(코리아타운뉴스) “Backpacking Trip Starts With Gathering Information”

Hyo-won So, an elderly backpacking tourist
published his travel book, The Son of The Cloud

His first trip was canceled as it was a scam

so he paid $20 for lodging at a youth hostel

Trip in Moscow and Lake Baikal was his favorite

“I had high expectations when I went to go see the pyramid. I was as disappointed afterwards as I was excited beforehand. I came back immediately. My wife was hugely surprised as my plan was to travel for a month.”

Hyo So, first introduced in the L.A. times in 2015 thanks to his habit of going on backpacking tours, recently published a travel book, titled “The Son of The Cloud.” He has been to most of the countries in the world, but his first trip was in Egypt. He went to go see the pyramid, but he went back home immediately, because he was “scared.”

“It was April 2015,” So said. “I was 66 years old. I had no idea what it meant to travel with just a backpack on my own. I just wanted to see the pyramid really badly.”

However, the locals there exploited So. They resorted to lies and excuses. So lost money and came home after two days, even though his plan was to stay for 30 days.

“I realized how dangerous it is to travel without much information,” So said. “Backpacking tours really require a lot of research, but I wasn’t able to do that.”

That is also one of the reasons why So published his book recently. So is a true travel aficionado, having traveled to every national park in all 50 states. He also climbed Mt. Whitney three times. However, traveling abroad was not something he ever considered.

The biggest inspiration behind So’s traveling endeavors was his son, who works for the Korean Air. With his son providing airfare, So was able to make the trips more freely.

“Transportation costs are obviously high,” So said. “You have to look elsewhere to save budget.”

That is why So always stays at youth hostels. In Europe, it costs $20 a night and only $5 in Vietnam. It is obviously a hectic atmosphere since he has to endure staying with as little as six people to 50. Many of the travelers are young people, so noise is something So has to live with.

“The hostel in London smelled like paint,” So said. “I asked to change the room because the smell was just too strong, but the hostel employee simply said, ‘That’s just the way it is.’”

So said that he also learns a lot from traveling.
“Traveling when you’re older is not much different from doing it when you’re younger,” So said. “It’s always about learning something new and experiencing it.”

His most memorable travel moment was in New Delhi. He saw a vendor selling sleeping bags before boarding a train. So simply walked by and wondered why somebody would sell a sleeping bag in such a hot weather. However, he realized how cold the inside of the train was after getting on. He realized that if he bothered asking someone why the sleeping bags were sold, he would not have been shivering all night inside the train.

“You obviously have to ask when you don’t know,” So said. “I acted like I knew it all!”

As a backpacking tourist, So had more time than most travelers to explore the world.

His favorite trips include Machu Picchu, Bethlehem, Siberia and a five-day trip from Moscow to Lake Baikal, which he remembered for its beautiful sky.
So added that India is the best place for one to feel “alive.” His favorite architecture was Taj Mahal.

So retired at age 75 after working at a victim support center of L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.

The next plan for So is to publish his book in Korean both digitally and in print.
▶The L.A. Times article: www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-septuagenarian-backpacker-20150829-story.html
▶Email: [e-mail]


By Byung Chang