Through the Oubliette

Werewolf Anger: The dungeons here are quite interesting. I am becoming a big fan of these things.

Vampire Bat: Actually, that is not a dungeon. It is an oubliette. You can see the difference from the style itself.

Werewolf Anger: In our world, there is no difference. We call them the Dungeons of Transformation.

Vampire Bat: Maybe it is case in the werewolf lands. But, here we keep them separately. We consider them different, both in the brain and the heart. These oubliettes can only be accessed by a hatch on the top while dungeons are like rooms, just with a lock which is rarely opened. Dungeons make it too easy for the evil ones.

Werewolf Anger: Is there a difference in the type of prisoners who are supposed to be here? As of now, I see nobody inside – or are they invisible creatures which can’t be detected by the werewolf eyes? I have had eye problems, but I should be able to see anything not belonging to magical spheres of fire and air.

Vampire Bat: Actually, we could manage none so far. The people to be imprisoned here are not the usual kind of people. They are not found in this realm, but belongs to the world of humans.

Werewolf Anger: I understand. So, what kind of people are we talking about here?

Vampire Bat: You will know that. Do you see that greenery around our castle?

Werewolf Anger: Yes, I do. It is a nice view.

Vampire Bat: I saw such greenery in the human world on a beautiful day and in the next year, it wasn’t there. So, we decided to keep this place open for such people who destroy the beauty of nature by littering, deforestation and bothering wildlife in the name of tourism. We are actually planning to create special trashbins for them and plant trees in some lesser visited areas when they are not looking.

Werewolf Anger: I have to say that I like that idea a lot. Conservation of nature is a very important thing. Our kind has evolved in the forests and not the cities or towns. I consider these modernity as a terrible thing which we should fight together.

Vampire Bat: There is also space here for those who write, draw and spit on the monuments. They call themselves tourists, but if they are involved in such activities, I can only call them vandals or barbarians. We consider each monument as significant as our Great Vampire Castle. We won’t spare any of them. Nobody has the right to diminish the beauty of architecture which is a work of art.

Werewolf Anger: I am not sure about that because we live in caves, made with special rocks, of course. But I understand your feelings.

Vampire Bat: I have also expanded the list by adding those people who don’t value the local culture. It is very much needed because humans have always been fighting over cultures, languages, customs and traditions along with their religion, caste and race based problems. Everyone needs to be a good guest who respects the host no matter where they are visiting! When there are things which are not to be done, they shouldn’t be done! No alcohol means none, and no non-vegetarian food means a clear no! When photos are not allowed, capture the sights with your eyes or pen and paper.

Werewolf Anger: Yes, like we respect each other and the two separate cultures divided by the blood-moon and the blue-moon, united by the aversion towards silver. So, when can I see some prisoners here? I am already very angry at them.

Vampire Bat: Well, we can’t be sure about that. The official permission letter hasn’t been received from the Vampire Elders. We are waiting for the same. After we are able to get that, we can contact some of the human governments to send them some of these irresponsible people.

Werewolf Anger: I shall keep the anger restricted to my name until then. It is really depressing to have all the anger in the name and not able to put it in display. My services will be available to you whenever there is the need.

Vampire Bat: I hope that the humans understand that responsible tourism is the path to follow. Otherwise, Werewolf Anger will see them in the oubliette for whatever kind of pollution and harm they have caused. The wood elves will also have something to say and a lot more to contribute. The world needs nature and all that are associated with it; the historical monuments are the symbols of the collective achievement of the known universe, and we need to keep them in the best way possible.

I am blogging for #ResponsibleTourism activity by Outlook Traveller in association with BlogAdda

***The images used in this blog post are from the Official Facebook Page of the movie, Hotel Transylvania.

TeNy

On Responsible Tourism

Exploration is a fine thing to do, and occasional travel refreshes our mind and soul as we wander around those wonderful destinations, whether they are the much visited ones or the locations lesser known. There is the never-ending need to travel, and as we go through these journeys, we arrange our food and stay at some nice place, and take photos of the beauty which is around us. When we are on such a journey, especially through the beauty of nature, we not only have the right to enjoy all these, but also got some responsibilities.

1. The first thing which I would consider as part of the responsible tourism is not to litter, no matter whatever be the circumstances. Well, the situation might differ everywhere, but the nature and our responsibility remains the same. It is a bad idea to leave the trace of our visits here and there. If there is something to be left behind, I would suggest that we leave some love and take home only the beauty which we have captured on our cameras and phones along with those rejuvenating memories.

Why someone feel the need to litter at places like these is beyond understanding!

2. I would also suggest treating these places as if they are our own homes. Will we make our own homes dirty? We are supposed to keep these places clean as we would do to our own houses. We do see those historical monuments which are not in the best shape due to the visitors who find some fun in writing on them as well as spitting here and there. Along with conservation of nature, there is the need to preserve these archaeological monuments which tells the story of our past; it is also our duty to consider them as part of our culture.

3. We should also respect the local culture with their customs and traditions. After all, it is their world into which we enter. If something is banned somewhere, lets not use it, whether it is parts of the law or the tradition. If alcohol is banned, do not use it; the same goes for smoking. If some place has a vegetarian traditions, lets follow the same. If beef or pork is not supposed to be part of the culture at some place, respect that too. Wherever photography is prohibited, lets not take photos; there will always be other areas where it can be done.

4. There is also the choice to minimize the pollution in other ways. When there are four people on a journey, you don’t need to use two cars. But unfortunately, some parents who provide too much for their children make sure that they go on and show some style with the extra vehicle. It is mostly in the name of the homes being a few kilometres away from each other. If you are entering a place close to nature, I would suggest keeping the vehicle some more distance away from the place than you are expected to.

5. One should also stop making noises causing disturbance to other people as well as creatures of nature. This kind of people create more terror than most of the others, because they instantly destroy the peace which prevails in areas close to nature. It is a case of lack of respect, and unfortunately, this one can’t be taught by anyone else, but their own people. There is too much disrespect going on among people, especially the new generation and it might to be too much to ask this, but we have to.

So, you really want to disturb nature and the other visitors – then be ashamed.

6. As a visitor, it is our duty to be aware of where we are going and what we are doing, not just one of us, but the whole group of people. It will help us to cause the minimum impact during our visits and there is nothing which makes a negative impression is left behind. Enough information about the place, its people and nature will help us to make sure that the journey is a responsible one. Even if a place is mostly unexplored, there will be always something available at least related to the surrounding areas.

I am blogging for #ResponsibleTourism activity by Outlook Traveller in association with BlogAdda

***The images used in this blog post were taken by me on my Sony Cybershot DSC-W310.

TeNy