How to Host a Foreign Student is a post from Art of Backpacking

Packing light is the key to backpacking. The less you have, the easier you can jump from one destination to another and the less weight on your back. It’s just all around better to have less. But you still need to carry the things that are important.

Rubber Bands

This isn’t going to make your bag lighter but it’ll definitely save space in your backpack and make things easier to find. I roll up my clothes and wrap it around a rubber band. It keeps things tidy and neat. I don’t bother with those packing cubes. I keep hundreds of those rubber bands stuffed in my backpack so if one breaks, I have a whole lot more.

rubber band ball | the both and | shorts and longs | julie rybarczyk by Shorts and Longs | The Both And, on Flickr

Don’t Carry Soap

I hate traveling with a bar of soap. Having a separate container for soap is annoying to me and so is traveling with shower gels. Instead, I use shampoo to wash myself. It’s more expensive than soap but you’ll definitely save space. The only real disadvantage to using shampoo as soap is that there some brands might dry out your skin more than others. A few cheaper shampoo that don’t add too many chemicals might be better than expensive shampoo’s. I usually use lotion after I shower anyway.

No Towels

I haven’t traveled with a towel in long time. Most hostels have been providing towels. And if they didn’t (which has been rare), I covered myself in body powder which dried me up. An added bonus to using body powder was it always keeps my skin soft and moisturized. It’s especially amazing on hot days. Cools you off real fast.

One Wire Charge

For awhile, I traveled with a Samsung point-and-shoot camera. Not the greatest camera but I bought it because it charged via USB. Kodaks also do the same. I never had to worry about getting any sort of converter and threw away the actual plug. The camera charged from a camera’s mini-usb port to the computer. That same cable also charges Kindles and tons of other electronics. My external hard-drive had the same thing.

USB-mini-cable by ramelectronicsdotnet, on Flickr

Convertible Clothing

Buy clothes that can convert to different styles according to the weather. Pants that can convert to shorts or dresses that shape-shift into a completely different dress. You’ll have more styles to choose from and less to have to carry.

Buy a Smaller Backpack

I carry a 55L backpack and a camera bag. I can only carry what I can fit. I’ve been forced a number of times to donate or throw things away because I couldn’t fit it in my backpack. Its helped me carry less and make sure I pack only what’s important.

What do you do to pack lighter?

Or — you can get a girlfriend or boyfriend and bum off of them for everything.

Before you travel, make sure you take out your travel insurance from InsureandGo.

The following article has been sponsored.

How To Pack Lighter is a post from Art of Backpacking

- Traveling is different for everyone. The purpose of your travels might be different from the person next to you. Whether you’re doing it for the love of food, sights, people, or whatever else – don’t judge someone else for not wanting to experience what you’re experiencing or experienced.

- Facebook is one of the greatest tools for travelers. It’s great for telling my family and friends at home I’m okay and for asking for advice. I like to keep contact with friends I’ve made on the road. I’ve met friends again and they’ve offered me their couch when I got to their city.

- Sometimes your days will suck. Although you’re traveling, not everyday will as awesome as you may have dreamed. I find that I have several bad days in a row but then a really good day comes and makes every bad day before that seem not so bad in perspective. Traveling can mess with your head. It seems like everything good and bad happens in the extremes. Bad days are really bad and good days are really good. It’s an emotional roller-coaster.

- Something will be stolen or lost. It’s just part of traveling. Expect anything in your bag to disappear. It’s much easier on yourself and you’re better prepared when you have this mindset. It’s never that bad in perspective. Everything can be regained. The experiences can never be taken away.

- Backup and protect your computer!

- You won’t be able to capture it all. I love taking pictures but there’s a certain pleasure in not bringing the camera and just enjoying it for what it is. Get use to taking mind pictures because you’ll forget your camera or you won’t be able to bring it out.

Tayrona, Colombia

- We’re all travelers here. It doesn’t matter if you’re a backpacker, on a tour, or taking a cruise ship. The fact that you’re traveling is great in itself. This goes for everyone. Don’t be a traveling snob.

- Do things you’re scared of. It doesn’t have to be things that risk your life. You can take dance lessons, learn a new language, cooking courses, or adventures activities.

- It gets lonely sometimes. I’ve done quite a bit of solo traveling and I realized there are times when there’s no one to talk or relate to. It’s not a bad thing and I actually enjoy these days. Enjoy the time you have by yourself. Relax a bit. In reality though, you’re never really alone all that often.

- Be social. Personally, I couldn’t survive traveling without talking to other people. Even traveling as a couple, sometimes we’ll purposely stay in dorms and hang out in the common room so we could talk to people. It’ll come naturally as long as you put yourself in situations that are social. Locking yourself up in your room won’t get you meeting anyone.

- Insure it if it’s important to you. Look into having insurance for your electronics. Insurance companies will want a receipt from the original purchase so save all your receipts. Be sure to read ALL the guidelines. I use State Farm in the US which allows me to insure individual items.

- Get travelers health insurance. It’s so cheap that it doesn’t make sense not to get it. The purpose of getting it is for extreme emergencies. In many cases, your medical bill might be cheaper than your deductible but the whole point of health insurance is for extreme cases. Even if you never end up using it, that should be considered a good thing. You never know though.

- Drink lots of water.

Street food in Xi'an, China

- Eat local foods. Food can tell you so much about a countries culture. Don’t be scared to pick an item out of the menu with your eyes closed. Bonus if you eat in a small family run restaurant instead of going to fast food joints.

- High season, festivals, and holidays can kill your travel plans. They can be unexpected and you’ll at some point arrive on a huge celebration thus making accommodation expensive and traveling around difficult. Enjoy the festivities and don’t stress the costs too much. These events can kill your budget and it’s hard to avoid. Remember to leave room in your budget for these types of situations.

- Ask locals for advice. Ask them anything actually and make conversation. Ask them if it rains often, where you should eat, or what to do in the city. I find taxi’s love chatting. They usually have great stories and can be a good language and cultural lesson.

- Always carry the business card of the hostel or hotel you’re staying at. If you’re lost, just show the taxi driver and you’re good to go. It’s useful in countries you don’t speak the language in.

Quito, Ecuador

- Always learn a few words of the local language. The very minimum you should learn are Hello and Thank You. The more you learn, the better off you are and the more respect you’ll earn.

- You’re going to run out of money eventually. It’s great to be free spirited and to do things at the last minute but I believe you should always have a Plan B or multiple plans. Plan B doesn’t mean you HAVE to follow it. It’s just a backup. You’ll feel more comfortable once money runs out. I’ve met far too many travelers that start to panic a few weeks before their money runs out and end up going back to what they hated because they had no other choice.

- Slow down. It can be really difficult to immerse yourself and enjoy the destination if you’re on a bus most of the time. If you don’t like a place, move on but if you’re feeling comfortable then stick around a few extra days and get familier with the culture. It’s not a race.

- Be yourself!

Advice for Aspiring Long-Term Travelers is a post from Art of Backpacking

As you may have heard, we’re creating a iPhone/iTouch app called Eat The World. We were only traveling with an iTouch. The last time I had an iPhone was two years ago but unfortunately it broke during my travels. I wanted the new iPhone 4S and I needed a new hard-drive but we’re in Ecuador.

Apple has recently released the iPhone 4S and I was due for an upgrade on my network. Because it’s a world phone that has both GSM and CDMA, my network allowed me to unlock one part of it which then allowed me to use any SIM card as I travel. I also ran out of hard-drive space so I ordered a Western Digital My Passport  1 TB hard-drive. The problem is, I wasn’t in the USA to receive the phone and hard-drive. I ordered the stuff and thought it’d be easy to ship to Ecuador.  I was wrong.

UPS and FedEx was charging $100 for a tiny package. Ecuador is notorious for having horrible regular postal service so I didn’t trust that either. To add to the disaster, Ecuador doesn’t allow you to receive personal items from the USA whether you’re an American or not. It would just be counted as a regular package and the government has the right charge you taxes and duties for anything that you receive. That would be mean I would be made to pay the regular price for the products as it’d cost in Ecuador. Shipping UPS and FedEx guarantees that I’d be charged but regular postal service is a hit or miss whether they would check the package or not (some claim to have their items stolen from the package). I didn’t want to take the risk. Since I’m traveling, I didn’t know where I was going to be in the next few weeks as the packaged arrived. It has to be shipped to an actual location, not a post office or drop off location.

Delivery man by rwangsa, on Flickr

At first I thought I’d never be able to receive the package but I had an idea. I sent out a message on Twitter if anyone was coming to Ecuador from USA anytime soon and could deliver the package to me. Within a few minutes, I got a reply from a follower I didn’t know. He was arriving in Quito in 4 days out of Texas. I got my parents to mail him the package next day. I was meeting him in Quito at his hotel with my package as he arrived. I was only 4 hours away from Quito so I took a day trip to the city. That couldn’t have possibly worked out any better.

I avoided paying high shipping costs, duties, and taxes for my package and I got my package way faster than having it shipped. All I had to really do is trust the guy to actually come. I checked his general Twitter profile and just made a fast instinct to go with it. I felt good about it and he seemed like a nice guy through the tweets. Now I’m sitting here with my new toys and absolutely loving it. Perhaps going a little too app crazy.

Thank you @scrappy325!

Would you trust someone to deliver your expensive electronics?

How I Trusted The Internet is a post from Art of Backpacking

Unless we’re traveling on a lottery ticket, we all run out of money eventually if we’re traveling with our savings. It’s a horrible feeling knowing when our bank account is starting to run low. The first thing that comes to mind is having to go home but if you’re not ready to go home yet, there are options for you to stay on the road. They might not be career path type jobs but they will definitely keep you on the road longer and you’ll build a whole new set of skills you never would have thought of learning.

Work at a hostel

Rarely will a hostel actually pay you but they will offer free accommodation and sometimes food, drinks, and tours. It’s a great way to live in a city and spend very little. In South America, you can just show up to any hostel to volunteer. It’s very popular in South America. Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and other developed countries might require a working visa but they actually pay.

The Prince of Wales Hostel/Bar by sebr, on Flickr

Before working at a hostel, stay for a few days and make sure you’re comfortable with the environment and city you’re in. Also depends what kind of environment you want. South America has small guesthouses to major party hostels. I worked at Loki in Mancora for a month which was a huge party hostel. That’s what I wanted so for the next month, I was killing many brain cells. It was conveniently located right on the beach and had a fantastic pool.

Teach English abroad

We’ve covered it extensively on Art of Backpacking. If you’re from an English speaking country, you’re qualified. This is especially great when you want to stay somewhere for close to a year and have a real local experience. When I taught in Xi’an, China, I was one of the 7 foreigners in the entire area. I was 30 minutes from downtown so there was nothing but local foods, entertainment, and students. It helped me learn Chinese as well since there wasn’t that many foreigners around. The students often teach me about their culture, family, and foods. Check out our ESL category for articles on this subject.

Volunteer

Not hostel volunteering but volunteering to help towards a greater cause. I volunteered in Buenos Aires for 4 months at L.I.F.E. They can provide cheap housing and a great way to experience culture and learn the local language. It improved my Spanish tremendously since I worked exclusively with children. I eventually became a leader for one of the areas and became very involved with the organization. It even accidentally took me back to my roots. Check out The Underground Guide to International Volunteering eBook by NerdyNomad to get started on volunteering around the world.

Work at a bar

In South America and Asia, they don’t pay much if at all but they do offer you free party, drinks, and popularity at the bar. I found it to be very popular in Australia among travelers though and they pay well. Many of the employees at the bars were getting around $20 an hour. You do need to get a RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) license in order to work at a licensed bar in Australia though. Try asking hostels for bar work or local town bars.

Other options

• Find work on a sail boat. Great way to travel slow and get to your next destination.
• Australia and New Zealand has loads of opportunities for travelers. Restaurants, cafe’s, sport activities, and office work.

What have you done on the road to keep you traveling?

Staying On The Road By Working is a post from Art of Backpacking

On paper my life was perfect. I made $85,000 in 2009 despite barely turning 25, I paid very little rent to live in a million dollar condo my friend’s parents owned, I could vacation anywhere in the world I wanted to (and did), I was making new friends, and I had virtually no responsibilities. But that was only on paper.

In reality I was miserable. I was surrounded by less than authentic people, I hated going to work knowing I would be repeating the same sales pitch I had been repeating for the last two years, and by the time I was done working out at night I had no energy left for anything else. In short, I was a walking zombie. So I chose a date to quit my job and started saving up money to travel.

At first I was extremely excited as traveling was all I could think about. Unfortunately I had to keep my plans secret for fear of losing my employment and upsetting my roommate’s parents, who were giving me the deal of a lifetime in that condo. Further, when the time got close and I did make my announcement, things didn’t get any easier.

The Office by mkrigsman, on Flickr

One of my closest female friends thought I was committing career suicide, and interpreted my desire to leave as me wanting to get away from her and her brother (my roommate). What this girl failed to realize was that this was the hardest decision of my life, so when she decided tried to make me the villain and threw tantrums and guilt trips my way, I let the friendship fade. Sadly, the relationship was never recovered. On top of my relationship drama, things didn’t go as planned at work.

On November 15th I announced to my employer that I would be quitting January 15th. Upon realizing I would only be in the office 19 days over the next two months (because of how much paid time-off I had accumulated), they decided to “let me go.” Upon first hearing this my stomach dropped as I hadn’t hit my savings goal quite yet. Then they told me I could collect government unemployment. Jackpot.

For the next 8 weeks I collected money from the government while living at home. I started doing muay thai (thai kickboxing), caught up on a ton of reading, vacationed in Hawaii, and was able to spend time with my 1.5 year old nephew.

On January 24th I took off on my adventure. 5 weeks in India and 13 weeks in Southeast Asia. For the sake of keeping this article short, let’s just say it was awesome, life-changing, motivational, and the most fun I’ve had since I was a kid going to summer camp.

Since returning from my trip, I have done the following: started my own website selling digital travel guides (and actually sold a few); successfully launched a travel blog (to help sell my guides); accepted a work-from-home sales job with the largest online travel magazine in the world (Matador Network; I didn’t even have to apply, my friend recommended me); taken up 2-step dancing; continued doing muay thai; and traveled to Chicago and Austin, Texas.

In short, I went from quitting a job I hated to having two jobs in the industry I’m passionate about. And I’m pretty sure Matador is going to let me work while traveling! (This is also a testament to the power of networking, and how life tends to “work out” when you commit yourself to something you’re passionate about).

This year, between my various income streams, I will bring in less than 40% of what I would’ve made in 2010 (which was quite a bit less than 2009). Despite this, I have managed to save up enough money to travel again and could not be any happier with my career situation. That’s just my career though; my personal life is even better.

For as long as I can remember, I had sleeping problems that were tied to general anxiety. I went through an addiction to downers of all sorts before going on sleeping pills for about 18 months. I could go on and on here, but I’ll just say my situation wasn’t good. I also lacked self-esteem and self-confidence, as what little self-confidence I had was based on my material success.

Frankly Mr. Shankly... by Sighthound, on Flickr

Upon returning from traveling, my problems virtually melted away. Between getting out of my personal hell and pursuing my dreams, and overcoming all the difficulties I faced traveling India and Southeast Asia alone for 18 weeks, things back home didn’t phase me anymore.

As soon as I got home, my closest friends said they noticed a marked shift in my demeanor. I of course couldn’t see it, but inside I could feel it. I was calmer. I didn’t need sleeping pills or any kind of downers anymore. I felt confident about starting my own business, and for the first time in my life I had the confidence to approach random girls on the street/out in public. It was incredible. While the positive turn of events regarding my career was encouraging, I wouldn’t trade the psychological benefits I experienced for anything.

In conclusion, I hope some of you find inspiration in my story. Giving up a life where I was incredibly materially successful at a very young age was intimidating, and caused intense self-doubt; but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t do it. Listening to my heart, and using potential regret as the measuring stick for my life helped me make one of the best decisions I have ever made.

When faced with tough decisions, I now ask myself one simple question: will I regret not doing this when I die. If the answer is yes, I do it; no further questions asked. (And for those of you who want some inspiration/motivation, check out Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Workweek. The book is jam –packed with examples of people who took the plunge and recovered quite nicely)

So, the next time you dream of taking that exotic vacation, asking that girl at the coffee shop out, starting your own company, etc, ask yourself: will I regret not doing this when I die? If the answer is yes, well, you know what to do.

How Quitting an $80,000/year Job was One of My Best Decisions Ever is a post from Art of Backpacking

The problem with cheap places is that it’s all relative to the lifestyle someone chooses. While I do list Xi’an, China as being inexpensive, it’s also quite easy to spend as much as you would in Tokyo, Japan. It also depends on what you’re into. Do you like big cities, beaches, comforts of home, party towns, or jungles?

Here’s a few things I consider when staying in a place for a few weeks or months between traveling around:

• Fast and reliable internet.
• Good selection of food.
• Entertainment such as bars and nightlife. Anything lively.
• Good exchange rate to the US dollar.
• Many places of interest and something to learn.

If you’re looking to take a break and stay somewhere for awhile, here is where I recommend. All prices below are converted to the US dollar.

Xi’an, China

If you’ve been following Art of Backpacking, you probably expected I would mention this city. After living here for a year, I grew to love the city. While many websites are blocked due The Great Firewall of China, it’s quite easy to get around using a VPN. Still, the internet is quite fast outside of having to do the VPN.

Xi’an is well known to be one of the cheapest big cities in China. A typical meal in middle of downtown local restaurant will cost you around $3.12. A little outside of the downtown area may cost half of that. A 1 liter Tsing Tao beer at a restaurant may cost $.78. At the supermarket, it’s $.31.

At a big fancy nightclub with VIP treatment, a bottle of Absolut, basket of fruits, snacks, and a few sodas cost $47. Split that between four people and you got yourself a serious party. KTV has similar prices and are super fun to do in China.

Apartments in the middle of downtown cost about $300USD although if you’ve been following China’s housing market, it’s quickly becoming more expensive.

Pick up Mandarin classes and go sightseeing in one of China’s oldest and traditional cities. It’s a great place to stay for awhile.

La Paz, Bolivia

With simliar prices as Xi’an, China, you could live here more than comfortably with the US dollar exchange rate.

I LOVED La Paz. The whole city is on slopes between mountains and has a beautiful view when viewed from the top or even the bottom looking up onto the mountains. The streets are small and confusing but taxi’s take you to just about anywhere and it’s inexpensive.

A restaurant that sell perhaps one or two items for the whole day cost between $2 to $3. Chicken and rice is probably the cheapest meal in Bolivia and can cost less than a dollar. It’s filling and found everywhere but I quickly got sick of it.

La Paz surprisingly has a huge expat community. There’s many restaurants to indulge in other international foods as well. I recommend checking out The Star of India restaurant.

The internet was my only complain about La Paz. It was a bit slow at times but it could just have been where I was staying.

A Urban Labyrinth in the Clouds ... by lapidim, on Flickr

Bucharest, Romania

I wanted to diversify my list although I haven’t been to Romania. It’s not as cheap as La Paz or Xi’an but still one of the more inexpensive cities within Europe.

An inexpensive meal cost about $6.93 while a one bedroom apartment in the city centre cost $413.56 a month according to Numbeo. Those are some great prices for a major city in Europe and a great way to take a break between all those train rides.

HDR from my balcony by Chewbacka, on Flickr

Koh Samui, Thailand

Many people who have heard or been to Thailand think of Koh Samui as a tourist trap. It’s a small island off the coast of Thailand and draws in tourists by large numbers every day for it’s beautiful beaches and crazy nightlife. The tourist mainly go to Chaweng or Lamai beaches and many don’t usually leave that area.

Koh Samui however holds beautiful quiet beaches all around the island outside of the tourist areas. Cheap holidays are easy to find outside of the tourist areas.

While you may find cheaper places to stay in other parts of Thailand, Koh Samui offers easy access to rent apartments, enjoy nightlife, and delicious foods while not having to go too far off the path. Probably due to Thailand’s organized tourism.

I recommend checking out the Bang Po area. We paid $20 a night for two people in what was basically a private resort with waterfront views.

Where else do you recommend?

The following article has been sponsored.

Cheap Places To Stay For Awhile Around The World is a post from Art of Backpacking

I’m tired of hearing excuses.

This lifestyle didn’t just fall on my lap. I didn’t wake up one day to find myself with thousands of dollars in my bank and the freedom to travel anywhere whenever I wanted. It was the complete opposite. I had negative balances and a job that kept me indoors, exhausted, and lazy. I hated it.

The only way anything was going to change was to be as dedicated as possible towards my goal. Having priorities is key to motivation and getting things done.

“I could never give up X”: Having a passion for a hobby may seem difficult to give up. It’s understandable but you don’t really have to give it all up. My hobby was expensive. I was a DJ and had some serious equipment. I purchased music and craved new equipment. Initially it was heartbreaking to give up but my priority was elsewhere. I still have a passion for it though and to get my fix, I do things that are easier on my wallet while not having to completely give it up. I collect music, DJ as often as I can abroad, and active in the community.

It does take some sacrifices if you want to travel. It’s up to you to take responsibly in what is important to you. Is going to concerts every weekend more important than travel? That’s up to you to decide.

“I’ll travel when I finish school”: School is important. I don’t recommend quitting. I do hear this statement quite often though and in many cases, I doubt they’ll travel immediately after school. Americans are often stuck with thousands of dollars in loans that will need to be paid shortly after graduating. This then puts Americans directly to work to start paying it off. Years pass and the calendar of beaches around the world sits in their office.

Loans are difficult to avoid for Americans. I’m still paying mine and yet I’m traveling around the world. While I worked, I paid as much as I could and when I budgeted my trip, I made sure to budget the school loan payments as well. This again goes back to having priorities and motivation to make traveling long-term possible. Do everything in your power to have the least amount of money owed by the time you graduate. Apply for grants, scholarships, and anything else available. If you really want to travel after school, prepare for your trip while you’re still in school because otherwise, you’ll need to work for awhile after school to save up. There’s nothing wrong with that, just don’t kid yourself that you’ll be able to travel immediately after school when you’ll have no money to do it.

“I want to travel, but I have a house and kids”: Everyones situation is different. A house and kids definitely requires a bit more dedication than what I had to do but it’s still possible to travel for an extended period of time.

In the book On the Other Guy’s Dime by G. Michael Schneider, he was able to travel for many years while still maintaining a house and kids in their early teens. As a professor, he had the summers off. Instead of picking up part-time work in the US or lounging around, he took a job teaching abroad. He still earned money and had a new experience in a different culture with the kids. The kids continued to learn even throughout the summer. He was able to keep the house by renting it out 3 months at a time or more.

Search on Google “family long-term travel” and you’ll find that this isn’t even a unique idea and so many people do it and come from different situations.

Here are more excuses I often here.

• I’m scared of traveling solo.
• It’s dangerous abroad and I’ll get killed.
• What about all the drugs? What if I’m drugged and forced into a brothel?
• My work only gives me two weeks.
• I’m in my 30′s and too old to stay in hostels.
• It’s too expensive to travel.
• My parents/boyfriend/girlfriend won’t let me.
• How will anyone understand me with the language barrier?
• There’s weird foods there. What if I eat a dog by accident?
• I don’t eat fish so I would never go to China. (What?)
• Is there even a tourism structor in places like South Korea, Japan, or Australia?
• South Korea is close to North Korea. It must be dangerous there. (Yeap, I really heard this one.)
• I’ve been to Mexico before. Cancun is beautiful. Everywhere else is dangerous.

I found that there’s two different types of excuses. One is coming from people who legitimately wants to travel but needs that extra push in research and motivation to make it happen. This falls more with the excuses of “I’m scared of traveling solo.” With research and experience, there’s little to be scared of when it comes to traveling solo. Then there are those who are making excuses because they don’t actually care for travel and have other priorities. I’d rather someone tell me “I don’t want to travel because” than “I would travel but” because to me it sounds like there’s something stopping you from doing what you’d prefer.

What excuses have you heard?

Image: Photography by BJWOK / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Stop Making Excuses If You Want To Travel is a post from Art of Backpacking

I hate having to go to the hospital and especially abroad. The comfort of family isn’t there and there’s no one to visit me. Still, I’ve come out stronger and learned a few things on my way out. Mostly that I need to take better care of myself.

Luang Prabang, Laos

From my trip through China, I was down to my final days and what better way to end China than to end up with a stomach virus. I did what I could to treat it but I had to leave China since my visa was expiring. I was leaving Kunming, China to Luang Prabang, Laos by land. It ended up being a thirty hour bus ride and with a stomach virus, it was a living hell. I had a big bottle of water and ate nothing throughout the entire trip in fear that I’d have to go to the bathroom while on the bus.

I got up the next day fresh and ready to start exploring Luang Prabang. I hadn’t realized just how strong the sun was in Laos. I walked around for about two hours and in that time, I got completely sunburned. I was sunburned and I still had the stomach virus. The same day, the guests at the hostel invited me to one of the waterfalls in Luang Prabang. I felt somewhat better and thought I should be okay, possibly even be refreshing. This time I put on sunscreen. I felt great at the waterfall and the water was indeed refreshing.

It happened on our way back in a tuktuk from the waterfall. I started to get pins-and-needles throughout my body. Suddenly I started to freeze up and my hands started to crench up. I started to panic and the people in the tuktuk looked away to not get involved. I noticed this and said out loud “what the fuck? why are you pretending to not notice?” Eventually I completely panicked and collapsed. That’s when they took it serious. Luckily, we were close to the hospital and the tuktuk driver was great.

Hospital sign by wayfaringrob, on Flickr

The hospital was fairly big. Mostly empty and boring. White walls and dull in every aspect. The room they brought me to had a fan, table, and a chair. The most basic it could possibly get. The first guy that came in knew nothing of English but did a few checkups. Then the actual doctor came in and spoke a little English, enough to understand and speak. It was a basic conversation but she seemed to know exactly what I needed and why I was there pretty quickly. She told me that she’s the only English speaker in the hospital.

I had Hypoglycemia. I wasn’t staying hydrated enough. For the next four hours, I was under IV and several other checkups. Since the waterfall trip was meant to be a short and low cost, I didn’t bring much cash with me which worried me throughout the checkup. I told her I had no money on me but that I had promised to come back to pay the bill. I didn’t have any sort of ID with me and I could have ran away but she trusted me enough to come back and pay.

The doctor recommended I have lots of coconuts which was perfectly fine by me since I love coconut shakes and was given a few packets of hydration salts for the next few days to recover. I did go back to pay the bill. I checked out the hostel and checked into a hotel that had AC. For three days after, I relaxed and mostly slept. I felt a whole lot better and continued on my journey. Cost was about $20USD for the hospital visit.

Haadrin Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand

You’d think I would have learned my lesson but I didn’t. It happened again. I wrote the full story already on Art of Backpacking. You can find it here: Hospitalized at the Full Moon Party. The article became a feature on The Australian. Must. Stay. Hydrated.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

A simple and yet annoying ear infection. It was difficult to hear as it was becoming worse. By simply asking locals on the street where the hospital was, I just walked right in. The hospital was much more organized and had many facilities. The ear doctor spoke English, French, and Khmer very well. It turned out pretty well. It was about $10USD. In and out in about 15 minutes.

Singapore

Another annoying ear infection and this one was much worse. My head was pounding and I felt like I was breaking down. I had been scuba-diving for a few days in a row in Malaysia. On my way to the hospital, the taxi driver asked me if it was anything contagious. He relaxed a bit after I said no. The hospital was enormous and had beautiful architecture. Before entering though, I was required to wear a medical face mask as everyone else was in the hospital. It was about $50 and that included all prescriptions as well.

Bangkok, Thailand

My tooth had been hurting for awhile. Eventually Stephanie got tired of me complaining and found a dentist.  I walked in and in about an hour, I was out feeling great. They did a fantastic job and the facility was especially designed for foreigners. For $75, I got a cavity filled. Not exactly a hospital visit but still worth mentioning.

I had to also get new glasses in both Lima, Peru and Xi’an, China. The Lima glasses sucked but the ones from Xi’an came out pretty well. Not a fan of the frame but the lens were great.

What have I learned from all this? Clean my ears and drink more water.

Have you had to go to the hospital abroad? How was your experience? 

Hospital Visits Around The World is a post from Art of Backpacking

Every country has it’s aspects you don’t want to miss and every country has it’s share of scam artists, customs and tourist traps you would be happier if you could avoid. Egypt is no different. I can safely say Egyptians are the friendliest and happiest people I have ever met. It is not unusual to be invited for a cup of tea or to dinner by someone you met only an hour ago. However, it is also not unusual to hear many stories of tourists getting ripped off by people they thought were being friendly.

Cultural differences is the reason tourists fall foul of Egyptian ‘scam artists’. Remember that tourism is the main source of foreign income, especially in Upper Egypt, so many unsavoury practices are accepted in Egypt, under the guise of ‘business’. For the most part tourists do not come from countries where strangers compliment them on their hair, eyes, body, personality etc. – compliments on clothing or hair – maybe a little. Nevertheless, the high level of personal compliments passed in Egypt tends to throw many tourists off guard. In Egypt it is quite common practice to compliment each other in very personal ways.. If you get a chance to listen to Egyptian songs and can get a translation, you will see the language is more like something you would find in a Shakespearian sonnet than in a modern western song.

Most of the Egyptians you will meet on holidays will be working in the tourist trade. If they are in the tourist areas – they are working the tourists, though you may not realise it. So, yes, you can be friendly but don’t let yourself get bowled over by the compliments to the extent that you lose your common sense. Be specially suspect of men (sometimes women but not that often) who try to befriend you in the street, they are mostly good-looking and charming but probably up to no good!

If you don’t have your accommodation booked (even if you do) be aware that, at the airport, in the taxi, at the train station everyone knows a hotel they can recommend and take you to. All well and good – they are getting commission for taking you there.

Carpenters at Work, Tomb of Rekhmire by peterjr1961, on Flickr

Tours - it is normal to be quoted a cheap price by taxi drivers, hotels, tour operators and travel agents – you need to try to clarify additional charges, hidden extras and what exactly is included in the deal. It is usual to be taken shopping or to restaurants on these trips – that is where they make up the loss on the ‘cheap price’ you were quoted.

Apart from Luxor and Karnak Temples on the East Bank, everyone knows about the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut’s Temple on the West Bank. Less often visited on the West Bank, but equally worth seeing are the two perfect tombs at the Workers’ Village – also known as Deir El Medina; the Temple at Medinet Habu; the Tombs of the Nobles; Tomb of Ay; Tombs of Roy & Shu Roy and the Temple of Sety I. The most wonderful temples in Egypt are those at Abydos and Dendera – both of which you can see on a full-day trip from Luxor. The house in which Howard Carter lived, between Hatshepsut’s Temple and the Valley of the Kings, while excavating the tomb of Tutankhamon, is now open and has an excellent restaurant outside, which is operated by the renowned Winter Palace Hotel.

Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque - Dec 28, 2008 - 07 by Ed Yourdon, on Flickr

If you are looking for genuine hand-made craftwork you should not miss a visit to the Women’s Centre in Karnak (Luxor) where they make trays, rugs, bags, accessories and a range of clothing. Souvenirs from Egypt include papyrus paintings (there are fakes also but in my experience they last as long as the originals….so depends on how many you want!); essential oils from Egypt are wonderful but make sure you are watching (and not distracted) as the assistant fills your bottle from the same bottle he gave you the sample scent from; jewellery is good value (but only the jewellery which is handcrafted in Egypt) and you need to know your market price of gold and silver, it is sold by gram weight. Traditional lamps and lights are amazingly cheap and beautiful, as are small pieces of mother-of-pearl mirrors, boxes but look twice to make sure you are buying mother-of-pearl not plastic as it can be very deceiving to the eye if you are looking at it for a while.

Traditional Egyptian food which is not that easy to find, but which you should taste if you do find it, would include mulakhia, kosa, addis, bissara, roast sweet potato, black lentil salad, stuffed vine leaves, stuffed cabbage, potatoes stuffed with meat and rabbit tagine

Places to see in Cairo - The Pyramids, Sphinx, Giza Plateau are top of the tourist list – lesser-known but equally important are the pyramid and temple complex at Saqqara; the Pyramids at Dashur and Abu Sir. In Cairo itself you will not want to miss Coptic and Islamic Cairo, Saladin’s Citadel Complex, Khan El Khalili Market and the free Sufi dancing at the Arts & Cultural Centre.

Sufi dancing in Cairo by nebedaay, on Flickr

Food in Cairo not to miss would include a take-away meat or chicken sandwich in sesame bread rolls from Falfela in Talaat Haarb St., fine food dining in the Barten Section at La Bodega (booking required); the traditional dishes on the menus at Downtown 34 in Adly St and at Café Riche in Talaat Haarb St – near Tahrir Sq; pastries from the El Abd shops (you can’t miss these shops as there is always a crowd outside them – I particularly recommend their konafa, it’s a melt-in-the-mouth light delight!

Finally, for adventurers looking for the unusual can contemplate travelling from Cairo to Luxor through the Western Oases – this is a spectacular trip involving 4-wheel drive transport, guide, traditional food under starry skies and the thrill of sleeping in the desert – which, for a place which seems deserted (no pun intended!) comes alive at night with all kinds of little creatures and unusual sounds! On a trip to the desert you definitely do not want to be ill – so be sure to take Antinal with you. This is the best medicine for the Egyptian tummy bug!

Egypt – Pitfalls to Avoid, Delights to Enjoy is a post from Art of Backpacking