Home is just an internet cafe away…
The world changes rapidly due to the developments in the information and technology industry. Digital cameras are affordable for everyone. Mobile phones allow you to be reachable all over the globe. With a few clicks and searches on the world wide web, information on just about every topic sits right in front of you on your computer screen. And many new services have sprung from the existence and growth of the internet as well. Things that wouldn’t have been deemed possible 20 years ago, are happening today.
All of these developments have had their impact on travelling too, obviously. Today’s backpacker carries a digital camera, an i-pod and a mobile phone. Shoots at least a dozen digital pictures daily, uses a weblog to show the world’s marvels to friends & family back at home and listens to the favourite MP3s during long bus rides. Internet cafes are experiencing peak times, as travellers book their flights and hostels online, extend their travel insurance by simply logging on to the company’s website and entering their new return date. Credit cards take care of the rest.
Are these developments bad? I don’t think so. I’m exactly the same, you see. New technologies and the internet have simply made backpacking and all the fuss around it a whole lot easier. It’s easier to leave, to find info, to plan ahead, to change your itinerary, and to keep in touch with the home front. The world doesn’t seem that scary and huge anymore, because home is just an internet cafe away. The only disadvantage is that all these high-tech gadgets make the old-fashioned ‘magic of travelling the world’ disappear a bit, but then again… travelling never has been magical. Only the memories are.
James
