Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In many places they're a lifeline for local people - to small farmers or traders, to families
separated by war, poverty or natural disaster or a way of bringing education to children in
isolated villages across the developing world - and, like any other kind of café, a place of
crucial social interaction.
Equally if you are travelling independently and following your whims where better than to
check with other backpackers for decent places to stay or get an idea of local customs and
prices for food, transport, entertainment, whatever?
So even if you're travelling with the latest in e-technology it's worth taking your netbook
or laptop to an internet café for a wi-fi hook-up. You'll get as much info from the people as
you can from the machine!
Perhaps we should also include one note of caution - look for cafés with open spaces not
curtained booths. Very often, particularly in very traditional societies where there is only
minimal contact permitted between unmarried boys and girls, internet cafes with computers
in closed booths are often male-only territory - and a place to check out the latest in 'adult'
entertainment... not a good place to go if you're a female gapper just wanting to check her
email and say hi to mum!
Online journals
Another easy way to keep everyone up-to-date is to set up a travel blog - as many people
now do. On Facebook, your photos and comments will be available only to your 'friends'
(unless you relax the privacy settings for a particular album) but there is the added advant-
age of being able to send messages and pictures to specific people without having to re-
member their email address, providing, of course, they too have a Facebook page.
Other sites you might like to check out are:
And finally... back to earth
We've talked to enough people who've already taken a gap to know that returning home
can be a shock to the system.
Returning to ordinary life takes time. It doesn't matter when you took your gap, you're
likely to still go through the same sequence of feelings over the three months it generally
takes to readjust.
