People are often shocked when I tell them I backpacked around the world for 2 year on less than $30,000. Yes I was able to visit over 100 cities in 30 countries and do many other random things for less that $30,000. What most people don’t realize though is the things a backpacker will put him/her self through to save a penny on the road to make the money stretch as long as possible. We all know the more you save here the longer you go there & most of us wanna go a long ways everywhere. To do this we sometimes endure many crazy things, like choosing a 31 hour train ride between Mumbai and New Delhi for $8 over a $90 one hour flight. We will sometimes spend the night at an airport or train station or get wasted on cheap Rhum and wake up naked. We do a million things to save money, but sometimes our biggest mistake is not spending that extra dime on accommodation.
This is a video I have been wanting to share for quite a while because it’s priceless and one of the funniest moments caught on camera during my time on the road. This weekend I went through some of the mini clips I have of me on the road and just couldn’t stop laughing at this one. This is me and one of my friends that I made on the road (we still keep in touch) in our little hotel room when a cockroach appears on the wall out of no where. The worst thing that can happen when you are in your own little private room is have a cockroach appear… it’s like the evil of all evils. It’s a reminder that you are on a budget and that you are the worlds biggest chicken. Here is my reaction to the appearance of a cockroach, this is what budget travel is like sometimes…
Go on laugh away… because I can’t stop laughing either. I still remember this like it was yesterday, but damn it was over two years ago when I was going Papusa Mania in El Salvador a country you cannot skip. Oh and this reaction is nothing to the reaction I had when I was in India and a RAT crawled on me TWICE while I was sleeping. Thankfully that was not caught on video.
Sooooo anyway “THIS IS WHAT BUDGET TRAVEL IS… THIS IS WHAT WE DEAL WITH.”
What do you think? Is this how you react to cockroaches too?
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Here are two other post of mine that have mini clips of me:
Haha I’ve come a long way from bare bones budget. Yes, I still choose to go cheaper, but, at this point, I’ll spend a bit more to not have cockroaches. And I would have shelled out $90 for that flight rather than 31 hours on a train! But, hey, to each their own, right?
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Jajajaja… trust me I’m not that bare bones anymore. This was like 2 months into my RTW trip and didn’t mind then. Same for the $8 train ride in India, by the time I go to SEAsia I was FLYING everywhere couldn’t handle another 24 hour train ride. Yes though everyone travels their own way.
hahaa this reminds me of a time in vietnam when i had stayed out late drinking and found a note my friends posted on the door of our room: “HUGE cockroach inside. we couldn’t find it so we are sleeping on the roof. please bring pillows.” i brought them their pillows, but since i’d never seen the thing went to sleep comfortably in the double bed i now had all to myself 🙂
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OMG Taylor… I wouldn’t have been able to sleep. I know I would have wanted to find it. Ughh do they know they rule the world? I mean they make us do things we normally wouldn’t do.
I just laughed out loud. At my desk. at work…. yes, my co-workers are staring! BAHAHAHAHAHA! We have had similar moments and I am the same way!! Screaming and climbing the walls! The last incident we had with them was in the Amazon in Peru… we stayed at a eco-place 4 hours into the Amazon by boat. The little cabins had thatched roofs and beds with nets. The mosquitos weren’t bad and we made a last minute decision to use the nets anyways… shortly after we blew out the candles we heard the cockroaches going through our bags on the other side of the room!! We were laying there laughing and when we flipped on the flashlight the net covering the bed was COVERED in cockroaches!!!! It was mortifying!! Tip to others: If there is a net for around your bed, USE IT! 🙂
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Well Lina I hope you shared the video jajaja. OMG I WOULD HAVE DIED… DIED if I turned on the light and the NET was COVERED IN ROACHES. I mean I seriously would have fucking died. No way… How did you even get out???
So was the cockroach worse than having a rat in our bed?
Love you and miss your crazy antics!
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Omg of course Val the RAT was worse. I am so glad that was not recorded. I still hate you for going back to sleep like nothing.
Disgusting! And seriously, a rat crawled on you in your sleep when you were in India? How did I never hear about that? THAT would have totally freaked me out. I like saving money but I can’t travel as bare-bones as you do. Nope, I need a certain amount of comfort. But I admire you for traveling the way you do in order to stretch your money further.
Ali recently posted..So You Think You Want to Rent a Car
Ali, when the rat thing happened I wanted to leave India… I was done with her for many reasons. Look at me now dying to go back to back. I make no damn sense.
Nyahaha that made me laugh :)) It’s good to finally hear your voice :))
I’ve been dealing with cockroaches for quite a long time since I am residing in the Philippines. At first I was scared too but I learned the ‘art of killing a cockroach’. I just don’t like it when they fly or there’s more than two or three in the room.
Wah. That one about the rat incident must be awful 0_0. It reminds me of what happened to my cousin before when we were on holiday. She experienced the same thing about the rats then one of her clothes placed in an old cabinet was dominated by cockroaches. Imagine the smell T_T
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Oh I can’t believe you have never heard my voice. I never thought about that. A lot of my readers had never heard my voice. Maybe I should make mini videos more often.
Oh man I hate that we have to deal with all this crap when we travel. Why can’t we all just have money and travel in luxury???
I act the same way! However, screams will be MORE girlie. A mouse made me cry once when I was vising fam in India. And they all laughed at me.
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Bajajaja… I almost cried when the rat crawled on me in India so I am not judging you at all Priya!
I was with my cousin on a jungle tour in Peru, and she was terrified of bugs. She’d tuck the bed nets under the mattress so nothing could get inside. Then I said “did you check for spiders BEFORE you got into bed?” And she let out a huge sigh, got out of bed, turned the lights on, and started all over.
Another night we were about to fall asleep and she said “There’s a mosquito trapped inside here with me.” Poor girl.
OMG I’d hate you for that SN…lol!!! But yeah I’m kinda like her and am actually laughing right now.
Hilarious! Very infectious laugh. I’d do the same on the plane vs train front but then undo all the hard work by staying somewhere without insect freeloaders. I already know I can’t sleep after a mouse or spider (or centipede!) sighting in my room so paying anywhere to stay somewhere with them is the same as paying good money just to sit bolt upright on a park bench all night.Then again, if you’re with someone else you can laugh about it with it wouldn’t be SO bad. Maybe…
Exactly… when you are with someone else you can laugh about it, but alone omg it’s the longest night in your life. The fear… is ruthless.
Haha oh dear, we’ve all been there! Camping through Africa made me get used to cockroaches real quick but my memories of sharing a bed with them on two separate occasions are still not my fondest! Budget travel sure made me less of a scaredy cat though and I can safely say I can be in the vicinity of a creepy crawly without squirming these days 🙂
Oh yes Hannah, traveling on a budget makes you become stronger so fast jaja! It’s just scary when one appears.
Haha a nice light hearted explanation of budget travel! Although of course travelling on a shoe string also brings with it a lot of benefits providing you are happy making some insect and animal friends every now and then 🙂
Partial Parallax recently posted..Kyoto – Fushimi Inari-Taisha
Oh yes I agree so many amazing benefits of traveling on a budget. You are really more immersed and see more of the place you are at. At least I think so.
Hey buddy, “Dont throw it at meeee!” haha love it. Yeah great to hear the sound of your voice. So did you manage to get rid of the little blighter? That wasn’t the wind blowing across your face during the night! 😉
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Jimmy we sure did get rid of it all and had a nice sleep. Okay not so nice still worried more would come out.
Somehow watching this video I couldn’t stop thinking how Cam from Modern Family would have reacted to the cockroach too!! 😛
I could have survived the cockroach but a RAT coming on to me?!?… no, no thanks! :S
Your comment made my day… I can only imagine how Cam would react. That is so funny. Yeah the RAT was just crazy… I still can’t believe it sometimes try to block it out.
HAHAHAHAHA
that totally made my night!
I picked up my pillow in Medewi, Bali and found a HUGE ants nest….still makes me shiver even thinking about it!
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Oh fuck I’m shivering right now Chris at the thought of that.