It is truly amazing how routine long distance international travel has become. When I was a 21 year old Peace Corps volunteer heading to Thailand there was glamor and excitement just in the trip. Pam Am flights circled the globe west to east and east to west. I remember flying in a new 747 from Bangkok to London in 1972.
Today I flew on another 747 in Business class sleeping for half the way. No turbulence, no mechanical glitches, a flawless landing in Hong Kong’s super modern airport and a short rest in the lounge before flying on to Singapore.
I love technology but somehow it takes away all the glamor and excitement and turns travel into one more routine part of life. What a shame!
Hong Kong, too, was exciting. You could buy cameras for half the price of the same item in the U.S. Suits were made in a few hours for peanuts. The food, the clothes, the smells, the markets were all exotic and unique. Today Hong Kong is still a great city, but so much more like every other city. There is great value in difference yet there is an inexorable force to make everything the same.
