Out of the Backpacks of Babes

Ms Budget Travel apologizes for that comment. Really she does. But, she simply needed to emphasize that she is a tired old broad who has been taught some new tricks by a delightful young budget traveler and she strongly suggests that all of you mouse on over to see him while she reclines on her chaise lounge with a soothing drink. Not that she's hanging up her traveling shoes by any means --- but occasionally swirling in the commercial mire of the Internet one finds a rare jewel, the web page presented by some kind soul who wants to share knowledge and perspective and actually has something to say . . .

At www.travelindependent.info not http://freespace.virgin.net/travel.guru/ you will find Giles Smith's take on traveling after having logged a lot of miles for his relatively young years. Ms Budget Travel raises her wineglass to him in sincere salute.

Now, Giles please don't take offense. Ms Budget Travel thinks the young are very very cute and she is very glad to have them on the planet --- they are especially useful when they are nice young men who assist her when she is struggling with those nasty overhead compartments --- Me Budget Travel is not merely a tired old broad --- she is a short old broad . . . but, Giles, your really wonderful web page brought up some thoughts that Ms Budget Travel can not contain . . .

Things that look the same whether you are twenty or never mind . . .

First and foremost, Giles has it dead right about a lot of things --- when you travel on the cheap you have a much better chance of hooking up with people who are Not Like You, whether it's a backpacker from Belgium or a local in Louisiana, traveling on the cheap means you are more likely to meet people . . . Ms Budget Travel is not altogether sure why that is but she has tested the theory for more years than our new friend Giles has been on the planet and for every conversation you have at the bar in a Hilton you'll have twenty in the cheap pub down the road.

Another thing Giles does is explain and demonstrate how accessible the world is:

"All you really need is a measure of gumption and you are away. I know traveling and place names like Lhasa and Damascus, sounds adventurous, but my grandmother could find her way round most of them (backpackers don't have to be young) and would not be alone in doing so. Tourism is the world's biggest industry and all, but a very, very few places (normally the ones of no real interest or recently struck by war or natural disasters), are well on the beaten track" he tells us, then he provides considerable advice on how it is one does all these things . . .

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