I needed to share my love of backpacking and walking with my two young nephews (aged 10 and 11).
My partner, the two nephews, their parents, and I have been backpacking in Andalucia, Southern Spain. With a couple exceptions, we traveled using public transport and our legs.
The exceptions were a ride on the tram pictured above, and a mini-bus that took us to and from a trailhead.
We begged a ride on the tram because we had missed a scheduled bus back to Nerja after visiting some dramatic caves. The commentary in several languages was banal, but the conveyance did the job.
For 20 Euros apiece, a knowledgeable and energetic guide drove the six of us in a mini-bus to the Sierra del Torcal mountain range near the town of Antequera. She then led us on a hike through this eroded place, explaining features I would’ve missed.
The rest of the time, it was planes, trains, light rail, buses, and walking.
“What is the first thing you look for when you enter a train or bus station?” I would ask. “Find the departure board,” the nephews learned to respond.
We have plans to hike parts of the Superior Trail next year, and, in two years, we’ll be backpacking around Japan.
The boys will be who they will be. But it will be a happy day for me if the time comes when they decide to go backpacking on their own.
