Unrealistic Expectations

I read trip reviews before I plunk my money down for a trip deposit.

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of what are, in my mind, ridiculous complaints. Many come from people who have traveled to other countries and who had difficulty finding vegan or gluten-free meals. 

These kinds of meals are not so difficult to find in the US, but in many developing countries, I'd guess that chefs aren't very familiar with vegan diets or with gluten-free foods.

One woman complained that while in Kenya, the selection of gluten-free foods was extremely limited. Nobody even offered her peanut butter, she complained. I have been to Kenya and other east African countries many times, and peanut butter has never been part of the diet there. Research shows me that peanut butter is sold in Kenya, but how popular it is I don't know. I have never seen it offered as part of the menu.

I have been known to pack a small jar of peanut butter in my suitcase simply because it is one of my favorite foods. I take a small spoon along so I can scoop some peanut butter from the jar. 

I am not vegan, and I certainly could never be vegan, as I love cheese too much. The same goes for gluten-free foods. I don’t need to avoid gluten in foods. I have read that many European countries have plenty of gluten-free options, but if those foods aren't part of the typical Kenyan or Tanzanian diet, or the diet of other developing countries, perhaps the traveler's expectations are too high. I know from research that gluten-free foods are available, but my guess is the chefs aren't all familiar with the concept of gluten free.

When I travel, I expect to enjoy trying the local cuisine. I was offered kudu (a large African antelope) at dinner once in Kenya. I passed, and there were plenty of non-meat foods to enjoy. The kudu on the menu were farm-raised, but I still couldn't bring myself to eat an animal whose relatives I had photographed earlier that day.

A couple of people complained that they returned from a trip with covid. Someone else returned with a swollen knee. Really, people? Covid is still an issue. Why didn't the people wear masks while on the bus or inside a building? There is, or should be, a certain amount of personal responsibility involved. And unless the tour operator was negligent, somebody's swollen knee isn't their problem. 

I tripped on a log that had washed ashore along a rain-swollen river in Kenya. I fell and broke my wrist, which required surgery in Kenya. It was nobody's fault, except maybe mine for not paying more attention to where I was walking. I didn't blame anybody, and I later stayed at the same lodge twice more. Things happen.

One time in Tanzania, as I was exiting the safari vehicle, I slipped on a mud-covered step, twisting my knee. That was nobody's fault. The knee was sore, but it was fine by the next day. Should I have castigated the tour company because there was mud on the step of the vehicle? Absolutely not. These things happen. I, and the tour companies with which I travel, take appropriate precautions, but things still happen. People get sick. People get injured.

International travel is a wonderful thing that I enjoy immensely. I’m looking forward to more international trips over the next few years. But I think those of us who travel internationally must set our expectations and our demands realistically. Things in Kenya or Tanzania or South Africa or Brazil aren’t the same as they are in the United States. If they were, there would be no reason to travel.

My advice? Travel wherever you are called to go. Take precautions. Be fully vaccinated against whatever is recommended by staff of a travel medicine clinic. Pay attention to your surroundings, but don't expect everything to be as it is in the US. I notice things in other countries that wouldn't be allowed in the US. So it's up to me to remain alert and more observant. Most of all, my expectations must be realistic when I travel outside the United States.