The Travels of Päivi and Santeri

A photo blog: Rikshas and frog legs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The capital is an interesting mix of the colonial heritage and Asian culture. Our friends, Betty & Bill came from Vietnam to see us, and we will travel with them for a while. We visited a popular square in front of the Royal Palace. Cambodia has still a king, although his position is controversial because he supported Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. During the reign of Pol Pot over million Cambodians were terminated in the process of creating a Marxist agricultural utopia.

We have been told a few times in travel-related Internet discussion forums that when we travel outside Finland, we are guests. Therefore we must refrain from expressing any opinions on that country or its people unless our view is positive. Criticism and especially trying to right wrongs is not seen as acceptable behaviour of a guest. Are we guests or tourists? Let us consider a bit more deeply the concept of ‘guest’. Traditionally it refers to a person who is invited to a country or a home by a host. How many people have actually been invited to visit a country? Certainly diplomats, visiting governors of other nations, some sportsmen and other celebrities. But what about regular tourists on their holiday?