You can’t do that! …Travel adventure experiences you need to see to believe
They do some crazy stuff overseas.
When you’ve grown up in Western society, you tend to have a fairly rigid idea of how the world should work. Whether that’s a product of most countries’ nanny-state approach to personal safety, or just the ingrained knowledge that you don’t put ice in beer, we think we know how things should be.
So it can come as a fair surprise when you go overseas and realise that other people, and other cultures, do things much differently. And even though that discovery is what makes travel so great, there’s still a small part of you that looks at people breaking all the known rules of the universe and thinks, “you can’t do that”.
Sometimes, with an open mind and a little research, you can come to realise you’re wrong, that we Westerners mightn’t have the best way of doing things after all. Other times, even with an open mind and a little research, the conclusion is the same: You can’t do that.
But as my friend Rox always says: it’s not wrong, it’s different.
Here are some of the “you can’t do that” moments I’ve had overseas …
Beer … On the rocks
First time I ordered a beer in northern Thailand, I was given a tallie, a glass, and a bucket of ice. Great, I thought: a way to keep my beer cold. So I stuck the tallie in the bucket of ice. It was only my mate Andrew in Ubon Ratchathani who explained that the beer doesn’t go in the ice, the ice goes in the beer. And you know what? It works. It tastes great. I’m sure it’s only good with light Asian beers like Leo and Beerlao – I won’t be dropping a few cubes in my next pint of Guinness – but beer on the rocks is the way to go in that part of the world.
The family scooter
Heroes wear helmets – or so the ad campaign used to go when I was a kid. Sadly, someone forgot to tell the greater population of Asia, where not only are helmets optional, but scooter riding becomes a family activity as the whole lot, toddlers and all, pile onto the one machine. The most I’ve seen is five. Fortunately, no one seems to ride fast enough for it to be a problem.
The water wipe
As mentioned previously, I was a little confused when I first saw a jug of water in an Indian toilet. “They do what with that? And with no paper?” Still, when in Rome and all, so I decided to give it a go, and in the process changed my opinion from “you can’t do that” to, “I’m not going to do that”.
Live animal markets
I know where meat comes from: it comes from Woolies. Sometimes, Coles. It does not come from those cute little animals that those people seem to be selling down from the lady with the limes. And that chopping block and that big knife are for … oh geez.
Live animals on public transport
It good old safety- and health-conscious Australia, your pets travel in cages in a cargo hold somewhere. So why, you ask yourself, am I in an African mini-van sitting next to a goat? And there appears to be a chicken in the overhead locker. Hey, it’s all part of the experience.
Chips with mayo
Amsterdam, 1997, staring at a plate of chips smothered in mayonnaise. “Someone was high when they invented this,” I’m thinking to myself. See, on the face of it, dipping your chips in mayo sounds about as smart as topping your meat pie with chocolate sauce. But anyone who’s been to the Netherlands and tried this sensational combo will know that the Dutch are onto something good. High or not.
Bamboo scaffolding
Is there such a thing as OH&S in most Asian countries? Methinks not. Because that bamboo – and occasionally just plain old tree branch – scaffolding on that 10-storey building just doesn’t look safe. Of course, I’m not privy to construction safety records in the likes of China, Vietnam and Laos, so they might prove to be perfectly adequate. But they just don’t look that trustworthy.
Fish feeding … with your feet
I try to make it a priority in life to avoid things that could eat me. So when I went to Malaysia and found out you could get your feet and legs exfoliated by having hundreds of little fish nibbling on you, I was understandably nervous. And, of course, dumb enough to give it a try. The result? The weirdest feeling I’ve ever had. And nice smooth feet.
Has anything you’ve seen overseas made you think “you can’t do that”? And did they turn out to be okay?
Hope you’re enjoying the Backpacker blog. There’ll be a new one up on Fairfax Media websites every Wednesday. If you have any topic suggestions, or just want to send me some personal abuse/spam, you can drop in on my website here, or email me at bengroundwater@gmail.com. Happy travels!
Follow the Travel section on Twitter.
Promote
If you enjoyed reading this article, help let the world know about it by sharing it on your favourite social networking site
Comments
water wipe – never forget my first time in India !
