An Old Fart on your GAP Adventure??

[Bigfeet]

So anyway, I apparently am an Old Fart. No big deal except I don’t really feel it. I just consider myself experienced. Looking at the website though, most of the travellers here look between 20-30. I can tell you, I am quite a bit older than that.

In my youth I backpacked places that you can’t even get to now, but it has been a long time since I last travelled. Now, through no fault of my own, (ok..maybe a little bit my own fault!) I find myself single again and have got the travel bug.

All my friends are off doing 14 day luxury coach tours of the Castles of France, or visiting the classic gardens of England whilst staying in 4 star hotels....BORING!!!

I might look old, but I am young at heart, mind and spirit, I might not beat you up that mountain...but hey...it’s not a race anyway is it? But I’ll meet you at the top and admire the sunset just as awestruck as you. Don’t think I am not feeling the same child-like wonder you are if we happen to catch a glimpse of a tiger in the wild.

So my question to you is: What would you think if an Old Fart like me decided to come on one of the GAP adventures you were on?

[gazzaman]

Hi there Bigfeet,

To be honest with you (as much of a cliche as it sounds) age is nothing but a number! I would most definitely be up for hearing all about your previous travels - I'm sure you have loads of cool tales to tell. So long as you are up for a bit of adventure, I reckon you can fit in on a GAP trip - no matter whether you are 18 or 80!

Hope you get out and see more of the world - life's too short for second thoughts I say. Go with your instincts!

Jeez, I didn't mean this post to turn into a big long string of cliches and sayings, but it appears that I kinda failed on that count!

[RichieRich]

It truly does not matter. I guess one of the things one hopes for after deciding on and booking a destination, is a good group of people to experience it with.

The beauty of it all is that you already have something in common with everyone you are travelling with, a love of travel and adventure. I think the age thing will only bother you if you let it and you don't sound like that person.

Have a great time wherever you end up going.

[travelling_on]

We are seniors and have travelled several times with Gap which is certainly NOT a boring way to go ...You will find as many seniors as "young" people which shows you there are lots of us feel that we are not past our "best by" date yet...........Go ahead...someday is NOW.

[Reditor]

Hey Bigfeet, and welcome....
This is a great topic and not limited to "Asia" only so one of our moderators may move it to general discussions....
Take a look at this thread too, for some interesting insights:
Am I Too old?

You'll find the mix of ages and people in this forum mimics that of our tours.....!

[2broke2travel]

Hi Bigfeet,

I'm in my very early thirties and have done two GAP trips. On both of the trips the ages ranged from 19 to 65. I can honestly say that on both trips that every member of the group bonded with each other. GAP travel is known for providing an "experience" so most of the people you travel with will have like minded interests regardless of age. They are there to enjoy the culture, the environment, and get their hands dirty. Younger people who want to drink their faces off and hang out only with similar age groups usually go on the Contiki trips which are specifically designed for that type of travel.

You should DEFINATELY take the plunge on a GAP adventure. You will absolutely enjoy it!! My GAP trip #3 is only 6 weeks away!! (as long as the political strife in Thailand cools down a bit....)

Happy Travels!!

Mike

[jimshu]

Well, this mod hadn't had his morning coffee so we're going to see this thread jumping around until Reditor can kick us out of Forum Rules.Sorry about that.
But I will be editing the thread head because as I'm approaching that old f**t age myself, I draw the line at anyone calling me 'old'!F**t you can get away with.
On these sorts of trips, there's usually a good proportion of mature aged travellers, because we've kicked the kids out of the nest, had succesful careers, and can now travel again, spending the kids inheritance!.
And yes. We know what you mean about friends doing the luxury coach/hotel tours.8 of our friends are off cruising this year!But ask them to come with us to Africa and they tell us we're mad.
Can't blame them somehow.Each to their own.And sure , there are times on GAP style trips, when the dust is everywhere, the locals are in your face,the crush of bodies at border crossing visa checkpoints, the elephant is crashing around outside when you're busting for a pee in the dark, etc, you just want to be in some comfy hotel.But we've stayed in luxury hotels...can't remember them though.But I'll never forget camping at Etosha,honey badger smooching me through the fabric.Or sleeping on the ground, no tent, under the stars in Namibia,wondering if elephants will be walking their trail that night, because there's elephant track beside my sleeping bag.....
Age is no barrier.Travelled Mongolia with 3 over 80's.Since then 2 of those have travelled through Burundi.
Really admire them.

[Zuleika]

All my friends are off doing 14 day luxury coach tours of the Castles of France, or visiting the classic gardens of England whilst staying in 4 star hotels....BORING!!!

OH my god - your right that does sound totally tedious! I dont blame you for looking elsewhere for some proper adventure.

So my question to you is: What would you think if an Old Fart like me decided to come on one of the GAP adventures you were on?

I wouldnt mind at all - you sound like fun and up for everything and fit enough for the activities by all acounts. I would say go for it!
We had a lady who had her 80th birthday 4 days up river on a canoe trip sleeping in hammocks in the jungles of Venezuela - it was a pretty hard trip.
But my favourite was a 67 yr old canadian who came on a 3 week wild bush camping trip through Kenya/Tanzania. Everynight we could hear her and her friend giggling like school girls in their tent. Brilliant.

[jimshu]

How big are those feet anyway?
I hope they don't take up too much room in the chicken bus...you'll be sitting on the roof!
Professional interest .....I have a customer that wears size 20 that I have to custom make for ...so that's big!

[ExplorerWannaBe]

Age is a state of mind. I only care about a fellow traveler's physical age if it impacts my enjoyment of the trip (e.g., if we miss seeing something because we're limited to walking 2 kms / hr so X can keep up). I was attracted to GAP precisely because their tours are NOT luxury coaches.

[jimshu]

How have you guys found the group dynamics on your trips?
Age any significance?

[Zuleika]

Had one oldie on my Patagonian trip and he always found something to moan or complain about and he wasnt fit enough for that particular trip, - the trip was very get up and go everyday - I dont know why he came on that particular trip actually - everyone got fed up with the moaning afer a while. Sad to say he was a fellow Brit!!

Apart from that I really like that its soooo diverse on these trips, all ages, all backgrounds, and lots of different nationalities which I really love, makes for lots of different stories and lives - loads for the group to talk about, loads of characters!! Loads of country comparisons and lots of fun with words/languages/slangs from different countries!
Just no moaners please LOLOL!!

[jimshu]

Moaning isn't an age related condition.But it is amazing how many people will react to a situation with a negative response immediately.I guess there's negative and positive personalities.
Run a test.The next 10 people you greet with 'Hi, How are you?"...take a note of how they respond.Some will launch into their aches and pains or any troubles they've got.
And a few will respond with real positives of 'Hey, not bad.Doing OK or Great, how about yourself"
Once met up with a friend we'd arranged to meet in Istanbul.Booked into this neat refurbished Ottoman era house , now a boutique hotel, right in the heart of the old Quarter.Greeted him on the first morning...his response..."Couldn't sleep last night.Too much noise.And it's going to rain!"Later on , moaned about the service charge of 20cents on a cup of coffee.
And this on the first morning in one of the most interesting ,historical cities in the world.With a host of palaces, mosques, museums, bazaars just waiting for us to explore!Who cares if it rains.We'd be inside mostly.
Mental note was taken , never to travel with him again.
Anyway, what I was trying to illustrate, is it's not age that makes a great co-traveller, it is as you say, attitude.
We spend a lot of money to go on a trip-----enjoy every minute of it.

[hayyoot]

Dear (young at heart);
I am a middle Age woman myself, and my boyfriend in an old fart, and I can assert that we are more fun than all the young ones, at least we laught louder than anybody else:-) also, we have been travelling on adventure tours quite a bit, and we met people as old as in their mid 70s.
And hey, as a matter of fact, if you travelled on standard style trips which we usually travel on, you are likely to be with people in their 30s and above, you just run into those 20something online because they are more computer savy, that's all.
Hope to meet you on one of our trips:-)

[Zuleika]

Run a test.The next 10 people you greet with 'Hi, How are you?"...take a note of how they respond.Some will launch into their aches and pains or any troubles they've got.

I work in a hospital - so I'll be there all night if I run that test- lmao!!!