Is The Magic Gone In Travel?

[craigt3365]

I recently met this guy at a meetup.com international travel group event. I read this article and found it interesting. Thought I would share it. Amazing at how things have changed so rapidly in the past 10 years or so.

He's into rallies. If anybody else is interested in these, he's a good guy to chat with. I understand one is coming up in Cambodia soon.

Has travel lost its magic? What happened to discovery and kismet and awe? Are there no surprises left?

I strolled down Peace Avenue, the main thoroughfare, in Ulaan Batar, it was cool yet sunny. My black Columbia jacket was zipped up to my chin. One eye rested on Google Maps on my iPhone, the other on the oncoming pedestrians. I had purchased a local Mongolian SIM card and was gobbling up data on the local network. My hunger grew, and I spied a restaurant. I inputted the name of the restaurant in TripAdvisor, and decided to pass. Other travelers had only provided a 3 star rating to the Italian restaurant. I decided I had a taste for Mexican. I Googled Mexican restaurants in UB and found my mark. I waived down a taxi and directed the older driver in Russian to my destination. This was courtesy of Google Translate (Mongolian is not available yet). While on route, I Skyped my Dad in Boston to say hi, and followed up by Face Timing my god-daughter also in Boston. She beamed. She quickly compiled a gift list, which I promised to DHL her. As I munched on some quesadillas my phone chimed. It was Narantsetseg, we had met on Couchsurfing.com, and we planned to meet later that evening at my hostel. I had chosen Zaya Guest House, a cozy and clean option in the city center. I had compared and read reviews of different accommodation on Hostel World.

The land of Genghis Khan. Alien terra firma nestled between a fading and bitter super power, Russia, and juggernaut China. Populating my mind were visions of horses galloping across the steppes, Buddhist monks chanting in isolated monasteries, and felt-wrapped gers dotting the open-sky horizon. Exotic and mysterious. Isolated and wild. Yet, was that really the case?

continued:

http://globalgaz.com/magic-gone-travel/

[SoiBiker]

Sounds like he's just got a bit jaded and needs to go home for a while.

[BookMan]

Sounds like he's just got a bit jaded and needs to go home for a while.

Maybe he needs to go offline for a while

[craigt3365]

I remember my first big trip back in 2001. Traveling around the world for a few years. Didn't have smart phones, no tablets, forget wifi/facebook/instagram/etc. Need to use a computer? Hit the internet shop.

We did a trip recently to Poland and did use a lot of technology. Some of it was good, but we didn't over use it. Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

[SoiBiker]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

[keestha]

I did altogether years of traveling in the seventies, eighties and nineties.

Changes are not always due to high tech stuff. Too easy now to move from one lonely planet recommended guesthouse to the other, where banana pancake with honey will be on the menu, the place possibly being run by a western ex traveler. The guesthouse selling tickets to the inevitable next destination, minivan picking you up at 07.30, and dropping you off at the doorstep of the next guesthouse.

On another note, a generation of travelers is coming who don't need guide books, taking all their information online. What beats a Whatsapp group of travelers who are in Hanoi right now, you can ask them if it is easy to find a room and which guesthouse is the place to go spot.

[NeverSure]

It hasn't been that long ago that all of this wasn't available and we traveled. Yes we found that wonderful restaurant in an alley. Sometimes we were disappointed.

This is when I learned to like guided tours. This is when I learned to pick a spot and stay nearby.

I have some wonderful memories of things that happened by accident (an awesome restaurant in a basement just a couple of blocks from the main entrance to The Vatican, and a place I'd like to go once a month for chicken curry in India) but either don't be in a hurry or be early if time is crucial.

Maybe the guy has had enough of his style and needs to switch gears.

[craigt3365]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

That's a bit true, but there's only so many pages dedicated to a place like, say, Samui. Hard to just sit and read the few pages dedicated to that area for very long. With an internet connection, you can waste a whole day! 5555

[samuibeachcomber]

depends at what age you are, looking at this question I'm in my 60's now and did all my travelling from 1970-1980...no cell phones,I phones etc,cant even remember if there was a "lonely planets guide book".As a traveller then we got all our info from word of mouth...only travellers/backpackers were westerner's.

Now everyone travels with guide books,i phones and connection to everyone is instant...so i think this means that there is no magic left in discovery on your own.

Add to this, cheap travel(air fares) and millions are now at it,i cant think of anywhere that would still remain untapped.I am sure the young 20-30 year old's dont see it this way and enjoy their travels just as much as i did mine.Am just seeing it from a bye gone era.

[SoiBiker]

Of course you can still discover things on your own. A guidebook doesn't force you to obey it. You can step off the beaten path any time you like.

[NeverSure]

If the reason for a trip is to see something new, then the goal is to be there to see, to smell, to taste the food, to experience the people...

Sometimes we either get into too much of a hurry or we try to do too much, or both. If the stress level goes up, the fun goes down and it's time to stop and reassess the plan.

[craigt3365]

Of course you can still discover things on your own. A guidebook doesn't force you to obey it. You can step off the beaten path any time you like.

Exactly! I do like guide books, but don't use them as a bible. Just a reference source. I've found many very interesting things via guide books. And many more by just exploring on my own.

I did a long trip back in 1984 from the US to Europe. No guide book, just hit the road. But had a car, so that made it a bit easier to really get off the beaten path!!

[villagefarang]

Through the jaundiced eye of someone who began traveling in his early 20s, during the 70s and 80s, this new world can sometimes seem strange and unfamiliar. I enjoyed the way I discovered things back then but from what I have seen, there is no lack of awe with modern travelers, it is just different.

It doesn’t bother me if they want to do things differently and I will continue to do things my way. I can see how it might be difficult for the author to get that buzz after 80 countries and years of extensive travel but I am not sure that is grounds for questioning the way others travel. I think people spend too much time judging how others choose to live their lives. It doesn’t need to subtract from your enjoyment, that others do things differently.

[samuibeachcomber]

Of course you can still discover things on your own. A guidebook doesn't force you to obey it. You can step off the beaten path any time you like.

Exactly! I do like guide books, but don't use them as a bible. Just a reference source. I've found many very interesting things via guide books. And many more by just exploring on my own.

I did a long trip back in 1984 from the US to Europe. No guide book, just hit the road. But had a car, so that made it a bit easier to really get off the beaten path!!

you had it easy. In 1972,I hitch hiked from rotterdam to singapore,took me 5 months,then an old cargo boat to sydney via port moresby,townsville..Sorry i could n't resist posting.I know others will have amazing stories too.

[CNXBKKMAN]

This guy is in Mongolia using a smartphone to choose an Italian or Mexican restaurant! This kind of traveller may never be able to find any magic. First thing turn the phone off and put it away. Next thing wander out to look for Mongolian restaurant full of locals and order some local food. Ask a local for a recommendation just by talking to them. Next thing you know they are guiding you to the best place, inviting you to see their yurt etc etc.

[JLCrab]

My Asia travel started in 1988 with trips to PRChina visiting agricultural regions where they had never seen a white person on site.

My last trip to USA was November 2014 and before that I hadn't been in an airport for almost 2 years and, these days, that is just fine by me.

[Denim]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

This is true. I once got of a train at Ayudhaya along with about 15 back packers. Everyone single one of them had a lonely planet guidebook in their hands open at the relevant page. Kind of amusing really. Not so much traveling as following in the holy wake of Tony and Maureen.

[uptheos]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

They weren't playing candy crush in their guide book.

[SoiBiker]

In many ways technology has made adventurous travel more accessible. It's much easier to pluck up the confidence to just go randomly walking in a new city and see what you can find, when you know you have Google maps in your pocket to guide you back to your hotel.

[samuibeachcomber]

This guy is in Mongolia using a smartphone to choose an Italian or Mexican restaurant! This kind of traveller may never be able to find any magic. First thing turn the phone off and put it away. Next thing wander out to look for Mongolian restaurant full of locals and order some local food. Ask a local for a recommendation just by talking to them. Next thing you know they are guiding you to the best place, inviting you to see their yurt etc etc.

It's called "technology addiction".

[maidee]

sounds like someone is promoting Couchsurfing website, FOR FREE

[craigt3365]

sounds like someone is promoting Couchsurfing website, FOR FREE

How is that? I know this guy and found this article interesting. I don't think he actually does couch surfing. I know I sure don't.

I put up articles here all the time that I think might be of interest to others...and hopefully start a nice discussion. Couch surfing would actually be an interesting topic for discussion....hmmm....

[Lee4Life]

Sounds like he's just got a bit jaded and needs to go home for a while.

Maybe he needs to go offline for a while

Exactly! Being "connected" is supposed to make our lives easier, we are supposed to be able to get more done and have more down time, but the truth is that it takes over lives if you're not careful. I should know

[keestha]

Crazy to see backpackers in Thailand all staring down at their smart phone rather than enjoying the surroundings.

They used to stare down at a guidebook. Now they stare at a smart phone instead. Don't see much difference.

This is true. I once got of a train at Ayudhaya along with about 15 back packers. Everyone single one of them had a lonely planet guidebook in their hands open at the relevant page. Kind of amusing really. Not so much traveling as following in the holy wake of Tony and Maureen.

Hehehe.......From 1994 till 2000 I had a guesthouse in Hua Hin. I certainly wasn't hustling for customers on the street on a regular basis, but when I saw backpack carrying farangs I occasionally asked them if they were looking for a room. They very often inquired what the name of my guesthouse was, and then looked into the Lonely Planet. When I said to them "I am sorry, I am not in the Holy Lonely Planet Bible", they looked at me in a strange way. My argument that places mentioned in the Lonely Planet are more expensive because they are assured of a steady flow of customers always failed to impress them.

[craigt3365]

I learned early on to avoid places listed in guide books, but to find similar places nearby. Many great hotels are not listed in these books and many are not even on the various hotel booking websites.

[alanrchase]

Quite happy I no longer have to go to an airport three or four times a year.

[sunshine51]

When I was a kid...my travel was with mom, dad & dog. Dad was in the Navy
and we moved quite a lot...at least every three years. Mostly between the West
Coast of the US and Asia with the addition of a stint in Key West Florida from
1961-1964...that was an interesting time for reasons some of you may remember.

After two years in university a friend of mine & I decided to hitchike to the
East Coast of the USA...with surfboards...this was 1968. We were away
from "school" long enough for the university to send the mandatory report
to the Selective Service people informing them of our absence and those nice
folks sent me a lovely letter in return...."Gongratulations...You have been
selected...blah...blah...blah.

So I quickly joined the Army instead of being drafted...at least I had some
choices as a "volunteer" instead of no choices as a draftee.

My travels for the first 10 years of amy dult life were taken care of by the USG.
They paid all the expenses, insured I had some basic language lessons for the
region I was traveling to, gave a pretty good heap of info about the place also
and on top of all that nice stuff...they even paid me a good, well ok anyway,
wage whilst traveling under their direction.

It wasn't odd that the USG & Army sent me traveling in Southeast Asia since
they must have figured out that perhaps I liked Asia in general since I spent
so much of my early youth there. And they were right...I did like it a lot.
But they could have kept the guns instead of issuing a few to me. Anyway,
that's life I guess.

When one travels there is always a culure shock syndrome because the way
of life where you travel to is not like the way of life where you were raised.
And once you get used to the way of life where you have traveled to, you will
go through another culture shock when you return to where you were raised,
or "home".

After eight years of almost continuous assignments in Asia, I returned to the
USA. I returned to a very strange country. I was spit on at SFO upon arrival
(SFO=San Francisco International Airport), called all kinds of nasty names
by people I didn't know and given a ride home by the SFPD after they forgave
me for beating the crap outta the guy who spit on me since if he had spit on
their uniform, hence them, they would have beaten the crap outta him too.

When mid 1979 rolls around I find myself working (as a civilian) in Saudi
Arabia. I had managed to sit through 4 days of very boring talks & watching
some vids about the place, which pretty much told me what I couldn't do
in "the Kingdom" and summed up two things very well...1. Why the pay was
really good. 2....Why I had 30 days fully paid vacation (holiday) every 90 days.

So expecting no nookie & beer upon arrival and for the first 90 days, I was
really surprised when the feller who fetched me from the airport at zero
dark thirty and drove me to our villa said...."Welcome to Saudi!"...opened
the front door where another feller handed me what looked like a pint
mug of KoolAid but instead was a very nice wine and I saw chicks at my
welcome to Saudi party...plenty of chicks. They worked for various hospitals
& a few for Saudia...Saudi's airline.

Right then & there, at the party, I got the lay of the land so to speak.
What can & cannot be done, how to stay outta jail, places to go on holiday,
that we had a great "beach compound", a bowl of hash handed to me
by some Brit who said...U smoke this shit...yes I do thanks...etc...etc...etc.

Reverse culture shock again! I was gobsmacked to say the least...so much
for all that stuff in the orientation thing I sat through...I think I'm gonna like
working in Saudi...a lot. And I did. That's why I completed my initial contract
and stayed on for 3 more years. It wasn't just the money...I liked me job.

When my first 30 day holiday period came up I didn't head back to CONUS,
I stayed in Saudi & explored the country with a new found friend...a young
member of the Royal family...a "black prince", one who will never become
King but who weilded heaps of family power & money. And he showed me
the entire nation. That was really neat and because of him I was able to
see places other qwajis (foreigners) would be shot trying to visit. Back
then Saudi didn't have tourism. In fact they were paranoid about it. They
still are today but have relaxed somewhat.

My next holiday I went to Aussie to visit an ex Aussie Army buddy I had
known in the war years. I had never been to Aussie before this and I
had a great time in Darwin...& a lot of NT.

I holiday'd in Europe, the Canary Islands, the Seychelles (beaut but $$$$),
and a lotta holidays were spent in Southeast Asia. Holiday travel was by
train, bus, car and minimal air travel once in the country of my holiday.

Remembering an old trick from this Army Major who always had a fox
hanging off his arm (pick a nice one & stick with her Lieutenant...it's safer.)
I'd find a lass...usually in a bar but not always...who was pleasing on me
eyes & had great talents, English being one of the most important, arrange
a small financial transaction with mommasan or pappasan and off we'd go.
Traveling like this solved two very important matters; the first being there
was always someone who spoke the local language very well and secondly,
I got laid a lot. There was a third bit too...we would have immense sanuk!
The benefits for the lass were also immense, one being she got outta her
place of employ (a holiday) and secondly...her fincial standing increased
somewhat...while thirdly...she'd eat really good! I'm sure here were more
benefits too although I never made inquiries.

Where would we go? Any damn place we desired.

There were no electronic gadgets like today back then. We'd go to a
bookstore and get a good map/chart & make plans. Then get the tickets
or book a car & driver...or just the car...and simply go. The adventure
was getting there.

The sights at the location were just part of it all...not the main bang so
to speak. Local knowledge of areas we'd be in would let us get to places
not many tourista's would venture into. That was always neat. Still is
today when you find one of these places.

The GPS back then was someone at a local gas station, store, coffee
shop, food stall, farm house, kid on a bike...etc.

And in the pre electronic gadget days...travel was fun!

As it still is and should be.

I liked the OP's article. The author is just describing what todays tech
can enable you to do whilst traveling that, when compared to how we
traveled 20+ and more years ago, seems mind boggling and perhaps
a bit scary...maybe knowing someone else who you don't know, may
know where your at right down to less than 50 meter Lat-Long when
you sent that neat pic of sunset at...name your place.

Had these gadgets been available back in 1968 when me my friend
hitched the US with surfboards, would we have used the stuff?
You bet we would have! But we just had a map of the US we picked up
at a truck stop...and it worked very well.

One thing about traveling with these all enabling gadgets today...you
can always turn them off & remove the battery. Or accidentally
leave em at home...on purpose.

Still....the commercialisation of the world is happening at an alarming
rate and how much longer will say...Burma or Bhutan...remain the way
they are at the moment? The "suits" are already in these places....
and the days of individualism of nations is a thing of the past.

Anyway...when you travel...take your digital camera and take lots of
pictures.

[Chivas]

I think the Magic of Travel to Thailand has gone for many Brits and Aussies due to heavy declines in Exchange Rates.

As always our Cousins from across the Pond remain impervious.....

[micmichd]

Travelled all the way down A1 Highway in 1969, from Istanbul to Singapore. All overland or boat, never any aircraft. No travel guide, no mobile, no Internet.

Not much left for adventures today...

[CNXBKKMAN]

If someone over landed from Istanbul to Singapore today it would still be an adventure. People are on buses, trains, cycling this route now as I type. There's all sorts of adventure out there it hasn't ended because of the internet but it's a lot easier to plan and research and get the confidence to set off.

I was sat on rock having drink on a disused road at Mae Kuang Dam near Chiang Mai. Very peaceful and a beautiful spot. I had to climb over a barrier with my bike to get on this road. Vegetation had taken over and the road had turned into a narrow path.

Sitting on a rock in the shade having a drink and some bananas and a young swiss guy comes along, first time in Thailand. He had just walked from the city to the dam about 20km using his smartphone as a gps. He was walking to Chiang Rai! Well over 160km on his route through the hills! He had built a trailer type thing out of bamboo, fastened , glued and varnished. It looked very well made. It attached to his waist and as he walked it rolled behind him. A bit like a 2 wheel luggage trolley. His backpack and camping stuff were tied down on it. He had enough water for few days.I was amazed. He said he only decided to go a week earlier and started building his trailer thing. After CR he said he was walking to Lao! He was loving it. Adventure and magic is still out there, just got to do it.

Edited April 11, 2015 by CNXBKKMAN