Go east, young man
England; Luton Airport
Budget airlines are steadily opening up the previously ignored east. Bad news for environmentalists, but good news for people in places like Sofia who want to pop down to the beach for the weekend. And who are we to deny people further east the pleasures we have so long taken for granted? Plus, sitting on the latest generation of Airbus, you can console yourself that flights are becoming ever more efficient.
And as these airlines run out of ‘new Barcelonas’ they’re carrying more and more business people and opening up trade links. After all, if we want people to come and fill the jobs we can’t/won’t take ourselves, then they’ve got to get here somehow?
Wizz Air has started a number of services from the UK to places like Timisoara in Romania, or Kiev in Ukraine. Ridiculously cheap seat sales – even artificially lower (how long can that last?) during the ‘downturn/recession/depression/crisis’ – have facilitated Bookpacking’s 2009 eastern odyssey.
Following in the footsteps of the ‘89 revolutions, we’re doing a tour to find out the state of the post-communist nation. We’ve been to the Czech and Slovak Republics; hung out in Hungary; snowboarded in Poland and stood at the famous Lenin shipyard gate; now Romania is calling. Sofia and Belgrade are on the itinerary too as we broaden our horizons.
Like most things in life, travel has its pros and cons. Yes, there’s an environmental price to pay. But maybe if we can find out a little more about ‘them’, and they can find out a little more ‘us’ – there’ll be a little more understanding in the world and that will pay a dividend?