another day in the life

I've hit a plateau in my travels and am facing some of my greatest challenges since my journey began. I am looking forward to that first paycheck in New Zealand. I know when I get there I am doing what it takes to make money and save money like there is no tomorrow. These challenges I am facing now will ensure I never get into these situations again.

A little more than a month and I head to New Zealand to work and then what?  Australia to Asia to North America to South America and home?  Australia to Asia to Europe to North America to South America and home.......actually I think I just gave myself an idea.........finish work in August 2016 head to Australia to visit friends, off to Asia for a few more weeks fly to Europe and travel in September and October in Europe then fly to North America - down to Central America then to South America for the winter then get back to Calgary in time for the stampede in 2017 and then spend time exploring the mountains in Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, BC and either NWT or the Yukon.

This is one of the problems as a traveler it's where to next....

A little me time

From endless party nights, to long lost temples, backpacker bars, street food, getting lost, telling the same story, saying goodbye again and again and then spending time with the expats. Right now I am sitting in a private room and finally have air-con and decent WiFi for the first time in awhile. I have lost track of time other than when I come onto my computer to post for my readers all over the world.....by the way for those who are new to my blog welcome! :)

I checked out of my hostel for a private room for a couple of nights and have realized how little of this city I  have seen but I could find heaps of places in my hometown I have never been whether it be restaurants, streets, shops etc. I will be here for another little while and plan to see more. Today has been a quiet one for me just doing some testing for different websites - I am always looking for additional revenue streams. My friend and the local expats have been very friendly to me and it is nice when people know you by name. I do know I will come back to the city when it is busier just to see it in its prime. Part of the reason I checked into a private room was to reorganize all of my belongings and to give me a chance to have the ability to go to sleep without someone coming in my room. I also checked into a private room as I wanted some quiet me time where I didn't have to tell my story of where I have been and what I have done. Some of you may read that and say I thought you loved talking about it and indeed I do but if you ate your favourite desert (mine being cheesecake) 3-5 times a day 5-7 days a week you would want a break from it too. As much as I do love making new friends and socializing what you should get out of this and me when I look back is it can be great to have that amazing network of close friends and family. I think we all have those people in our lives that you can just look at them and they know what you are thinking. I have also been telling my story since January of this year - well even before that when I was getting ready to travel.  Sometimes you need to have a break and regroup your thoughts. I am also only 5 months into a 2, 3, 4 year long journey honestly who knows! For now enjoy some pictures of this beautiful area as I am going to take a vacation from my vacation tonight.

Tuna Tom

To the moon Alice

Sometimes I sit and stare at my computer trying to figure out what or how to write my experiences. Sometimes I ask myself should I really write that but I am doing it for a reason so I can look back and read my stories. The more I travel the more I hear about robberies, and scams and the good and bad sides of traveling. As you travel you need to realize you represent your country and what you do today can and will have an impact on future travelers. What are some of the other things I have seen people trying to start fights, travelers trying to massively undercut people, people who need to stop drinking, drug abuse, guys trying to take advantage of girls, lady boys trying to take advantage of drunk guys, people who get hurt while drinking, people passed out bleeding, people not willing to help, people who laugh when someone else gets seriously hurt and are bleeding everywhere I have seen it all and a lot of that in one night needless to say it was an interesting night for me last night.........I have been on the receiving end of a lot of those bad things before myself I have definitely done stupid things myself I think I am slowly becoming a more responsible traveler. I can also pick a loser/trouble maker out a mile away. If you talk to someone for a brief period of time you can have a good idea of who they are.

So what is the deal with the "To the moon Alice"? This is basically what I saw last night one dumb western guy (dwg) and a group or 4 or 5 Korean males and I can see them pointing to the moon and I coudn't quite get the jist of what they were saying but they were pointing to the moon the dwg was puffing his chest up getting real close to the Koreans and I think it might have been something along the lines of "To the moon" or "I am going to knock you to the outerspace or the moon". The more I think about it the more I laugh seeing those Koreans with a clueless look on their face and pointing to the moon do I ever wish I had a video of it. In the end I told the Koreans to go one way and the other guy another way. 

Of course this happened to be a night I was wearing my Canadian shirt!

Tuna Tom

Traveling solo vs traveling with a group

For the second time in Vang Vieng Laos there has been a group tour come through. The current one I have been hanging out with a little and it has made me a little jealous. I constantly have to make new friends who may be with you for days or maybe even only a few hours. Is traveling by yourself all bad? Not at all but what person doesn't want or need a connection.

It was my choice to travel alone but I know in my future trips I will do some trips with group tours from time to time.

You do have to take the good with the bad. At times I haven't been happy in a city so I have moved on. Not having a lot of money it could be good to travel solo as you can save more money (at times) you can meet more people and everything is on your choice what you do or when you go.

What can make things tough traveling solo is you have to figure out so much by yourself such as how to get to your next destination or hostel, wander around lost in a city, watch your own bags all of the time. People do come in and out of your life so quickly and so many appear again.

I am lucky in the sense I have so many friends scattered throughout this world who have all been amazing to show me around and to introduce me to all of their friends etc.

Today I joined up with the group tour to check out the blue lagoon the pictures are posted below. For now I need to go eat and the wifi is becoming beyond frustrating.

Take care

Tuna Tom

feeling like death

somedays you just feel like death so I know a good fruit day a private room and lots of sleep are are coming up soon although I have more to write I just wanted to post to remind myself that some days life is rough.

Tuna Tom

Tuna Tom vs the giant frog or toad

I move my bags and see a massive frog/toad in the corner in my room and it pooped by my bags (that bugger). As soon as I spot the big bugger I know my life is at stake its him or me in a dual to the death. I decisively grab my hat and flick the bugger but he fights back trying to get deeper into the corner suddenly I get the upper hand and get him out the door with a few quick clicks on my hat but he tries a last ditch effort to get back in but I finish him off with a flick across the railing and he dissapears in the grass......of course now I have the hebeejeebes of did something touch me? As for the hat I have now thrown it out. I went through my bags fearing there may be others.

In all seriousness do you know if an animal is dangerous or not? What if it was a tarantula or a scorpion? At least I found it now not tonight when I am just about to go to sleep........one private room in an upper floor coming right up.

Remember to check your corners especially ones you don't use often you never know what is crawling there.

Tuna Tom

Creepiest night ever

Last night was officially the strangest/creepiest night I have ever had in a hostel dorm.

I am in my dorm and trying to sleep I can hear people talking quite loudly until 6:00 am this morning. If you ever stay in dorms or some hotels in foreign countries ear plugs can be your friend!

So why was last night strange and creepy? Well people in dorms come and go for various reasons such as checking in/out, going to do an excursion, or just daily life but picture this you are lying in your dorm bed and you hear someone come in and you hear the person mumble something and then this girl gets close to your face touches your face with her hand and says this is so strange NO KIDDING!! After doing that to me she walks over to the other guy in the room shakes him and says the same thing she then proceeds to do something with her bags and leaves.........I see her again this morning and just jokingly say "hey you made it back it was an interesting night". She then says a snarky comment and leaves. The German guy in my room and I talk and laugh about it and decide that is the creepiest thing ever to happen. Now think about this for a second what if it was a guy who touched girls faces like that or a guy touching another guys face. This ladies and gentlemen is why you should just say no to drugs. Speaking of drugs.......

Some countries throughout the world have very strict laws against drugs for example if you go to Singapore the card you have to fill in for immigration says on it if you are caught with drugs you will be given the capital punishment and be put to death. The other night a few people were caught smoking marijuana at the hostel and had to spend several hours at the police station along with a little 10,000,000 kip bribe about 1,250 US dollars this is one more reason you should just say no to drugs.

Tuna Tom

Backpacker life - Kangaroo Sunset best poutine ever!

Hello all of my readers! By the time all of you finish reading this post you will collectively have made enough to survive for a month in SE Asia. My daily budget is 10-15 US per day. So what do I do with my days now get up when I don't feel like sleeping anymore, eat a delicious meal for 1-3 US dollars, spend a few hours lying in the hammock, chatting to strangers for hours, head to my friends bar Kangaroo Sunset which has poutine that would rival what we make back home, I head to another bar for free whiskey between 8-9. Some days I try to make money online. At some point I need to go to my next spot but from the pictures you can see below why be in a rush. No matter how rough things look right now I have a smile on my face, I am dropping weight and just living the backpacker life.

Tuna Tom

My life

My choice

My time

free like the wind

Kangaroo Sunset best poutine

Selling advertising space

This post is for the intention of letting advertisers know I am selling space on my blog please contact me via post or email me tombroxham@gmail.com

Thanks,
Tuna Tom

new travel ideas

I am still in Vang Vieng Laos trying to figure out some aspects of my life. Traveling alone can be ok but I am at a point where I wish I had a travel partner but even more so someone to be in a relationship with. Would I have left to travel if I was in one? Am I just feeling some jealousy when I see couples? Or maybe just maybe it's not my time. These are just thoughts for me to look back on later.

I've been going through my blog reading and viewing pictures. I have barely shared half of the stories or my thoughts. I have about 6 weeks left here until I head to New Zealand to work along with trips to Australia, maybe Fiji or other places as well. After New Zealand what then........well I am thinking fly to Canada visit the East Coast see my family go back to Central America and then down to South America fly back to Canada drive across Canada in time for the stampede and then spend time in the mountains and go to either Yukon or NWT. We shall see what happens as things changes and plans don't always work.

A couple of final thoughts you can't have the good life when you are always wanting more. Every relationship formed is due to timing that one thing you can never control. Maybe this is one more thing I need to learn.........besides those unfortunate buggers have to go back to the real world and I am only 5 months into a two and a half year long trip.....or more

Tuna Tom

Back on track - Hammock day

I am in Laos right now and am having one of those moments that I really don't know what to write. In order to get here it was an over night train from Bangkok a train across the border and a mini van (pictures of the sleeper train below).

After getting here I have met up with a friend who I took around Calgary during the stampede. I have met heaps of expats here and it is quite the beautiful area here with all of the mountains here. So far today I have spent several hours on the hammock chatting to all of the other travelers. I am starting to get that feeling again that I had so many times before when I was in Central America. It has been great to get away from the hustle bustle of all of the large cities in Asia. Who doesn't love a good day on a hammock anyways! I will likely stay here a few more days until I figure out where I am going and when I know at some point I will head back to Vietnam but for now that is too much to think about. I will leave you with some pictures from where I am.....and a fire show

Tuna Tom

A sigh of relief

I want to try to put you into my shoes for a moment you are unemployed in a foreign country have to pay for your accommodations and food on a daily basis your credit cards are not working, you are not working, you have no phone and you have no money what do you do?

In your home it is no big deal you have food in your fridge and shelves and your rent or mortgage is paid for. If you don't have a phone you can get a new one easily or use one at work.

I see this all of the time travelers can't eat or pay for basic things in life it happens.

Alas things are now turning around I am in Laos where a friend has a backpacker bar and it is nice and quiet here with no scams. I will be here for a few days where I can hunker down in a hammock and live on the cheap. I have a few jobs I am looking into online and will have to see how that goes for now I need to go get money eat and relax.

Tuna Tom

The good the bad and ugly side of traveling

The longer I travel in Asia the more my faith in humanity and my innocence disappears. I am realizing that not everyday while traveling is enjoyable that is just part of life though. A good friend of mine said though "A bad day while traveling is still better than a good day in the office". As I walk down the street I am becoming more and more confident and more stern. I push away scammers easier than ordering a coffee. Everywhere I look I see another scam and I have interrupted a few in progress and know I must leave because if I continue like this my safety will become a concern. My trust level has virtually been wiped out and every turn I make I figure someone is out to scam me.

I have been told every traveler goes through this when there comes a time when they question what they are doing and why I have now reached that point. I am changing my plans right now and will be heading to Laos where I have a friend who has a backpacker bar and I know I will be safe and taken care of there. I booked a train to go there as I know the overnight buses are unsafe.I have a bitterness growing inside of me and it tears me apart to know that but the good thing is I tell scammers a good firm no or ignore them once I get past them I can still have that smile the travelers smile. I may come back to Thailand after when I have worked for awhile and have money in my pocket where I can afford some luxuries again.

For now I am going back to my backpacker roots - walk everywhere, enjoy the smaller things such as going to the market, talking to people, taking it easy an just enjoying life without having to spend much money. I am going to a smaller town and a place where I can understand.

As I see the scams and break some up I wonder to myself how do we save humanity people are scammed, robbed, homeless everywhere, people with drug, alcohol and gambling problems. So I stop a couple of scams it is no big deal as this scamming network is hundreds if not thousands of people wide. Well one thing I can do is share this link with all of you

http://scam-detector.com/travel-scams

This link has dozens of different scams in it and I will also share another link with you;

http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Simply find the country you are visiting and will give you information on scams, health, passport/visa requirements etc.

I am applying for jobs online which can be done anywhere and an hoping for a miracle otherwise things are about to get real ugly for me.

Fingers crossed people!

Tuna Tom