Cheap travel is a lie

Sure, it may be possible to travel on a low budget in Southeast Asia, but first you have to prepare. And that is expensive. Immunizations, while not required, are pretty much standard. I’m running at about $1000 so far, (and insurance will not pay for the shots… think they will pay if I actually get Japanese Encephalitis and my brain swells up out of my head?) Still have to get typhoid fever and malaria pills. The malaria pills I have to take once a day, for the whole time I am over there. I am pretty sure that insurance will cover all of the pills except for my co-pay, which will only be bad because I have to buy a years worth of pills at once. (No reliable way to get them in Cambodia…)

I also have to get travelers insurance, and the right equipment for the trip.
-Ben

It is Official

It is now official. The flight has been booked, leaving October 16th to Houston, then from Houston to Seoul, Korea for two weeks before the final hop to Bangkok. I thought I might mess around there for a while before really beginning my trip. The extended layover didn’t cost anymore, so really, why not? Maybe I can get a jump on teaching English there for a while if I get tired of traveling (or more likely, go broke).

I went ahead and booked a return flight six months out which I can cancel or move at anytime for $50.

More later.
-Ben

First Post of the New Blog

Just revamped the blog, getting it ready for when I travel.

I have set it up so i can blog from my phone, or by email, and the geo mashup page will track my location via Google, so you can see where I am at any given time. Check it out.
I also put a Flickr feed in that will update to my most recent pictures once i am on the road.

If something seems to go wrong, please let me know by leaving a comment.
Hopefully this will allow people to stay up to date with my progress.
-Ben