From: gilbert@esd.dl.nec.com (Russell Gilbert)
Subject: Re: World Travel
Organization: NEC America, Engineering & Support
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:44:14 GMT

> In article <1992Nov10.203406.15597@esd.dl.nec.com>, gilbert@esd.dl.nec.com
> (Russell Gilbert) writes:
> 
> > I recently returned from a 10 month trip around the world ...
> >
> > I saw a lot of people that did the save/work thing, but it always seemed
> > to me that their costs of living while they worked didn't leave much
> > to be saved.  It's hard to find a job in a foreign country that pays
> > well, is temporary, and that you can find quickly.  Even if you have a
> > professional skill.  Because the more professional it is, the more
> > they'll want you for long-term (and you'll have to wear *nice*
> > clothes - hard to do when you're backpacking).  But, of course, it
> > can be done.
> 
> I'm interested in hearing more about how realistic the option of working
> while travelling is.  Do you know of people who did that?  Has anyone
> else travelled around the world while working?  It must be extremely
> hard to arrange.  Are there employment/travel agents who arrange those
> kinds of experiences?  

I think it's certainly possible, and I saw a lot of people doing it.
But it's definitely not the most pleasurable way.  It's nice to stay in
one place for a while, but I found that after too long (sometimes just
a week) I started feeling homesick, bored, frustrated, etc.  That was
for me always the sign that it was time to get moving again.  It's ok
to be a tourist in a city, and it's ok to be a local in a city.  But if
you're traveling and you stay too long in one place, you start to be in
a category in between.  You don't have the money to be a tourist for
that long, and you don't have the benefits that the locals do - like
having a car, or having more belongings than will fit into your
backpack.

However, like I said, there are a lot of people doing it.  There's a
book called something like, "Work your way around the world" that could
help you find a job.  I don't think there's any easy way to arrange
it.  You just show up in the town and start asking.  Occasionally
hostels can help, or you could even work at the hostel.  Come to think
of it, that's probably the best option.  They usually have some kind of
deal where you stay for free while you work.

> And what about employment after you return?  Does anybody have experience
> with the kind of reaction you get from prospective employers?  Do they see
> it as valuable international experience, evidence of adventurousness,
> frivolous?  Were you and your wife able to take a leave of absence or did
> you have to look for a job when you returned?

I was worried about that too.  Mostly, everyone is interested and
impressed.  Many interviewers will say something like, "I wish I could
have done something like that...You have to do that while you're
young".  They usually think of it as a positive thing that adds to your
character, etc.  I don't think most people are worried about you
leaving after a year to do it again, because they see it as a
once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing (which it was, for me).  And the
amount of planning you did, and all the obstacles you had to overcome
during the trip -- that says something too.

No, we weren't able to take a leave of absence for that long.  I think
they said the max. was 3 months, and only in case of emergencies.  But
we both got lucky and got hired back on with the same companies.  I
started back immediately, but my wife did quite a bit of interviewing
first.

> > P.S.  I guess I never did say, but the trip was fantastic!

> It sounds just great.  All the places you mentioned sound good.  What
> really stood out as being outstanding for you?  

My top 3 favorite places were Thailand, Greece, and New Zealand.  I
knew very little about Asia before we left, but I was most impressed
with that area.  There are tons of long-term travelers, many more than
Europe.  Everyone seems to make the same track of major cities, so the
locals are used to dealing with foreigners.  (Sometimes that's good,
sometimes not)  But the southern part of Thailand is filled with the
most beautiful islands and beaches I've ever seen.  We spent 4 weeks
just hopping around the islands.  And if you're on a tight budget, you
can easily live on US$10 a day for a bungalow on the beach and 3
meals.

Greece had by far the best food.  You could throw a dart at the menu
and always hit something delicious.  And cheap, and beautiful.  But I
think the best time to go is probably May or June, when it's fairly
warm, but not jam-packed with people yet.

New Zealand is probably the perfect honeymoon spot.  Everything is
incredibly green, and it's mostly a lot of sheep and small towns.
Everything is slow and relaxed.  We got a 3 week pass that covered
buses, trains, and ferries, and had a great time just exploring both
islands.

> Which places were disappointing?
> Jaclyn Brandt
> jbrandt@NeoSoft.com

Hard to say.  A lot depended on my mood at the time, which had to do
with how long we'd been out, how tired I was, etc.  I guess I was most
disappointed by Venice.  (I'm sure I've just offended a lot of people
who think Venice is the most romantic place on earth.)  But that was
toward the end of the trip, and we'd already done 2.5 months in Asia,
so when we got to Europe, things already felt too touristy in some
places.  My memories of Venice are mostly high prices, everyone trying
to sell souvenirs, disgusting canals, US$70 per hour gondolas (not
including accordion player), and millions of American two-weekers.
(And I can say that 'cause I'm American :-)  I saw some of the
stupidest tourists in my life in Venice.  One guy laid his zoom lens on
a window sill, about 20 feet away from where he was standing, while
hundreds of people passed by.  It's no wonder so many tourists get
ripped off in Europe with idiots like that.

I also noticed that Europe was physically tiring, while Asia was
mentally tiring.  In Europe, we were moving pretty fast because of the
prices.  So usually about 3 days per city.  Felt like we were constantly
packing, unpacking, and going to and from the train station.  In Asia
we stayed in places for usually at least a week.  But there things are
a little more rugged.  You have cold showers, squat toilets, and a lot
of hassles.  Bargaining over *everything*, including the taxis, and
sometimes even the hotels.  Also, it seemed to me that things got
harder as we moved west. (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, &
India)  Especially India.  I remember arriving in London after flying
from Delhi, and feeling like I was home.  And I'd never been to Europe
before.  For that reason, I'd highly suggest going west around the
world, so you can gradually get used to Asia.  I can hardly imagine
what it must be like to fly London-Delhi, or worse, to Bombay, and
trying to adjust to the culture shock.  But as difficult as India was,
the Taj Mahal in Agra was *the* most impressive thing I saw on the trip.
(And I saw a lot of impressive things)  It made all the hard work
completely worthwhile.  Don't miss Asia!

As a side note about a new group and a name for it...  The original
poster suggested it as "a group dedicated to the serious, but poor,
traveller who wants to see the real world "through the back door", not
the glitzy, touristy one."  I think it's an excellent idea.  But I
don't think "rec.travel.travelers" or "rec.travel.adventures" is quite
right.  How about something like "rec.travel.budget"?  Or
"rec.travel.long-term"?  They almost imply one another.  I'd love to
see more articles related to long-term traveling.  More related to
"traveling in general", not just info about cities and countries.
There are tons of great travel guides that'll tell you all you want to
know about where to stay in Bangkok and how to get around.  The Lonely
Planet guides are great for budget travel info, including stuff about
the best times to go to a country, what shots to get first, what to
take, how much money you'll need, and the best way to get around.  And
of course lots of hostels, hotels, restaurants, bars, tourist
attractions, etc.  I'm always surprised by the number of questions from
people about to get on a plane to Singapore, and asking things like
where to stay or how to get around.  It seems to me that the net is
best suited to supplying info that the books *don't* give.  Like the
great travel log recently posted about Nepal.  Info about things like
the taxi scams at the airport are invaluable.

Maybe I'll post mine if I ever get it all typed in... :-)

Russell     (gilbert@esd.dl.nec.com)