Once a backpacker, always a backpacker...?

Well, no...

Even though I traveled in South America for nine months ten years ago... mastered the art of packing and repacking my bag, sleeping in 20-person dorms, and eating street food...

Well, when you go back ten years later... or to another continent, you have to rediscover everything...

Luckily, the old habits come back quickly... but things change so fast.

On my last trip, we started using WhatsApp to stay in touch with tour operators on the street. Now, if you don't have an eSIM or a sim from the country, or app X or Y to book your hotels, excursions, and transportation... well, you don't get the best prices or you struggle. Without a smartphone and internet access, traveling is now really complicated.

And it's not easy to figure out which app to use right away. And, there are a lot more scams (in my opinion) with new technologies.

So now, if you're traveling, you need your phone and a power bank because batteries don't last all day.

So I'm testing things out... and learning after few try that this app is scam, this app is good... (so in Thailand... avoid Bolt for taxis, use InDrive or Grab instead... when the taxi doesn't come...know that he is trying to have you cancel the trip so you will still get charged and he get paid and do nothing... so in that case, send him a message to tell him that you won't cancel)

Travel essentials now: download offline maps on Google Maps... download dictionaries of the languages ​​of the country you're in on Google Translate to use them offline...

(Really helps in a place without internet, to ask the local farmer if his dog is going to bite your calves or just barks...)