Necessary Necessities
outside of the normal traveler's gear, there are items i feel are necessary for comfortable travels in se asia:
1. camera. just lug the thing and don't be afraid to use it.
2. ipod. and i mean the large capacity ones that also play movies. on long transits, music is your best friend, especially if you can't find anyone interesting to chat up. for me, i often associate songs with certain memories. listening to that song again reminds me of what i was doing and where i was at the time. ipod's are also good data storage devices for things like photos. and if you really wanna do it right, bring some ipod speakers. goes really well when throwing a gathering/fiesta/dance party in one's hotel room. and yet even better is to bring the a/v out cable so you can play music and movies through a tv. perfect for a "night in" or impromptu "dates".
3. even though i generally don't travel with one, an unlocked mobile phone is really nice to have, especially when trying to meet up with people in unfamiliar territory, or texting that swiss chick you met on the ferry.
4. toothbrushes. i swipe all the hotel toothbrushes from my rooms. i go through a lot of brushes for some reason. gotta keep the tooths clean. i also swipe the hotels mini soaps. you never know.
5. tp. i'll admit it, i was intimidated by se asia's use of the squat pot and bucket of water, or if you're lucky, the garden hose. i'm not so down with it. probably 'cause i'm not an expert with the technique. And if you ever expect to have an upset stomach (very likely) learn from my bali belly lesson: carry your own toilet paper.
6. small money. as if bargaining for pennies doesn't make me feel bad enough, it's an added kick in the pants to whip out a huge bill that could have covered the initial negotiating price. some people won't even give you the correct change for the agreed amount if you do this. and that's even IF they have change to begin with. i remember when 1000 baht notes were virtually worthless because vendors didn't have enough change. just carry small money.
Low tide in Indo means dry reef and dry docked boats. Sumbawa, Indonesia.
1. camera. just lug the thing and don't be afraid to use it.
2. ipod. and i mean the large capacity ones that also play movies. on long transits, music is your best friend, especially if you can't find anyone interesting to chat up. for me, i often associate songs with certain memories. listening to that song again reminds me of what i was doing and where i was at the time. ipod's are also good data storage devices for things like photos. and if you really wanna do it right, bring some ipod speakers. goes really well when throwing a gathering/fiesta/dance party in one's hotel room. and yet even better is to bring the a/v out cable so you can play music and movies through a tv. perfect for a "night in" or impromptu "dates".
3. even though i generally don't travel with one, an unlocked mobile phone is really nice to have, especially when trying to meet up with people in unfamiliar territory, or texting that swiss chick you met on the ferry.
4. toothbrushes. i swipe all the hotel toothbrushes from my rooms. i go through a lot of brushes for some reason. gotta keep the tooths clean. i also swipe the hotels mini soaps. you never know.
5. tp. i'll admit it, i was intimidated by se asia's use of the squat pot and bucket of water, or if you're lucky, the garden hose. i'm not so down with it. probably 'cause i'm not an expert with the technique. And if you ever expect to have an upset stomach (very likely) learn from my bali belly lesson: carry your own toilet paper.
6. small money. as if bargaining for pennies doesn't make me feel bad enough, it's an added kick in the pants to whip out a huge bill that could have covered the initial negotiating price. some people won't even give you the correct change for the agreed amount if you do this. and that's even IF they have change to begin with. i remember when 1000 baht notes were virtually worthless because vendors didn't have enough change. just carry small money.
Low tide in Indo means dry reef and dry docked boats. Sumbawa, Indonesia.
posted by the Wootang at 9:05 PM
1 Comments:
socks socks socks. you didn't mention the socks.
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