CHANGES WITHIN CAMBODIA

UPCOMING PLANS

For some odd reason, I woke up at 7:30 AM.  Fought to get back to sleep and failed.  Guessing it may be excitement for heading to a different country.  This sometimes happens.  Pain in the ass.

The plan for those who are curious:

Tomorrow, Guy is taking me to a train that goes to the airport here in Johannesburg.  We are to arrive there by 6 PM.  The train shouldn't take too long.

Once I get to the airport, I'm going to wait around for a few hours.  Only fools don't arrive plenty early for international flights.

The plane will then take me to Bangkok.   There is a shuttle from the new airport to the old one I must take.  It's free!

Rather than blow a bunch of money (up to $50) for a place to stay connected to the airport, I'm just going to crash in the airport for about twenty four hours.  It's not fun but that's just how the flights go.

Fortunately, I remembered to check that the airports are both open 24 hours a day.  They aren't in some countries in order to drive out the riff raff.

Yes, I realize I may be part of the riff raff.

After a long assed wait in the airport, I fly to Cambodia.  Back to Siem Reap.  Assuming my usual hotel will give me my usual rate, I'll probably hang out there for a month - the normal visa time.  Plus, that is long enough for that town.  Going to eat a lot of cheap Mexican(ish) and Indian food.  Buy some extra cheap ear buds.

After that, I'm really not sure where to head.  Might do some research on various ferries that go to different countries.  While the ferries are pretty dangerous, they seem safer than any flight out of Malaysia - where they have trouble keeping track of the planes.

I'd like to head back to Dani's Home Stay in Indonesia (beautiful place).

Need to research several new (to me) countries to see if they are affordable and such such as Singapore, Timor, Papua New Guinea and Korea.

Use to live in Korea decades ago (still speak some Korean!) and would like to eat a bunch of Korean food.  Good stuff.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else will come about in Asia.  My goal is to stay there for say 15 months.  By the time I'm ready to move out I'd like to be past the nasty winter.

We'll see how that goes.



JUGGER

This is the best thing I found out about in South African NERO.

Here is a video of the sport:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Zg_aEPME4&feature=youtu.be

Here are the rules:  https://www.teana.co.za/DownloadFiles/Teana%20-%20Jugger.pdf

This is an excellent sport.  As you can see in the video, there are several men and women who like to play it and can compete on a very equal field.  It doesn't require much in the way of props either.  In addition to two sets of short swords, two handed swords and sword/shield, you need a skull and two goal things.  The only other things not really seen in the video is a steel hammer and some large steel thing that is hit at a beat per couple seconds rhythm throughout the game.  If you listen carefully you can hear it behind the music in the video.  Everyone would need either matching t-shirts or tabbards as well.

This is a sport that if people try it out in NERO (in the USA) I'm convinced it will catch on.  It's quite tactical and fun to play and even fun to watch.  (In the video I am the fat guy with the light blue bandanna).

If this catches on as I hope it will in the USA, I could even see NERO chapters having their own jugger teams and challenging other NERO chapters to matches.  This could be big.

[For anyone who cares about such things, I've been told this game originally comes from an old movie called 'Blood of Heroes'.  It may even be played within some other LARPs but I've not seen it at NERO in my over a decade of NERO.  Nor heard of it there.]

My thanks to NERO South Africa (Teana) for introducing me to this very interesting game within NERO!

Note:  Yes, I am aware of the movie it came from.

Note:  Yes, I am sure they play it plenty in other LARPs.  However, in close on two decades of NERO, I've not heard about it.  Neither in the game or in monitoring other chapters boards.  Hence, I discount reports of 'oh, we play it'.  Clearly not enough if it doesn't even make your chapter board.



SWITCHING CONTINENTS

When the time to leave South Africa drew closer, one question I was often asked is "Will you return to South Africa?"

My life is very strange.  Honestly, I can't answer that.

A better question would be "Do you have any desire to ever return to South Africa?"

Mixed feelings there.

Like every other country, there are upsides and downsides to South Africa.

The downsides include feeling like you're living inside of a prison, the $1200 price tag to go there and get back out again, etc.  The upsides include getting to hang out with some really great people.

Hence, I don't know.  If a good enough external reason presents itself, it is possible.



BAG WEIGHTS

Big bag, 14 KG.  The little bag with just the computer shit, 9 KG.

How about that?



WELCOME TO THAILAND, BITCHES

The sources I read on how to get the free shuttle from the new airport to the old were only mostly correct.

For anyone who wants to do it, exit through door 3 (NOT 2) and look immediately to your right.  It's a full sized big white bus.  Good news, the airports are the only stops.


Coming from the UAE there was absolutely no question of 'proof of onward travel' despite many web pages saying Thailand demands this.


Don Muang (old airport) actually kind of sucks to 'bed down' in.  If you need to, I'd suggest hanging out in the new airport then when the time for your flight approaches, catch the free shuttle over there.

While the old airport does indeed have Krispy Creame, McDonalds, Dairy Queen and Subway those are all after passport control.  You can't even get in to the airport proper until six hours before your flight and the good area about three hours before your flight.  Until these times, you stay in the sucky area with shitty restaurants charging $15 for meals they can't even make look appetizing on their own menus.


Playing the "Jason Bourne" game - ie having currency from various different countries - is really neat when you head back to one you actually have the correct currency for.  The rest of the time it is a pain in the ass.


Despite the numerous signs saying that carry on luggage for Air Asia is limited to 7 KG, the check in guy was much more lenient about it.  He encouraged me to keep the cabling with the computer despite it possibly pushing the weight past it's limit.  Not that anyone ever weighed any of the check in bags.  This is a big difference from Ryan Air (the European discount airlines) which only allows you one bag and is ready to charge you more at any time.

Air Asia priority seating, from left to right:  Mummies, old people, people in wheel chairs, pregnant or fat people wearing dresses, people wearing dresses with a monkey lodged in their chest.

BACK IN CAMBODIA AGAIN

Imagine if you will, Logan on heavy sleep deprivation.  Haven't slept more than an hour or two at any one time for the last day or two.  What do you do?

Go drinking, of course.

After getting a kind of shitty hostel, my first stop was to go to Viva Mexican restaurant.

Viva Viva!

They sell a 'bucket' (not a bucket but a half liter glass) of margaritas for $5.  Snagged that up immediately.

While I was drinking, a man with a whiny voice was attempting to grill a waiter on what kind of oil they use to cook with.  He then demanded to speak with the manager about it.  This is the kind of normally powerless twit that isn't really tough enough to go travel.  How he wandered into a third wold country is a mystery.  Hopefully, he won't survive it.



"LUCKY" MAN

After arriving at the airport, I ignored the taxis and headed out to the street to grab a tuk tuk.  They cost less than half.

During the negotiation for the tuk tuk, I mentioned I'd spent a lot of time in country.  Rather than the tourist rip off price, they started at $6.  I haggled down to $5.  If you don't haggle you're either rich or an idiot but most often both.

As we were headed in to the city itself, I reflected at how cool it would be to know hundreds of cities so well all over the world...

I didn't really know the city so well as I'd hoped.

Gone.

My beautiful hotel, gone.  The one which gave me a great room for just $10 per night.  The hotel where I'd bribed the people I'd interacted with.  The people who - last time I was in town treated me like a VIP.

Fucking gone.

New hotel at double the price with the same rooms.  None of the old staff.

Well, fuck that.

The tuk tuk driver took me to about five other places which were actually kind of crappy.  Eventually, I shocked him by giving him an extra five dollars and thanking him for his time.

He called me "Lucky man" because everything was either fully booked, over priced or just sucked.

After checking into a crappy room, I went looking and within an hour found one which gave me an air conditioned room for $12.  Close enough.

Note that most AC rooms are $15 to $20.  The people will tell you there are none cheaper.

They are full of shit.

After checking in, heading to the Mexican restaurant, staggering around for a couple (or few) hours and hitting a bar for a couple quick beers, I eventually decided on a quick nap.

Out like a light for twelve hours.

Twelve.

Sure, teenagers and people bored with their lives can sleep that long but I wanted to go do things and look around.

Like a light.

After waking up, I switched hotels to the one I'd found after sending the tuk tuk driver off.

For some reason, I always have better luck doing these things myself.


The next day, I headed back to my normal stomping grounds near the 'Old Market'.  Found a restaurant which use to be my old breakfast nook.  The owner and his wife still remember me there and were very happy to see me again.

Gossiping with them revealed that the new martial rule in Thailand (where they are actually enforcing the laws now) has been excellent business for Cambodia.  All of the people who were living illegally in Thailand doing 'border runs' to update their visa now have to go actually live for a time in a different county.  This has caused quite an up swell of business in Cambodia.  Also, the possibility of some new EU Asian style has a lot of stuff being built.

Before Anne Rice lost a love one, went crazy and returned to religion (death doesn't become her it seems) she reportedly did things like sleep in coffins to try to 'get into the mind' of vampires.

I do this by just wandering around.

I think vampires would often be depressed at how much areas have changed.  The places they love and the people they knew are always gone.

Boy, that sucks.  Hell, it's been only a year and a half or so since I was here and everything is changing.


The tourist age varies wildly from really young looking kids up to old folks trying to see the world before they die.  Most tourists I've been told stay in Siem Reap from 1-3 days.  Honestly, if all you are coming to do is see Angkor Wat that's probably enough time though the town is not bad.


Reminder - if you decide to head to Angkor Wat, be sure to watch the movie Tomb Raider before you go.  Despite the movie being made as recently as 1991, nobody seems to have heard of it now.  It's always fun to see things you've just seen in the movies.


All of these changes here make me wonder if Burma (now called Myanmar) might be good to head to.  Get that 'unspoiled' thing.  I'm still worried about the currency issue though.  Take in all of the money you will need in perfect condition because there are no ATMs.



THE GREAT ATM HUNT

Nasty shock today.  Tried five ATM's.  No money.

Did they charge my credit card and not give me any money?  Is it a repeat of Central America?

No.

They may have been just out of money.

Yes, this is the kind of country that kind of shit happens in.  Well, it is Sunday...

Fortuitously, the ATM right across the street from the hostel I'm in worked.  It stiffed me for $10 of charges but it worked.  The ATM charges are fixed in this country.  Regardless of the amount you take out, the charges are always the same.  Hence, it is an IQ test.  Do you take out 'just what you need'?  If so, you lose more money.


So what am I doing tonight?

Bottle of rum and movies.



PRICES

Tuk tuk into the famous Angkor Wat, $15 to $20 depending what you want to see.

Winston Lights (cigarettes, pack of 20), .70 (cents)

Big bottle of Glenlivets (whiskey), $12

Can of Coca Cola Light, .60 ($11 by the case)

Can of beer, .60 ($11 by the case)

Bottle of Cuapupo Gold Rum, $9

VIVA LA REVOLUCION

ODESSA PROTESTING

Saw a couple hundred people marching near the cathedral in Odessa chanting "Stand up Odessa".   This was the first time (19/2/14) I'd seen any kind of protest here.  I mentioned it to the owner of the hostel.  He told me (paraphrased) "Odessa is all about money.  They'll protest unless it interferes with the money."

One of these days I hope to catch a daytime protest on camera so I can put it in the blog.  This one was pretty simple though.  Just a lot of people marching on the sidewalk.  Not even any signs.


20/2/2014

There were long lines at the ATM's.  I managed to get a bit of money out but not nearly as much as I wanted.  None of the ATM's that didn't work charged my card unlike South America.

So, I got a little money.

It was a lot like being back in the good ole USSR.  Lots of people standing in lines.  Sometimes you got something, often you didn't.  But you stood in line for a long time because it was your only shot.

For those who want to snidely say "How would you know?  Have YOU ever been in the USSR?"  Yes.  Yes I have.  Shut up and sit down.

Also today they closed down the borders to any of the 'western' countries.  I'm not sure what that means but apparently if I want to go to Russia I still can.  I've been told that (but not bothered to confirm) airplanes, buses and trains have all been shut down.   This doesn't worry me over much because I'm already where I want to be for a bit.

It may be a matter of time before the internet is brought down to try to keep the rebels from using it to organize.  This will irritate me because I then won't be able to read clever things from my friends and play Minecraft.

Fortunately, I already have several movies downloaded.  I'd also have Jim Galford's book if he'd hurry up and get it in an audio format for me.  Lazy lemur.

So, I may be trapped in Ukraine for a bit.  Ironically, I chose to come here so that's OK for awhile.  If my visa was almost up I'd be more worried.

For those who want to say "I'll pray for you" how about instead donate $10 or $20 to my paypal?  It'll help out later.  The paypal e-mail address is logan9a@yahoo.com.  Praying is just like 'raising awareness' - nothing happens.  If I get a few grand in donations something WILL happen.  What will happen?  See monetary goals below.

For those who want to say "Be safe" I would only respond "If I wanted to 'be safe' I certainly would not have come to Ukraine during a revolution.


21/02/2014

The owner of the hostel cautioned me not to go anywhere near the opera house.  That's where the government buildings are and it has been rumored there would be a protest there.  Also, the government might have 'hired goons' there to bust it up.

He smiled when he told me this because he knew I'd immediately head to the opera house.

So...I headed down to the opera house...

Yes.  Really.  Most people are so concerned with 'safety' that their lives are as bland as Wonder Bread.

The same people who continuously whine how bored they are never live a life with any risk.


The only stops I made were at various empty ATM's along the way to attempt to get money.   Eventually, I found a couple that were giving it out only 1000 grivna (about 100 euro) at a time so I got hold of some money.  I wanted to pay for March in the hostel and have a couple weeks of extra money.


Large groups of rough angry looking men with clubs absolutely failed to lurk around the opera house.

Absolutely nothing like this was happening at all in Odessa.

Pretty much the only change going on today was there were approximately twenty or thirty percent less people on the streets.  Compared to the 'bhans' (strikes) in Nepal, this was really disappointing.

It was so mellow, I went and got a shave and a haircut.

At least on some intellectual level, people have begun to realize that news reported in the USA may be a ...tad bit inaccurate.

So they rely on me for the news.  Not sure if that's much better but at least I'm not interested to lie to sell more copies of this blog.  Especially since the blog is only funded by your generous donations.  (If you've never donated but would like to, use paypal and donate to logan9a@yahoo.com.  If you have donated before thank you very much.  If you haven't donated and don't plan on it, then  you are KILLING BABY JEBEBUS AND YOU ARE HELPING CANCER.  You don't want to kill babies with cancer do you?  No.  So donate to the blog.)


MONETARY GOALS

Donation amount total, what will probably be done with the money

<$3000  Vodka.

>$3000  I will go to Scotland and Ireland.  There I will start a new game I thought of in the hostel called "What's the Irishman saying?"  We will try to find an Irishman to say five different sentences.  You get one point per word in the sentence you get right.  You can play this at home!  It could become a new game show.

TOO SOON?

For those thinking "Well, Logan is making rather light of the situation with those poor Ukrainians who are getting killed fighting for freedom..."

Well, perhaps.

However,

How many people have read up on, viewed videos and perhaps even started to care about the situation here who might not have before due to putting a darkly humorous slant upon things?



SPEAKING OF DARK HUMOR

From the notorious Felbrig:

For the slow of brain, this was Photoshop.  In the midst of such devastation, violence and tragedy as the riots of Ukraine I would not be smiling and drinking beer.  It would be vodka and probably straight from the bottle.



PEOPLE WRITING ABOUT LOGAN

From Tim VT:

"Before Logan Horsford was a buddhist he was the founder of Faith Healing. In his first year of faith healing he saved two lives out of seventy four with just the power of faith. It was a miracle the man is a saint. With out Logan I would not have found my true calling. Thanks Logan After being bitten thirty seven times and only losing my right hand and three fingers from my left hand I am still the head snake dancer at my local church. God is still protecting me from the devils venom."


From Carolyn N:

"Because what's an ice cream sundae without all the nuts?

SOME FUN INTERNET PICTURES, IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM
Or if the rest of the blog made you cry and you need a laugh to balance things out:

COSTS

Four packages of premium cigarettes (Camel lights for those wondering what kind), 50 grivna (about 5 euros).

Bottle of vodka, the biggest size I could find (naturally), about 70-80 grivna.  You can get cheaper, this is for the one we dislike least.

Single serving of Chicken Caesar salad from the deli counter, about 20-25 grivna.  Cheap meal, may be healthy.

Staying in a hostel during the off season, private room, about $12 per night if you pay for a month or so.

Shave and a haircut with the electric clippers, 60-70 grivna, less if you're a local.

CUSCO PERU

CUSCO TO LIMA AND RANDOM MUSINGS

The cheapest airline ticket (around $100) I could find was through 'Star Peru' Airlines.  I expected their website wouldn't work due to slipshod programming and I wasn't disappointed.  They have an office right here in Cusco.  I recognized the street name and staggered (still altitude sick) over to it.

Since they weren't open yet, I stopped by a little artsy place and had some cheese cake and coffee for breakfast.  There were strawberries on top of the cheesecake, so it was healthy.  As I sat around this little art deco place, musings started in my head along the lines of 'where would I visit were money not an issue'?

Every year for half a year, I'd probably be in western and central Europe.

Were I forced somehow to have a residence, it would be somewhere in Germany.

Rich or poor, unless I get hired or bribed heavily, I think I'm done with central and south America.  With the exception of a few diamonds in the rough (Copan, Banos, Cuzco) most of the cities have no more charm than cinder blocks can provide.  Don't get me wrong - I don't mind them if the cost of living is cheap (SE Asia) but here you end up paying quite a bit and wondering 'why?'


Cusco might be the highest I've been in my life.  Aside from Amsterdam.



THE TOUR BUS

As I was wheezing and shuffling around the main square, a tour guide presented me with an offer to get on his double decker open topped bus for 20 sols.  What the hell.  Last day here.

Videos of this trip are below in the 'video' section.   I appologize for the extremely unsteady cam but I suspect the shock absorbers had been sold for magic beans years ago.

En route I was nearly decapitated by a very low hanging wire.  Were it not for moderately fast reflexes and a bit of luck I'd have a tough time with hats.

The truly sad thing is this bus drives the same route several times a day and nobody even though to warn the passengers - much less get the wire hoisted up a bit.  Since I was in South America it didn't astound me.  Glad I didn't say 'it didn't shock me'.  That could have been taken the wrong way.  Oh - so could that.

Moving on.

Two minutes after leaving the first ten minute stop, we did another ten minute stop at a souvenir shop.  Taking a captive audience to an over priced shop where the bus people get kickbacks is a normal tactic.  Normally, the only people who buy anything at these places are the same sort of idiots who think shopping in airports is a grand idea.  We had two on the bus.



PERUVIAN ALCOHOL

Due to being sick, I didn't sample nearly as much as I'd have liked.

The wine I had was excellent.

The beers, however, are cold, wet and infinitely safer than the water.  That's about all that can be said for them.  They're not bad but neither are they worth drinking for taste.



HOW TO SELECT AND USE AN ATM

When going to an ATM, pretend you are a spy who is going to get a hand off.  Be suspicious.  Make sure you're not being sized up for a quick grab and dash.  After using the ATM, make sure you're not followed out.  Get in and out quick - don't linger.  Don't hang out near an ATM if you're not using one.  Tourists tend to have a lot of money compared to locals in most countries.  Don't be a target.

From worst to best, here are the ATM's.

Exposed to the street, no guards.

Inside of an unlocked room.

Inside of an unlocked room with a bored security guard.  This includes ATM's in stores, etc.

Inside of a locked room.  There are ATM's you have to swipe your card at the door just to get in or better still guards have to let you in.

Inside of a bank, only accessible when the bank is.  This is the best because banks tend to have more security to deter people from putting phishing equipment on the ATM.  Also, should the ATM steal your card or give you the wrong bills (or counterfeit) the bank is right there.

I believe it is better to have too much money on you than not quite enough.  As recent history has shown, shit happens.  Your cards will get stolen or compromised and then it comes down to 'do you have rainy day money hidden away somewhere or are you just fucked?'



SHAMPOO

As anyone who has traveled knows (should know) bar soap isn't really good to carry around.  Liquid soap is the way to go.

For some reason, nobody in Peru seems to use liquid soap and it isn't for sale anywhere I could find.

So now I have to make due with shampoo and see if it rejuvenates and makes glossy my pubes.



THE HOSPITAL

The doctor I'd seen in Cusco was insistent that I have my blood pressure checked.  While out wandering around, I came across what appeared to be a hospital.

They had two hefty women at the door checking bags.  In Spanish they demanded to know if I had a camera on me.  Unwilling to admit to or relinquish my camera and not wanting them to be able to search the bag more thoroughly (I could have had a gun in there and they'd have not found it) I began repeating 'photo' and making various outrageous poses as though I wanted them to take my photo.

Rolling their eyes, they let the idiot foreigner inside.

Yeah, boy!

It was a mad house.  Entire families with the 'don't use birth control or you're going to hell' size families all jostled for position.  A kind worker spotted the immense gringo, figured out what I wanted (my Spanish isn't great but blood pressure test isn't hard) and became my personal guide through the bedlam.

It's times like that - when you immediately get a personal guide that being an obvious foreigner is a good deal.

He took me to a much quieter wing and I immediately had three doctors.

The cuff to take the blood pressure was pretty tiny.  When I inquired about it, turns out this is a children's hospital.  I told them I was a 'grande nino' (giant child) and that got a laugh.

They had to use surgical tape on the blood pressure cuff but it worked and showed my BP had fallen 15 points since leaving the high altitude of Cusco.

Excellent.

They all bade me farewell.  No charge.

Afterward, I went and celebrated with empinada kaso (cheesy bread).



TRAVELERS TIPS

Never be the last one back on the bus after a stop.  You might lose your seat, everyone on the bus thinks you are inept - especially if the driver had to look for you and lastly you might just get left behind.


If you are in a poor country, don't buy things which accept credit cards.  Heck, you should only be using your credit card (or debit etc) at ATM's anyway.  There is a huge markup at these 'nice' shops.  Instead, buy things from individuals hawking them well outside of the tourist area.  Not only will you get a better deal but you put money directly into the pockets of the people to whom it makes a great deal of difference.  But mainly, you get a better deal.


Use liquid soap:  With a bar you always have three choices:  Try to dry it and stick it in a bag (lot of work for little result), keep it in a soap dish (inevitably it leaks) or buy them for each place you go (extra weight and waste).  The liquid soap in a plastic bottle is easy to carry and doesn't get disgusting in repeated use.  Also, it doesn't mess up your bag.



VIDEOS

Bus tour 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11



TV SHOW REVIEW

I've been watching 'Jonathan Creek'.  Interesting but as with all British TV (compared to American) painfully slow.

It's like Sherlock Holmes (pick one) except that the audience has a good chance of actually solving the crime.



STRANGE DREAMS

Had a weird dream I was writing a book and when I woke up I felt compelled to write down what I'd written in the dream.  I suspect it's the weird rum here - it causes the spirit of Hemingway to enter your body and make you write.  Not well, but make you write.

If a time travel offered you the choice between death and exile, which would you take?  Exile seems the most likely.  Nope.  Death?  No.  The answer is neither and with a lot of bitching and whining.  And that's after they believe it.

Not the way I'd do it at all.  Kidnap and replace with the double.  Take them to the future and say "Do you want all this or death?"  If they choose death, boom - done.  "But we're not murderers!"  Not unless you count the poor clones.

Instead of just pulling the whole switch in a quick shuffle, we have to interview them and get all touchy feely with their feelings.  Look buddy - I get that you love your wife but no you can't take her with you.  Fuck no you can't tell her you're dead and getting taken off to the future to be a living zoo exhibit while your clone gets the bullet in it's head.  Hell, how do you think she'd feel knowing you are getting loads of adoring students and an elongated life while she gets stuck burying a corpse with half it's head missing?  And that she isn't going to get taken off with you?

Where it all went wrong with me was probably Martin Luther King.  It might have been my off color joke that we were just now getting to him years after the program had been going because he was black.  Probably not funny.  And then there's always the problem of getting him alone.  What an entourage that guy had.  Then, I gotta convince him to go.

I beg him to let us switch him out with the clone at the last moment.  Nobody will know.  He tells me that if he is fated to die and become a martyr he won't base that legacy on a lie.  I bite back telling him he should come with me back to the holy land and see the schmo they built all them churches to.  But I keep quiet.  People only believe what they want to believe.  He won't let me take him.  And that's not the worst part.  The boys upstairs start accusing me of not wiping his memory.  Or doing a botched job of it.  The shrinks are saying that after I meet up with the man they see tiredness and resignation in his eyes.

Keep tellin' them of course I zapped him.  Don't think they believe me.   Did I zap him?  Yeah, sure.  Sure I did.  He was a class act.



PHILOSOPHY

"The worst thing about being an atheist is the inability to effectively blaspheme." - Logan Horsford



PRICES

In Cusco, around 50 sols for a private room seems pretty average.  You can get them cheaper but they are fairly terrible.  Even the 50 sols ones aren't that great.