Travel has changed so much in the past few years – during my latest trip abroad, this time to Myanmar, some of these changes were quite noticeable. Long gone are the days of Internet cafes where one would see travelers hunched over keypads staring at klutzy box like computer screens – often in the mornings or evenings after spending the day sightseeing.
Today one is more likely to see one staring at a mobile phone – with travelers having figured out that purchasing sim cards abroad with a data plan is a cheap way to stay connected. Or perhaps using a more affordable roaming plan (still pricey but certainly cheaper then they used to be when roaming).
Gas powered scooters for rent? Yes there are plenty of these still in select tourist locations around the world – but during a recent visit to Bagan electric scooters for rent seemed to outnumber gasoline powered ones.
And gone are the days where one had to pull over to the side of the road to study printed maps or pull over to ask directions.
Case in point. I was racing down a dirt road today on an electric scooter in rural Myanmar trying to find my way back to the guesthouse near Bagan. I passed small villages, at one point I was surrounded by a herd of white cattle – I stopped the electric bike and they continued to flow around me leaving me feeling their hot breaths as they loped on by. I was here because of Google maps – it said this was the fastest route to my guesthouse. Remarkably even tiny dirt almost trail size paths were listed on my route – bringing me through a very rural part of the countryside I would have never found on my own.
Driving down dusty paths past villagers doing laundry, cooking and eating outside at dusk while dodging cattle and dogs made for a memorable experience.
But of course these recent developments in technology pale in comparison to the age of the 2,000+ still standing pagodas in the area. They were constructed roughly over a period of 250 years from 1044 to 1287. And one doesn’t need a mobile phone or an electric scooter to visit them 🙂
A friend recently went to Egypt, she said it is good to always stay connected to internet by having a local sim card on your cell. For example, a cab driver tried to rip her off by charging an exorbitant fare for only a mile ride out of town, thanks to the mobile date on the phone, a quick Google map search prevented the scam from playing out.
Thanks Teh – yea, even having google maps pre loaded on your phone when traveling can help quickly spot any ‘long way’ around trips by nefarious drivers.
Wow, what a beautiful post. This is the first time I visited your blog and its so amazing. I am highly motivated. Thanks for sharing the information and Happy Traveling.
That’s such a great piece of information. Thanks for sharing.
Nice insights Dave 🙂
Awesome post. Thanks for sharing.
Hey, I really had no idea about it. Great post.
A friend recently went to Egypt, she said it is good to always stay connected to internet by having a local sim card on your cell.
Vishwa – yes, that is good advice. In general, getting a SIM card is a great way to save money on communication while travelling and remain connected w/o having to worry about high international roaming rates and or paying high priced international roaming plans from your local carrier.
I have been renting scooters eversince I have started travelling (if the place permits). I just love strolling through the area using it and I get to really enjoy the local sceneries, although I got stabbed once because of that but hey that’s a lesson learned.
I think the old era visit would always be memorable and mesmerizing.Now a days people in their visit, less enjoy the beauty and focus more on phones,selfies.photos,videos.They keep calling friends,family. But in past world without technology,people just used to enjoy their time forgetting everything they had and used to live in their trips. They had only one thing that is eye to capture scenery. So they were more relaxed,focused and enjoyable in my view.I love those eras of reality rather than this era of simulation.
That is a good information Dave