Remember the Alamo
At the center of San Antonio lies The Alamo, the site of what is probably the most famous battle in Texas’ history and one most every American has heard of at least a few times. I won’t trouble you with a history lesson as there are certainly plenty accounts of it on the Internet. Linky. I will, however, trouble you with something I learned about myself while visiting the monument on a small photography adventure this past Saturday… I despise tourists.
The battle for The Alamo occurred in early 1836 as 200-some Tejano and Texian defenders held off the advancing Mexican army for twelve days before the Mexican forces under General Santa Anna’s command overtook the mission-turned-fortress killing all but two of the defenders in the process. (The Mexicans used to be a regional power? Comical!) This turned out to be a pivotal battle in the Texas Revolution as it spawned the now famous battle cry “Remember the Alamo!” This served as great motivation for the Texian forces later in the war which ultimately resulted in Texan independence. Yadi yadi yada.
Shit… I said I wouldn’t do that. Anyway, as I was saying…
Truly fighting to the last man for the right to self-governance. Pretty romantic, eh? So imagine my interest in heading down there and experiencing some real Texas history! Come to find out, the stark beauty of the once lonely and dusty outpost has been all but destroyed in traditional American style… with a snazzy shopping mall and crappy gift shops complete with all the fanny pack-wearing tourists the place can handle. Alas, it seems that such is the fate of most any meaningful historical site in America.
Fuck, I hate tourists. Having just walked out of the six-story parking garage located nearby and understanding the irony of that first thought, I set about trying to find some lonely corner of the Alamo’s grounds where I could get some decent pictures that might actually take you back to 1836. “Free Snapple!” I looked to my left and saw two young guys in a Snapple-branded truck handing out cold bottles of their company’s flagship product to any freeloader interested. “Free cold Snapple!” My eyes rolled.
I entered the grounds and was immediately confronted by a deaf man hocking his homemade bracelets. “No thanks,” I said and went about my exploring. Can’t you just feel the history? I walked around for a little bit and eventually came upon the view captured in the first picture above. It consists of a beautiful oak tree shading the courtyard in front of the small library on the grounds. There is a fountain beneath the tree that provides a lovely ambiance to the place. Remove the concrete pathways, the tourists and the plastic trash can and you can really feel 1836 seeping out of the scene.
I hung out there for about ten minutes waiting for the other people there to disperse enough so I could take a quality picture, but it didn’t happen and I’m not about to be the “could you kindly get out of the way” photography douche. So I did what I could and snapped a few mediocre pictures. The post-processing is really what made that first one something worth looking at.
And that is basically the story of the rest of the trip. People everywhere ruining the feel of the place. Crying babies, people gathering around some large coy fish, 10-year-old kids sitting on top of 200-year-old cannons making stupid faces and parents stuffing their fanny packs with Alamo refrigerator magnets and picture frames. I would have transitioned to a theme more centered around the people at The Alamo, but my wide-angle lens doesn’t exactly allow that without me having to be intrusive. So I did what I could while I was there. I need a quality zoom lens… maybe a 70-300mm. Anyway, I’ve digressed…
About halfway through my time there is when I realized why I hated tourists so much. Las Vegas! Well, let’s call it a love-hate relationship. I grew up in a city built almost entirely on tourism and fanny packs. I understand the necessity and benefit of getting silly saps to fund the upkeep of historical places. That always comes with trade-offs and that typically means sacrificing some romanticism. Which only furthers my issue. Vegas is entirely fake. Fake tits, fake smiles, new money, spray-on muscles, tanning booths and replica Eiffel Towers. I desperately want some authenticity. So when I go see historical places such as The Alamo, one of the places in America with some real meaning beyond carnal consumerism, and I see people indiscriminately purchasing knick-knacks, it kills me.
I don’t really see a legitimate way to way make things better at the major attractions. Since I can just stomach those types of crowds—and only just—it’s on me to find the lesser known attractions and only partake in the Alamos, Sea Worlds and Strips of the world with great moderation. So that’s the plan… I’ll leave the standard stuff to everyone else and find the more interesting off-beat adventures out there. Who’s coming with?