Can we be conscious travelers when we impose our own ethics on other people?
Photo and Feature photo: René Ehrhardt
Here at BNT and the Matador Network, we often discuss what it means to be a conscious traveler.
As a traveler in the 21st century, respect for other cultures and our environment demands that we question how our choices will affect both people and place.
On that note, I recently came across a New York Examiner.com article entitled Conscious Carnivore that discussed whether or not eating meat can ever be a truly conscious, peaceful choice.
I personally debated this question in a big way at the end of what I term my “vegan era,” considering my ethics had kept me partaking in this lifestyle even as my health and body was crumbling before my eyes. Note: I am not saying veganism or vegetarianism is bad for everyone, just that they didn’t work for my body.
But more than that, reading through this article made me think about my travels during my vegan period.
I can also now see he had a point in that I should accepting of the culture and food that was available.
When I traveled to Africa several years ago, I demanded to have my food completely vegan due to my belief system (and truthfully, as I look back now, also because of my ego).
I also did the same thing in Germany, where my exasperated Grandfather ranted about my requirements to my Mom in German since I couldn’t understand, and also because we hardly know each other.
Although I could easily let his reaction roll off my back because he really and truly is an angry man, I can also now see he had a point in that I should accepting of the culture and food that was available.
Was I being a conscious traveler by staying true to my ethical needs above what was readily available? Or was I a completely unconscious, demanding American tourist, who made people of other cultures that had never seen such a request, fulfill my demands?
Keeping The Peace Or Maintaining Health?
And yet when I last traveled, though no longer vegan, I wanted to “keep the peace.” So I ate quite a bit of wheat and dairy even though I had learned by body was highly allergic to both.
Photo: stlbites.com
Interestingly enough, the aforementioned vegan trip had actually kept my body healthy and in better shape than when I had left home, which I know isn’t true for most travelers.
But this time around, my health suffered quite a bit.
Upon my return home, I had to go on thyroid medication (full disclosure – I believe my low thyroid function had been a part of my body for a long time).
I also had to seriously change my diet for a few months due to elevated liver enzymes (never underestimate the power of eating foods that you are allergic to).
And very soon, I will embark on a trip around the US. While I now eat meat, I will be eating gluten-free and dairy-free because I’m allergic to both foods. I also try and only eat free-range and humanely-raised meat, and wild fish. I know I need to follow this diet in order to maintain my health, because it can quickly slide into a scary place if I don’t.
Of course, it is certainly different to request only certain foods in America as compared to say rural Ladakh. But part of me still debates whether or not it is fair to demand certain foods in places they are not readily available or accepted. Will it be that bad if I consume these foods once and a while out of respect for the place I’ve landed?
Because once again, I might be putting my personal needs above those who are providing their own culture to me.
Do you think maintaining personal ethics around food and health can be a part of conscious travel? Share your thoughts below.
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This reminds me of the clothing debate we had a while back — and while I’ve sometimes felt like I’m missing out by being vegetarian when I travel, I don’t think I’m doing anything offensive or wrong.
Again, I think it’s interesting to switch it around. As far as principles go (practicalities like availability of specialized food being something else), I would never expect someone to give up their halal meals or whatever else while in Canada in order to better experience the country. So why is it potentially an insult for me to be myself while overseas? This is a part of the travel debate that I don’t think I’ll ever really understand.
(Though as an aside, I think that people with specialized diets need to take responsibility for their own needs, and not put the onus on their hosts to somehow conjure up the required ingredients, etc. It’s a balance: you make a choice or commitment to your diet, and maybe you miss out on some things, maybe you have the extra hassle of bringing some food with you. But whether it’s worth it is your call, I think, and not a matter of disrespecting the locals.)
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Thanks for your take, Eva.
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It might depend on the reasons why one is vegan. I am a vegan largely due to ethical reasons, and people saying “give it up when traveling” seems to me akin to “you may as well practice genocide in Darfur.” That’s a bit hyperbolic, but the point is that you shouldn’t have to change who you are just because you travel.
For me, it’s a moral choice and I’m not going to change my morals just because I’m in a country that has different morals. More to the point–I can’t change them. I am living in Korea right now and if I could turn off being vegan for a year, I sure would. I would love to. But it’s part of who I am.
As far as insulting your hosts, I just don’t get that. I would never expect anyone to eat like me, so I just don’t understand why anyone would want me to eat like them. Food is an extension of culture, sure, but even more basically it’s fuel to survive. And if someone has a good reason not to eat a certain thing, then I totally support that.
Though I do agree with the above posters in that I always bring my own food and never expect anyone to provide something special for me.
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For me it depends on what we mean by “host.” If I were staying in someone’s home as a guest, I would find it quite difficult to be demanding. At a hotel or restaurant though? While I would endeavor to be reasonable, I’d have no problem discussing my dietary requirements with the kitchen staff.
I had someone from Suriname stay in my home as a guest some years ago, and while I’d planned an elaborate menu, he tactfully explained to me that he had a very sensitive stomach. So he picked a bit at some of the things I’d made, but primarily wanted bread. One day he tried something a bit spicy–and the next day I could see him suffering from it. I wouldn’t blame a person in such a situation for explaining their dietary limitations in a respectful way.
A few years ago, when dating a South Florida Cuban woman, I found myself being fed endless plates of meat, rice, beans and white bread. I love sweet banana, but my colon screamed for vegetation! Had the relationship lasted longer, I’d have definitely come to a dietary agreement with her.
Later this year I’ll be accompanying my wife to her native country, Kenya, and I expect we’ll run into some conflicts here or there. While with her family, during this limited time, I will be gracious and grateful about whatever is served. But we intend to slip away to a hotel here and there when we can!
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I’m not a biologist, but I do study biology. I’m not a writer, but I do write. I’m not a vegetarian, but I do avoid eating meat. Your form of diet should not be a definition of who you are. I think being completely rigid about food choices because of ethics is a lot of bologna (hehe, I kid. But seriously). It can be difficult to understand why food is so important in other cultures, but isn’t that why we travel? To gain perspective and appreciation for other ways of life?
Traveling and living in developing countries has changed my morals immensely, but you have to be open to the possibility that you will learn something that will cause your mind to expand. Sometimes I even have to modify my usual behavior so that I don’t offend people of other cultures. It’s not giving up my identity, it’s being respectful. Obviously we shouldn’t kill ourselves, and we have to know our limits, but perhaps we could be more flexible. After all, when in Rome…↵ -
Food is a very defining part of culture and can be a defining part of who someone is. So many of a culture’s traditions are built around food and some dishes can be clearly linked to a particular point in a country’s history(i.e. the “depression” cake recipe that calls for no eggs or butter, because of the shortage of those ingredients during that time in America). Being a vegan is a defining part of who I am as well, and when I travel, I do continue to eat that way. I plan ahead for myself and don’t expect to be accommodated. I am respectful of other peoples’ cultures and see traveling as a way to share in their culture. I also see traveling as a way to share a little bit of my culture along the way – not force it on someone, of course. If I am staying with someone, I am always happy to cook for myself and anyone else. I have yet to be put in a situation where I was unable to follow my diet, but when I get to that bridge I will cross it.
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Nice article Christine. I think the best way for a veggie/vegan to look at travelling through a meataholic culture or if they are getting ill is: be true to yourself, keep it all in perspective, don’t kill yourself, take people’s feelings into consideration, limited intake is better than making up for lost time…
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