Hey guys, Ricky here, sorry for the Hiatus but I am back! I
want to talk to you about how to subsidize your travel, making you travel for
longer and experience more of a place before you leave.
There are a million ways for a person with absolutely no
qualifications or prospects to make their pennies stretch further on a trip. And
when there hasn’t been a return flight booked, what’s the rush?! So far Talia
and I have met many people along the way and we have discovered some very interesting
ways to stay travelling, for longer.
We met one young French guy (19 if I remember correctly) in
Laos who we didn’t particularly see eye to eye with on any topic. But in particular one thing
we were truly opposed to was how he funded his travel. This guy decided to buy
large quantities of marijuana in Vietnam and carry it (in his underwear) around
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and sell it. Needless to say I would NOT advise this
and I can’t see this guy going very far with the way he boasted about it within
twenty minutes of meeting him.
FYI the punishment for
drug-dealing in many Asian countries is Death.
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| If you're lucky this'll be the worst of your troubles! |
Just recently we met a guy from Turkey (he’s actually asleep
in the dorm bed across from me) who is a photographer. He decided, and I
thought this was an amazing idea, to take photos of the town he is in, get the
photos printed onto postcards etc. and sell them to the local shops. Personally
I reckon this is one of the most genius ideas on how to make a little on the
side!
It can be quite interesting when we see a foreigner who is
quite obviously not an expat selling wares in the streets or working behind
bars.
A couple of weeks ago we were on Otress beach on the
southern coast of Cambodia and on the same day that we arrived two South
Africans started working behind the bar of the place we were staying at. As it
turned out they simply walked up to the bar, asked for work and got it right
there on the spot! Needless to say they weren’t paid but given free accommodation
and food which is pretty much the only costs a person will have. The
South-Africans’ names were Danny and Gaby and we ended up being good friends
with them, and they brought a GREAT vibe to the bar!
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| Us with Danny and Gaby at the Sunhine Cafe. |
Last week when we were in Bangkok we stayed with a new friend.
He told us he made a little extra by buying premium antiques such as opium weights in countries like
Nepal or Myanmar and selling them on Ebay. Though, admittedy, he knows a hell
of a lot about antiques which would certainly give him an edge on the market.
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| This is an opium weight... I haven't a clue what it does. |
Teaching English (or French/German/Spanish/Mandarin etc.)
has become a very pleasant and breezy way to travel longer. Sometimes the
experience can be so amazing and life changing that people stay in teaching
jobs for years afterwards just because they love it so much. I have to mention
that finding short term teaching jobs can be very difficult so consider getting
qualified and getting long term work if you find yourself interested.
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| Me volunteer-teaching in Luang Prabang |
While we were in Laos we bumped into one young guy who we
helped out with trips to the embassy while he was renewing his Vietnam visa.
This guy had travelled from England, around Europe, all over South America and
landed in Vietnam with low funds. So one day, while on a tour he asked to tour
guide if there was any work and within a week he was employed.
The reality is that if you enjoy travel and don’t mind
staying on a beach for a few months sipping on a free martini with a lovely
little umbrella in it, you don’t have to stop and go home any time soon. A
person can very easily come to Asia and do well enough to enjoy life and
experience the world without a massive bank account.
Do you have any interesting travel subsidy stories? Leave a
comment, a mail or send us a tweet and let us know!
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