The changing face of travel and blogging

We were lost in the myriad streets of Claveria, a little-known town up north of Luzon. The blocks of houses and streets make it seemed like we're navigating inside a grid. “Which way do we go again?” I asked my companion while walking under the noontime sun. I only have the view of the sea as my guide, but I'm not sure how long we should go to find the church we were looking for. “Turn left after the second street!” my friend told me. How did he find that out?! I looked back and he was checking his Google maps on his smartphone.

Talk about spoiling the fun of adventure, but technology has definitely changed the way we travel. When I started my blog www.ironwulf.net more than eight years ago, things were a lot different then. When I set out on a journey, I was prepared to be disconnected from the world. Travel books and maps were my only guides. Most of the time I just had to wing-it when I get to my destination and ask around.

The Internet has made it easy for people to plan their trips these days with a huge number of travel blogs and sites as reference. People have become their own travel agents with the convenience of securing flight tickets or booking an accommodation online.

Getting connected nowadays is no longer restricted to malls and cafes with wi-fi. I remember flying on a Boeing 747 for an international flight to Kuala Lumpur where they have Aeromobile on board mobile services and Internet. Even local bus companies now offer on board wi-fi while on the move. Now I'm torn between enjoying the scenery on the road or updating my location status on the road.

Smartphones have also been a boon (or a big culprit, depending on your point of view) in speeding up the pace in sharing information. Travelers are now socially connected. There are tweets even from the top of a mountain, checking-in foursquare in a posh hotel, status updates in a dingy lodging on Facebook or taking a quick snap of a sumptuous food via Instagram or Molome. Is this bragging or just opening up yourself to stalkers? Well, at least letting people know where you are helps you avoid being stuck between a rock and a hard place like Aron Ralston in 127 hours.

Being an author of a travel blog for years, I’ve seen so many changes in so quick a time. In this fast- paced, hyper-connected world and an audience with short attention spans, it's a challenge to inform and engage at the same time. Now it's not only about going through lengths to create captivating posts, but it's also about interacting with the readers using short lines and quick snaps delivered in an instant while traveling. It’s very much like taking them along the experience.

I try to travel light most of the time and hate the idea of burdening myself with all my laptop, smartphone and camera. But would I dare disconnect myself from my readers and the world? I ponder the thought while typing away on my smartphone on a bus speeding through a lonely highway.