A day in the life of a traveller

Some of you have asked us about day to day life as we´re travelling: what do we eat, what´s it like in shared dorms etc. We thought we´d write some thoughts down for you to give you a taste of what our days and weeks have become. Safe to say, we´re falling in to a rhythm and it´s becoming a way of life now.

NOTE TO ALL: this is not meant to alarm you, nor are we whinging... in fact it´s surprising how easily we´ve adapted to it all. And we´re in it together with many other like minded travellers.



- Balancing our PJs, fresh clothes, towel, toiletries and toothbrush all on 1 hook whilst showering (if we´re lucky)
- Debating each thing until the cows come home, where money is involved
- Supermarket dining: dinner for 2 in 40 pesos with nothing but a potato, tomato sauce and lettuce!
- The art of waiting for bathrooms to be cleaned and then making a quick dash to pounce on them
- Reading between the lines on hostelbookers.com to find a hostel which isn´t full of 17 yr old kids partying... my, how old we feel.
- Travelling overnight to save on accomodation; and in turn trying to learn how to sleep anywhere.
- Readying ourselves each night with eye masks, ear plugs, silk sleep sheets (we don´t want any bites) - all just to try and sleep through without being woken by late night revellers.
- Developing a succinct summary of why we´re travelling and what we´re planning to answer the obvious introductory questions from fellow travellers.
- Arriving at a busy bus terminal, having travelled all night, only to then have to find our way to a hostel using public transport, foreign currency and a new language.
- Repacking our back pack 10 times over helps to perfect the art of ´5-minute-pack-ups´.
- Finding some semblance of privacy in our 2 bed bunk amongst several other beds in our dorm; it´s a wonder what a few sarongs and towels can do.
- Meeting some really interesting and suprisingly like minded people
- Money belts are now a permanent extra appendage to our body
- Lathering up with sun block, mosquito repellent and hydrocortisone cream (to stop the itches) is a daily ritual.
- Benadryl anti-histamine is both Alkesh´s best friend and worst enemy all in one.
- Alkesh has taken to wearing his speedos instead of boxers - the former can be washed and dried quickly during showers.
- Smuggly realising Alkesh made the right choice to leave the laptop at home.
- Navita´s perfected traveller wardrobe chic - "who cares if it´s creased and doesnt match my army green combats."