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BAD ROADS BRING GOOD PEOPLE
story and photos by William Jans
  All travellers have at least one story about a horrifying road they have travelled.

Honestly, I think most avid travellers will have FAR more than just one story about a hellish trip.
  Perhaps it was a land-rover journey where you sat for hours on a chair with no springs or a 20 hour bus ride that became a 30 hour bus ride or a mini van where the heat on the floor-boards seem likely to melt the rubber on your shoes and the vehicle seemed virtually programmed to drive over every single pothole.
  I once took a 12 hour public bus ride in Nepal, where the combination of minimal leg room and friction took its toll - leaving me with bloody knees and a grumpy disposition. Buses in Nepal are made for five-foot Nepalese men, not six-foot foreigners. The photo on the left is AFTER I learned to pay for TWO seats to make sure I could fit (If you look carefully you will see the space from my headrest to the one in front of me is the same as the width of my shoulders... That is small! Now you can probably visualize that you would have to sit with your knees wide apart!


In 1995 on a scorching 44 C day in Burma (Myanmar), the van I rode in was bounced so much that I had to wear a toque to soften the blows to my bald head. Rediculous and funny at first, then just sore!
 

Well, despite all those annoyances, I believe the investment we make to get somewhere can be inversely proportional to how wonderful it is to be there.

The locals tend see the merits of travelers who ride on those 'crappy roads.'

I was in Daramsala, India when a local uttered the following, which is among the most prophetic things I've ever heard:

"Bad roads bring good people. Good roads bring all people."
  He felt those willing to put up with the rough roads were more apt to socialize, explore and share experiences with the locals at the destination. They have made that difficult journey to be willing to participate as fully as possible once they arrive.

Are bad roads a good thing?

Locals benefit by meeting keeners who are wide-eyed and happy to be there, and travelers benefit by meeting residents who are remarkably warm and hospitable.
  That supports my newly-created theory, that the more remote you go the nicer people are. That's the opposite of what we hear from all those old movies and cartoons, including the ubiquitous caricature of explorers standing in a boiling cauldron with natives gathered around, stoking the fire. It's just not like that.
  In 1992 I stayed with "ex" headhunters in Borneo (non-practicing now). I was nervous going upriver in a long tail boat with Iban Elders I just met - not knowing either the Iban language or exactly where we were going. But the families there were really friendly and hospitable and allowed me to be part of their community during my short stay. I treasure the memories of what I got to experience - including a ritual involving chicken blood.

I am secretly pleased that some spectacular places are hard to reach, because those challenges makes these spots unreachable for those who value convenience over adventure. Those willing to rough it and abandon creature comforts are often generously rewarded.
  It may sound elitist, but I'm sorry to hear that a railway has been built into Lhasa, Tibet from China. Tragically, they plan to go to Western Tibet soon. I visited remote Western Tibet and Mount Kailash in 2004 when it was still dubbed the "second most inaccessible place on the planet" (second only to the polar regions), and that challenge meant that anyone with the mettle to put up with the hardships of the journey would be all the more determined to have a good experience while there.
 

I'm glad there are comfy tour buses taking tourists to "easy" places that they can view from air con buses with tinted glass windows - that might be just the convenience they desire... Personally, I'll stick to taking the bad roads to places where I might not know what will happen or who I will meet, but the one consistent thing is that it is almost always invigorating and amazingly friendly.

Safe Travels from William Jans.
     
Vancouver-based photographer/ adventurer William Jans enjoys a cult following thanks to his multimedia travel shows about his absurd travels. If you might like to catch one his LIVE SHOWS in your city, register for updates on his website at www.wrjphoto.com