Triphap - Funny Travel Stories and Travel Horror Stories

Travelers are in the habit of shopping for souvenirs to bring home as tokens of the places that they have visited and the new and exotic cultures and customs they have encountered along the way. The word souvenir comes, in fact, from the French who use it as a verb to describe the act of remembrance or recollection. But sometimes souvenir buying transgresses the line of fairness and becomes a transaction based on greedy opportunism and exploitation. In my opinion travelers should avoid that kind of exchange at any cost – especially when dealing with people who have, throughout history, been treated unfairly by interloping outsiders.

One of the best and most informative stories about this phenomenon came from the Southwestern United States, where a Navajo fellow I knew lived and worked not far from Window Rock, Arizona. Window Rock is famous for its authentic handmade Navajo jewelry made of gorgeous turquoise.

I’m not a Native American myself, and I wanted to be careful to treat the Navajo and their culture with the utmost respect. So I asked him to give me some practical advice to help me avoid making a potentially embarrassing or offending faux pas while traveling through... read more >>