I have created this blog to share the many stories I have from my travels from the 70's to now and the future. In 1976 my ex and I left Australia to follow the famous hippie trail which began in Bali and finished in the UK.
It took us a year to complete traveling through countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Turkey then Greece to London.
Whilst over that side of the world we also did the European travel then spent 15 months in Africa and then finished with 6 months in South America and USA. Overall we were away for 41/2 years.
It was the trip of my life and once my two girls were old enough to travel my second husband and I started again. Overall I have been to approx 60 countries in my lifetime.
As I love to travel I decided to share my tips and experiences with others. So recently I put together a website www.ageing-hipsters-travel.com and that has information about everything the over 50's traveler (or any age) needs to know such as passports, visas, accommodation, cruises and much more.

I will be putting up photos soon from the hippie trail.

BALI 1976

I will begin with our first Asian destination, Bali. I have to admit I suffered badly from culture shock in Bali. For those who went there in the 70's, there were no flash accommodation, most travelers stayed in losmens. These were rooms most often attached to private homes. They were quite comfortable but spartan. The sewers in the main streets stank and I had trouble with the food.
I remember our first morning, we had black rice pudding, bananas and coconut washed down with hot sweet tea. Firstly, I am allergic to bananas and I was a meat and 3 veg girl. We never had rice in our house especially purple rice. (I love it all now)
We were staying in Kuta so went for a stroll down the main drag. Even back then it was very touristy and had similar sellers as you see there now. And yes they hassled you on the beach as they do these days.
It was quite hot (it was August) and the drinks they made from fresh fruit were very refreshing and back then quite a good price of 60rp.
We noted too that the place was floating on grass!!! and we were continually asked to buy heroin, opium or anything. (it wasn't our thing but there were a lot that just hung around Bali for that reason). We found the Balinese girls very beautiful and seemed to be untouched by the western culture creeping into their country. We loved Kuta but even back then it was touristy so we were looking forward to going to the mountains.
Now, when you travel in Bali you take your life into your own hands specifically on the buses or bemos. I think I counted 12 crammed onto a bemo once.
They drove like maniacs and once we were going around a mountain in a bus and a motorcyclist decided to overtake (on a bend) and a bus came around the corner. The motorcyclist was almost squashed between two buses. He emerged from this with a big smile on his face.
I think I have many bus horror stories to share with you on my travels in later posts.
The next posting I will share our travels into the mountains of Bali.