Ethical Traveler’s 13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador
 
Travel is most meaningful – and least intrusive – when you approach your destination with openness, respect, and a willingness to adapt and learn. If you behave in an informed, culturally sensitive manner, you’ll not only come away with truly memorable people-to-people experiences, but you’ll also leave behind a positive impression with your hosts. As guidelines, we present these 13 tips from our friends at Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org).
 

1. Be aware of where your money is going. Patronize locally owned inns, restaurants, and shops. Try to keep your cash within the local economy, so the people you are visiting benefit directly from your stay.
   
   
2. Avoid giving gifts directly to children. Give instead to their parents or teachers. When giving gifts– everything from pens to pharmaceuticals – first ask what’s needed, and who can best distribute these items in the community.
   
   
3. Learn basic greetings. Learn to say “please,” “thank you,” and as many numbers as you can. It’s astonishing how far a little language goes toward creating a feeling of goodwill
   
   
4. Remember the economic realities of your new currency. A few rupees one way or another is not going to ruin you. Don’t get upset if a visitor who earns 100 times a local salary is expected to pay a few cents more for a ferry ride or an egg.
   
   
5. Bargain fairly and respectfully. The final transaction should leave both buyer and seller satisfied and pleased. Haggling is part of many cultures, but it’s not a bargain if either person feels exploited or ripped-off.
    
6. Learn and respect the traditions and taboos of your host country. Never, for example, pat a Thai child on the head, enter a traditional Brahmin’s kitchen, or open an umbrella in a Nepali home!
   
   
7. Curb your anger, and cultivate your sense of humor. Travel can present obstacles and frustrations, but anger is never a good solution. It’s perversely satisfying, but won’t win respect or defuse a bad situation. A light touch, and a sense of humor, are infinitely more useful.
   
   
8. Arrive with a sense of your host country’s social and environmental concerns. Our site will direct you to good profiles of many popular travel destinations. It’s also very useful to read the political background section in your guidebook, and the local English-language papers.
   
   
9. Learn to listen. People in other nations often feel underestimated or patronized by travelers from the developed world. This fosters anger and resentment. Be aware that good listening skills and respect help shape the world’s view of your country.
   
   
10. Practice conservation. Never be wasteful of local resources – especially food and water. Your efforts at conservation will be noted and respected by your hosts, and will set a good example for your fellow travelers.
    
    
11. “Can you please help me?” This is the most useful phrase travelers can learn. Rarely will another human being refuse a direct request for help. Being of service, and inviting others to express their kindness, is what the phrase “global community” is all about.
    
    
12. Leave your preconceptions about the world at home. The inhabitants of planet Earth will continually amaze you with their generosity, hospitality, and wisdom. Be open to their friendship, and aware of our common humanity, delights, and hardships.
    
    
13. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s best line is worth remembering. “Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” Go with the flow, and give free reign to your sense of adventure!

Quechua: The language of the Inca

Travelers to the Andean countries are often surprised to learn that in many areas, the most commonly spoken language is not Spanish, but Quechua. Once the official language of the Inca Empire, Quechua remains the dominant language in much of Peru, including the Sacred Valley. It is is also spoken in parts of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, although there are significant differences between dialects. All told, about 10 million people still speak Quechua as their primary language, although about 75 percent of these also speak Spanish. Because Quechua was not historically a written language, the spelling of Quechua words varies.
 
Quechua is related to Aymará, another important indigenous language in the region around Lake Titicaca. Some vocabulary words are shared between the two languages. Quite a few Quechua words have even entered the English language through Spanish, including coca, condor, gaucho, guano, jerky, llama, potato, puma, and quinoa.
 
Here are some useful phrases to practice if you are heading to Peru or other areas in which Quechua is spoken:

How are you? – Allillanchu? (also used as a way of saying hello)
I am fine. – Allillanmi.
Goodbye (until we meet again) –Tupananchiskama
Excuse me – Dispinsayuway
Please – Allichu
Thank you – Sulpayki (or Yusulpayki)
You’re welcome – Imamanta
Yes – Arí
No – Mana
What is your name? – Iman sutiyki?
My name is _____  –  Sutiymi _______.

Earn discounts with donations to READ Global
Travel philanthropy is a concept embraced and supported by so many of our clients, and many of you have helped us raise many thousands of dollars to support READ Global over the years. You have trekked over the Himalayas to help lay cornerstones in the foundations of libraries, you have brought family and friends to see it in action in Nepal and Bhutan, you've even asked your wedding guests to donate to READ!

Now, in celebration of READ's 20th Anniversary, when you book a new Myths and Mountains trip and donate a minimum of $250 to READ, we will match your donation with a $250 discount on the total land costs of your trip. Join us in empowering rural villagers in Nepal, India, and Bhutan, and we'll thank you from the bottom of our hearts (and with our bottom line).

• For new trips booked during Oct 15, 2011 - Jan 15, 2012.
• You must mention the promo code of READ250 when planning your itinerary with one of our travel specialists.
• A booking is defined as one or more travelers booking the same itinerary (i.e. The Smith family travels together to Peru; donate a minimum of $250 to READ Global and we'll deduct $250 from your total land costs for the entire family).
• *Applicable only to trips with a minimum land cost of $2000 pp or more for the booking (excludes air).
• Your trip payment must include a separate non-refundable check made payable to READ Global for $250, and your invoice will reflect an equal discount of $250 from your total land costs.

Toni Neubauer reflects on 20 years of READ Global

Founded by Myths and Mountains’ president, Dr. Antonia Neubauer, READ Global (www.READGlobal.org) is a non-profit organization committed to providing individuals in rural areas with access to knowledge, resources, and opportunities to create better futures for themselves and their families. To date, READ Global has established 57 Community Library and Resource Centers in Nepal, India, and Bhutan, reaching more than 1.8 million rural villagers. 

The idea for the organization was born when Toni asked her guide on a trek in Nepal what he most desired for his village. His answer? A library. This year marks the 20th anniversary of READ Global’s first library. Here, Toni talks about the success of READ and how travel philanthropy can make a difference.

What does giving back mean to you?
I’m really an iconoclast when it comes to voluntourism. There’s a difference between pity and compassion. There are certain types of voluntourism that I really value, such as Doctors without Borders. I really do not like the kind of voluntourism where people are going in and deciding what’s needed. A great many of the projects that people from the West do are liabilities ultimately for the people for whom we’ve done them. They’re the ones who have to pay teachers or doctors, buy medications, and so on.

For me, the goal is to create independence, not dependence. America likes quick fixes. When you’re trying to change society, to create a village, there’s no quick fix. It takes time to really work with the villages. There are no cookie-cutter solutions. Each country is different. We work with each government differently. We contract directly with the villagers. Each libarary is its own nongovernmental organization. In addition, all of our READ program staff are from in-country.

Why libraries?
I had started a lot of other things before READ, but they were like Bandaids on the problem. The challenge is to leverage scarce funds and reach as many as possible. It’s not just about education, but also about outmigration. Many of the villages we work with lacked education, medical care, roads, and water. In the back of my mind was the question: How do you make a village a viable place so that people live, thrive, and propser? How do you find an economic business that will truly sustain a farming village in the middle of nowhere with no resources?

To me, a library is a catalyst for development. If you build a school, it’s only for the students. A medical center is only used by the sick. A library is for the whole village. Our aim is always to create a real livelihood. There’s the education piece, and the economic piece. In addition, the libraries all have meeting rooms. Our libraries connect these communities with various organizations to bring in all the pieces that make a village.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the Nepal Community Library Association, which grew out of our READ Community Library and Resource Centers. This is an organization that has the capacity to do really great things, and the potential to be quite a powerful player.

How does READ work?
Every READ village has to write a proposal, donate the land, and put in minimum of 15 to 20 percent of the funds. They come to us, we do not go to them. It’s extraordinarily participatory. It involves all aspects of the village.

In Nepal, during the Maoist revolt, all of the stakeholders in village had to sign an agreement to support the library. During the violence, schools were destroyed because they were run by the government, but nobody touched the libraries because they belonged to the villages.

Another key was not just to create a library, but to create an economic support system that would keep it operating and generate income for some of the villagers. One good example is the village of Tukche in Nepal, where we seeded a furniture factory. With income from the factory the village has built schools, dormitories, Red Cross facilities, and much more. They have $35,000 in savings in the bank from factory income.

Money often presents one of the biggest challenges in preparing for an international trip. Will your credit card work overseas? Can you use your ATM card? Should you carry lots of cash? It's always best to be prepared, so that you don't find yourself in a foreign country without the financial resources you need. You can count on Myths and Mountains to make sure you have all the information you need before you go.

In Bhutan and other Asian countries, things operate very differently than in North America. Just because the ATM in your bank at home works, does not mean that the ATM in Bhutan will accept your card. In fact, it won’t. Just because you have a platinum American Express Card does not mean that the antique store in Thimphu will allow you to buy that beautiful basket. In fact, it won’t. Bhutan will sometimes accept Visa, but no other credit cards, and travelers cannot use local ATMs. Myanmar does not accept any credit cards and has no ATMs at all. In other countries such as Nepal sometimes the ATM works – but invariably, when you need it most, it doesn’t!

For countries such as these, the best thing to do is to bring dollars in cash and change them into the local currency. If you are nervous about carrying a lot of money, break it into two packets and put them in separate parts of your travel gear. Then hope you remember where you put everything!

Sangay Wangchuk, the general manager of our Bhutan office, is full of useful insights for visitors to his country. Here are his thoughts and advice for anyone traveling to Bhutan.

1. Bhutanese time is not like Western time. When watches first came to Bhutan, the gadget was more jewelry than timepiece. Even today the Bhutanese relationship with time is an issue. For a Bhutanese it is always acceptable when someone walks in late. In fact, the Bhutanese joke that “Bhutan Standard Time” should really be called “Bhutan Stretchable Time.” People working in tourism are trying their best to be punctual, but it is always wise to be aware of the country's stretchable time.


2. Responsible travelers are more appreciated than misguidedly generous ones. The Bhutanese treat tourists as guests and would lay down their lives to protect them. Yet this custom can become diluted over time unless tourists take care to act responsibly. Being a responsible tourist is not difficult. Small acts and thoughts can help preserve Bhutanese culture. For example, it is wise not to flaunt wealth by giving items or money publicly. It is always better to have travelers as guests rather than as walking – albeit compassionate – banks.


3. Gross National Happiness is at the core of Bhutanese development. Gross National Happiness is the development philosophy coined by the fourth King of Bhutan, H.M. Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in the 1980s. To create happiness one must first create a good environment. Creating a good environment requires good policies that create equal socioeconomic opportunities and safeguard citizens' cultural heritage and rights. Finally, it means taking good care of our natural heritage and using it sustainably. That’s Gross National Happiness in a nutshell.


4. Personal relationships are more important than money. For most Bhutanese interpersonal connections are more important than money. Using the power of money to get things done in Bhutan is the wrong idea. People are willing to offer services to travelers because they are guests of the country. There is no expectation of remuneration attached.


5. An open, inquiring mind is key to understanding Bhutan. Bhutan is still an unexplored destination. There are many new discoveries in this small kingdom, and you need to ask questions to explore it. Bhutanese guides tend to be quite reticient and generally do not volunteer answers unbidden, but this is simply a matter of culture. If you have a question, please ask, and your guides will always do their best to answer.

Two new airports will radically alter travel in Bhutan in the next year, making it faster, easier, and more efficient to explore this remote mountain kingdom.

Presently, the only way to cross Bhutan from west to east is by driving a narrow, winding road dotted with hairpin turns and trucks and cars frantically trying to pass each other on blind mountain curves. Driving from one end of the country to the other on a tour takes about 13 days, so most travelers only go as far as Bumthang, in the middle of Bhutan, and then return west to Paro and fly out – a 10-day journey.

In about a year, though, all will be different. New airports are being constructed in both Bumthang and Trashigang in eastern Bhutan, shortening the cross-country journey. No longer will tourists drive to Bumthang and then return by the same route. Instead, they can drive there from Paro in 5 to 6 days, and then make the return trip by air.

Even more importantly, the new Yonphula Airstrip between Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar will open up the less-visited eastern towns of Mongar and Trashigang to tourists and make travel in Merak and Sakten, two communities still undiluted by Bhutan’s rapid economic growth, more accessible. Here in the east one can still get a sense of the traditional lives of Bhutan’s nomads. Tourists will be able to fly directly from Paro to Yonphula, tour the east and return to Paro, or even drive into Bhutan from Guwahati in India’s Assam state, visit these eastern areas, and then fly west and visit Thimphu before exiting Bhutan from Paro.

These infrastructure improvements are all part of Bhutan’s development plan, which depends heavily on increasing the number of tourists to this wonderful Shangri-La.

Tshering Tenzin is the new field coordinator for READ Bhutan.  He wrote an incredibly charming piece about his first visit to Ura, the site of the first READ library in Bhutan. Do take a minute and read it – just wonderful.

- Toni 

The nippy winter evanesces tardily delivering another spring; a season of great white hopes, aspiration and Love. Spring welcomes another year and it unfurls new set of dreams and hopes in every soul; it was a perfect hour to drive through the core of the peaceful dragon country in the Himalayas.

It was my first trip to Ura, Bumthang.  It rained down the night out before my trip and I was apprehensive about the snowfall on the high snowcapped triplet peaks of Dochula, Pelala and Yotongla en route to Bumthang. It was a beautiful drive all through to Bumthang amidst the barren boisterous mountains, snowcapped peaks, meandering crystal rivers and smoking chimneys from an old house on a distant hill, an overloaded truck ferrying consumable and an old man clinging to his dear life to the crisscrossed ropes at the back of the truck. The ice clad road didn’t facilitate speedy drive. Just as well, I wanted to savor the feast, feast for my soul I feel the cold biting breeze on my face as I hum to ‘Island in the stream’ by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton whilst I tap my fingers on the wheel.

Ura is located at 2800-5000 meters above sea level and is south-eastern part district .Total area coverage is approximately 267 square kilometers. Its altitude ranges from with a total population of 195. I have also found from reliable sources that there are 10 villages with 10 Committees, about 229 households, 4 schools, one BHU (Basic Health Unit), 3 ORCs (Out Reach Clinics) and 6 VHW (Village Health Worker). There are 3 Gomdays (where Gomchens study and reside). The main livelihood of the people living in Ura is Agriculture. The cash crops available in Ura are potatoes and mushroom (Sangay Shamu/ Masutaki). And the food crops produced are Wheat, Barley and Sweet Buckwheat. Retailing and packaging of buckwheat is the proposed sustainability project for Ura.

The building community donated an age old two storied building to be refurbished as a READ CLRC. The structure would have been best alternate to film’ Texas Chainsaw massacre’ and it almost looked the same before READ Bhutan revamped the face of the structure. It is approximately 100-200 meters below the east-west national highway that links the western part of the country with eastern Districts which passes through Ura Gewog. It is a two storied typical Bhutanese design building with ample surrounding with bamboo mat fences.  The ground floor is being used as a Day Care Center. M/s Pema Lhaden didn’t look like grade 10 literate to me. She flawlessly fits into a perfect description of a pretty Bhutanese highlander with rosy red cheeks.  She takes care of the Day Care at free of cost for the children in the locality. She timidly answered few questions, hiding behind her friends. There were 19 students last year within the age group of 3-6 years old. After thorough inspection and cross checking of the report to the groundwork, I proceeded towards Ura School for a meeting with librarian and teaching faculties. Ura school is 5-10 minutes walk from our library.

Ura LMC Secretary, Mr. Karma Jurmin is an interesting character who deserves a mention. I was awed to find such an interesting man filled with witty sense of humour, zest for life, thirst for knowledge and entrepreneurship. As we strolled through the dry dusty feeder road towards Ura School, he crackled me up recalling his mothers words on his failure on every business attempt, “ you are enterprising, but you have a big mouth, shut your mouth and you will go far”, she said. I looked at him unbelievably and he reassured me with a childish grin, ‘’See I told you I have big mouth”.

The teacher and staffs of the Ura School were in a meeting since they had just gotten back from two month paid winter vacation, all thanks to Education System in Bhutan. There is nothing in line that could possibly shutout so called ‘paid Holiday’. Without disrupting the momentum of the annual meeting, I requested the librarian and vice principal out of the meeting to discuss on booklist in consultation with the school to assess suitable books for the community. The library had more than 5000-6000 books approximately, of which most are in tatters and taped. Few books might soon find its way to Museum.

After discussions on what kind of the book would be suitable for the READ library, due to time constraint from their end, because they were in the annual teachers meeting, they assured to fax the stock list in a day or two. My odyssey was still futile without getting a complete set of booklist which we can fill the first READ Library with.  I spoke to the Vice -Principal and requested him to bring this up in his meeting with the different subject teachers and ask their suggestions and feedback on what kind of books would have been most suited in our library. We are still waiting for him to fax us the booklist. I also came to a realization that it is sheer waste of time and resource if the teachers make a random list if the books they think are suitable but are not readily available in market. I proposed that I will take a list of the available books of all kinds in the local book shops at the cheapest of the price and follow up with them. We can simultaneously supply books that are best for our READ Library and also available in town. Visiting various book shops helped me to compile catalogue of the books available in the town.

READ Bhutan has requested couple of times to READ Global, India and Kathmandu on a guideline for book selection and procurement. However we were unable to get anything concrete. A guide on book selection and procurement would be most appreciated and helpful for us to help the committee and community select books with ease.

With a smile of contentment on my face, I drove back home the next day through the same mesmerizing vale and iced peaks. My first trip to the First upcoming READ Library was generative, educational, informative and fertile. The impact is profound. The drive was tiring, but the experience eternal.

- Tshering Tenzin

 

For More Information Please Visit: READGlobal.org

Interested in our READ Bhutan journey? CLICK HERE to find out more!

If you're thinking of traveling to Nepal, take a minute to read our friend Everett Potter's blog post on his 36-hour experience in Nepal.

Read his humorous blog entry.

If you've been to Nepal, his story will ring true with you.