Well - this is it. The last post I'll be making on this Blog.
Thanks to everyone who came along with me...it was really great knowing that there were people following along the way (and complaining when I didn't keep up the posts :-)
Happy New Year - and best wishes for 2010...let's hope it's a year filled with adventures whether at home or on the road...
Monday, 4 January 2010
One Piece Of Advice...
If I was to give one piece of advice after having done my trip it would be this: pack light. There's nothing fun about having to drag a 90 liter pack that weighs 30 kg around - especially when it's hot.
With some careful pre-planning and a bit of Internet research, it's possible to get everything you'll need for a whole year in a bag that weighs less than 10 kg and that you can take on the plane.
Not only is there no risk of arriving after a long plane journey to find your bags missing - you can take it on the bus with you and make sure no one's stealing from you on the journey (which is a major problem in South America). It's also easy to carry when your doing the inevitable trail around hostels in the baking heat looking for a place to stay.
A lot of people were surprised at how little my bag was - but I did meet people along the way whose bags made mine look cumbersome. In fact - there's some stuff I ended up dragging around the world that I never needed.
And at the end of the day - you can buy everything you need along the way. Rather stupidly - this is something I didn't really think about until I was on the road. The only thing that seems to be in short supply in most of the world is good quality light weight western standard shoes...which is a bit ironic since the shoes we can buy in the west tend to be made in the east...
...you can pretty much buy everything else...or get it repaired. While we throw away and buy, it's possible to get just about anything repaired very cheaply. Like new zips in trousers, or shoe repairs.
This is a really great site to get started: Travel Independent.
With some careful pre-planning and a bit of Internet research, it's possible to get everything you'll need for a whole year in a bag that weighs less than 10 kg and that you can take on the plane.
Not only is there no risk of arriving after a long plane journey to find your bags missing - you can take it on the bus with you and make sure no one's stealing from you on the journey (which is a major problem in South America). It's also easy to carry when your doing the inevitable trail around hostels in the baking heat looking for a place to stay.
A lot of people were surprised at how little my bag was - but I did meet people along the way whose bags made mine look cumbersome. In fact - there's some stuff I ended up dragging around the world that I never needed.
And at the end of the day - you can buy everything you need along the way. Rather stupidly - this is something I didn't really think about until I was on the road. The only thing that seems to be in short supply in most of the world is good quality light weight western standard shoes...which is a bit ironic since the shoes we can buy in the west tend to be made in the east...
...you can pretty much buy everything else...or get it repaired. While we throw away and buy, it's possible to get just about anything repaired very cheaply. Like new zips in trousers, or shoe repairs.
This is a really great site to get started: Travel Independent.
A Note For Asthmatics...
I'm asthmatic and was a little concerned about getting supplies of Ventolin (the blue inhaler) along the way. I set off from the UK with four inhalers, but have since discovered that you can buy a lot of drugs (that's legal ones :-) while your on the road. Annoyingly - you can usually buy them for a lot less (and I mean a lot less) than the UK prescription charge.
Just pop into a chemist and show them the inhaler and they'll sell you one.
I bought supplies in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
The only place where I couldn't get Ventolin was in China. Not sure why - but they only had Ventolin in liquid form which would require a Nebulizer. So if your heading that way get supplies before you go.
On a slightly different note - you can buy other stuff without prescription - like anti-biotic creams and eye drops - so if you get bitten or get an infected wound or whatever - try the chemist first as they'll usually be able to sell you what you need...
Just pop into a chemist and show them the inhaler and they'll sell you one.
I bought supplies in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
The only place where I couldn't get Ventolin was in China. Not sure why - but they only had Ventolin in liquid form which would require a Nebulizer. So if your heading that way get supplies before you go.
On a slightly different note - you can buy other stuff without prescription - like anti-biotic creams and eye drops - so if you get bitten or get an infected wound or whatever - try the chemist first as they'll usually be able to sell you what you need...
Saturday, 2 January 2010
So How Much Did It Cost?
A few of the more daring types ask me how much my trip cost. And being the kind of person I am - I did keep a note of how much I spent. After all - I had to make sure I came in under budget :-)
My budget method took less than five minutes a day, and consisted of making a note of the money I drew out of the ATM or when I used the Credit Card. At the end of the week I'd put the total in a spreadsheet. Easy.
The total start up costs were about £3,000. That included: flights, vaccines, travel insurance, and everything I took (my bag, clothes, shoes, camera, etc.).
I then spent just under £13,000. I didn't really ever feel like I was budgeting, although I don't have a champagne lifestyle to start off with - and I usually do holiday's pretty cheaply. I wouldn't do lavish things like take helicopter flights, use luxury transport, or stay in five star hotel anyway, so it wasn't that hard to settle into being on a budget. There were very few times that I didn't do something because I couldn't afford it.
Every now and then I'd really splurge - especially if I was feeling a bit fed up. One thing that stands out was having a glass of wine at the top of the Sheraton in Ho Chi Minh - it cost me $12USD - which was more than I was spending on accommodation for the night (obviously I wasn't staying at the Sheraton :-). That was a luxury buy - but worth it. No hassle - they gave me three bowls of free nuts so I didn't need to buy dinner - and I enjoyed it. I read a great book, and watched the sun set...
I could have done the trip way cheaper if I'd have avoided certain places. Australia being the main culprit - it was expensive. Hong Kong was also expensive, as was Singapore - although I was only there for two nights and did splurge on a nice hotel.
My two day jaunt to Mongolia was another expensive excursion - as was the trip to Tibet - but I wouldn't have missed either for the world - so it was totally worth it.
If I'd have missed Oz, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tibet, I could have done the trip for under £10,000. But to be honest - I enjoyed every minute - so the extra £3000 was easily justified in my mind.
I could have also done it for less - by really budgeting hard: staying in really basic places, only ever eating local food, and not paying to see stuff. Actually - I did find that in some places - the rougher it got the more I enjoyed it. But in the end - I was happy with how I traveled.
The absolute cheapest place was Pakistan. I spent less than £12 a day. And I never budgeted once. I could have made it cheaper by avoiding Subway and pizza in Islamabad and Lahore - and not taking the crazy Islamabad / Lahore / Islamabad / Lahore trip I made. I also spent £50 on an Indian visa - so it worked out pretty cheap on reflection.
At the end of the day - it's all about comfort levels - and deciding what's important. But the main budgeting consideration is picking countries that fit the budget. There are some great resources on the net to help with budgeting - but I found this website particularly helpful: http://www.travelindependent.info/. The Country Summaries section is especially good - although I'm trying to avoid looking at it as I start planning more trips...
If your thinking of doing a trip like this - do it - it's money well spent - and you won't regret it.
Editor's Note: All monetary amounts are in British Pounds unless otherwise noted...
My budget method took less than five minutes a day, and consisted of making a note of the money I drew out of the ATM or when I used the Credit Card. At the end of the week I'd put the total in a spreadsheet. Easy.
The total start up costs were about £3,000. That included: flights, vaccines, travel insurance, and everything I took (my bag, clothes, shoes, camera, etc.).
I then spent just under £13,000. I didn't really ever feel like I was budgeting, although I don't have a champagne lifestyle to start off with - and I usually do holiday's pretty cheaply. I wouldn't do lavish things like take helicopter flights, use luxury transport, or stay in five star hotel anyway, so it wasn't that hard to settle into being on a budget. There were very few times that I didn't do something because I couldn't afford it.
Every now and then I'd really splurge - especially if I was feeling a bit fed up. One thing that stands out was having a glass of wine at the top of the Sheraton in Ho Chi Minh - it cost me $12USD - which was more than I was spending on accommodation for the night (obviously I wasn't staying at the Sheraton :-). That was a luxury buy - but worth it. No hassle - they gave me three bowls of free nuts so I didn't need to buy dinner - and I enjoyed it. I read a great book, and watched the sun set...
I could have done the trip way cheaper if I'd have avoided certain places. Australia being the main culprit - it was expensive. Hong Kong was also expensive, as was Singapore - although I was only there for two nights and did splurge on a nice hotel.
My two day jaunt to Mongolia was another expensive excursion - as was the trip to Tibet - but I wouldn't have missed either for the world - so it was totally worth it.
If I'd have missed Oz, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tibet, I could have done the trip for under £10,000. But to be honest - I enjoyed every minute - so the extra £3000 was easily justified in my mind.
I could have also done it for less - by really budgeting hard: staying in really basic places, only ever eating local food, and not paying to see stuff. Actually - I did find that in some places - the rougher it got the more I enjoyed it. But in the end - I was happy with how I traveled.
The absolute cheapest place was Pakistan. I spent less than £12 a day. And I never budgeted once. I could have made it cheaper by avoiding Subway and pizza in Islamabad and Lahore - and not taking the crazy Islamabad / Lahore / Islamabad / Lahore trip I made. I also spent £50 on an Indian visa - so it worked out pretty cheap on reflection.
At the end of the day - it's all about comfort levels - and deciding what's important. But the main budgeting consideration is picking countries that fit the budget. There are some great resources on the net to help with budgeting - but I found this website particularly helpful: http://www.travelindependent.info/. The Country Summaries section is especially good - although I'm trying to avoid looking at it as I start planning more trips...
If your thinking of doing a trip like this - do it - it's money well spent - and you won't regret it.
Editor's Note: All monetary amounts are in British Pounds unless otherwise noted...
So What Were The Highlights?
I also get asked: "So what were the highlights?"
...and I never really feel that I've ever answered the question. I usually reel off a list of places - but part of it is not having had the time to really think through a whole year...
But here goes...
There were some countries that really stood out for me. Bolivia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tibet, and Sri Lanka. Each one was unique and exciting in it's own way. All were an adventure. They're all fairly poor - but the people are truly amazing. And each one has a lot to see.
And they're all places that have had significant turmoil in the recent past.
What shines through were how optimistic the people are - how they're looking to the future. There's something special about the inner drive towards self improvement that really rubs off...it's truly infectious.
That was what really struck me about Cambodia. It's not so many years ago that people were being treated in the most horrific way. Children were being tortured and killed, and a quarter of the population died through starvation alone. And yet - there's an optimism and hope in Cambodia. There's a drive towards a better life - to learn from the wrongs of the past.
In a different way - South America was a real surprise. I only went there because my intended route through Africa was blocked by civil war. But what a place. It's so vibrant and full of life. It's energetic in a truly unique way. There's always something exciting around every corner in South America, and you can rough it or take it easy - there's a bit of everything if you look for it.
I know I've already said it - but I loved everywhere where Tibetan Buddhism is followed. There's something incredible about it - there aren't really any words to describe it. The people seem to live life in a different way, in connection with the world around them. There's a real peace and acceptance of life.
Being able to listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak was a real privileged and a true highlight. His teaching was so practical and relevant - even to the western audience who were listening. If only we had more leaders like His Holiness...
Conversely - the places I didn't enjoy tended to be run by repressive regimes that dictated to the people and don't give them a voice. I found a lot of rules - and a fear to think freely. I also didn't enjoy the places that were very "touristy" as it all seemed a bit false. Vietnam and eastern China instantly spring to mind.
And don't even get me started on Delhi...
But at the end of the day - the real highlights were the unique moments that happened along the way - the recommendations that changed "the plan" and added a sense of adventure. Or the connection with people that you don't really find a lot. And luckily for me - there were a lot of those moments.
...and I never really feel that I've ever answered the question. I usually reel off a list of places - but part of it is not having had the time to really think through a whole year...
But here goes...
There were some countries that really stood out for me. Bolivia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tibet, and Sri Lanka. Each one was unique and exciting in it's own way. All were an adventure. They're all fairly poor - but the people are truly amazing. And each one has a lot to see.
And they're all places that have had significant turmoil in the recent past.
What shines through were how optimistic the people are - how they're looking to the future. There's something special about the inner drive towards self improvement that really rubs off...it's truly infectious.
That was what really struck me about Cambodia. It's not so many years ago that people were being treated in the most horrific way. Children were being tortured and killed, and a quarter of the population died through starvation alone. And yet - there's an optimism and hope in Cambodia. There's a drive towards a better life - to learn from the wrongs of the past.
In a different way - South America was a real surprise. I only went there because my intended route through Africa was blocked by civil war. But what a place. It's so vibrant and full of life. It's energetic in a truly unique way. There's always something exciting around every corner in South America, and you can rough it or take it easy - there's a bit of everything if you look for it.
I know I've already said it - but I loved everywhere where Tibetan Buddhism is followed. There's something incredible about it - there aren't really any words to describe it. The people seem to live life in a different way, in connection with the world around them. There's a real peace and acceptance of life.
Being able to listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak was a real privileged and a true highlight. His teaching was so practical and relevant - even to the western audience who were listening. If only we had more leaders like His Holiness...
Conversely - the places I didn't enjoy tended to be run by repressive regimes that dictated to the people and don't give them a voice. I found a lot of rules - and a fear to think freely. I also didn't enjoy the places that were very "touristy" as it all seemed a bit false. Vietnam and eastern China instantly spring to mind.
And don't even get me started on Delhi...
But at the end of the day - the real highlights were the unique moments that happened along the way - the recommendations that changed "the plan" and added a sense of adventure. Or the connection with people that you don't really find a lot. And luckily for me - there were a lot of those moments.
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