One of the things I often find myself explaining to people is the economics of travel. Here´s 3 pointers for everybody.
- Firstly, aside from the airfare, travel need-not be expensive.
- Secondly, Do the things you really want to do, now (if you are in the location to do them). Coming back to do then later is an unnecessary expense to time and money later on. Eg. In Rome, at the age of 22 (I think), I took the advice of a fellow backpacker who said I shouldn´t bother going into the Colosseum… he explained it was too expensive and not worth the expense. So I didn´t go. Unfortunately, I now regret having not set foot inside the Colosseum, no matter the expense, and I have resolved to go back one day see the Colosseum. The Airfares going to cost a whole lot more than the entry ticket ever did! Fortunately, it taught me a lesson early in my travelling life. If you have to beg for money from family and friends, do it!
- Thirdly, Time is money! Seriously, even though you are on holiday! There is no point taking a 36 hour bus ride instead of a 3 hour flight to save $100 if you earn $100 a day at home. Take the bus if you want to see the scenery at ground level, but not to save the money unless the saving is more than you would earn at home in the same time. And even then, think about it carefully, if you only have so much travel time you don´t want to be wasting it! In addition to this, I must say that vacation time really does have a value. It you take a 2 week vacation that costs $1000 in airfares, $100 in insurance, $100 per day in Accommodation, meals and drinks, then you are spending at least $2500 in that 2 weeks. If you have 12 hours of sightseeing each day (other hours are sleeping, washing, eating), by 12 days (usually the first day and the last are lost to the travel flights), then that $2500 divided by 144 hours of sightseeing equals about $17 per hour! So don´t waste it on slow transport!
Proud of ya. Sure am. But not just of what you are doing. Traveling is/has been great for you. But this time you are sharing with the rest of us. Your Blog is fantastic. An insight into another world, as you do it. A written memory shared. I often wonder what you have done previously. All that is lost to your mind only, and that is probably hazy by now. Yes, I also have had an interesting life. That wasn’t shared either. And it is getting hazy. The brain can only hold so much. In order to remember, you have to tell the story. And good listeners are hard to find. Especially if the subject is too far outside of anything they themselves have experienced.
ReplyDeleteLove, Dad.