This paper considers participant observation methodology involved in anthropology’s quest to understand and describe the 'other'. My experience as an accidental tourist and my perception of the music festival subculture is used to explore quandaries of representation in a form that will demonstrate the nature of the culture being studied. Analyses of past and modern day fieldwork elucidate critical ethnography as an ever-changing process. Explored are the intricacies of distancing, grounding and multivocality in developing a holistic perspective. Evoking continuity as a guide inspires greater awareness and reaffirms the outcomes.