Bocas del Toro kinda sucks

[amw]

Ah, hostels. I remember why i dislike hostels. It's not so much the setup of shared room and shower, although obviously i would prefer privacy. It's the clientele. I think Paul Theroux described it well when he said that backpackers annoyed him because they invariably come from wealthy countries and travel poor countries, but somehow every

Comments

[spiffikins]

And i really don't need to talk about Java 17 on my fucking holiday, man.I giggled. NOBODY wants to talk about fucking Java 17. Fucking Oracle

[amw]

Yeah, i think that kind of tourist touting is the same in all the big tourist hotspots around the world. It's probably more aggressive in places where there is a bigger gap between the income of the tourist and the local average income, though. I think this is why i prefer, if i visit tourist towns, to visit tourist towns that mostly cater to people who come from the same country that you're already in, and not to foreigners. Then there is still usually a gap, but it's not quite as pronounced

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[opakele]

I think i think too much. Why can't i just enjoy what it is?I think you are seeing what is and it doesn't work for you. You also found some good stuff, too

[amw]

Hard-eyed vendors is an excellent description. I do understand it, that if this is someone's livelihood, and they're really living on a shoestring, then of course they want to make those sales. But i'm not sure that's a very good long game. Like, if you want people to have positive memories of your stall, or even the market as a whole, so that they will tell their friends and/or come back themselves... you do need to be nice. But i guess in real touristy areas people just assume the tourists will be out the door anyway so why not go for the quick buck

[enna_ssu]

I've read your journal for quite a while now and your life is so different from mine - it is always very interesting. Right now I'm sitting in grey, dark and cold Dresden and you write from your experiences in Panama. It's like a little window in a more adventurous life

[amw]

I think you are misunderstanding my purpose for traveling. I don't have high expectations, especially not for places that i never had any interest in visiting in the first place. I didn't have any expectations for Panama because i never planned to come here. It was just a spontaneous decision to buy a cheap plane ticket - why not? If i hate everything about this country, oh well, i don't care. That's part of traveling. Now i know

[king_of_apathy]

'I think i think too much. Why can't i just enjoy what it is?'

I think you're definitely more sensitive to issues of inequality and tourism impact than anyone else I know. I have to confess i've probably been guilty of half the things that annoy you about backpackers at some time or other! Though seeing how Korea is still very much masks everywhere and a pain to get into for tourism, I'm curious that other places in the world seemed to have reverted back to backpacker hangouts already.

For the girl complaining about not being able to find work in hostels, I do wonder what she was expecting?! I've done plenty of workaways myself, but that's the sort of thing you have to arrange a month or two in advance.

[amw]

Bocas del Toro was a weird place, because in Panama all across the country there is still a mask mandate, and on public transport in Panama City you have to wear both facemask and eye shield aswell (very annoying). Outside of Bocas the tables are still obviously social distanced at restaurants, and hand sanitizer spray is still a thing. But in Bocas hardly anybody wore masks, and even in my "quiet" hostel most everyone was heading out around 9pm and not getting back till 1am or later (and obviously nursing wicked hangovers every morning). Didn't seem like there was any COVID restrictions at all

[king_of_apathy]

That is an interesting site. There's far more countries that are completely closed than I would have thought. I thought restrictions for coming into South Korea where tight, but we're the only yellow country for a thousand miles in any direction!