Building on the Work-Save-Travel model

This year I travelled to two new countries: Mexico and Ecuador. Besides that, I got a full time job, a house and things like that. That made it difficult to take time off work, but I will make it happen anyway since travelling is the best way to spend money, don’t you agree?

Mexico

I backpacked in Mexico at the beginning of the year, checking out Mexico city and several surrounding areas to the north, west and southern parts of central highlands. Then I travelled to Yucatan to see some spectacular Mayan ruins, returning back with a tan to a snowy Toronto.

Northern Ontario

It was late spring in Toronto but still snow season in the North. I took a bus trip to North Bay, continuing to Timmins, about 700 km away from Toronto. Later in the summer, I also visited Iron Bridge, a little community between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie on the shores of Lake Huron.

Ecuador

In autumn, I travelled to Ecuador for about a month, spending majority of my time in the mountains and hiking to my heart’s content. I was quite surprised by how geographically diverse the country was and the number of activities one could indulge in.

Life events in Toronto and travel to surrounding areas

This year I bought a house, it’s a 130-year old Victorian house, with ghosts and stuff in the attic. As you can imagine, now I am not only firmly grounded in Toronto but also fully ‘settled down’ with a partner, mortgage, job and things like that. So I was quite busy this summer putting everything together.

Besides lots of cycling to places in Toronto, I also visited Guelph area and made an annual pilgrimage-like trip to Niagara falls / Buffalo, NY.

Detroit, USA

The year ends as I spend christmas holidays with my in-laws in Detroit. Detroit is a nice city but plagued by complex problems which I solely blame on the evil auto industry…haha! Nevertheless, I had a great time walking in the downtown core.

Travel blogging and social media

Besides writing a journal about my travels, I also ventured into social media this year by signing up for Twitter and Facebook and socialising with travel bloggers in general. Since travelling is not my fulltime activity (unfortunately) or a source of income, there is only so much time I could dedicate to social media.

But I’m glad that my twitter network has grown to 965 followers and facebook community has grown to 180. At the same time, I published 91 blog posts this year and my alexa rank has improved from 864k to 240k today. I think I am at equilibrium now, haha!

Oh yes, and I moved my travel blog to a new domain name: finaltransit.com, so please update your bookmarks!

So that’s the summary of my travels this year. How was 2011 for you?

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Colombia is one of the few Latin American countries that requires a tourist visa for Indian citizens who have a permanent resident status in Canada.

Therefore, earlier this week, I applied for a Colombian visitor visa. I was going to be in Ecuador and I wanted to checkout a border town which is easier reached from Quito than from Bogota.

Colombian consulate in Toronto

Besides the usual characteristics associated with a consular service, namely having dated or incomplete information on the website, chaotic consulate offices, language issues, etc. what surprised me was how two officers on two separate occasions gave me the wrong information.

I enter the ‘open concept’ Consulate of Colombia in downtown Toronto, to find a large hall with about 30 chairs facing a TV screen and a desk. There is a crowd of 8-10 people standing in front of the desk, randomly oriented and chatting away (PS: This is so different from the Russian consulate, where nobody speaks anything). I notice an officer behind the desk, seemingly oblivious to the crowd at the front. The TV screen is displaying some numbers so after observing other people, I go to the opposite wall of the consulate and draw a stub from the token dispenser. It looks like a raffle ticket. I put my stuff on the floor and sit on a chair. Quietly. Patiently.

After an hour or so, my number is called. The office is ill-equipped to deal with non-Spanish speakers, so I tell them in broken Spanish that I am applying for a visa. The guy looks at me with puzzled expression: either he didn’t understand me, or he didn’t know that they issued tourist visas. I think it was the later.

I get called for an interview. The officer asks me to bring a letter from my employer and pay a visa fee. In cash only, and in US dollars only.

I go back to the embassy with the letter the next day. This time I see another officer, a charming lady. We have a pleasant conversation in Spanish and she seems more interested in the fact that I am learning Spanish. The documents I attached to the file barely get a glance.
“Pay the fee and come after 2 days.”
Off I go.

Later that day, I get a call from the consulate. They want additional 50 dollars. I am kinda annoyed. I tell the lady (in Spanish, ofcourse) that it was too expensive and that I just wanted to check out the border city for a day. Why didn’t the consulate tell me before? Why does their website show incorrect information? I ask my application to be returned.

Yeah yeah I hear you. Sometimes I can be high maintenance too. ^_^

So I go back to the consulate to collect my passport. This time I don’t take the raffle ticket. I get my passport back and the fee refunded. The staff at the consulate are apologetic and cooperative. I even get a nice Spanish “sorrry” with a rolling R.

Las Lajas

The Las Lajas Scanctuary is a Catholic church that was built on a bridge on the Guáitara river. The cathedral is located at the Ipiales (CO) – Tulcan (EC) border and I would have loved to visited the place even if it was only for a day.

I am not going there this time and I don’t know when I will go to this part of Colombia next. If you visit Las Lajas, please send me a post card!

Too bad Colombia, I cannot visit you during this trip to Ecuador. Rather, I choose not to.

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↑ Free vacation!! A bicycle, a tent and camping in a farm. Unfortunately I cannot do this everywhere…

Being frugal on the road is not difficult at all. Infact, after a while, it becomes a way of life because it’s natural for us to want more for less. Travellers LOVE talking about the things they do to save money and I am no exception.

Here is how I save on travel, food and accommodations during my trips:

1. Squeeze into a chicken bus

↑ Mini-bus and shared-taxi terminal in Wangdue, Bhutan

Public transportation is cheaper than hiring a private taxi. But besides the money part, I like traveling with locals to get a better feel of the place. I feel more secure travelling in a group, and I get to see the countryside, chat with fellow passengers, even get lost and find my way back: such experiences have given me ever lasting memories, and the stories I take home are priceless.

The other day, I got into a very crowded chicken bus and the driver was still forcing more people in. Just like India, buses in Mexico seem to have infinite capacity. A woman boarded with a big bag and a baby. The baby was handed over to the grandma sitting next to me while the bag was thrust on my lap. The journey was uncomfortable but I’d totally do it again!

↑ Ticket window at Pereslavl Zaleskiy, Russia

Do the math: Travelling in Mexico from Valladolid-Cancún:
Private taxi: $250 (bargain hard!)
First-class bus with AC, reclining seats: $14
Second-class bus: $9
Combi-van with someone else’s bag on your lap: $7

2. Savour some street food

↑ Taco in Cuernavaca, Mexico. $0.30.

I admit I was terrified of getting traveler’s diarrhea in Mexico. But with basic precautions, I was able to shrug off those fears and indulge in yummy street fare. Not only is the food cheap and served fast, but also it is more authentic compared to restaurants where the chefs usually customize the dishes for tourists.

Conversations at food stalls can lead to random and interesting outcomes. At one taco stand in Mérida, I was chatting with a guy eating next to me. Turns out that he was the lead guitarist of a popular band that was having a concert that same night. I left the place happily with a free ticket.

↑ Pozole and Tostadas in Taxco, Mexico. $3.50. I needed help to finish all that!

Do the math: Typical lunch in Mexico-city:
1 chicken burrito in a mid-range restaurant: $5
2 Gorditas made by a Mexican mamma at a street corner: $1.50
3 large pork Tacos at a Taqueria: $1.2

3. Be a guest

[SinglePic not found]
↑ Sometimes you get a couch, sometimes you get a room! My CS host in Peru was very generous!

Couchsurfing is not as sketchy as it sounds. I’ve stayed int people’s homes and hosted many travellers at my place in Toronto. In the olden days, travellers used to knock on people’s doors to get a place to sleep. We are lucky to have a digital version of that custom, complete with identity checks, references, etc. Try it if you haven’t; need I state that it’s free?

My favorite couchsurfing moment was when I was invited to a large dinner in Russia and my host put a fish on my plate. A whole fish, I must clarify, complete with fins and scales… how the heck does one eat that? I also learned that if you finish your shot of vodka, your host will refill it rightaway (and its pointless to enter into a vodka-drinking contest there).

↑ My Russian host’s told me about this soviet-era canteen that, according to him, nobody knew.

Do the math: Accommodation in Moscow:
3-star hotel: $350
Dorm-bed in a hostel: $25
Couchsurfing: $5 (because I am a good guest, I bring a gift, make a meal or buy a drink for my host.)

Drawing the line

↑ Artist market and tourist trinkets in Cusco, Peru

Travel responsibly; be frugal without being cheap. A dollar may not have much value in the west, but in many countries it will buy you lots.

So, those were some of my favorite tactics to save money on holidays and do more with it. I’m curious to hear your tips!

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It was dawn, my favourite time of the day. The sun had just begun rising and I opened my eyes only to find myself looking directly at it. Its soft golden rays, filtering through the tinted windows, had lit up the interiors of the bus which was now making a sharp turn on the winding road of the northern mountain ranges (Sierras del Norte) in Guerrero, Mexico.

“¡Baja, por favor!”
I hurriedly asked the driver to let me off as the bus passed a sign that said El Mirador (lookout point). He said something about the destination (Taxco) being far, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to disembark – right then right there.

The view of the valley and the mountain ranges (Sierra Madre del Sur) across the valley was spectacular. The sun, rising behind me, had started gradually illuminating the valley below. The lofty mountain peaks were draped in a layer of mist that was fast disappearing as I hiked to El Mirador. The morning breeze was cold, but gentle. Little dandelions and wild flowers, with their petals closed and drenched in dew, were swinging in rhythm as I walked to the edge of the cliff beyond the bush beside the road. There was hardly any sign of human presence, except for the glow from the flickering yellow lights from a village in the valley below.

I put my backpack on a rock and sat close to the edge, looking at the horizon. The shapes at the edge of the sky looked so far and remote that I couldn’t distinguish which ones were clouds and which ones were mountains. But the more I looked the more I could see. Magically, the distant mountains became visible. I could vividly picture rustic scenes like a farmer cleaning his plough, a milkman loading his aluminium container and things like that. It was just my imagination but I even felt my partner sitting next to me, sharing this view, looking at the horizon and feeling what I felt.

I felt free.

For over a year, I was trapped in a concrete jungle in an urban routine, and the furthest [sic] I could see from my bedroom window was the apartment across the street. My eyes were probably unaccustomed to looking beyond that and my mind found it prohibiting to think beyond the barrier. I had forgotten that the horizon existed and that it was possible to experience things beyond what’s obvious and in front of you. Mountains are challenges, not limitations.

↑ The Himalayas. Surefire way to feel humbled and trivial.

I think it’s useful to see the horizon once in a while to remind oneself that life has more to it than petty issues around bill payments and personal egos. I’m glad I’m not the only one who hiked a hill at sunrise and came back with a revelation.

So, when was the last time you saw the horizon?

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The year of ‘settling down’.. or something like that!

Most part of 2010 was slow on travel and blogging. Statistically, this was a disaster year since my website traffic numbers are back to 2007 levels. But my mind was focused on something else for most of the time, so such things happen. Here is what I did this year:

Detroit, USA

February: This was my first trip to the car city, and since it happened in the middle of winter, and I didn’t see much.
Detroit, USA as seen from Windsor, Canada

Montreal, Canada

April: Ville Française! Montreal was a lot of fun, especially Mont Royal and the surprise summer in early April.
Montreal downtown seen from Mont Royal

New York City, USA

April: This was my third trip to Gotham city and my favorite part, as always, was walking to Manhattan on the Brooklyn bridge. It was rainy and foggy when I went.
The symbol of American capitalism

Family visits

June, August: First my mother and then my sister visited me from India for few weeks. We had lot of fun and I got pampered with lots of home cooked Indian food, which I dearly miss. No matter how well I try to cook, it never tastes like what mom makes (duh!)
Mother and me atop La Tour CN, Toronto

Niagara Falls

I know, Niagara falls doesn’t count since this is still in Toronto’s neighbourhood (2-3 hours). But this year I took the Maid of the Mist tour, had a funny experience at the Rainbow bridge border and also biked to the wine county – Niagara on the Lake.

Maid of the mist heading towards the falls

Boston, USA

July: Boston is a lovely city. Being full of young university students, it made me feel rather old..haha!
Boston downtown seen from USS Constitution warship.

Back country camping

August: Just a short 4 day trip to Algonquin park with tents, cooking gear and everything packed on our backs. It was approximately a 35km loop through the woods.
Lots of lakes. Perfect for a swim when one is sweaty and exhausted.

Toronto Tuesday, ofcourse

I am like an unofficial Toronto tour guide now. This summer I showed the city to atleast 5 people. If you every visit my wonderful city, call me!

Half-Marathon

October: I know I know this doesn’t qualify as ‘travel’ but I just wanted to throw that in here. Read my race day story.

So that’s the summary for this year. How was 2010 for you? Next month I go to Mexico, and possibly somewhere else later that year.

Hope you are having a good holiday season. Thank you all for your blogmateship!

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What did I do in 2009?

Compared to 2008, this year was slow on travel. Since I was in school and pretty much broke from all the trips last year, there was very little I did.

India

I started the new year in India and flew back to Canada shortly after that.

Canada

[SinglePic not found] Camping in a farm outside a little town in southern Ontario

I went on several biking and trekking day trips with Chad to places around Toronto, but our biggest one was a 4-day biking trip to Southern Ontario. Equipped with camping gear, we bicycled across small towns and through the woods for a total of 170km.

Fall colors at Frontenac Provincial park

There were few camping trips too, the biggest one being to Frontenac park amidst beautiful fall colors and an unexpected cold wave (-5ºC) on the Thanksgiving weekend .

Humber bridge, Toronto

Toronto Tuesday, with sights an flavors of Toronto will continue in the next year.

Abandoned mineshaft on a snowy Christmas day in Timmins

Right now I am in Timmins, a little city in north-eastern Ontario where I am spending the holidays with Chad’s family. I did several things for the first time in my life, such as seeing reindeer, eating reindeer meat and bear meat, drinking home brewed wine, getting my first Christmas present, going skidooing and snowshoeing and many other things… etc.

USA

[SinglePic not found] Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls

I made three trips across the border, two of them were to nearby places: Niagara Falls and Buffalo.

[SinglePic not found] NYC – near the courthouse and department of Justice

Before my Fall semester began, I went on a 8 day trip to New York city and Chicago. I walked till my feet fell and did many touristy things like walking with a I ‘heart’ NY shirt and taking cheezy pictures at the cloud gate in millennium park.

Plans for 2010

Simply stated, it all depends on how much money I have…hehehee. I’d like to see more of Canada and if possible make one trip overseas. Lets see where it goes!

This travel blog is one year old and I am excited about the next year.

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Fantastic year of travel: Bhutan, Israel, Peru, Russia, USA

I finished my one-year internship and returned back to classes this year. However, that also helped me save up some money and I was able to travel a lot this year. In particular, the second half of 2008 was amaaazing since I moved out and took 3 months off just to travel! Now I have been to 8 countries.

Israel

I started the new year in Tel Aviv, almost at the end of my Israel trip. It was a fun party, ending only at dawn.

Link to my Israel travel stories.

New York City

I got my US visitors visa this year so I was very excited to go to New York City. It’s a fantastic city, almost overwhelming but then I tend to like crowded cities so I enjoyed NYC a lot.

Peru

On a random day in winter, I woke up and lazily looked at the web promo email that Air Canada routinely sends. It’s nothing but a gimmick, but regardless, I ended up booking a flight to Lima, Peru. I had no clue where I was going, or the language, food, safety issues. I think that’s why I enjoyed all the hiking, exploring and getting lost.

Read about my experience of backpacking in Peru.

Killarney Provincial Park

Early summer / late spring was a nice time to visit the Killarney Provincial Park, although I was bitten by black flies all over and came back with lots of souvenirs.

Bike trip to Niagara Falls

Since my roommate and I shared several interests, we embarked upon a legendary 4 day bicycle trip to Niagara falls region. It was a fantastic trip and birthday, and I learned a lot about myself. I also crossed over to Buffalo, USA to get my immigration documents. Somehow I landed on the I-94 which is an interstate highway in USA, and it wasn’t fun!

Russia

Since the cheapest way to go to India was flying Aeroflot, I decided to take more time off work and school to make it a three month trip. I studied Russian which is very important if you want to enjoy the country, and it kept me yearning for more.

Check out my stories from travel in Russia.

Bhutan

Land of the Thunder Dragon, happiest country in the world, hidden deep inside the Himalayas and the only country where having an Indian passport is the best thing that could have happen to you. I was in Bhutan only for 2.5 weeks, but it was enough to see most of the important sights and fall in love with the country.

Bhutan travel stories

India

I spent about 6-7 weeks in India, travelling to Kolkata, taking a road trip to Bangalore and generally hanging out. I was going back after 3 years so it was quite exciting and gave me lot of time to reflect and think things over!

So that’s the summary of my travels this year. How was did the year treat you?

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