Tchiowa wrote:
alkristensen wrote in message ...


You made the statement that once you've seen one temple you've seen
them all. That's the stereotype of the budget traveler I was referring
to. You don't see a difference between the reclining buddha and the
emerald buddha, I guess. Between Wat Po and Wat Arun.

If that's the way you like to travel, good for you. Just don't give us
the "culture" argument.

not to mention the various periods and dynastic styles: lan na, ayudaya,
sukhodaya, khmer influences etc...

unfortunately, "cultural sensitivity" among the backpacker crowd (and
i'm definitely one of them) tends to express itself in cribbed summaries
of LP and arguments over whether beer lao is really the best and
cheapest in s.e. asia...

i remember overhearing am american backpacker bitch to his guide and his
porter (split with an aussie) about the $2.00 he'd been ripped off for
by a little band of maoists on the way to everest... we saw him on and
off all one day on this tremendous trek and at no point did his bitch
let up... he seemd utterly oblivious to where he was... some of these
people spend more time checking their wallets and looking for mars bars
or packaged noodles to eat than paying attention to where they are...
far out man...


michael