Travel is Glamorous…In Retrospect

I had read a great quote somewhere recently by Mark Twain.  It goes something along the lines of “Travel is Glamorous in Retrospect”

When I saw Dave doing our laundry in a little bucket in our coco hut bungalow, this quote came perfectly to mind.

When we come back from our travels through Asia, we will forget about the basic beds in not so clean rooms, showering over toilets, squatting in squalor and trying to sleep through night of howling dogs and cawing crows.

We instead will remember the beautiful beaches, spectacular sunsets and glorious mornings.  We will think about the times we walked in the surf and bathed in the sun.  We will think of lovely dinners at twilight and our cocktails at happy hour watching the sun go down for e evening.

Travel is difficult.  It is stressful, exhausting, nerve racking and trying on our patience.

And yet, we love it, we live for it. It makes us feel alive and as Mark Twain (or possible someone else said)…

“Travel is Glamorous in Retrospect”

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Packing a First Aid Kit for Long Term Travel

One of the biggest things that Dave and I always struggle with is over packing our first aid kit. You just never know what you are going to need, but at the same time, we hate carrying too much stuff.

A lot of travelers including ourselves tend to go a little overboard when it comes to carrying medication. In the past, we have carried a small pharmacy and it has driven me insane. At the same time, we really do need to be prepared for any situation. So how does one find balance?

Prescription medication

Malaria – Malarone – Luckily, we are pretty well set when it comes to our prescription medication. We have a tonne of Malarone left over from Africa for Malaria. We haven’t overly worried about Malaria in the past, but when traveling Africa, it is not something to play with. And since we have a lot left over, we are set. In the past we have used doxicycline or

Altitude – Apo-Acetazolamide – We like to climb things and we always take altitude medication with us. We have some of that left over as well from Africa so we can check that off of the list.

Diarreah – We are out of ciprofloxacin. Unfortunately we seem to get bad cases of diarrhea, so we seem to go through this quickly.  I don’t think that we will be making a trip to the travel clinic for that alone, so hopefully my doctor will prescribe this when I go in for my yearly physical.

Cold Sores/Fever Blisters – For anyone that has problems with fever blisters or Cold Sores acting up in extreme heat, we have found an amazing pill that fixes all of that. Our doctor prescribed Dave with 20o of these guys and he will never have a painful blister popping up on his lips again.

Travel Specific

You don’t need a doctor to prescribe any of these items for your travels, but I think that they are essential items in your first aid kit when traveling the world.

Our own syringe and suture kit – We have never had to use this, but I think that it is a good idea if you are going to remote places to make sure that you have sterile supplies.

Rehydration Salts – We needed this in the Sudan and until I became seriously dehydrated, I never knew that this was such an important piece of the first aid kit. But once again, since I have needed it in the past and I am going to be pushing myself trekking and traveling in adventurous ways…it is coming with me.

Water Purification Tablets – A must if you are planning on trekking and going off the beaten path.  We used them climbing Mount Kinabalu and Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and up to the pinnacles in Borneo.  We make sure to buy the tablets that do not contain iodine.  All through Africa, our water was purified with this method.  If you are going to be in cities with access to bottled water all of the time, it is not needed. But Dave and I will need it as we will be in remote places.

Antiseptic – After getting a serious knee infection that turned into a full blown case of cellulitus in Africa, I will always have Iodine or dettol or some other kind of disinfectant to clean out a wound.  In the tropics small cuts can become infected quickly and it is important to clean them as soon as they happen.

Topical Ointment like Polysporin – We use Fucidin Cream.  The Doctor in Africa used it on my infected leg daily, so if it is good enough for Cellulitus, it is good enough for a minor wound.

Anti-nauseant – Gravol – is always a good addition to a travel first aid kit. Nausea creeps up on you when you are traveling the world and having a medication to ease the symptoms

Insect Repellent – This is a must Many diseases are like Malaria and Dengue Fever are transmitted through mosquitoes. It is important to protect yourself as much as possible from mosquito bites.

The Staples

Ibuprofen, decongestants and antihistamines. Of course we will need the usual pain and cold relief.   We make sure to keep a small supply of these in our first aid kit.  We don’t go for the large bulky items, but we carry just enough to get us through a few days of not feeling well.  We can always restock as we go.

Immodium has been a life saver for us in the past.  If you are stuck traveling on a bus for hours on end and whatever you ate the night before isn’t agreeing with you, this can be the only thing that will make you get through the day.

Miscellaneous items

Gold Bond - We always swear by this one it relieves heat rashes, prickly heat

Band Aids – We don’t go crazy and carry a ton of band aids, but we have a few just in case.

Gauze and Tape – I think that this is more important than band aids. Gauze and tape will take care of a cut of almost any size.

Lip Balm – A must in my books. Soothes sunburned lips and when trekking or climbing it soothes chapped and wind burned lips.

Sunscreen – Gotta protect our skin, especially at the beginning of the trip.  After we finally develop a tan, we don’t need it as much, but the nose and ears seem to keep on burning.

Tums – Indigestion and heartburn can occur a lot, Tums or Pepto Bismol can be a welcome relief

Oragard-B – Stress and different foods can cause mouth ulcers. OraguardB numbs the gums while they are healing.

Up For Debate

• Instant Ice Pack – Do we really need this? If we sprain an ankle or twist a wrist, instant Ice will help to ease swelling and pain. But it is big and bulky. We will probably pass.
• Surgical Gloves – I never would have thought of this in the past, but Dave was attacked by a swarm of fire ants in Honduras once. Whenever I tried to brush them off, they would swarm my hands. It was impossible to get them off. But then, another traveler whipped out his surgical gloves and brushed them off quickly and efficiently. Have carried them ever since.
• Aloe Vera – Helps to relieve sunburn. But maybe we should just try not to get burnt.
• Eye Drops – we can really buy these anywhere. But I do suffer from Allergies and it is packaged in a small bottle, so it will probably come along.
• Tiger Balm – It is just my savior. Relieves sore muscles and headaches and even when my nose is stuffy, a little placed on the bridge will help to open them up.

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Essential Packing for Long Term Travel Abroad

Packing for an extended travel can be very tricky indeed. It is one thing to pack for a vacation where you are staying in one resort and not moving for the week or two that you are away. You can pack all you want because you only ever have to deal with your luggage at the airport and transfers where you have trollys and valets to help you out.  But it is completely another experience to pack for a travel that will keep you on the move for months on end.

Choosing your Luggage

Many people feel that with the invention of fantastic wheeled suitcases that this would be the best choice of luggage.  However, you may experience rough roads, sandy beaches, rocks or jungle trails that you will have to walk through during you travels.  This is where a suitcase of any type is not an option. That is why whenever we travel for long period of time, we use a backpack.

A good quality 70 litre backpack can be bought at Mec, Europe Bound or Hikers Haven.  You can read more about the pack that we chose at our post on Choosing the right Pack for Travel.

Here is a list of what we think is essential to pack  for extended periods of travel

A money belt is still a must for travel to keep you valuables is. You can buy one that goes on your leg, around your waist or around your neck.

Several  photocopies of all important documents spread throughout your luggage in case anything goes missing.

Extra passport photos for Visas and border crossing. In India we have learned that we even need two passport photos to buy a SIM Card.

Copies of credit card, passport, bank numbers, important phone numbers etc. written down in a safe location. Preferably in more than one location in your luggage.

Copies of prescription medications and eye prescriptions. If you wear glasses, pack an extra pair.  In Africa, I broke 2 pairs in a matter of two weeks.  I was stuck wearing my prescription sunglasses for a month and a half.  Luckily I had a lot of contact lenses, but in sand, dirt or jungle sometimes you don’t feel like putting in your contacts.

Locks- for every zipper or opening in your pack as well as an extra padlock of combination lock for hotels, lodges etc.  Some places allow you to double lock your door on the outside with your own combination lock.

Zip Lock Bags.  These are handy to separate clothes and keep things dry. We pack everything in Zip Lock Bags. We have done so for years and probably won’t stop.  Rain and humidity can take its toll and in many places you will be travelling by bus where they will throw your packs on the roof with no coverage what so ever.  If the rain comes, at least your contents will remain dry.

Hiking Boots and Flip Flops, that is all we need for foot wear ever. Don’t go crazy on shoes. If you don’t plan on climbing mountains, replace Hiking Boots for Solamon All Terrain Shoes used for adventure racing.  You can wear them in water, hiking, climbing, on the street.  They are all we have ever used in the past.  We are now switching to hiking boots because we plan on climbing more mountains.

Sarongs.  If you don’t have any, buy them when you get there if you are going to a tropical climate.  These are great for everything.  Some places don’t have sheets and they can be used as sheets, a skirt for an evening out (if it is a nice sarong) for on the beach, for showering if you have to shower in a public place, to put over you to visit temples.  I always like to bring at least 4 sarongs with me.

Microfibre towels – buy a lightweight towel by Lightload Towels Beach Towel (36″ x 60″), they dry quickly, take up less space and weigh very little.

Silk sleeping bag liners, a lot of times you will be in hot climates, so you don’t need to pack a sleeping bag, but silk liners are great for warmth and can be used just as the sarongs.  If you are on a trek where you are sleeping on just a board with some padded matts, the silk liner works great.

You can bring a sleeping bag, we have packed a very light weight bag that stuffs into a very small sack and takes up very little room, but unless you are camping regularly it is not needed.  Most trekking companies supply sleeping bags.

A good first aid kit with everything you need. Travel medications that you will get from a travel clinic doctor.  Cipro an antibiotic to cure diarrhea is a must, malaria medication, advil, eye drops, altitude pills, immodium, rehydration tablets, water purification tablets, allergy medication.  These are all a must as well as your basic first aid kit with band-aids, burn and sting relief, tensor bandage.  You will be out on trails a lot, on remote islands, in the middle of nowhere, you need to be prepared for any situation.

We have a  post on what to pack in a first aid kit for long term travel with great comments from other people

Good insect repellent, sunscreen and after sun lotion to relieve sunburn.  Even if you never burn at home, chances are you will burn it a hot climate.

Solar charger and a good set of  plug converters. They change from country to country, so  have a complete set.

A power bar - Belkin BZ103050vTVL Mini Surge Protector/Dual USB Charger
The Belkin Mini surge protector is great and it charges your ipod too! Great for charging several electronics at once. Also you only need one adapter.  In Africa, we spent a lot of time changing up our electronics to charge. We finally bought a power bar and could charge our cell phone, computer, ipods, camera and video camera all at once!

A good reliable sports watch with an alarm. Sometimes you will be getting up at 4:00 am to catch a sunrise or need to catch a bus after a long  night.  A watch with an alarm takes up less space than an alarm clock. Don’t go expensive though, you don’t want to be a target.

Scissors, nail clippers:  hygiene can keep you from getting sick. Keep your nails short.  Travelling for a long time, you will also need to cut your hair.  We are not fussy and cut each others on the road even though we could easily go to a salon anywhere, it is still important to have scissors for emergencies.

Sewing kit. Can’t tell you the amount of times I have used this.

Gold Bond.  this has always been our savior. Gold Bond Helps with heat rash and really soothes chafed skin.  This is always the first thing that we throw into our backpack and it has come to the rescue many times.

Peppermint oil. Many places have a musty odour, or smoking is allowed etc.  Peppermint oil will make your room smell minty fresh and it is great for sore muscles and congested sinuses.

We always pack a down jacket. they stuff to very little and can be used as a pillow.  We bring a travel size pillow case, stuff our coats in them and they can be used to sit on during uncomfortable boat rides or bench seating on trains and can be used to lean your head on .  I have never regretted bringing my down North Face coat. It is not for everyone, but we tend to go into the mountains a lot.

Headlamps, candles and matches are all a must.  We use the Petzl Tikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp and love it. It is lightweight and bright. Even before we started adventure traveling, we needed a headlamp.  They are great for exploring caves, in rooms with no light and of course and early morning trek or night safari in the jungle.

A sun hat and warm hat are a must as well.  Even in warm climates it can be cold at night.  In Vietnam’s north, we wore fleece sweaters and tuques (Canadian for a winter hat)

Earplugs, inflateable travel pillow, the u-shaped kind, eye mask

EyeGlass Repair Kit – Not only for prescription glasses but for sun glasses too. Plus that little screwdriver can come in handy quite a bit

Clothesline – Travel Laundry Clothesline – Flexolineis fantastic. Even if you have your laundry done for you everyday it is great for drying out clothes. Etc.

We could go on and tell you how many shorts shirts and trekking pants etc to pack, but that is a personal choice.  Just remember less is more when packing for long term travel.  This is simply a list of the essential items needed.  You don’t need to bring everything for every situation with you , you can always buy them while you are abroad.  When we climbed Kilimanjaro, we borrowed everything right down to our hiking boots.  So if you don’t plan on going to altitude or cold weather a lot, leave the cold weather gear at home and rent it when you get there.

You can check out our post on Electronics while traveling to see what we are planning on bringing with us to India, but we are also going to be writing and blogging a lot.  I don’t think that the average person needs to pack two laptop computers. They key is to keep it lightweight and scaled down.  The less you have, the happier the travel.  Guaranteed.

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How to Live your Life to travel the World

As people who love to travel for extended periods, Dave and I are always asked how we manage to take so much time off from work to see the world.  The second question we always get is how do we afford it?  People tend to think that we live our lives with no vision of the future and no equity what-so-ever just spending our money until it runs out. Others tend to think that we are independently wealthy.  As a matter a fact neither is true.

OverView

Here is an overview as to how we live our lives and still manage to take extended trips around the world as part of the middle class demographic.  In the past 10 years, we have traveled to 37 countries. Not on short week long vacations at an all inclusive resorts, but on trips that last for months at a time, where we delve into the culture and live with the people.

One of the best books I read when I was still in college was “The Wealthy Barber”, and I have followed the guidelines from that book ever since.  Dave and I have been investing monthly for the past 18 years and we never stop.  Even when we are away for months at a time.

We do not leave home until we can be sure that our investments will be covered for the months we are away. We never travel on borrowed money, and we make sure that any expenses at home are covered as well.  After all, what kind of travel experience would it be if we came home to a bunch of debt?  Following these two simple rules makes our travelling headache free.

At Home

While we are home, we put away the same amount of money for our retirement as we do while we are away, it never changes.  We set up an investment plan years ago with our adviser to let us know what we need to enable us to retire; and we have stuck to it.  When we are home and working, we have extra money that we could put into our mutual funds etc., but why would we sacrifice the present, when we already have a plan for the future.

So with our retirement plans in control, we now only have to worry about how to pay for the trip.  As freelancers in the film business, we are blessed to have jobs that allow us to leave for extended periods of time.  However, even as freelancers, we do take a chance that we will be replaced by someone else. Out of sight out of mind, it is easy for people to move on to someone else while you are away.  We are all replaceable after all and just like everyone else, leaving a job can be risky.

But, we have found that when we take a chance to do something extraordinary, things always seem to work out for the better when we return.   The first time we went to Thailand for an extended period of time, we both received career changing phone calls upon our arrival home.   While we were in Guatemala, Dave received and email that ended up leading to his best year ever. When we returned home from another trip through Asia, I was lost and unsure if I was going to continue in my chosen profession as a Make-up artist.  And then a call came out of the blue from YTV to work steadily on a show.  When we returned home from Africa, we were both ready for big change, and now we are under contract with a production company to start our own travel show.

As the saying goes, “With big risks, come big Payoffs”

Dave and I don’t own a house.  (We tried it once, and didn’t like it) We do live in very comfortable surroundings though. Decorated with photographs and artifacts from our travels, our home is cozy and reminds of us where we have been. We are happy with our surroundings and by renting we always live in something nicer than we could probably afford if we owned.  We also don’t have to worry about hydro bills, heating or air-con bills, new roofs or property taxes.

When we plan a trip for 6 months, we put everything into storage and Voila, no bills while we are away.

How We Live

We have been driving the same car for 6 years.  We both have jobs, but manage to remain a 1 car family by cycling and taking transit to work.  We keep our insurance low because our car is not worth much so we don’t have to have collision coverage.  By not owning a house and by not having car payments, we have a lot of extra money to invest and to put away for our travels and to enjoy the fun things in life.

We don’t buy a lot of gadgets.  We don’t have a home phone and have a great cell phone plan instead.   We don’t buy the newest Ipod or Iphone, Xbox or Wii.  We have never needed them in the past, so why should we need them now just because everyone else has them.

We don’t eat out all of the time.  It is easy for us because we enjoy cooking. We go over to friends or have them over rather than going out to bars.  Being in our late 30′s, bars are much less appealing than they used to be anyway.  That is not to say that we never go out.  We still enjoy a dining experience, just not 5 times a week!

Having Fun

Our hobbies tend to be free.  We love to ride our bikes, mountain bike, hike and run.  We already own our road and mountain bikes and climbing gear, all we have to do is drive to the escarpment and hit the trails or the crag. We belong to a cycling club, Reddy Riders, so we all just meet up somewhere and have a great day together.  We have a gym in our building, so we don’t need to spend money on memberships and we live on the water, so walking on the trail is a nice day out.  When we snowboard, we buy the cheap 5X7 pass and go during the week.  We also get a lot of discounts and freebees and other Intrawest resorts, so even the winter is fun and inexpensive.  Snowshoeing is free, fun and social.

Costs for our Type of Travel

When it comes to the cost of our trips, you would be surprised with how little we spend.  People spend $1500 per person on average for a weeks vacation at a resort.  Some people do this twice a year.  That is $6000.  We can make $6000 last for months. Some do it for cheaper, I am talking about an average price.

Once our flights are paid for to our destination, we opt to stay in small guest-houses for just a few dollars a night.  In Vietnam and Cambodia, we stayed in guest-houses and mini hotels for $4 per night on average.  These places had hot water, clean beds and sometimes satellite TV.  As long as it is clean and safe, we are happy to stay there.  We don’t need to stay at a place for $100 per night, travelling for us is about the adventure, and we spend little time in our hotel room.  Camping is another way to go. After camping our way through Africa, I think that we will do more of that on our next trip. I looked into the cost of some of the campsites we stayed at in Africa, and they were going for as little as $4 per night.  In the middle of the desert it was free!

We always book treks and climbs upon arrival. Tour operators are always much cheaper when booking in their country than when booking from home.  We have gone on a safari for less than $100 simply by being in the country before booking our excursions.

Travel Can be Cheaper than Staying home when work is slow!

Sometimes we feel that it is cheaper for us to go away when the winter work is slow.  We spend about a lot on rent, insurance, internet, food and entertainment per month while we are home.  While we are away, we spend far less per month.   Travel in Asia, Africa, Central or South America is cheap and you can see many sights for just a few dollars. If you choose to travel on your own, you can travel for as little or as much as you want to.  You don’t even have to climb a mountain or go on an expedition. These are things that Dave and I enjoy doing, so we put them into our budget.

In the next few posts, I will give some more advice as to how to travel the world and how to travel once you have arrived at your destination.  What we have found that has worked for us and what mistakes we have made along the way.

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