Have Itch, Will Travel

I haven't traveled overseas since Latin America, but didn't know where to visit next. I met Rob in November 2013 and found someone inspiring. Rob is similar to me; active and inquisitive, but a true jet-setter, having visited many places in Europe, Africa, South America and South East Asia. Though he doesn't do long trips, he goes overseas twice a year. While he was on one of his trips, crossing Sri Lanka by motorbike, I imagined a fantastic time joining him on his next trip. There were a few places neither of us had visited; South Korea, Japan, Burma, Morocco, North India... On our look-out for cheap flights to any of these places, we stumbled upon a great deal to Burma with Singapore Airlines . Needless to say, flights were quickly booked! The to-do list: 1. Get a passport . Tragically, it's been so long, mine expired. 2. Get a visa . This is recommended to get in advance; availability of visa on arrival is irregular. The Myanmar embassy in Australia is in Canb...

I landed in Miami from Mexico, knowing that I was stuck there until I got a Brazilian visa. I didn't know how long that would take, but my first priority was to get past customs without my Cuban souvenirs being found. For a few minutes I was a little nervous, as one of the custom officers questioned me about my travels, apparently suspicious that I had been traveling for so long and with just a 35L pack. The bag sat on the bench between us, ready for the evidence of a Cuban visit to be found, but fortunately, I was let away without an inspection. After rescheduling my flight and getting the necessary information on visa applications, I headed to Miami Beach for a cheap hostel. I really should've stayed in a cheap hotel within Miami proper since the cab ride to the cheap hostel easily made up the difference in price. I spent the evening hanging around a Dutch girl from the hostel. We had the most awesome pizza I had had since the beginning of the trip and wandered up and down...

There is no real special preparation for visiting Cuba more than other countries in Latin America (you can buy a visa at the Cancún airport), but my tip is to be prepared with money . According to the guidebooks, you can't draw money from US bank accounts and apparently ATMs are notorious for taking your cards. I went with cash so I didn't have to worry about that, but if you can go with Canadian dollars or Euros , you will be better off. I was not prepared this way and had little time to do anything about it, so I had to suffer a shittier than shit exchange rate (Cuban Convertible Pesos theoretically equal a US Dollar but they exchange at 80c to the dollar) and on top of that, charge a 10% commission for dealing with USD! But my issues centered on planning after the Cuban leg of my trip. Here was my situation: I had my return flight to Cancún, no worries, but I had run out of time to organize my flight to Brazil before I landed in Cuba. So, I already had expensive accom...

It was strange and confusing. I caught a bus from Liberia in Costa Rica to the north border and got my stamp out easily enough, but there were no clear directions to the other side. Was it far? Could I walk or did I need to take a cab there? I learned to walk along the road past the truck stop. It led to a bus terminal on the Nicaraguan side a few hundred meters away, but the migration offices were less obvious. After a few minutes, I found them on the other side of the bank building, little booths on the outside. It was handy to have some small US dollars on hand for the entrance fee. At the terminal, I met a man who told me his NICA bus was going to Granada for a 20USD, which I learned was a normal price for a coach. I handed over my cash but got no ticket, only a baggage claim stub. Worried that I got ripped off, I asked him for it, but he said that was all I needed. It was a long wait while the other passengers crossing with the bus had their passports processed together and I h...

Most travelers with lots of time and little money travel across Latin America overland, taking long distance buses and chicken buses. But to travel between Colombia to Panama overland is nearly impossible due to the thick jungle in the area and the rebel guerrilla presence there. That leaves two choices; by land and by air. To go by air costs roughly 260USD which sounds a little bit cheaper than sailing, at just under 400USD. But factor the five days involved and the all inclusive package of sailing and consider this. It only takes five nights of accommodation at 12USD/night and a food budget of 16USD/day to make up the difference, nevermind the three day excursion in San Blas and the experience of a sea adventure. The Route From Cartagena, it is a straight two day sail to the San Blas Archipelagio. With a decent constant wind and waves behind us, we did it in an excellent 32 hours, arriving in San Blas at about midnight on the second day. The next two and a half days involved visi...

During one of our walks exploring Lima , Joe and I headed for the street where people go to get fake IDs, certificates and the like. Joe had told me about it earlier and it interested me because it was situated behind the Palace Of Justice . At first we thought we wouldn't see any dealings because it was a Sunday, but a block from the street, we were approached by a man with scars on his face. Joe told him he was interested in a fake certificate and the man invited us to sit on some chairs near his tienda stall and wait while he contacted his mate. As we waited, Joe instructed me not to talk as to give away that I was foreign and to act cool. Paranoid, the man noticed a young guy standing against the fence on the other side of the road and asked us if we knew him. Joe replied off-handedly that he was our security guard, and the man nodded in understanding. Soon, his mate arrived and discussed the details and price with Joe, and not long after that was sorted, we could barely conta...

It was all worked out perfectly. That morning, we would check out at 9am and take our cold weather gear, boots, and souvenirs to the post office. By 10am we would have posted our packages home and have a few minutes to buy some snacks for our bus trip to Rurrenabaque, in the Amazon. Then, catching a cab to an unknown location of the bus station, we would arrive at precisely 10:30, exactly the right time to check in at the station office, load our bags, and be on our way to shorts and singlets weather, and an exotic jungle experience. Perfect. It was nearly not to be. Julie Versus The Post Office At 9am, we dragged ourselves and our heavy mochilas out of a cab, one arm occupied by a bulky package, and the other, fumbling with change for the driver. The post office looked like an airport or train station; big, empty, and very official looking. We found the information desk in the corner and were directed downstairs to the international parcel area. There, the man behind the coun...

The Only Vital Thing Besides Underwear passport:  should be valid at least 6 months before planned return to Australia vaccination certificate book and medical authorisation letter: Yellow Fever vaccination is required for entry into some South American countries driver's licence:  another form of photo ID return plane ticket: required for entry into some countries   travel insurance policy certificate  ATM card  and a travel debit card two different kinds of credit cards: Visa and MasterCard Some important information to also take with me include: insurance claims phone number bank's number: for reporting a stolen or lost credit card travel agent's number: for changing my return date