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On Transportation

When traveling within a country, it’s important to remember that there are almost always a few different ways to get to where you’re going. If you’re in a city, there are probably cabs, trains, and maybe busses. In a more rural area, you might have to be a little creative–sometimes you can rent bikes or travel via van. Just getting from place to place gets expensive quickly, so it’s important to plan your budget accordingly.

Bike riders – Mekong Delta, Vietnam

There’s nothing wrong with exclusively taking cabs, but it can be costly. In some places, cabs aren’t metered; rather, you and the driver are supposed to arrange a price (through haggling) before the trip. Make sure you know the customs before you arrive.

Taxis – Hong Kong

I’m a strong advocate of public transport because of the low cost. It can be a little bit daunting to walk into a crowded train station and get a ticket when there’s no signage in English, but chances are, you’ll figure it out. You’re resourceful, after all. Another bonus of traveling this way is that you get more than a tourist’s perspective of wherever you are.

Josh and me figuring out a subway map – Kyoto, Japan

But remember, the most important thing is often your comfort level. If you sense that you may be in a shady part of town, or it’s late at night, and you just need to get somewhere without hassle, a cab may be best for you.

-ERV

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Prepare to be a tourist

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The picture below was taken on the steps of the Ganges river in Varanasi, India. This is one of the most sacred Hindu rivers and the people in the picture are partaking in spiritual cleansing.

Spiritual bathing on the steps of the Ganges River, Varanasi, India

Sunrise is the most holy part of the day and you would expect to see something like this if you have never been to the steps of the Ganges, at least that was my understanding.

Sunrise on the Ganges River, Varanasi, India

In reality it was like this.

Tourist boats floating down the Ganges River, Varanasi, India

I was able to get all of the classic photos of the Ganges but the third photo is closest to what it was really like. The others were taken as one tourist boat left the frame and just before another came into it.

When anyone dreams of traveling or visiting exotic locations rarely do people visualize thousands of tourists, lines and photo-op areas, but this is the reality in many of the places that are popular to visit in any country. I have traveled with people that are taken aback by this fact and they tend to stop enjoying the experience because they are forced to share it with so many people. But if you want to go to famous site, then you have to be ready to be one of many. Being one of many tourists can also make you feel a little odd being there. Along the Ganges for example we were watching people go about their daily lives, and very personal spiritual moments, almost as if they were on display, but that is the topic of a future post.

Moral of the story, if you are ready to accept that fact that you will not be the only one enjoying the sights and sounds around you then you will have a much more enjoyable and eye opening experience. Just because other people are there with you, don’t let that take away from a life changing moment.

-JDB

The Art of Bargaining

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Bargaining1

One of the first things you learn when traveling outside of the U.S. is that many places expect bargaining for goods and services. The first time I encountered this system was in Ghana, and even though I had been warned not to take anything for the asking price, I found it awkward and uncomfortable to offer a price of my own. Even so, I had to remember that bargaining is just a part of the sell, so I tried it out. It didn’t go very well the first few times because I was not very confident. But as I became used to offering a lower price throughout my travels, I began to feel more comfortable and I had some fun with it.

Here are some tips:

Offer a price way lower than what you want for the item. That seems obvious, but you could find yourself paying way too much for something because you like it so much.
Try offering a half, or even a third, of the price the vendor tells you.
Be confident; it’s expected that you bargain, so don’t feel bad.
Make sure you know the countries standard practices. In Ghana, for example, you should bargain down to below half the asking price, but in Vietnam 20% off is a good deal.
Even if you are happy paying full price you should bargain down a little. If you don’t, the vendor will expect other travelers to pay full price as well and you hurt future travelers.
If none of the above get you the price you want, walk away. One of two things will happen: you’ll find the same item from another vendor who will give it to you for a lower price, or the vendor will follow you and make the sale.
You almost never bargain on the cost of food, and usually reserve bargaining to street vendors and not large established stores.

In the end the price of a souvenir is up to you, if you are comfortable with the price you paid then it doesn’t matter if you were over charged because you are happy with the purchase. So go out there and bargain.

-ERV

Our Blog

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Man on a bike
Hello. This is our blog. It’s about traveling. It’s about our travels and our travel show, FIRST TIME HERE. It’s about informing you through text and images about said travels and said show. What we are trying to say is, “You should read this thing.” The posts to come will be about everything from what goes into making a travel show to what we’ve learned while traveling. So what we are trying to say is, “Thank you for being here.” You are important to us.

-AJB, JDB, and ERV