Once upon a time- Your GTG’s homage to history

 

owdy globetrotters and a very merry October to those of you a little weary after the festivities in Munich and those of you worldwide. For many of us, especially those in colonial promised lands, History can form a large part of our initial motivation to travel whether subconscious or otherwise. Travellers as well as being romantics, are often overt lovers of history. This week we look at how this manifests in our very own real-life game of Dungeons and Dragons.

 

or many, it seems to be the stories that capture us and give the light to the very cobble stones under our feet. Most formally organised tours will cater to this by sharing historic anecdotes as the group takes in the sights. It’s no secret that history covers quite a fair few topics in general so for the sake of it your GTG has narrowed down a few categories that seem to catch the interest of the odd traveller  or two.

• War history

Historic battles and their respective celebrities have definite pulling power from Napoleon, to William Wallace or the Ninjas of the Edo period in Japan. A visit to these places can demonstrate how far humans have developed, and how little all at the same time. The hope is by shining the light on our darker moments the lessons history has to teach us will not be lost.  Another spin-off here can be the re-connection with the pleasantly old-fashioned concept of the glory that comes with triumph.

• Architecture

Whether you dabble or have a serious appreciation for architecture of different cultures and periods, the good news is there will be no shortage of dazzling edifice to feast your eyes on. On my personal to see list are the eye popping colours of the Kremlin and the majesty of the Taj Mahal.

• The heritage trail

With the scale of world migration so high, it comes as no surprise that many of us will have a cultural history that hails from further afield and even the four corners of the globe (are there four corners? Feel free to fill me in on that one). Part of many globetrotters’ motivation to get up and go comes from the opportunity to explore your own culture in a different light and often meet family members for the first time.

• History of Culture

From the long houses of the head-hunters in Borneo to small villages in the West of Ireland, people are fascinated by people who are completely different to themselves. In fact, the field of Anthropology itself is loosely based on this idea. It may go without saying but where there is a fascination there is potential for tourism revenue, hence we see the rising number of folk looking to immerse themselves in ancient tradition as part of a tourism-mediated experience. Language and dance especially seem to get some takers.

• Wheels of old

Another draw card that has passed the test of time is the range of historic transport. Whether it be rickshaws in Nara Japan, or olden day trams in Lisbon (Lisboa) Portugal, these too have been worked into part of a place’s advertised touristic charm.

• Celebrity calling

For fans of Elvis, there’s Graceland, for lovers of Mandela there’s Soweto, Liverpool for Beatle mania and so on. Similar to a pilgrimage of religious significance, these places hold great historic importance and will attract a large number of people simply because of who was there and the stories that go with them.

• Religious history

The promised and sacred lands of world religions can be found all over the world and play h0st to the religiously devout in their thousands. Temples, Shrines, Cathedrals, mountain-tops, tombs and sacrificial sites are the kinds of places your GTG would expect to see travellers of this kind.

 

t would seem that the great appeal of history in general is the opportunity to put our own experiences in perspective. Another benefit of heading straight to the source is the chance to clarify parts of a particular history that we may have been a little shaky on. With so much history behind us there is of course infinitely more to say but I will leave you with the thought that wherever you go, someone has walked the path before you, and there our story begins. Until next week.