Travel-junkie Boris raises an interesting question in his latest entry:

Is it alright as a traveler to pay for damage you did not cause, but were involved in, so that a local family in a third world country does not have an additional burden on their wallet?

Basically, what happened is that he got into an accident in Indonesia with a local who hit his bike from behind. The owner of the bike he rented gave him a quote for the cost of repairing his bike. Boris was told to shoulder the cost, since he could afford it, while the local’s family might not be able to (even if they were the one who hit him).

I honestly don’t know how to answer this one. It’s really annoying how people think that just because you travel, you are swimming in money. We work hard and save up to fund our trips. But on the other hand, it’s hard to turn your back on somebody who needs your help.

What would you advice Boris to do? What would YOU do?

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If you think I post a lot of travel news and links, wait till you read Mike’s Vagabondish blog. He shares my fascination with odd/funny/weird/interesting travel news.

There’s that post about a plane getting hit by lightning and the pilot who taped his scalp back on after surving a plane crash. He also shares interesting links, like this one site that shows real time world statistics (it’s mind boggling, I tell you), and a site that shows how the world would look like without man.

He also shares great travel tips, specially for backpackers who are planning for their round the world trip. There’s his entry about fighting malaria without medication, and a link to GoBudgetTravel’s Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World. A great resource for everyone who’s planning a trip anytime soon.
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