Broke but not Broken

Fear of a depleted bank account deterred me from online banking…for a couple weeks.  It finally came to the point of having to give in. I’m nearing the junction of Broke Boulevard and Homeward Highway. My bank account hasn’t been this low, since college. I’ve emptied out the travel account and tapped into the savings to its bare minimum; less than a grand to my name (a little less than $900 to be exact) and I’ve got exactly three weeks left in Asia. Normally, I wouldn’t disclose such personal information (actually, I really don’t care) but going broke is bound to happen when the steady flow of income comes to a halt and traveling mode kicks in. “Travel til broke” seems to be the motto for most, and I’ve had no problem making it mine.

This is doable. Time to budget.

If I have $900 (including the money I currently have in my wallet), I’ll keep $300 in the savings, which gives me $600 for the three weeks I have left. Well not really, I don’t want to go home with nothing in my Checking account; a hundred will do. So, really, I have $500 to play with. 21 days, $500. It comes outs to $166 a week, $23.80 a day.

Here's the conversion:

Malaysia (two weeks): 491 Ringgit per week, 70 Ringgit per day

Thailand (one week): 4,958 Baht per week, 711 Baht per day

And, I’m back in the game.

There’s no way, I’ll be spending that much money in a day. If I continue to spend about 2-5 ringgit a meal, 2 meals a day it should give me enough for transportation, accommodation, and budgeted sightseeing. Plus, this calculation, assumes that I'll be spending just as much in Thailand as I do in Malaysia. Nope. Thailand is significantly cheaper even if I stay at the poshest hostel in Bangkok. Honestly, I’ve never really had to budget before but I refuse to ask for help—this is partially due to pride but mostly because I want to accomplish this on my own. I know I can do this on my own. I will do this on my own. 

This is doable.  
This is doable.  
This has to be doable. 

I’ll see how it goes. Expect updates. 

I’m almost broke, but couldn’t be happier.

Cheers to enjoying the simpler things in life.

Malaysia

Malaysia, a set on Flickr.

Can't Beat that with a Bat

There’s nothing like a good shower to start your day, actually there’s nothing like standing in the shower, eyes closed for five or ten minutes, to start your day. Fact. There’s nothing like a morning dip in the clearest, bluest ocean to start your day. BETTER FACT. A couple days ago, I rolled out of bed and was about to turn the cold-water nozzle when it dawned on me, “You're taking a shower, when the ocean is right there! Right there!” Think flashing neon signs and a monkey pointing towards the water going ape shit. Doh! The shower got the axe and I said hello to the saltiness of the South China Sea.

Can’t beat that with a bat. Uh-uhhhhh.

* finger snap *

Long Beach, Pulau Perhentian Kecil

I’m in Malaysia by the way. Yeah, it was a last minute trip and by last minute I mean I literally received the itinerary in my inbox a few days before I left.  Oh the beauty of cheap Air Asian flights and…

dare I share my secret with you?

I dare. 

Here’s why I’m in Malaysia:

Because I can be.

Post Philippines, I had no plans to venture off into the bordering countries…none at all, which is something I still don’t understand. For my last month abroad, I thought I’d explore the Andaman Sea islands of Thailand and hang with a friends in Chiang Mai. I was teetering on the brink of Thai Townieism AGAIN. We’ve talked about this before; it’s easy to get stuck in Comfortland. Thailand is easy and friends are comfortable. An all out Malaysian rendezvous was needed to get me out of that funk. And that it did.

Yep. So I’m in Malaysia. 

Here's a little of what I've done...I’ve been rained on in KL’s Bird Park, which, by the way, is the largest walk-in aviary in the world. I’ve petted a peacock…ON ITS BEAK (if you know my dislike, more like fear, of birds, you’ll know this is a HUGE step), swam my hardest to catch up to a huge surfacing sea turtle, and spotted and followed three full grown blacktip sharks while snorkeling. Oh, and I went off trail in the Taman Negara jungle for about an hour or so following a so called EcoTourism PhD having, neurotic, bug-hating, woman who insisted she could guide us to the Orang Asli Village for free. She lied and had absolutely no idea where she was going. OHHH, and leeches. How one made its way up my right leg, onto my thigh, and had a feast, I will never know.

oh the stories...

Operation Songkran

Objective: Bring in the Thai New Year
Date: April 13-15
Weaponry: water guns and buckets
Ammunition: moat water

 

Every child (or inner child's) dream--a three day, COUNTRY-wide water fight where mercy has no existence. If you were out, you were as good as drenched.  Songkran was easily the most fun I've had in Thailand thus far and being in Chiang Mai was only a plus. Fully equipped with my ellie gun and OEG posse, we were ready to take over the city. The Old City was crowded with loads of people from all over the world. (Random note: there was an incredible amount of Americans in Chiang Mai that week, I met about 6, which is the most I've seen in one place besides orientation.)

Status: success

 Click to see more!

Life on the Road

After about 6 short months, it finally happened. I’ve fallen in love. His name is Travel; I call him “T” for short. We’ve been taking our time to get to know each other but my solo journey through the Philippines only cemented our relationship. I’m hooked. Sitting on the fence. I fancied the idea of a one-way ticket to the Philippines. And now that I’ve declared my love, met amazing people, and considered future plans; I’m jumping off.

 

You’re reading it here first:

I’m buying a one-way ticket 

to the Philippines, as soon as I can afford it.

Here's how I've made my decision:

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

As much as Jack Kerouac isn't your idea of an average role model with his heavy drinking, abundant use of drugs, and promiscuity, he sure got two things right: adventure and freedom. Trips across the country because he could, picking up and leaving when he wanted, and experiences more stimulating than just being at home. Yes! Yes! Yes! That’s what it was like in the Philippines. No real agenda except the three flights I booked; I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and all I had to do was make sure I got to my flight on time. I just can't seem to let go.

As of now, life on the road, is THE life.

Mary Lotus, Barry Lloyd, and Joel

The best part of traveling alone is that, well, I don’t have to travel alone. From Bohol, I ferried my way to Dumaguete, where I met this crazy bunch--a traveling family (a mother and her two sons but more like best friends, if you ask me). I hopped on the Siquijor bandwagon with them for the last four days of my trip.  Explorers by day, Euchre (Yuker, Euker, spelling?) players by night.

They were all well-traveled, down to earth, inspiring people. But Barry, oh, Barry. A seasoned traveler at 25, he's done what I've only dreamed of--trekking and cold showers in the Himalayas, surfing Indonesia, drooling over camera equipment in Hong Kong, dropping his flash diffuser on a busy road (I think in India?) and somehow finding it after an hour or so retracing his path. He has stories and I want more. He pushed me over the edge, making certain my Southeast Asian return.

Higher Education (or would it be Highest Education?)

So beyond indulging in the present (close to irresponsibility as some might say), I haven’t forgotten about the future. I still want a master’s degree (to be followed by a doctorate) in a combination of Asian Studies and Political Economy. But to even be eligible for an MA in AS, knowledge and proficiency in an Asian language is required. I don’t have that. What better way to learn a language than by full cultural submersion? If I can satisfy my travel fix and work towards something that will aid my future, why not? Seems like the best of both worlds.

The Philippines: Dabbling with Photography

The Philippines, a set on Flickr.

Bohol Highlights

Top Five Bohol Highlights

5. Cock Fighting

4. Riding on top of a full bus

3. Butterfly Sanctuary

2. The not-so-Chocolate Hills

1. Zip lining over the Loboc River

Employment Ad

Tanned Filipina-American seeking resort to hire Professional
Beach Bum. Will work for minimal pay and lodging (tent acceptable).
Requirements: access to flushing toilet, unlimited toilet paper, shower
(only 2/wk), & beer. Open to negotiate.

 Boracay, Day 1

Boracay, Day 2

Boracay, Day 3

It's not always going to be sunny.

Banaue, Northern Philippines--March, 28, 2011

Home to rice terraces perfectly carved into the mountainside, with an irrigation system that is nothing short of genius, Banaue is tucked away in the Mountain Province of Northern Luzon, Philippines. Beautiful to eyes and fresh to the nose, the rice terraces are surely something you don’t want to miss in the Philippines.

* abrupt record stop *

But it was cold.

And raining.

And I was miserable.

Mother Nature, yeah, she’s a Schizo—it’s supposed to be summertime, peak season for Jebus’ sake, but she pulled the Cold Card from her deck of personalities. I couldn’t feel my feet for 2 days; when my feet are cold, so follows my mood. There’s nothing worse than cold feet (cold ankles are high up there but when the footsies are cold, say “Adios!” to trying to get warm). I stayed for one night and two days, plenty. 

When it rains, it pours.

As advised I arrived at the bus station at 7:30pm , why I didn't take into consideration 'Filipino time' or the disorganization of transportation in southeast Asia as a whole, I don't know. My bus, scheduled to leave at 8pm, left at 10:20pm. I sat for three hours, in the cold, watching exhalations of carbon dioxide leave my mouth, and listening to water steadily drip down onto the metal roof:

tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.  

The first hour down the mountain was eventful; left turn-right turn-hard break-gas-dip-uphill-left turn (and so forth). My four o’clock lunch didn’t sit well, in fact it didn't sit at all…

three times.

We picked up a couple from another bus stopped and rolled on; the wife sat next to me--right turn-left turn-uphill. She started yelling at the man, who asked her to buy a ticket, something about their bus breaking down and not having money—downhill-break-break-break-gas. They argued for 5 minutes—uphill-downhill-left turn-right turn-brrrrrrreak! Sticky with perspiration, 4 minutes. The sides of the bus were closing in, 3 minutes—right turn- left turn-right turn. This woman’s yelling smothered me to Claustrophobiaville, 2 minutes—uphill-downhill-left turn. They stopped, I was just about to start, 1 minute—right turn-left turn-up- break-gas-gas-gas. I excused myself and emptied my stomach for the third time--left turn-gas-gas-gas. 

I fell asleep when the road straightened out and woke up in Manila traffic.

So not every day traveling is good one, in fact, some days will seem like they're flushed half way down the crapper, you know when there's not enough water in the tank for a complete flush; it's the half flush that keeps everything in the bowl floating around in slow motion. Some days will be like that, floating in a big pool of shit, until you wait for the tank to eventually fill itself or you could jump out of the pool and fill it yourself...either way things will work out. Whether you decide to float in poop or not, it'll all make for a good story.

Long story short: when traveling, craptastic days are bound to happen...it happens, life happens. Although, I would love everything to go according to plan and have perfect weather where ever I go, I know it's not always going to be sunny...and that's okay.