There’s a fine line in the media world between creating interesting content and hurting the very people who made it possible. What started as a conversation with a bartender on the quiet beach of Otres in South Western Cambodia, quickly evolved in to a wild story about the Khmer New Year. What should have stayed as a great story to share among travelers quickly evolved into a nightmare to all those involved… thanks to a journalist.
Here’s the story on VICE.com: “OUR ABSINTHE ORGY ON A CAMBODIAN ISLAND MADE THE SPIRITS MAD”
On the island there is a small Absinthe distillery that is rumored to make the strongest Absinthe in the world (High alcohol and lots of wormwood). The island is so small there isn’t much in the way accommodations, so many rely on a campground for a good nights sleep.
Take island camping, lots of alcohol, a reason to celebrate and top it off with people on vacation, what do you get… Obviously a quiet night with a good book (or, maybe drinking and sex). Throw in a journalist with bad intentions and you get this article, with teachers and travelers fearing for their future (this journalist friended one of the people on Facebook and grabbed their names from a photo with everyone tagged. Some were able to get their names removed).
I’m not even going to get into the article because there is so much embellishment anyone reading it can see she had a motive. What I will say is it is a shame that some lack the creativity to entertain and inform without sacrificing the very people who helped them.
Although, just in case I missed something, I think it is my journalistic responsibility to go and check out this island’s Absinthe sex orgy myself. See you in a few days.
PS. Read about how the full moon party got started… I wonder if in a few years people will flock to this island in a similar way for the “Absence ‘Org’anization Party” with full moons lining up and down the beach… just remember you read it here first.
