more observations from 'mature' travelling friends still on the road....

LOL - and so true. Having said that, on several trips I've met up with/was confined with/travelled intermittently with, some 20 somethings, both groups and singles, and on each occasion they were absolutely delightful, interested in talking travel, insisting I go for dinner with them, night club/drink beer on the beach, etc. Maybe it's the part of the world where you happen to be travelling through that governs young 'uns reactions to us oldies.

Love that comment. Had a similar experience in a hostel in Paris. At breakfast a twenty something leaned over and whispered to us "you do know this a 'youth hostel' don't you?"

I am a 58 year old female.
Often when I am checking in to a hostel a young adult will come and stand near me.
They are waiting for me to get done checking in so that they can help me with my luggage.

Sat around a camp fire with three girls who were about ten years younger than me, they started talking about the ideal age for a boyfriend. I offered my tried and tested minimum and maximum age: no younger than my brother and no older than my dad. One of the girls looked me up and down and said: "At your age, I'd take anything I could get."
I was 31 at the time.

"I AM interesting and I'm NOT old!" Ah - but perhaps THEY aren't interesting. Many 20 somethings couldn't carry on a real conversation if they tried - they're not snubbing you, they are afraid of looking stupid.

That said, I've met some exceptional 20 somethings and even teens - all depends how they were raised and what interests they developed.

Quite put out by this I said in a rather confrontational and desparate way 'yes, but I cycled here, I bet I'm fitter than anyone on this table, despite being treble their age!'.

None of them were impressed, they all moved to the next table. Nice thing about getting old is that it doesn't really bother us because it doesn't really matter.

I AM interesting and I'm NOT old!
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Im not suprised they werent impressed, you just insulted them. No wonder they moved!

I laffed when back at work my buddy, now a partner in an accountants, could see the young troops sidling up around the photocopier on Friday arvo planning out their coming evening's big night out. When my mate asked 'So, we going out tonight?' they all mumbled excuses in their beards and scuttled off, just like we used to do when we were that age. Gee, I laffed!

I was chatting with a young German girl in Estonia lately and was talking about World War II. When I said that I remembered the war very well, she exclaimed, "Well, then, how old ARE you?"
World War II is 'ancient history' to them.