Gap Yahh!

Far too many years ago I was fortunate enough to travel the oceans blue, or at least the world with a backpack blue. North, Central, South America, Australia and New Zealand, then Thailand and Europe in the late '80s, before settling in (initially West, then reunified) Germany and enjoying traveling around Europe more, and a brief sojourn in Egypt. That was followed by another couple of years in the early 90s traveling in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific before again returning to the UK via the USA.

My wife at a similar time spent well in excess of a year in India, south-east Asia and Nepal. Her experiences were similar - of a backpacking camaraderie, and limited connections with parents and friends at home. She must have been desperate for company maybe - we met in Indonesia and now have a house, three children and two dogs together ;-)

Traveling was always hard work, but rewarding and there were always other travelers to share good times, beers and information with. Contact with "home" was limited, mainly by letter and postcard though expensive phone calls were always an option of course.

Last month my son traveled to India for adventures and a good time. He had the MOST amazing time, particularly driven by his interest in Buddhism. His adventures included those shared by his mum - the Rajasthan desert, Agra and The Taj Mahal, Varanassi's ghats. He also enjoyed areas that I included in some of my travels - watching international cricket live, eating indistinguishable foodstuffs and trying to find a cold beer. All in all a hugely positive experience.

But in the intervening years something has changed. Of course modern communications now mean the monthly postcard proving to your parents that you are still alive is usurped by immediate internet chatting. A regular alarm call (!) at about 0430 every day would wake us as he sent us a "Good Morning" message, and we were able to share his experiences and travels with him as he sent photographs and updates via facebook, and we were able to help investigate queries and check out concerns instantaneously for him - it became very much a shared experience, albeit of course a vicarious one for us. I wasn't sure before how the internet would affect backpacking today, but with this experience I would say it is actually positive.

There is however it would seem - at least in India - a downside to the presence of the internet and immediate comms - and smartphones. In a month of traveling he met ONE other traveler to interact with.  Have a coffee, see some sites (and sights!) together, have a chat with. One. Every other backpacker/traveler he encountered just wasn't interested in any social interaction at all. At best totally indifferent, at worst down right rudeness.  It came to a head in Goa, where in a hostel with a shared communal area he sat with seven other travelers. All of them to a man (or woman) watching youtube videos in silence.  Not even chatting with friends at home - just watching youtube videos. Ignoring everybody else in the room, not engaging, even to chat over making a coffee in the tiny kitchenette provided. Nothing.  "Nada" - as they would have said in South America in 1987.


I would always support people's own reasons for doing something. But simple rudeness and a lack of social cohesion I find very difficult to comprehend and accept. I am very proud of my son, who traveled somewhere totally different from his roots, at what is still really a young age, on his own. But I have to say this from a parent's and ex-traveler's perspective; this is for the (mostly) rest of the backpacking fraternity on the sub-continent... and thanks to George Formby for the meter.

Bless'em all.

bless 'em all! bless 'em all,
the boorish, and with minds so small,
gone to India, to travel and learn,
sat in their hostels avoiding sunburn,
never speaking to others at all,
as back to their smartphones they crawl,
There's no conversation, in the Indian nation,
By gap-yearers less than enthralled! (c) Ian Diddams 2016