Flashpacking my way through Central America Easier said than done…

I was recently introduced to this concept by Albert, a fellow traveler. This is apparently not a new concept as it already has a Wikipedia entry and references on the most respected travel blogs. I think this is as accurate a description as you could come by for me. I’m a paradox in what I’m finding a land of contradictions. This whole trip seems to be laden with paradoxically comedic travel experiences. Now where was I, yes, explaining “flashpacking”. A “flashpacker” is different from a backpacker primarily because they have more disposable income and are travelling on a larger budget. They tend to use public transportation, backpacks, and stay in hostels. They have the best toys on the market, small laptops (so they don’t have to travel with that clunky MacBook Pro), SLR digital cameras, iPods, iPads, iPhones…you name it! Where your poor college backpacker is cooking all their own meals and trying to live off of $100 a week including lodging, a flashpacker enjoys more meals out and participates in more activities like zip lining and snorkeling tours. I personally like to travel light and do some local shopping as well.

After flashpacking my way through Europe last summer, I’m finding flashpacking in Central America to be much different. Using more buses than trains, adhering to my “No Shorts…Ever” rule is proving harder than I imagined. The roads are often unpaved and schleping my backpack through poverty stricken, depressed towns I feel like more of a flasher than a packer. It’s probably time to dust off the one pair of VERY long shorts I did bring. Crap, I was planning to ditch them in hopes of fitting one more new dress in my suitcase.

written by

kate_hansen2005 on July 1, 2010 from Panama, Panama

from the travel blog: Confessions of a Flashpacker, A California Girl’s Search for the Perfect Beach…

tagged Flashpacker

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