A tourist visiting a popular attraction in Albania was disappointed by the scene left by previous hikers.
Redditor u/mpazzzz posted a pair of photos of the Bogove Waterfall near Berat, Albania, in the r/albania subreddit. While the first photo featured a beautiful shot of the "amazing" waterfall, the second showed an unsightly amount of trash that the user said they saw "everywhere."
Unfortunately, the display was unsurprising to those familiar with the area. Some even said they've seen similar situations at other popular sites.
"Welcome to Berat especially. Remember seeing the castle [seven] years ago and there was so much garbage all around the main castle walls," one user commented. "Very embarrassing as [I] was trying to show it off to family who are not Albanian."
Another stated, "Yes I'm travelling through and noticed that too. Komani Lake, so beautiful, but the edges have floating plastic islands all the way."
This was yet another example of how tourons (a combination of "tourists" and "morons") have an exploitative relationship with the natural world that hinders the connection that other individuals can have with nature. The Bogove Waterfall is a popular hiking destination, so there should be more respect for the area so it can be enjoyed by all visitors.
This issue is also prevalent at other tourist attractions. For example, another outdoor enthusiast found a similar scene filled with litter at a waterfall in Northern Virginia. The water even has a sewage stench and was ruled illegal to swim in due to possible contamination.
Even as far as Mount Everest, a combination of discarded oxygen containers, food packaging, abandoned tents, and human waste has earned what should be a majestic destination the unfortunate title of the "world's highest garbage dump."
There are actions we can take to mitigate the impact of these upsetting scenes. It's all about leaving no trace and, where possible, leaving places even better than we found them. This might mean packing out all our garbage, joining or organizing clean-up efforts, and advocating for better waste management practices in tourist spots.
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