Bretski ferðabókahøvundurin, Tim Ecott, skrivar í dag í avísini The Guardian um at ferðast í Føroyum á ein heilt nýggjan hátt, sum var tað eitt fjarstýrt telduspæl. Vit kundu kalla ferðafólkið ein tykisturist.
Tú kanst sita á eini sofu í London og umvegis remote-tourism.com fáa samband við ein føroyskan ferðaleiðara, har tú gert av, hvar hann ella hon fara við myndatólinum.
Á heimasíðuni hjá Visit Faroe Islands byrjaðu tey við at seta spurningin:
- Hugsa tær, um vit kundu bjóðað fólki úr hvørjum króki í heiminum at uppliva oyggjarnar sum tykisturistar gjøgnum eyguni á einum lokalum ferðaleiðara? Ella enn betri, um tykisturisturin sjálvur kundi stýra og gera av, hvar ferðaleiðarin fer, nær og hvussu leingi?
Á enskum sigur heimasíðan hjá Visit Faroe Islands í dag, at "We have created a new remote tourism tool, the first of its kind. Via a mobile, tablet or PC, you can explore the Faroes’ rugged mountains, see close-up its cascading waterfalls and spot the traditional grass-roofed houses by interacting - live - with a local Faroese, who will act as your eyes and body on a virtual exploratory tour. The local is equipped with a live video camera."
Millum mongu ferðabøkurnar, Tim Ecott hevur skrivað, er “The Land of Maybe: A Faroe Islands Year”, sum Rit & Rák hava havt til sølu síðan 18. mars í ár. Tá fekk eg høvið at spyrja Ecott, hvat tað var, sum av fyrstan tíð fekk hann so kveiktan, at hann fór skriva eina ferðabók um Føroyar?
- I have been visiting Faroe Islands for about eleven years and was invited the first time on a press trip by Atlantic Airways. I was very struck by how similar the islands are to the part of Ireland where my grandparents lived. Their house was right at the foot of the Mountains of Mourne which also have many sheep, ravens, alpine vegetation and no trees on the high ground. The land there is also very green because they get a lot of rain.
I made several trips writing articles for British newspapers and magazines, including the Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian and some broadcasts for the BBC. My books are generally about the natural world and my experiences of it, and I began to think that I would love to write about Faroes. I think, to write well about a place, you have to love it.
What could be the most interesting passage in the book, so interesting that Paul Theroux is writing 'In this excellent book, Ecott's evocative telling makes me want to go to this weird and wonderful place.' ?
- It’s impossible for me to say. But I think what strikes me is that even though Faroes is a very modern, sophisticated country, you still keep alive many traditions that we have lost in other parts of Europe. Even the grindadráp was something that happened in Ireland and Scotland, like eating seabirds and keeping sheep semi-wild on the outfield. I think probably people outside Faroes will find the chapters on catching havhestur, súla and understanding skerpikjøt very interesting. Of course these things are not unusual for Faroese, but you have a very distinctive culture and language, and I think you may forget sometimes that for most people in more urban places these things seem out of the ordinary.
As a native, writing a blog for 14 years in the Faroese language, I am always fascinated with foreigners visiting the Faroes. How does a foreigner, a tourist, experience the Faroes?
- I have been very lucky, working for the BBC World Service and reporting from all over the world: all over Africa, the Indian Ocean, Pacific and Caribbean including: Madagascar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Fiji. Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos etc I have always loved islands. I know very well that living on a small island is not necessarily ‘paradise’ and it can sometimes even be suffocating. So, I am not writing about Faroes in a naïve - góðvarin - way.
- Many visitors fall in love with the rugged beauty of your islands. I did too. But the reason I kept coming back was because of the Faroese friends I made. I have never been given such hospitality and friendship. I hope it is because I also respected the way of life I was being shown. But, I have made genuine friendships with so many people and that I find very emotionally moving. I am honoured to be made to feel so welcome and to be invited into people’s homes. In that way, there is such a strong sense of community here which is priceless. Yes, adapt to the ways of the modern world - but don’t underestimate how rich you already are. People and customs are more valuable than new cars and shiny buildings.
Finally, how would you describe yourself?
- I am a nature lover, but I love meeting people. I studied social anthropology at university, which is of course all about understanding different cultures. But journalism and anthropology are very close. Also, the style of my books is ‘immersive’. I try to understand a place by seeing it from the ground. My descriptive style is lyrical, and it relies on people trusting me so that they show me things properly. I always try to respect that trust. You will see that I give a list of people in the book of some of those who helped me over the past few years when researching the book. They have given me so much. I hope they see the book is written with respect, and deep, deep affection. - Hjartans tøkk til tykkum øll!
