During a day trip around Maui, Hawaii, the tour guide drew our attention to tourist mishaps on the island.
On the road to Hana, on the easternmost point of Maui, the cliffs were steep and the waterfalls were high. Many of the edges had been cordoned off, but those in search of the perfect travel photo had jumped barriers and bored holes in fences to break through. Some had met their untimely death when they fell onto rocky edges hundreds of feet below, and these incidents made local news.
Aloha is not only a way of living, but it also means hello and, as the tour guide reminded us, goodbye. “Influencer… alohaaaa”, he boomed after each story, as we explored another potentially precarious tourist spot.
Whilst the tour guide’s sinister tales were a warning to us all, they commanded a big question. How much does someone need the perfect shot, that they would risk their lives taking it?
The realisation that you could lose your life whilst trying to impress your Instagram followers is stark. It’s less died doing what she loved and more died living a lie. Died impressing indifferent onlookers. Died crafting the impression of her life she wanted others to believe.
How far for the perfect shot?
