Why, when tourists come to a site (such as a Mayan ruin), do they spend more time taking photos of each other in front of the site than looking at it? That seems to be especially true with scenic views. People rush up, and without even really looking at the view, they start snapping photos of themselves or their friends in front of it.
I guess they figure they’ll look carefully at the view or site later in their pictures. Either that or they like seeing themselves in photos much more than I do. I can only imagine what these tourists’ photo albums must look like: an endless series of people standing in front of things.
And, of course, there’s always some yahoo who thinks the signs and ropes don’t apply to him. He (they seem nearly always to be male) will trample the fragile vegetation, scramble along the cliff edge, and even clamber up the ancient ruin in his quest for the perfect shot of himself or his girlfriend.
Visiting the Mayan site at Tulum yesterday, I overheard a young guy grumbling to his companion, “You can’t get close to the ruins. It’s just like at Chichen Itza. I mean, what’s the point then?” Oh, I don’t know, you might look at it and learn something. Sheesh.
