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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Malaysia: The Company of Travellers

Charlie in the Cameron Highlands
Soon after writing this I met Charlie, seen here in the Cameron Highlands; he soon restored my confidence in travellers

Perhaps I will permit myself another slightly self-indulgent whinge here, because this thing about 'other travellers' is beginning to frustrate me a bit. I've already mentioned how inane the conversation of other travellers can be on the main travellers' route through Southeast Asia, but I suspect it's more my problem than theirs. The thing is, every travel-orientated conversation seems to be the same; it starts off with 'Where have you just come from?' swiftly followed by 'Where are you heading?' and 'How long have you been travelling?' and continues with 'So, which countries have you visited?' And even worse than this, once you give them the green light with that last question, some travellers get so much enjoyment listening to themselves speak that they don't notice the eyes glazing all around them. Try this, a genuine excerpt from someone suffering from Boring Traveller Syndrome and inflicting it on anyone in earshot: