On the Road

Staying in Touch

With the Internet and Internet Cafes being widely available anywhere in the world these days, there are many different options to staying connected with friends and family while abroad.


1) Email allows you to easily send and receive messages while away. I personally use Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.

2) Blogs, like this one, let people stay connected by posting an online diary of sorts to let everyone know what's going on and what they're missing. The comment feature allows the readers to leave words of encouragement to get us, the bloggers, past those inevitable days of loneliness. **So remember to comment family members and let me know you're out there**

3) Skype: This is a great service that allows you to call other Skype members from anywhere in the world for free. (When talking from computer to computer)

All you have to do is sign up and share your username with friends and family. It's only 2 cents/min. to call from anywhere in the world (on your computer) to the United States (to a person's cell phone or land line.) When calling computer to computer, it's best to use a headset with a microphone and possibly a web cam if you want to see live video of the person you're talking to.

4) Cell Phone: I'm bringing an unlocked, quad band phone to have in case of emergencies. I found a cheap Motorola V557 on eBay. I bought the Explorer SIM Card through telestial.com because it will allow me to get coverage in all countries. The above website has a good tutorial about traveling with a phone and what to look for when purchasing one.

5) Pay Phones: They may be a thing of the past but they still allow you to communicate when in a pinch.

Where to Stay


I will be staying predominately in hostels or guest houses, depending on what part of the world I'm in. I'm also a member of couchsurfing which I hope to use at times throughout my trip. "Couchsurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit." Check it out if your not already a member.

Transport


Since I don't know where I'll end up, I'm sure to encounter many forms of transportation to help me along my journey. Some of these may include aircraft, bicycle rickshaws, bicycles, buses, camel, canoes, cars, cruise ship, elephants, ferries, horses, jeepneys, minibuses, motorcycles, walking or hitchhiking, overland trucks, kayaks, subways, taxis, trains, tuk-tuks, and water taxis. I'm sure there are many more clever ways to travel, but this covers your more common modes of transportation.

Laundry


This is an inevitable part of traveling and I hope to make it as simple as possible. I bought a universal sink stopper, basically a thin piece if rubber, to help make my job easier. I have some liquid Woolite detergent and I plan on plugging the sink and learning the art of 'hand-washing clothes.' I am also bringing a nylon cord to tie up to toss my newly cleaned clothes over to dry. When buying my clothes, I took into account how fast things dried. You will be able to find what clothes I finally settled on in the 'What's in my Bag' section.

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It can be expensive to stay in touch with friends while traveling, but luckily international cell phones are a great option. With a cell phone rental, you can stay connected with family and friends back home while avoiding those roaming charges. Look into a satellite phone rental before you travel abroad.