Never too old to learn
It's time to start imparting some wisdom on to our committed readers. By wisdom you should read - 'info picked up through a combination of mistakes, long travel days and luck', and by committed we mean - 'the handful of you that haven't cut us off as friends quite yet' for bragging about this epic #bigkidgapyear!!!
Even though we'd travelled before it didn't stop us researching, before departure, the frequently made balls-ups and coping strategies for similar adventures. You may well know some, or most of the below pointers (if so grab a beer and chillout), otherwise we hope they'll be of some use, or comedic value at the very least.
Financial survival guide
NEGOTIATE. It’s not just markets in Thailand that this tactic works for. All over the world you can save some serious pennies by having the guts to barter. Sometimes the price is the price but there’s no harm in trying. Note: Lisa does 99% of bartering as Sherpa's used to the other side of proceedings.
Drink liquados. Healthy, refreshing and cheap, these drinks made from fruit, water/milk, and ice are you best bet if a beer isn’t available. Sometimes cinnamon and/or vanilla extract are added for more flavour.
Carry your own water bottle. Many hostels provide free, clean drinking water via gallon bottles.
When on the road buy the water in thin plastic sacks. 500ml for $0.15c and far less wastage
Get comfortable with chicken bus travel. You may need to catch a few buses to reach your destination but it’s far cheaper and more adventurous than tourist arranged shuttles. Read our thoughts on these buses here.
Find hostels with communal kitchens. Allows you to prepare breakfast and snacks for a fraction of eating out. If unavailable make sure they include breakfast with your room.
Visit the ‘Mercado’s’. These local markets offer the cheapest groceries around, carry an immense variety of fruits and veggies, and you’ll feel good about supporting the local non-tourist community.
Copy the locals. If they eat from a street stall then it’s going to be good and cheap. This includes vendors boarding chicken buses - huge variety and it all tastes amazing.
Do your research on down days. Yes it can be exciting to just show up and see what’s happening, but we found a little work online went along way to finding great and cost-effective activities.
This goes for hostels too. So far most of our travel has been at low season making it easier to bag our preferred joint, but you don’t want to miss out on the best places in town just because booking two days ahead seemed ‘too organised’.
Use sites like Hostelworld. Aids research, and then you book direct (if a website is available). It saves you the booking fees which overtime add up!
Keep both eyes peeled for happy hours, or hostels that allow booze to be brought in. You’re not going to quit while travelling so might as well make it more cost effective.
Look for deals. We’ve been given free accommodation just for going on a day trip already locked into our agenda, and bagged free taxi-transfers through booking a minimum stay. No effort and great results.
Last but not least be slightly sceptical. Central American people have been some of the most welcoming we’ve ever come across, their joy for life and helping you out knows almost no bounds, but always take a few seconds to think when offered a deal, helping hand, or when they’re rushing you to make a decision. 99% of the time there’s nothing to worry about and they are making your life easier…but we hate being scammed so what’s wrong with pausing and thinking.
Practical survival guide
Charge your toys whenever possible. Power is reliable but nothing screams ‘ahhh’ like settling into a 6+ hour bus journey to only find your kindle has one chapters worth of battery life. More distressing is a camera running low mid-adventure
While on tech - grab a hard drive. If, like us, you're carrying a laptop then this comes in handy for two main reasons
Back-up location of all photo storage
Load it with TV shows and movies so you don't get stuck watching the in-bus entertainment, or videos of cats on downdays.
When possible grab necessities. Don’t waste time wondering whether you can find toothpaste for $0.20c cheaper in the next town
Interact with other travellers. Sharing advice is part of their DNA and many will have visited spots on your upcoming agenda. Their tips can easily turn an average location into a trip highlight
Speak to locals. Insightful and interesting they’ll point you towards hidden favourites you’d not hear of otherwise. Just watch out for bias as even rural towns will have rivalries for the tourist dollar!
Again… do you research in advance. Saves wandering around towns looking for a spare bed or not knowing which bus to get and panicking.
Read reviews. Careful though so you don’t fall down the ‘rabbit hole’ of reading and believing everything. Some are helpful but it takes time to filter through shit like ‘Damn Pigeons’ or ‘The beach was too sandy’. I mean seriously WTF!
Try not to unpack in every hostel. You may want to feel like it’s the Ritz and you’re staying for 2 weeks but chances are you’ll be out of there in 2 days and packing in a rush or more likely while hungover sucks!
Know the cost of border crossings. Having money, and in the right currency will speed up the process and save extra stress
Above all stay calm. Things will go wrong, sense of humour failures happen and misunderstandings occur, but it’s all part of the grand adventure right!
Oh yeh, if there’s a siren blaring continually and locals start packing up their shops, we'd suggest grabing your valuables and heading out of town. Speaking from personal experience a tsunami warning is intense and fear-inducing.
Instagram: @thelisaphillips #somedaysherpa
