Iconic Hippie Hangouts Then and Now

The sixties and seventies were arguably the golden age of travel for backpacking vagabonds, hippies and soul searchers. I can remember stories about the overland trail to Kathmandu that fascinated me with their richness and mystery. Istanbul was spoken of in hushed tones by the knowledgeable and the Magic Bus seemed truly ......well magic.

As a teenager I thumbed through an old travel agents guide, ABC I think it was called, that resembled the CIA fact book that we see online now. I had planned my round the world trip several times over and was already, in my imagination, sipping tea in some far flung destination watching the day unfold over my copy of Le Monde.

The Far East was truly the ends of the Earth; India, as a Brit, seemed more accessible but remained undeniably enticing. I was still too young to travel and soon the world would move to make some of these romantically ideal places off limits and change the game and the innocence we once had.

Let’s take a look at some of these exotic destinations and see what has changed.

Goa, India

Goa India, the hippy haven of old...

The hippy haven of old; naked travellers lounging on the beach smoking joints and tripping out for months on end. The locals’ semi tolerant and the police turning a blind eye (sometimes even handing back a stash after a night in the pokey). The whole winter could be spent meeting long haired free spirited fellow travellers and spending a pittance to live.

Passengers had spent weeks coming overland through Turkey, Iran and Pakistan in old Bedford buses driven by hardened hippies.

Holidaymakers are now disgorged by charter jets after only a few hours flight, fancy resorts butt up against wood and tin shacks and the feeling is oh so mainstream; save the cows walking into the restaurants. Some resorts, like Anjuna for instance, still try to cling to their hedonistic past, aged beach denizens dug in until the end.

Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul, Afganistan - a bohemian traveller's delight

Oooh Oooh magic bus!

Pick up a ride in Istanbul; head across Iran and there you were! Assuming the bus didn’t break down in the middle of the desert. Liberal Kabul, in the late sixties and early seventies, was a perfect stopover. Tourism was on the rise and along with a decent black market and an emerging student population it was always going to appeal to the bohemian traveller.

Well I guess the good times are on hold for a while longer; it has been many years since it was possible to do the overland trails although there are plenty of nostalgic books attesting to the awesome journey it must have been.

Playa Zipolite, Mexico

Playa Zipolite still draws the big crowds

More nakedness and free love, this was the place to be in Mexico for letting it all hang out. A few beach cabanas, no law enforcement to speak of and as much fun as one could handle meant that Zipolite was, and still is, the hedonists beach destination.

More controlled now, some of the hippies have grown up, but with an edge, Zipolite can still draw a crowd. The music remains stuck in the sixties unfortunately the prices tend to be more contemporary.

Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech, Morocco and the packed out Djemma al Fna night markets

Think of Crosby Stills and Nash singing about the Marrakech Express or Jimmy Hendrix reflecting on Purple Haze in Essaouira and you are instantly transported to another world. Souks and medinas with shisha pipes and dusky inhabitants, languid smoke filled nights rich with the sounds of wailing guitars and the pungent sweet smell of hashish.

Today package tourists, some in short skirts, throng the Djemma el Fna and backpackers blow through with cameras clicking, rushing through the country to tick off a bucket list. French explorers in their blue Bedouin fancy dress make like Top Gear drivers in Landcruiser convoys speeding through the desert. Morocco is still an enigmatic county although the tourist gaggle needs to be avoided to fully appreciate it.

Istanbul, Turkey

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul still sits at the crossroads of Asia and Europe

Sultanahmet square is still a backbacker ghetto of sorts and the famous Pudding shop still stands. Once this was a compulsory stop on the hippie trail to trade news, eat rice pudding and prepare for the more exotic part of the trip to come. The notice board listed rides, travel tips, photos and details of friends, no Facebook then!Want to buy a carpet?

Istanbul has probably the toughest rug sellers in the world, the greatest fish sandwiches at the Galata and enough left of its mystery to still be considered exotic. The crossroads of Asia and Europe continues to enchant.

Just looking at this small list it is hard not to dream wistfully of times past...but the present is here and now! It behoves all fellow backpackers, travellers, and ex hippies of course, to strike out for new pastures, create new memories and cement those far flung destinations into the history books yet to be written. What are you waiting for?

Recommendations:

Rory McLean’s book: Magic Bus, On the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to India

 For some great nostalgic photos from his collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rorymaclean/

Comments

• jonniej says:

  You should see what they are doing to Vilacabamba in Ecuador- hippie haven to yuppie retirement haven!
  
  http://savvyroundtheworld.wordpress.com

  2 years ago

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