I had just hitchhiked from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, to the town of Mikkeli. During my university summer vacation, I was assigned a student exchange job at the local TVH (Ministry of Industry). It was Sunday afternoon and the office was closed. I didn't know any Finnish beyond “good morning,” so I entered the drugstore thinking that people who worked in the pharmaceutical industry would probably be able to speak some English, which turned out to be true. I did. When I asked about cheap accommodation, the kind assistant took pity on me and told me in English to come back in an hour after work. Soon I had dinner with her and her family and then slept on the couch. The next morning I went to the Ministry of Works office (where I quickly acquired the name “Musta Parta” (Blackbeard)). These days, my iPhone will take care of me, but at what price will I trade my innocence?
“Musta Parta” with a temporary Finnish boss, 1962. (Barry Evans)
That was in 1962. When Luisa and I travel, little things remind us of the difference between then and now. I mean, how much easier is it now? For example, reading a Kindle book on my 7-ounce iPhone last night reminded me of riding through the mountains of Spain with three heavy books in the back of my bike in the '80s.
Let's count some other ways to make traveling in 2024 easier than it was back then.
money
Do you remember Traveler's Checks (Amex) or Traveler's Checks (Thomas Cook)? Forty years ago, when I tried to cash a Cook check (bought in the UK a month earlier) at the only bank in the town of Nuwara Eliya. It reminded me of these two types that are popular in Sri Lanka. “Sorry, we only accept American Express. I have to go to Kandy for Thomas Cook.'' 2 After a half-day trip, I returned triumphantly with Rs. I did. U.S. bank debit cards are now accepted at nearly every ATM machine around the world. Oh yeah, you can now use the euro in most parts of Europe and you won't have to change currency at the border.
map
I'm a Queen's Scout (the original British version of Eagle Scout), so the map and compass were on the territory, so to speak. Anyone who has ever ridden a bike in France knows the satisfaction of using Michelin's 1:100,000 paper map. Just stick to the yellow roads (paved back roads that are everywhere) and you'll be fine. Of course, these days, you tell your girlfriend Google (her?) and Google will plot your route, whether by foot, bike, or car. The ultimate magic, but it also includes knowing what time the bus or train leaves for your destination, where and when to transfer.
In 1963, I drove on the east-west highway through Bulgaria. (Barry Evans)
reservation
That's booking.com for us. In the past, people would arrive on foot, by bike, or by bus without knowing where they would spend the night. Sure, there were some close calls (pitting a tent in a hotel courtyard in Athens or a haystack in Finland), but we never lacked for accommodation, but we arrived somewhere tired (and often wet). And the sheer luxury of knowing the room was already booked was awesome. There is no equivalent. In Mexico, where long-distance bus travel reminds us of business class on an airplane, it's very convenient to reserve your seat online in advance.
Uber
— and its many clones. How many times has Uber saved us from flying into Gatwick (UK) at 2am to returning to our hotel from a remote Roman ruin in Bulgaria an hour away? Call Uber There is a downside to being easy. Hitchhiking was easy back then. We still hitchhike despite being advised not to (in Lebanon, every driver who picks us up gives us a lecture on why they do it). (You shouldn't hitchhike there!) But somehow the casual, carefree nature of hitchhiking is why someone always chooses to hitchhike. us up — Looks like you've gone the route of steel frame bikes.
communication
Aerogram! telegram! telex! Phone booth! Local delivery/post office delivery! Need I say more?
In 1960, you could stay in a (very basic) Scottish youth hostel like this one for 3 shillings (about $3 today). (Barry Evans)
Everything has become so much easier for travelers these days and at this age I appreciate it all. And yet… The me who found a way to find someone who speaks English in a small town in Finland, the me who drove to Istanbul in a funky van with 5 other of his students while waiting for the final results, the half I miss myself for reaching this point. The width of Scotland where a bicycle wheel was crushed.
If you have to go, you have to check the bus schedule and reserve your seat online.
