For those thinking about taking an excursion, here are some updated numbers from a French couple traveling the world (who sold everything in preparation for their trip). Reference point Australia vs Asia; How expensive? 4 months in Asia cost the same as 3 weeks in Australia. $2000 Euro ($2585 dollars).
This story is long so I tried to cut it back but it’s completely nuts and worth reading the whole thing;
“We thought we were lucky when this old Indian man who claimed to be a famous doctor and his three dogs pulled over and gave us a lift…after squeezing in between his dogs and all his junk, he told us “I’m an alien doctor and this is my spaceship…don’t worry bout my driving you’re safe!”… we thought he was joking…
Soon after he stopped the car got out and started yelling at two police officers by the road. Walking back to the car, he continued to yell at a policewoman who followed him holding a can of pepper spray… she demanded he get into the car and remain calm. He continued to yell insults and complained about getting in trouble for helping us (fact: the police didn’t even pull him over… he was just looking for trouble because he hates police… he mentioned witnessing the police killing some innocent dude in Canberra. He’d had enough.).
Suddenly he got in the car and shouted “Chase me if you want, let’s kill each other you fuckers!!!” sped off down the road driving 180km/h cutting off any vehicles in his way… we were very close to crashing into a road train coming from the opposite direction… almost shit my pants! Vince tried to calm him down telling him the police are not chasing us anymore and maybe they might have someone waiting for him in the next town so he should try and take the bush way instead, but he refused to listen and asked him to keep his advice to himself and that he knew what he was doing… we also tried to get him let us get off but he insisted he’ll let us off once he knows he’s safe… kidnapped!
We drove about 100km and he finally calmed down a little and asked Vince to roll him a cigarette… Reaching a border quarantine check, we saw a police car stopped right in front of us. Without hesitation he hit the gas and slammed into the back of the police car… Startled, the policewoman failed to respond quick enough and he was able to reverse and drive through a platform, entering the wrong side of the road (fact: the police car was not there for him, he could’ve just drove through the check point). Only when Vince asked if he realized he’s driving on the wrong side of the road did he swerved back on the correct side, but still driving like mad cow on fire. Another 100km later we were almost in the next town, Renmark, and worried the police could be waiting for him there… Vince again try to convinced him to dropped us off at a camping area just before town centre but he kept insisting he’s coming to Darwin with us, a few thousand km away… over my dead body! We would have been killed anyway!
In Renmark town he started to go crazy again… we begged him to let us out and were ignored. Cutting and swerving on the busy narrow roads, I was scared and almost in tears…Vince held my chest down every time he felt we’re gonna crash but this time he held me behind him and kept shouting for him to stopped his fucking car… at that moment we saw a policeman jump out from the side of the road throw a bunch of spikes in front of the car…he drove through them but didn’t slowdown… the car swerved from side to side nearly flipping. Vince clench a knife fearing only a threat would stop the car when suddenly he made an abrupt turned and stopped at a farm… got out of the car and ran into the farm waddling like a fat man, leaving us and his 3 dogs there shaking… I wasn’t sure whether to laugh at the sight of him running or panic… Knowing the police were going to be there soon and worried we were going to be arrested as an accomplice, we quickly located all our belongings and ran off. The dogs were adorable and friendly so we felt bad leaving them, but we had no choice (Also, one of our travel visas had negative time on it, oops). As soon as we got to the main road we saw a police car turn down the farm road behinds us… phew!!! We acted normal and kept walking back to town… We were shaken but couldn’t help laugh and rejoice that we were still alive. Almost to town police officer stopped next to us and asked if we have seen an Indian looking man. Visa and accomplice in mind, we said no. He offered us a lift into town… sweet but no thanks. That whole night we saw police cars rounding the town, clearly unsuccessful. While camping that night at a nearby farm we imagined Dr. Tony (the madman) jumping out from the dark to take revenge on us.”
Jamie,
“3 or 4 in the morning I notice two people having sex on a couch just outside the hostel. They had no idea I was there because I saw them from the security camera, leaving them to believe they were completely alone. After a quick chuckle I decided to let them know that others could see them. Peering around the corner I politely yelled, “Police, freeze!”. The kid jumped back so hard he flipped over the back of the couch leaving the girl to fall to the floor… unfortunately my efforts were in vain as they didn’t have the tapes running in the security system.”
Chaz,
This doesn’t require much explanation… Someone forgot to log out of Facebook at the hostel. I’ll let him tell the rest of the story:
Hysterical prank and a lesson to be learned… log out. While that should be the end of the story he decided to use it as an opportunity to really look like an ass;
For those comment curious,
Appropriate;
When you travel, you’re exposed to music from around the world that you wouldn’t hear in the US. A german friend turned me on to this song. Unfortunately, after looking in to it, the rapper is about American as it gets. So, I’m probably just the last to know about him, but it was still good enough to post anyway.
I wrote this in 2009 and thought it would be a fitting way to start things off;
“Backpackers Union
I’ve had this idea that if you could capture the adventures that are inherent in backpacking around the world, and put them on a TV screen, people would be captivated.
The debauchery, the cultural mix, and promiscuity; but still waking up every morning and learning the local culture and history.
Having it so cameras would follow you, but you would be interactive with cameras and would court others into becoming the stars.
Every new destination would be a new stage, a new playground. Every new face an over caffeinated, under slept, overindulgent character. Your plots would unfold, dramatic twists would self develop.
Backpacking is a stage where cultures intertwine, commingle, and clash. A place where common sense is replaced by adrenalin, but somehow rarely renders consequences. Where people find themselves by losing themselves.
To capture that on film would be a feat.
That is what I want to do. This November I’ll be traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I have destinations but no itinerary. I want to learn the history, the culture, but more about the people, and their international personalities; both locals and travelers alike. The adventures would be inevitable.
Camera angles, the sound quality, not missing a shot will be tough. Although when you travel, particularly backpacking, the experiences are rolling. You miss an unforgettable moment; wait seconds and another will surface.
Capturing this debauchery, cultural mix, sex, culture, history, and splicing it together will be a challenging feat, but that’s what I want to do.”
Game time…
