magictravelblog

I am not OP but I am a long term traveler. Presently I have been essentially homeless for over 3 years and know a lot of other long term travelers. Two things:

1) The vast majority of long term travelers have no debts or any other reason to send money home. No apartment at home, no car, no loans, no credit card debt etc. That means that whatever money they make they are free to spend however they see fit.

2) Once you are out of your home country, staying out is often cheap. I have most experience with south east Asia. Once you are in the region and you want to move you can get on a bus or a train for a few bucks, stop in some other town away from the tourist hubs and get a room extremely cheaply. Bored of a place? Move on to the next town. Need to leave the country for visa reasons? Catch a bus or train over the border into whatever country is next door. Repeat.

I feel like it might make a big difference whether you are seeing them dead but just as they were Vs after funeral workers have done their work. Seeing them dead is one thing (they are very obviously dead but otherwise look exactly like they normally do) but once they reach the open casket stage they no longer look like themselves.

This is all going to depend on how they died of course. Someone who died of some sort of traumatic physical injury may be a different story.

They may well have been dressed in clothing that is not what they ordinarily wear. They obviously cannot do their hair and makeup themselves so that will be different. Whoever does that job may well be tempted to try and make them look more like they are alive and the result can be ghoulish.

Plus people's other entertainment options weren't as interesting.

That is quite amazing actually. Makes me wonder where backpackers will be going in 30ish years and where will be the war hot spot of the day.