VALUE FOR MONEY
A buddy of mine (Kevin D.) asked: "What would you consider your top three "Best value for the money countries". Consider lodging, food, entertainment and site seeing."
The easy answer is most of the stuff in SE Asia is good value for money. It's cheap and (if you like Asian culture stuff) interesting. Eastern Europe is more expensive and a bit of a crap shoot as far as costs go but you are more likely to have interesting conversations with fascinating people. To try to pin it down to exact countries is more difficult.
I think some of the countries I've found that I am very much looking forward to getting back to include Nepal, Indonesia and Cambodia. In those countries you can live like a king (assuming you know how to travel and where to go) for less than $30 per day including everything.
In Indonesia, you can rent a scooter for about $5 per day (if you know how to ride one and are not Logan) and that gets you around. You may have to carry some extra money for bribes if the cops want to see a license but they usually don't ask. The cross over between homes and temples (both are in the same place) as well as interesting flora and fauna make it a very cool place.
In Nepal, you can go white water rafting including everything (food, drink, tent to sleep in, entertainment on the water) for about $20 per day. Also, the city of Kathmandu is interesting to just wander around in.
Cambodia has Siem Reap with the close by Angkor Wat - several kilometers of temples you can see for about $20 per day, a bit more including your own personal tuk tuk. If you know where to stay in Siem Reap, it puts you right next to the 3x3 block restaurant and bar block.
In all three of the countries the locals are nice but finding people who are fluent in any of the languages I speak is rough.
They make you feel very welcome in Eastern Europe however stuff costs more there (x1.5 to x2) what SE Asia costs.
Personally, I like being able to do the entire world as some sort of 'sampler platter' and would hate to be pinned down to just one region.
AFTER AFRICA
I really dislike Bangkok. More so when I fuck up.
So I'd bought a plane ticket for the 29th. Heading back to SE Asia. Going to try to hit a couple new countries. If I save up some money, I might even eventually fly over to Korea to eat some Korean food.
I miss Korean food.
Yes, chances are it is better than your food if you are in one of the 'meh' food countries. For those interested, the 'good food' countries currently include India, Mexico, Thailand, etc. I'd even go so far as to put USA on that list - not because I'm a native but so many people who live there are either from somewhere else or have ancestors from somewhere else and have brought different dishes there. Of all the countries, it is the easiest to find any random countries food you desire. Most food in the world - that is in restaurants I have access to - is either unimaginative or shit. I rate only restaurant food. The few times I've been lucky enough to have someone (or someone's mom) cook for me the food is always better. You can taste the love.
Back to Bangkok. Before I'd bought a plane ticket, I failed utterly to read up on the bus that goes to Siem Reap. Yes, I've spent a lot of time there but it is like another home for me. Unless they've managed to screw it up while I've been in Europe.
Because of my slipshod research, my plane gets there in the early evening (never a good time to arrive) and the buses leave in the early morning.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I don't mind a ten hour bus ride (which it will be) but sitting around for a dozen hours with all of your stuff after flying from Africa to Asia is going to suck.
It became a toss up between 'do I want to get a train (if they're still running, rip off taxi if it is not) from the airport to the overpriced hotel then a taxi back to the bus station as they don't seem to have any hotels at the bus station.
Really dislike Bangkok. Spent more than enough time there. Really. I just wanted to get to Siem Reap and sit for a bit. Get yelled at by desperate tuk tuk drivers for awhile. I've got a month to figure out whether I want to go there for a bit or immediately begin to wander around SE Asia.
This trip, I'd like to research getting to Philippines by boat since my whole plane trip didn't work out last time. Heard they have rum there. I can help with that.
Perhaps Papua New Guinea and Timor warrant more research as well. Would I enjoy going there? Guessing lots of mosquitoes, possibly malaria. If shots and such are required that would damp my enthusiasm a bit.
AN OPEN INVITATION
If anyone is going to be anywhere I am, contact me. We can have a beer.
WHEN WILL YOU...
People often ask me "When will you..."
...return to the USA?
...come to my country?
...go to some other country?
...grow up?
The answers are:
My guess would be I might visit in 2016 or 2017 if I am still alive. If not alive, probably never.
When I can afford your country. If you offer me a deal like my current hosts in South Africa possibly much, much sooner. For those wanting to have Logan as a house guest, I got my own room and three meals a day for $10 per day. This saves me money and makes me happy. Earlier this year (2014 for those reading the book or blog in some distant dystopian future) I had the "Logan's Home Invasion" tour where I was driven by kind people from house to house within the USA and stayed with a lot of great people anywhere from a night to a couple of weeks for free. Loved that because I got to spend a lot of time with a lot of great people.
Not sure. SE Asia is needed to try to build up a bit of money after the severe buttfucking I took in Western Europe. Note that I've never engaged in anal sex but have quite a good imagination and the prices in WE made me feel it.
Hopefully never. 'Grown ups' tend to be dull people. While they take responsibility seriously and are good providers for their families, it is often at the cost of their own lives.
VIDEO
Geekfest (South Africa)
A buddy of mine (Kevin D.) asked: "What would you consider your top three "Best value for the money countries". Consider lodging, food, entertainment and site seeing."
The easy answer is most of the stuff in SE Asia is good value for money. It's cheap and (if you like Asian culture stuff) interesting. Eastern Europe is more expensive and a bit of a crap shoot as far as costs go but you are more likely to have interesting conversations with fascinating people. To try to pin it down to exact countries is more difficult.
I think some of the countries I've found that I am very much looking forward to getting back to include Nepal, Indonesia and Cambodia. In those countries you can live like a king (assuming you know how to travel and where to go) for less than $30 per day including everything.
In Indonesia, you can rent a scooter for about $5 per day (if you know how to ride one and are not Logan) and that gets you around. You may have to carry some extra money for bribes if the cops want to see a license but they usually don't ask. The cross over between homes and temples (both are in the same place) as well as interesting flora and fauna make it a very cool place.
In Nepal, you can go white water rafting including everything (food, drink, tent to sleep in, entertainment on the water) for about $20 per day. Also, the city of Kathmandu is interesting to just wander around in.
Cambodia has Siem Reap with the close by Angkor Wat - several kilometers of temples you can see for about $20 per day, a bit more including your own personal tuk tuk. If you know where to stay in Siem Reap, it puts you right next to the 3x3 block restaurant and bar block.
In all three of the countries the locals are nice but finding people who are fluent in any of the languages I speak is rough.
They make you feel very welcome in Eastern Europe however stuff costs more there (x1.5 to x2) what SE Asia costs.
Personally, I like being able to do the entire world as some sort of 'sampler platter' and would hate to be pinned down to just one region.
AFTER AFRICA
I really dislike Bangkok. More so when I fuck up.
So I'd bought a plane ticket for the 29th. Heading back to SE Asia. Going to try to hit a couple new countries. If I save up some money, I might even eventually fly over to Korea to eat some Korean food.
I miss Korean food.
Yes, chances are it is better than your food if you are in one of the 'meh' food countries. For those interested, the 'good food' countries currently include India, Mexico, Thailand, etc. I'd even go so far as to put USA on that list - not because I'm a native but so many people who live there are either from somewhere else or have ancestors from somewhere else and have brought different dishes there. Of all the countries, it is the easiest to find any random countries food you desire. Most food in the world - that is in restaurants I have access to - is either unimaginative or shit. I rate only restaurant food. The few times I've been lucky enough to have someone (or someone's mom) cook for me the food is always better. You can taste the love.
Back to Bangkok. Before I'd bought a plane ticket, I failed utterly to read up on the bus that goes to Siem Reap. Yes, I've spent a lot of time there but it is like another home for me. Unless they've managed to screw it up while I've been in Europe.
Because of my slipshod research, my plane gets there in the early evening (never a good time to arrive) and the buses leave in the early morning.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I don't mind a ten hour bus ride (which it will be) but sitting around for a dozen hours with all of your stuff after flying from Africa to Asia is going to suck.
It became a toss up between 'do I want to get a train (if they're still running, rip off taxi if it is not) from the airport to the overpriced hotel then a taxi back to the bus station as they don't seem to have any hotels at the bus station.
Really dislike Bangkok. Spent more than enough time there. Really. I just wanted to get to Siem Reap and sit for a bit. Get yelled at by desperate tuk tuk drivers for awhile. I've got a month to figure out whether I want to go there for a bit or immediately begin to wander around SE Asia.
This trip, I'd like to research getting to Philippines by boat since my whole plane trip didn't work out last time. Heard they have rum there. I can help with that.
Perhaps Papua New Guinea and Timor warrant more research as well. Would I enjoy going there? Guessing lots of mosquitoes, possibly malaria. If shots and such are required that would damp my enthusiasm a bit.
AN OPEN INVITATION
If anyone is going to be anywhere I am, contact me. We can have a beer.
WHEN WILL YOU...
People often ask me "When will you..."
...return to the USA?
...come to my country?
...go to some other country?
...grow up?
The answers are:
My guess would be I might visit in 2016 or 2017 if I am still alive. If not alive, probably never.
When I can afford your country. If you offer me a deal like my current hosts in South Africa possibly much, much sooner. For those wanting to have Logan as a house guest, I got my own room and three meals a day for $10 per day. This saves me money and makes me happy. Earlier this year (2014 for those reading the book or blog in some distant dystopian future) I had the "Logan's Home Invasion" tour where I was driven by kind people from house to house within the USA and stayed with a lot of great people anywhere from a night to a couple of weeks for free. Loved that because I got to spend a lot of time with a lot of great people.
Not sure. SE Asia is needed to try to build up a bit of money after the severe buttfucking I took in Western Europe. Note that I've never engaged in anal sex but have quite a good imagination and the prices in WE made me feel it.
Hopefully never. 'Grown ups' tend to be dull people. While they take responsibility seriously and are good providers for their families, it is often at the cost of their own lives.
VIDEO
Geekfest (South Africa)
