Audrey Lynch (right) explaining her work at the Wanderer
The process I've embarked on to establish a tour company has thankfully received a great deal of support and that has helped to make this a lovely experience. Just as wonderful have been the little thrills I've received each time I've discovered new information that I can incorporate in our tours; information which will make them unforgettable and worthwhile experiences. This has raised a question in my mind: what is the value of a cultural tour? Jamaica is a destination that is well-known for its physical beauty; why shouldn't that be enough to satisfy our visitors? In answer to that question, I've come up with five reasons I believe you should take a cultural tour. Tell us if you agree or not.
New Yorkers don't visit the Statue of Liberty
I have ceased to be amazed at the joy experienced by Jamaicans when I share a nugget of information they previously did not know about our capital city. Typically it's about a place they pass frequently but never wondered about before. Usually, the comments start out with "Oh, really?" and end "Wow, I did not know that". The fact is, oftentimes we are so busy in our day to day lives we don't stop to note the history of a building or a painting until someone points it out. Then it's pure pleasure in the knowing. For me, it's pure pleasure in the sharing :) As Jamaicans, we all could stand to know more about our country and its heritage. It's not good enough that we live here yet there are yet don't know all we can about our country.
Remember the Paul Simon song?
Going to a foreign country without understanding the culture is like waking up after being shuttled to a new planet in outer space . The people may look the same but you won't be able to understand why they laugh when you would cry or what the gift they've given you means. To understand the culture is to understand the context. Only then will it make sense and you won't feel like the guy in the Paul Simon song who "doesn't speak the language, holds no currency, he is a foreign man".
It's fun, silly
This reason is the most obvious of all (though I have to apologise in advance for sounding like a public announcement). It's true that sometimes on vacation we simply need to decompress, sit on the beach, and read a mindless novel. But it's equally true that for most of us, learning something interesting while connecting with another human being is fun. A rush even. Our brain cells start to crackle and there's a feeling of being alive that comes with the new knowledge. On a cultural tour you can meet interesting people, listen to great music, maybe even learn a dance step, eat fantastic food, or even make a new friend. Sound like fun, right? It is.
New Yorkers don't visit the Statue of Liberty
I have ceased to be amazed at the joy experienced by Jamaicans when I share a nugget of information they previously did not know about our capital city. Typically it's about a place they pass frequently but never wondered about before. Usually, the comments start out with "Oh, really?" and end "Wow, I did not know that". The fact is, oftentimes we are so busy in our day to day lives we don't stop to note the history of a building or a painting until someone points it out. Then it's pure pleasure in the knowing. For me, it's pure pleasure in the sharing :) As Jamaicans, we all could stand to know more about our country and its heritage. It's not good enough that we live here yet there are yet don't know all we can about our country.
Remember the Paul Simon song?
Going to a foreign country without understanding the culture is like waking up after being shuttled to a new planet in outer space . The people may look the same but you won't be able to understand why they laugh when you would cry or what the gift they've given you means. To understand the culture is to understand the context. Only then will it make sense and you won't feel like the guy in the Paul Simon song who "doesn't speak the language, holds no currency, he is a foreign man".
It's fun, silly
This reason is the most obvious of all (though I have to apologise in advance for sounding like a public announcement). It's true that sometimes on vacation we simply need to decompress, sit on the beach, and read a mindless novel. But it's equally true that for most of us, learning something interesting while connecting with another human being is fun. A rush even. Our brain cells start to crackle and there's a feeling of being alive that comes with the new knowledge. On a cultural tour you can meet interesting people, listen to great music, maybe even learn a dance step, eat fantastic food, or even make a new friend. Sound like fun, right? It is.
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