rathackman said:
My experience traveling and with some limited overlanding tells me that the bigger and more expensive the vehicle, the further away from the average person in the developing world you become. The extreme of that is of course the many motorhome and rv caravans that drive all over Mexico and as far south as Panama.The next step down is the gigantic Unimog style vehicles, traveling solo, mostly driven by Europeans who are traveling the world. Under that come the many varied rigs and motos, bicycles and etc.
Being a motorcyclist I find that even a larger moto removes you from the average citizens reality in countries where a big bike is 250cc...in fact even travel itself removes you from that as they are mostly caught up in daily survival with little if any time or cash for travel.
I do notice in most travelogues I read by world travel moto riders is that often there is a goal built in... an End to End type of deal....around the world 5 times. Get through these awful places as quick as you can.
I am wondering what kind of experience of the local environment and people a person can have when their rig is worth the yearly gross income of the entire village you are visiting? In fact your yearly income may rival that figure.
How close can you become to them in a fortress with locks on every conceivable opening or removable item?
I have been in villages where my little Mazda truck is almost too wide for the street with carts and cars and trucks and buses and people walking.
I am fortunate enough to belong to a spiritual fellowship that is in nearly every country of the world and is found in even the smallest villages and I have been able to get very close to some folks wherever I go and that to me is the most valuable experience I know. In fact for me alone, that is why I travel...to make friends and to experience as many cultures as I can. My wife is more interested in the natural environment wherever we go...after all her degree is in Geography ;^). So I realize we all have whatever we are interested in.
I am open to education here and actually as a motorhead and ex long haul trucker am enchanted by enormous and well built vehicles and part of me would very much love to have one...then I could go park in East LA and feel safe. ;^)
From looking at readers rides, I do notice that the average member of this forum is mostly a FWD person that mostly travels the states and maybe Baja, so my questions are pointed more to those who actually have some foriegn travel experience.
Cheers,
Brian in NM
Welcome to ExPo- from a fellow lurker. Great forum. Like Martyn, I also encourage local/public forms of transportation when possible. However here are some of my random thoughts-
I think active portrayal of intent has a lot to do with changing people’s perception. While most members on this site are primarily recreational travelers in the US, there are numerous threads here that discuss these aspects of travel in developing countries- and the importance of being friendly, approachable, cautiously generous, and polite. In my experience, locals can very easily pick out the 'tourists', from the 'passers by', from the truly interested travelers. It is amazing how quickly you can attain a high level of intimacy once that intent is recognized. Despite the lumbering Unimog. If you are genuinely iterested in cultures and establishing friendships, the vehicle becomes analagous to a carefully prepared backpack.
You mention “spiritual fellowship”, and there are other “access points” to enjoying similar fellowship (I think that’s a great term BTW). Regardless, they all require an active personal interest. The vehicle almost becomes an afterthought. In my few medical outreach trips in Nepal and North India, when villagers see the satchel’s of TB meds, or signs for free vaccines, the kitted out land rover or shiny new Mahindra becomes virtually inconspicuous.
As a purely recreational traveler, it will require more effort, but relatively simple stuff- buying from the roadside stalls, sharing pictures, learning common phrases - but I believe you can have a goal oriented, “End to End” type of deal- and still be enriched by a cultural, environmental, even spiritually immersive experience. Lastly- and most importantly- be prepared, and expect to be, personally changed by the experience. Anyone who has traveled abroad, especially in developing countries will attest to that. It will also have direct impact on how you present yourself as a respectful ambassador of your own culture.
Lots of good write ups on this forum- there was a link a while back to an incredible motorcycle trip through Angola by a group of S. Africans- I think it may have been on ADV Rider. Perfect example. And they had some expensive bikes. Can't find the link
