Actually the guys running the place have no business sense whatsoever. Busloads of tourists traipse through the place all day long—stealing stuff, vandalizing. It could be so much better, they could have life-size cardboard cutouts and charge each person off a bus a dinar (~70 cents) to come and take a look. It was really quite sad and run down. They painted the pieces of the set the wrong colors. When Dylan had his Darth Vader get up on one of the guys that worked there asked if he was a Jawa. "You mean you haven't even seen the movie?"
The hotel itself tries to be a Star Wars site and a place where people can see the troglodyte house (how the natives have been living for hundreds of years). They have no idea that nobody cares about the troglodyte business and would much rather see the Star Wars stuff. And there is no clue from the surrounding town that this is there. When you go to Roswell everything is about aliens—Matmata is a one-horse, run-down town, where you sit at a restaurant and its an inconvenience for the staff to serve you. When the "waiter" brings you food it's like he's doing you a favor.
The hotel is one step above camping, the toilets are just bizarre, they have a "mens room" and a "ladies room" but that's a misnomer—the stalls are in a hallway that everybody has to go through to get to their "room".
Despite all that though I was absolutely thrilled to hang out in Luke's house. Stefanie isn't as convinced, but it was definitely a highlight.
We were discussing your visit at supper last night, and I mentioned that Dylan had put his Darth Vader costume on. Their first comment was that Darth Vader didn't actually go to Tatooine. They are very big on getting the details just exactly perfect. Good grief.
It's interesting that they haven't figured out the tourism part of it. I'm surprised some money-grubbing American hasn't come in and "helped" them with that aspect.
I love arguing with 7 year kids, and since details are important, I disagree that he never visited Tatooine...ready for this?
You see, since Darth Vader is the manifestation of the dark side of Anakin, I would say that Vader was present in Anakin all along. It was in fact during a visit to Tatooine that the seeds of Darth Vader were awakened within Anakin--the death of his mother at the hands of the sand people and his subsequent reaction was the beginning of his descent towards evil. While he didn't get the name Darth Vader until Darth Sidious bestowed it upon him after Mace Windu (or Mace Windude as he is known in our house) was thrown from the window on Coruscant (and yet before donning the post-burn mechanical "Vader suit") he was in fact born, both literally and figuratively, on Tatooine. Since Anakin is Darth Vader (and Darth Vader is Anakin) I would say that in the same sense with which Obi-wan told Luke that Vader betrayed and murdered his father that yes he did visit Tatooine, just not in the form that Dylan presented...
Yes, actually, the conversation we had did continue in something of the same vein that you argued in your subsequent comment. Albeit, without the deep psychological commentary. VBG.
"Darth Vader never visited Tattooine"
"Yes he did, Anakin was there. And Anakin became Darth Vader." I don't remember who said what, but that was the gist of the 7 year old conversation at the time. Sorry I didn't report it precisely....
And of course, we can't forget the cheesy shadow on the Lars homestead: Anakin bends over to kiss Padme, and his shadow looks like we are seeing Vader's helmet....
9 comments:
You actually got to STAY there? VERY cool. I bet they do a pretty good business. It's looking a teeny bit run down though...
Sorry, I guess I wasn't dead on there...
I'm in!
Now that I know what this is, even I recognize this. Remember, I saw Star Wars when it came out originally!
ma
Actually the guys running the place have no business sense whatsoever. Busloads of tourists traipse through the place all day long—stealing stuff, vandalizing. It could be so much better, they could have life-size cardboard cutouts and charge each person off a bus a dinar (~70 cents) to come and take a look. It was really quite sad and run down. They painted the pieces of the set the wrong colors. When Dylan had his Darth Vader get up on one of the guys that worked there asked if he was a Jawa. "You mean you haven't even seen the movie?"
The hotel itself tries to be a Star Wars site and a place where people can see the troglodyte house (how the natives have been living for hundreds of years). They have no idea that nobody cares about the troglodyte business and would much rather see the Star Wars stuff. And there is no clue from the surrounding town that this is there. When you go to Roswell everything is about aliens—Matmata is a one-horse, run-down town, where you sit at a restaurant and its an inconvenience for the staff to serve you. When the "waiter" brings you food it's like he's doing you a favor.
The hotel is one step above camping, the toilets are just bizarre, they have a "mens room" and a "ladies room" but that's a misnomer—the stalls are in a hallway that everybody has to go through to get to their "room".
Despite all that though I was absolutely thrilled to hang out in Luke's house. Stefanie isn't as convinced, but it was definitely a highlight.
We were discussing your visit at supper last night, and I mentioned that Dylan had put his Darth Vader costume on. Their first comment was that Darth Vader didn't actually go to Tatooine. They are very big on getting the details just exactly perfect. Good grief.
It's interesting that they haven't figured out the tourism part of it. I'm surprised some money-grubbing American hasn't come in and "helped" them with that aspect.
I love arguing with 7 year kids, and since details are important, I disagree that he never visited Tatooine...ready for this?
You see, since Darth Vader is the manifestation of the dark side of Anakin, I would say that Vader was present in Anakin all along. It was in fact during a visit to Tatooine that the seeds of Darth Vader were awakened within Anakin--the death of his mother at the hands of the sand people and his subsequent reaction was the beginning of his descent towards evil. While he didn't get the name Darth Vader until Darth Sidious bestowed it upon him after Mace Windu (or Mace Windude as he is known in our house) was thrown from the window on Coruscant (and yet before donning the post-burn mechanical "Vader suit") he was in fact born, both literally and figuratively, on Tatooine. Since Anakin is Darth Vader (and Darth Vader is Anakin) I would say that in the same sense with which Obi-wan told Luke that Vader betrayed and murdered his father that yes he did visit Tatooine, just not in the form that Dylan presented...
How's that for tortured logic?
My my aren't you a HUGE GEEK!!!!
How old should Colin be before we let him watch the movies?
You mean he can't already recite dialogue? Shame on you for not already starting the indoctrinatization process.
And yes, huge geek, but you already knew that.
Colin seems a little stuck on Nemo, Elmo and Ernie. Oh and now his new legos!
I keep forgetting to check your blog.
Yes, actually, the conversation we had did continue in something of the same vein that you argued in your subsequent comment. Albeit, without the deep psychological commentary. VBG.
"Darth Vader never visited Tattooine"
"Yes he did, Anakin was there. And Anakin became Darth Vader." I don't remember who said what, but that was the gist of the 7 year old conversation at the time. Sorry I didn't report it precisely....
And of course, we can't forget the cheesy shadow on the Lars homestead: Anakin bends over to kiss Padme, and his shadow looks like we are seeing Vader's helmet....
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