mattresses

This is just an observation I made. It has nothing to do with the normal posts on this blog. But since there is no sensorsheep here, I can write whatever I want, behold: chimichangas

Anyway

Thanks to modern day technology, traveling has become easier. Digital camera’s or smartphones can show you immediately which one of your thousand shelfies looks best. Apart from digital vanity, a smartphone also offers you 101 gadgets to sat in touch with the home front.

Sometimes I wonder if that is a good thing.

Hostels, pubs, public transport… there is no place you can’t go without encountering people with their phone stuck up in their noses (not literally, of course). And yes, even I am obliged to follow this trend every now and again.

Even though there is nothing wrong with it, this behavior does create a barrier for your fellow travelers. That’s a shame, because the essence about exploring this globe is to get acquainted with new faces, exchange tips and tricks, have a good laugh, share amazing stories…

Ye, yes, I know. It is important that you keep the homefront updated on your personal safety. But must it be done on a daily basis? By keeping daily contact with friends and family, you are mentally travelling hind and fro between your actual destination and the virtual old life. Think about it, wouldn’t it be better to just take in the experience of being somewhere new? You might only travel this way once. And you can open up a facenook session anytime when you’re back home.   

By the way, have you noticed it too? Everywhere we go we can see the signs: “free wifi in here”.

And yes, even I follow those signs. But I wonder what happened to the “breakfast included” offers, or even the “free coffee”. I guess priorities change.

Although there was one hostel that really got my attention: “We have the softest mattresses in Bangkok.” If you might travel through Asia, then you know that this unique selling proposition did the trick. God, I slept well that night.

… Yes, yes you read it correctly: slept; what else would one do in Bangkok at 3 AM? Don’t answer that, please, I really don’t want to know the details.