Nomad Old Farts' Guestbook

Catch up
Just for the record, our eldest son married a delightful American lass and they now live with their two kids, 10 and 8, in Annandale, Virginia. Pre-Covid, Joan and I were regular June/July visitors but unfortunately have missed the last two cycles. We are targetting at this stage the kids' Spring break next March as our likely first opportunity to get over there. When we get something fixed, I let you know with plenty of time and you never know what we might be able to tee up.

Early Travels
You're right, Bob. Many things have changed since the '70s (sadly, including us!) and the overland Asia to London bus trip that was almost the 'right of passage' for young Aussies has been one of the casualties. They really stopped in 1980 when the Ayatollahs made it hard for Westerners to visit Iran but I think the final straw was when the tour companies were unable to secure travel insurance any more. I'm not sure Afghanistan would be high on my visit list right now, but it was a great experience at that time. I have indeed been back to many of those countries since then, including a business visit back to Iran in 2004. As you will note from my recent blogs, I favour travel in remote and/or developing countries as they have much more character, and also where possible, I enjoy travelling alone. I like to make my own itinerary and sleep, eat and commute as far as possible in local fashion to get the real feel of that location, although my lodgings have probably moved up from 1 to 2 star, or if I want some luxury to 3 star! However, when Joan and I make our annual visits (ie pre-covid) to your part of the world to see our grandkids in Virginia, we go up-market as Joan likes her comforts these days and that's her treat. I think if you and I ever got the chance to catch up Bob, and I'd love that to happen some day, I think we would bore the hell out of each other with our travel stories!

Please don't respond
Hey guys, this is a travel blog, not a forum for you to do advertising of your business.

1974
I understand your point completely. We potentially react differently to the same situation at different stages of our lives as we bring to the table a wider range of prior experiences and an added maturity at an older age. I know my life would certainly have been a lot different if I hadn't done these travels in 1974. As you will see soon, if you don't get bored with reading my blogs, I actually met my future wife during my travels in September of that year. Currently, we are still at June.

Memories
I don't think I'd better associate any further with a man of your criminal background, John! I look forward to hearing that story but if you are linking your memories with my visited locations, that one will have to wait a while. I'm guessing Italy is still a least a dozen blogs away and Yugoslavia maybe as many as twenty, unless I lose my enthusiasm in the meantime.

Bulgaria
I'd love to go back and see what those communist countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Poland etc are like almost 50 years on and free from the Soviet umbrella. I expect not much the same except the scenery and the buildings!