Garland Article

I was greatly intreged this week by the Garland’s article on Bushman tourism in Namibia. My sister just returned from a four-month research trip in Namibia and although most of her time was spent in the desert she did have some unique experiences interacting with the Namibian people. From her experiences most of the bigger villages she visited were full of tourists and had somewhat of an unauthentic feel to them. She said that the shops were filled with touristic souvenirs that tended to be ridiculously marked up and that these villages were not most desirable places for travelers like her to be. However, to these tourists it did not matter that a show was being put on for them and the pieces and artwork being sold may not be completely authentic or of the best quality. To these tourists the only thing that mattered was that the souvenirs were from Namibia and that were sculpted and created by Namibians.

Tourists rather than travelers as Garland expresses, are not concerned with authenticity but easily satisfied with men dressing up in loin clothes and dancing around. This same intrigue of the “others” can be seen in the traveling show and the video of the caged couple. For many tourists I think this is due to time and an urge for understanding. I believe that “rich tourists” usually have limited travel time and want to experience everything in a short amount of time, which affects their ability to detect authenticity. These types of tourists are satisfied seeing stereotypical routines and people and are pleased that they will be able to understand and describe what they have seen when they return home.

The best times my sister had, was when she happened upon a small village or tribe and was welcomed in for dinner or a drink. She said they would perform for the group she was traveling with and graciously welcome them into their homes. As Garland expresses in this article, “there is no competition, you share everything”. These experiences for my sister were authentic, genuine and very memorable. She was able to experience their culture and interact with the people on a different level then most tourists. This quest for authenticity is desired by some but not by all. I believe the more one travels and experiences the world, the more authenticity becomes important.