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Published: November 7th 2006
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Greetings to one and all. As our first snow of the season falls on town and one begins to think of hibernation, we thought it might be a good time to update you on our somewhat frenetic fall travels. In the last three weeks, we have been to northern Hungary on a study trip, Bucharesti to work on a hurt foot of Alecia’s (pulled/strained Achilles tendon - perhaps she will treat you to a description of the local medical establishment at some time) and Chris headed to southern Bulgaria for a conference.
For those with less time, the brief update is: our mastery of the Hungarian language is progressing slowly but surely. We are settling in and projects are moving along. It was pointed out that though we may have lots to tell about other projects and experiences, we have shown few pictures of our home town. So - the next blog will have a few more pictures of our town. Also - we attended a Halloween party this past weekend (Alecia as a "Jackpot" - - a visual metaphor for an action that would get you kicked out of Peace Corps and Chris as Commander Filtron - - we
have these amazing industrial water filters that look surprisingly like rocket packs...). Chris won the contest somehow. Hopefully we will have some pictures to share at some point. So, a belated Happy Halloweed and a just-in-time, happy Election Day! We sent in our votes two weeks ago, hopefully they get counted.
For the heartier - read on! A quick note on travel in this part of the world. Somehow, in a physics defying manner, there it always takes one hour to go 30 miles. I do not know how this happens. The roads are generally okay, if winding and sometimes steep. And, everyone drives 100 km/h no matter what the conditions. However, every time we go anywhere the prior equation applies so, if you do decide to feel overly jealous of our travels described below, please balance with the 12 hours to get anywhere…
Hungary:
Alecia and I joined Agora in mid-October on a study trip to northeastern Hungary. Our first couple of days were spent at the partner NGO’s summer camp/training facility on the Bodrog river 30 km from the Ukrainian border (interactive math challenge: by local driving standards, how many hours is this? Be the first
to answer and receive a side of smoked bacon fat). This region is known as Tokaj (Toe-coy) and is the most famous producer of Hungarian white wines. An interesting bit of internationalism, the name of the tiny village where we stayed begins with Olasz, meaning Italian - a result of imported vintners in the middle ages. Today the main wine producers in the region are French. A good example of the European Union’s cross border initiatives?
One of the highlights was visiting the castle shown in the pictures. This was a stronghold of several Hungarian separatist movements which nearly succeeded. The area was a base for the Prince of Transylvania who fought for Hungarian freedom against the Turks and Austrians before eventually losing when the costs got to high.
After the first day in the region we proceeded to the focal point of the trip, watching the crane migration. This was a spectacular event. Hundreds of thousands of cranes filling the sky and honking all the way. We will try to upload a video so you can both see and hear a bit of the experience. After a long afternoon of bird watching we sampled some local Hungarian
delicacies - fisherman soup in particular. Carp with lots of chili (have we mentioned that the Romanian word for carp is crap?). This is no comment on the soup.
The trip was rounded off with a stop in Debrecen (Hungary’s second largest city) and the home of the world’s largest Reformant (Calvinist) church. Debrecen was an interesting example of my feelings on Hungary as a whole. Well kept, amazingly clean, and kind of…sleepy. Everything felt relaxed. Comfortable. Maybe it is the relative wealth of the region or maybe it is that in Romania you can see life happen. Here, people are on the streets, going to the market, building houses, fixing things, moving moving moving…it feels alive. Hungary, where we were was quiet and perhaps the pan-handle landscape served as metaphor to the feeling - flat. Those who have been witness to the riots in Budapest in recent weeks would, I am sure have a different take on matters…
In contrast to Bulgaria:
I was off to Bulgaria for a week long training on tourism related social and environmental impact assessment tools. The trip down took 16 hours (math quiz 2: see if the equation works, how many
miles did Chris go? Answer = trick question, we work in kilometers here). The conference itself was very interesting and of the three international conferences I have been to in the region so far, the most intriguing. Not necessarily because of the content but because of the attendees and the place (beautiful). It was the first time in conference setting, where I had the chance to interact with young NGO people who seemed really…NGO-like. Idealistic, intelligent, concerned, motivated…it was exciting. At other conferences there seems to be an inherent defeatism, sadness about what has happened and a lack of motivation to fight for one’s mission. Not exactly what I would consider the positive non-profit mentality.
If this was reflected in Bulgaria, it was by some of our Bulgarian counterparts. However, of the folks I have met with this mentality, they may have the best argument. Why? We were in Standja National park. A UN Biosphere project covering several thousand square kilometers. The park is so large because prior to the end of communism, the 30 km inside the border with Turkey were closed. Only if you had a passport saying you were born inside the border area could you
go home. Even today, we had to show our passports to “border guards” to get in. Overall, the area went un-developed which preserved it for many years. Then came the tourists. The boom in Black Sea costal tourism has led to millions of dollars in investment in this once pristine area. Not to mention the ecological destruction (entire sand-dune systems bulldozed to make smoother beaches for instance) there has been a social restructuring, complete with the sex trade, land theft and murder. Behind this whole thing are international developers and reportedly the Bulgarian mafia who seem to run the place. This all presents a frustrating situation for local NGOs as there is little recourse against those breaking the law. We heard stories of protesters beaten, houses burned etc… Whether or not these were true (and considering the gang-land style mafia shootings in Sofia they may be) there is the belief it happens, making it hard to organize locals. So, this is one side of mass tourism.
On the other hand are the villages in the park’s interior. Not lucrative enough to attract the large players, they are working on establishing a more sustainable form of tourism. The area is
ecologically quite distinctive with rhododendrons, oak and beech forests, interesting ecological niches and several villages working to attract tourists based on traditional lifestyles. The first of these we visited is known for fire-dancing. A pre-Christian tradition with newer layers (now they carry icons when dancing on the fire) the village draws nearly 10,000 tourists once a year. This may be debate-able in its “sustainable-ness” but it has served to inspire several local initiatives like a museum.
Further down the road we stayed in a tourist village. This village was dead in the 1950’s, after generations of herding sheep, when it was declared an “architectural heritage site.” Then in the 90’s some professor stopped by, did some work, rebuilt the church and one thing led to another. Now there are 45 residents and the village receives 30-60 tourists per day, compliments of the major operators on the coast, for a traditional meal (delicious highlights included wild spinach spanikopita and goat yogurt with walnuts and honey), donkey ride, local products and an EXTREME jeep ride. Again, there are questions about the sustainable-ness of this all. If nothing else the project really emphasized how tourism has many diverse aspects and interpretations. All
of which have impacts…people have impacts. There is the mass tourism impact on society and environment and then the impact of small, so-called eco-conscious tourists and their often blind willingness to support the essentializing/romanticizing of cultures. Definitely food for thought, no easy answers as Agora begins to do some work on hopefully sustainable tourism in relation to the protected areas we have established.
Well, anyway, I hope this finds you all well, healthy and happy.
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Galen
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Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to you both. Eco-tourism may not be the be all and end all but it makes for some mighty fine photos. AnTonia and Michael are in Duluth for Thanksgiving at my parent's house and we have spent some time looking for a view of where you are living on the internet. Do tell us more about your town and its people and share some photos. Oh, we also want to submit an answer to the international math quiz! 37.2 minutes to travel the 30 km from Bodrgo to the Ukranian boarder. Oh, I can already smell the bacon fat! lots of love Galen