Me and the Girlfriend are going on a little backpacking tour this winter, so I spend a bit of thought on this very same issue. Sure enough the term 'Backpacking' brings images of gap year tipes, drunks and boring tales of youth hostels to mind.
But then again, thinking about motorbiking one might as well think about mid 40ish Lawyers and Accountants riding to their coffee break on underridden and overpayed harleys. Image is just not important, what you do with your spare times and ressources is!
So when we (seasoned, experienced and weathered travelleres, that we are) say backpacking we just mean travelling without much of anything and especially without our own means of transportation and relying on local infrastructure instead. So:
Quote:
Originally Posted by tedmagnum
Then I think back to those buses full of 18 year old kids on "study breaks", 10 hour coach journeys to another tourist rip off destination, being stuck in overcrowded hostels near the bus stations...
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This has nothing at all to do with how you travel and all with what type of trip you are doing. Never met the guy on a shiny new motorbike traveling between overpriced hotels and hanging out with foreigners?
So wether your trip is just an exercise of endurance and socializing with other westerners or a remarkable experience does not depend on the means you do it with, but on how you do it.
Backpacking, Motorbiking, Kajaking, Walking, Sailing, Pogo-Sticking, whatever floats your boat!
Edit: Fixed a broken quote tag.
Last edited by buebo; 15 Nov 2009 at 10:16.
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