between vacationing and travelling. Bars and shopping will differ little from a New York or Vancouver vacation, but navigating their unique architecture, history and culture may convert your vacation into a travel adventure.
Travel is about mental stimulation, learning and understanding
At its best, on the other hand, travel is the anti-chill. Travel is about mental stimulation, learning and understanding. While travelling we respond to the people we meet, spontaneous situations, and the diverse nature of the locations we encounter. We discover the differences between our local experiences and perspectives and those of others around the world in ways that can be transformative. If we are lucky, we will begin to understand the thoughts and actions of others more clearly.
Trifoni’s self-stated purpose for creating the book was to encourage those of us, “who have the necessary awareness” to “conserve our planet for future generations by correcting our own errors, which are too many to be counted. This is a commitment that each of us must make, above all to ourselves.”
Where does the “necessary awareness” that Trifoni speaks of come from? Perhaps from studying books and journals, or searching the internet, but there are limits to this approach.
It is one thing to read about corruption in an African country, but quite another to be stopped by machine-gun toting ‘police’ while cycling in Sudan and told that the fee you must pay on-the-spot for passing through a non-existent checkpoint is 10,000 Sudanese pounds. ($22 CAD). Yet, upon reflection, in a governing system where the courts are not independent, customs regulations are not enforced uniformly, and conflicts of interest in government procurement are ignored, it is easy to understand why many only look out for themselves.
Climate change becomes undeniably real when one looks out over a Patagonian glacier that is now little more than a snowfield and sees the striations it carved thousands of years ago in mountainsides hundreds of metres above its current ice surface.
Understanding how we might go about “correcting our errors” can be difficult too.
The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, both being quickly encroached upon by the Egyptian co-cities of Cairo and Giza (population 14 million), are a perfect example of how difficult it can be to find answers or chart a personal path through the multitude of diverse choices we face when deciding to vacation or travel.
These wonders of the world that sat virtually alone on a vast desert plain for millennia are now surrounded by polluting urbanization and mass tourism facilities. Their surfaces are blackened and eroded from industrialization, irregular weather, garbage and too many people. Should we travel to Giza, hoping to learn about this ancient civilization and its imprint on the Middle East and western world, or stay away to protect these monuments for future generations?
Each potential worldwide location we might visit, whether for vacation or travel, presents unique opportunities and responsibilities for those who go there. Deciding if a traditional vacation, or a travel experience, is our preference is only a first step. We must align that choice with our individual needs and the impact it might have on us. It also behooves us, today more than ever, to consider the consequences such a trip might have for the location we visit, and those who live there. Striking the right balance is becoming an increasingly difficult, but important, part of the decision.
