Flashpacking 101 - Gadgets

Flashpacking. A new term in the travel community, flashpacking, or flashpackers, basically denotes travelers with a sense of adventure, an arsenal of travel gadgets, and a somewhat larger budget. This situates them (and us) somewhere between the traditional "who needs electricity?!" backpacker and the high roller, five star hotel reserving, tourist. That is unless of course, they can get a five star hotel on some kind of deal! So if you were interested in being a flashpacker yourself, we thought we would share some of the tips and tricks of the trade.

Gadgets

In addition to the typical camera/video camera travel accessories, there were a few additional gadgets that were really helpful to have on the trip:

Acer 10 inch Netbook

This is essential for any flashpacker traveling for an extended length of time. It allowed us to communicate with our family and friends via both the blog and web cam. As many hostels and hotels across Asia offer free wifi, we were often able to do so from the peacefulness of our own room. It is important to note that the certain sites (gmail, facebook, Skype, etc.) on the internet in China and parts of Vietnam require a download like Hot Spot Shield (http://hotspotshield.com/) to hide your ip address (edit: create a false American based IP address) and allow you to browse unobstructed. Another great free resource was Windows Live Writer (http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer). We downloaded the tool onto our netbook and were able to write drafts of our blog, pictures and all, offline. Then, when we got somewhere with internet access we could upload them very quickly.

 Monopod

The camera monopod or power-rod as we called it allowed us to capture great pictures and video casts wherever we were.  It is a small, light-weight telescoping rod that attaches to almost any camera.  Seriously, Allyson is the champion of the arm-length self portrait.  However this little portable gem made for some great shots that avoided the usual close angle pictures.  This got used so much that it broke before the end of trip, but it was well worth the investment.

(http://www.amazon.com/Canon-500-Monopod/dp/B003OSPCJO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318256459&sr=8-3)

Monster Travel Powerstrip

This brilliantly designed power strip, if used with the appropriate adapter, allowed us to charge multiple electronics at once. This meant that we would not have to have separate adapters for each of them, not that there was ever more than one outlet per room to actually do that! In addition, it had a really good grip and would stay lodged in the wall even if we had multiple things dangling from it.

(http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MP-OTG400-BK-Outlets/dp/B000F9YN2M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1318256696&sr=1-1)

Steripen

Seeming like a magical wand, the steripen use UV light to sterilize clear water by destroying 99.99% of protozoa (including Giardia and Cryptosporidia), bacteria and even viruses. It was extremely helpful in both Mongolia and China as we could drink water from streams, faucets, or pretty much anywhere you could see through the water. We would have actually used it on our whole trip, but after awhile our Nalgene's started getting a funky smell and we realized we weren't drinking as much water as we should have.

(http://www.rei.com/product/799003/steripen-adventurer-opti-water-purifier)

Kindles

Electronic readers were practically made for flashpacking.  A long trip with plenty of down time and you have to carry everything on you.  No one wants to lug a bunch of books around.  So then you might be relegated to a "backpackers" tradition of finding the local book exchanges or the modest libraries of hostels in which other packers leave their discards.  The kindle can store more books than you can read in a life time and is lighter than most of the things we brought.  This is a no-brainer for the flashpacker.

There were also a few things we brought on the trip and didn't need.

Laundry Kit

Everywhere we went you could either use an in-house washing machine or there were laundry services nearby. For the flash-packing set, the cost is definitely worth it. I carted around laundry detergent, a sink stopper and line for no reason.

There was only one thing that we thought would have been useful on our trip that we didn't bring.

The I-phone. This is an interesting suggestion as one, we don't even own one now and two,  I was vehemently against bring any cellphones on the trip. But, seeing the advantages it afforded other travelers, I would consider bringing one on future trips and here are some of the reasons why:

• GPS/Maps - In countries like China where it is very difficult around, this would have made our lives so much easier. Plus you can track whether the cab drive is indeed driving you in circles.
• World Customs App- check to see whether bleching after a meal is a good thing.
• HearPlanet - tells you about nearby attractions and then plays the Wikipedia location description aloud; basically a personal tour guide.
• Currency calculations - as I am mathmatically challenged, this would have made haggling so much easier.
• Ifarefinder - locates the best deals for airfare across multiple search engines. This would have saved Pearce and I hours of scouring the web for good deals.
• Lonely Planet Phrasebook -it speaks the translated phrase aloud to help you communicate where ever you are.
• Idistress - In case of emergency, this app will locate the local emergency number and alert your ICE contact with your current coordinates via sms and email.

Reflections

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

    

From Allyson:

Eight countries in eighty-eight* days. When I calculated our stats a smile came to my face. Eight is my favorite number. It seemed fitting; auspicious numbers in a part of the world where that means something. In China, eight is a lucky number signifying good fortune and 88 means “double joy”. I can’t think of a better way of summing up this trip. We were very fortunate to be able to have done it and our grateful to our friends and family who helped us make a dream a reality. Thank you 88 times.

This experience has also brought us great joy, which I know we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. We have climbed the Great Wall, haggled in multiple languages, trekked through spider-filled jungles, shared laughs with strangers, dove for purple starfish, lost shoes, made new friends, and so much more. It was an absolute blast. The people we met, the places we saw, and the experiences we had, both grand and small, have left their mark on us.

That is not to say all was perfect. It was not. We were after all two Westerners traveling through hot and humid lands, where we often couldn’t communicate, sleep, and eat in the manners we were used to. There was travel fatigue. There was crankiness. There was mangry.  These were the times that showed our mettle as a couple. If one of us was sick, the other would scout out juices and snacks; if one of us was tired, the other would take control of the map and plan the day; if one of us couldn’t handle another “taxi taxi”, the other would make a joke to lighten the mood.

So to Pearce I say thank you. Thank you for taking a leap of faith and traveling across the world to unknown places. Thank you for being funny and patient and kind. Thank you for being willing to explore.dream.discover. I love you and look forward to our next great adventure.

 

From Pearce:

It is amusing to think about how nervous I was about this trip before we went.  I had several fitful nights sleep in increasing frequency leading up to our departure date.  Now it seems this time away from home was the only rational thing to do.  Three months is a long time to be gone but given the amount of geography we covered it is also not enough.
 

We experienced an incredible amount in Asia: celebrated a National holiday in Mongolia, walked the Great Wall in the early morning, climbed up karst peaks in the bays of Vietnam, did amazing SCUBA diving in Thailand, and watched the sunrise from a volcano in Bali.  As I told Allyson when she got home, this journey would have been just a collection of life list items and great pictures without her.  She is the best travel companion, leading me into and through one of the great adventures of my life.  Her ability to inspire and embolden a provincial person like me is one of the many reasons I love her.

We are blessed to have this opportunity both in time off and support from our friends and family.  Thank you.

Although our trip is over, there are still blog entries coming.  Writing about our experiences has really enriched the whole experience.  Creating this blog was the brainchild of Allyson and it has been very successful.  Instead of my usual travelogue modis operandi, in which I start a pen and paper journal and diligently keep it up for about four days, this has stuck.  Ultimately it was for us, to have in the future a chronicled reminder of most of what happened.  But I am really glad others have enjoyed it.  As we recover from our jet-lag and reflect on the trip we will post these musings online.  In addition there were several videos and pictures that could not be uploaded that we will post as well, so stay tuned. We hope you have enjoyed this blog and that it has inspired you to have a journey of your own.

The Journey Home

After the Gili Islands, we start our long journey back home.  Because we could not change our ticket from Beijing, we have to find our way back there on the 28th.  So this is the account of days long trek with some fun stops along.

Kuta, Bali

September 24th-25th

After another harrowing boat ride back to Amed, Bali from the Gili Islands we took a minivan across the island to the Southside to a place called Kuta.  This was only going to be for a night to catch a flight from the nearby Denspasar airport to Singapore.  Kuta is probably more like what people picture when they think of Bali.  This is one of the major beaches and surfing hubs, but also one of the more developed and probably over developed places.  We were dropped off in the major beach center of town and it was crowded with cars, motor bikes and tourists.  It was packed full of commercial enterprises including large Western outlets like Quicksilver.  Our brief view was not charming.  We got a taxi to our hotel which was closer to the airport and away from the crowded beach area.  When we got to the hotel a manager proceeded to apologize profusely about how they could not honor our reservation (and online prepayment) due to flooding or some-such.  We were transferred to a “similar” hotel around the corner.  It was fine and comparable and they referred us to a market down the street called Krishna.  We had hoped to do some last minute shopping in Bali, but we had arrived late and were staying away from the main area.  This place turned out to be a near locals only market that sold a lot of goods one would find at a tourist place but at bottom floor prices. The only thing limiting a down right colossal shopping spree was the forethought of how to get all the weight home.  After that we ate some passable Japanese food at the attached restaurant.

 

Singapore II

September 25th-26th

We had a very early morning flight from Bali to Singapore and had a big day planned.  We needed a place to stay for the first of two nights* in Singapore.  After a disastrous stay at the hostel the last time we were here, we knew we needed to upgrade.  The problem was that the annual Formula One Indy car grand prix was happening during our stay.  This big event meant many booked places and higher prices.  Allyson found a package deal that wasn’t cheap, but was a good value.  It was a stay at a nice hotel on Sentosa Island.  Sentosa is an island just off the Southern coast of Singapore adjoined by a short bridge and monorail.  For the last several years Singapore has been developing this island to be an entertainment mecca.  There is multiple theme parks, a giant casino, several hotels and a Hard Rock Café.  Think, Asian Orlando with gambling.

The package came with tickets to Universal Studios Singapore.  So Allyson and I got to geek out and become kids again.  We took some time getting to the hotel, Hotel Michael, and dropping off our bags.  We headed immediately to the theme park expecting crowds, but we got there and the place was near empty.  We ate at Mel’s Diner using some vouchers that came with the package and walked around the park.  This theme park was a little different than the ones we grew up going to in Orlando.  It was smaller by about half the Studios in Orlando.  We did get amused by the things the patrons were taking pictures in front of: the advertisement for the Transformers ride that was yet to be opened, random props from the adjoining New York and Hollywood themed areas including a fake maitre de stand, and EVERY SINGLE character including all the “Diner Dancers” individually.  We were able to do all the rides and attractions in half a day and one we did more than once.  Highlights included the world’s tallest dueling roller coasters themed after Battlestar Galactica – nerd alert!  Another one was a surprisingly good but perplexing water stunt show themed after….WATERWORLD?!? Really Singapore, really?

After a full, half day of theme park we went back to the hotel to rest.  We had planned a nice night out including a trip to the casino.  We ate at the Hard Rock Café, mostly for their famed Caesar salad.  The place was packed and instead of playing rock music they were showing live footage of the F1 night race taking place within a mile of the café.  The food was good but expensive. ( think $26 hamburger) We then headed over to the casino.  It was nicely built, but there were several problems with it: it had no poker room, no video poker, the minimum bets were way out of my range, and there were no comp’ed drinks for playing.  We left after playing a slot machine out of pseudo-obligation to the gambling gods and losing immediately.  Because of Allyson’s enthusiasm for pulling the lever I got to see a slot machine engage a tilt malfunction for the first time.

The next day we slept in and then enjoyed our extremely delicious complimentary breakfast buffet.  We packed up our stuff and took the monorail and subway to our next hotel, the Singapore Hilton (Thanks again, Steve!).  *We had a day here to rest and catch up while we wait for our red eye flight back to Beijing with a layover in Shanghai.

Beijing II

September 27th-28th*  (Correction 27th-30th)

After an uneventful flight to Beijing we arrived at the airport and set off to stay at the Hilton.  After traveling in countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia where English is more commonly spoken we had forgotten how difficult it can be in China.  This is not to blame the Chinese, for many have no reason to speak it.  There was a definite communication snafu trying to get a taxi from the airport. (We had assumed wrongly that the Hilton, with street address would be enough for the cab driver to actual get us there.) Savvy traveler that she is, Allyson had gathered several Chinese business men who spoke some English to help. After a mini-United Nations like conference we were off to the hotel.

After arriving and settling in, we inquired about shopping in the area and the concierge pointed us to the famous Silk Market.  It was not very close, but we worked up the energy and hopped on the subway to do our last bout of shopping.  The market was a indoor 5-story building with crammed stalls full of very aggressive hawkers.  I had forgotten this aspect of Chinese marketing and was not happy to be grabbed by several merchants.  We both ended up being entirely too exhausted to deal with this intensity of shopping and only came away with one designer knock-off purse and a bootlegged movie. 

While wandering without Allyson, I heard the words “San ban no” being spoken and immediately recognized the Mongolian greeting.  It is not very common to hear that in Beijing, so I turned around and began speaking some Mongolian.  The couple was very shocked to hear it, especially from a white man.  Allyson was very proud of me for representing.  

After that I went back to the hotel for a rest; Allyson took advantage of one last pampering session at a nearby spa.  After three months of albeit wonderful travel, we were ready to get back home.  It was not an anxiety but once we had started travel back to Beijing for the flight home, our minds starting wandering back to Atlanta.  So we ate at a Western pizza joint that was good and celebrated our last* night in Asia.  We made sure to head back early for our early morning international flight home.

Enter one of my worst travel nightmares.  In my life I have never missed a flight due to my own error. We both are fairly paranoid about missed flights and were often mocked by hotel staff as the “crazy Americans” because we would request our pickups so far in advanced of our flight. And indeed, we usually were the first to arrive, even before the airline staff. So you can imagine our sheer terror when I casually woke up totally refreshed and saw the hotel alarm clock reading 7:30 am for a 8:30 am international flight. We cycled through stages of emotion from adrenaline surged panic complete with shaking to anger to fits of maniacal laughter in the manner of minutes.  How did this happen to two overly paranoid people? Well it was a combination of things. Even though we were in a Hilton, we were in Beijing and more specifically China. This meant that something as standard as booking a cab for the morning to the airport was impossible. We tried, but either due to a communication problem (staff don’t really speak English) or a systems problem (travel is not easy in China), we were not able to do so. This meant that no Hotel staff knew that we were running late to give us a courtesy call. We could have asked for a wake up call, but I was so exhausted from the taxi conversation that it slipped my mind. My bad. The real kicker was that because we were in a Hilton, we had a really nice room. The shades are blackout so we never saw the sun come up and the blanket was a thick down comforter which, due to experimentation later, I realized muffled the watch alarm clock, the only one we had. So without a prayer, expect the outside chance of a severely delayed flight, we still raced to the airport.  We had missed the last Delta flight out of Beijing.

After about 6 hours of working on how to get home now, including many lines, office visits, calls with long holding times, terminal transfers and bad directions we had found our new tickets home.  We were lucky in that Allyson’s new ticket cost only a $150 change fee.  Mine was not so cheap.   The bad news was Allyson had to take a flight two days later.  I needed to get back to get ready for work, so I took a ticket leaving later that same day.  It was a little sad (there were tears) having to finish the trip apart, but like all our other challenges on this trip, we knew that one day we would look back on it and laugh. It just wasn’t this day. So I headed home and Allyson headed to a Holiday Inn Express by the Olympic park to wait out her last two nights in Asia. To Beijing’s credit, on her final day Allyson finally saw blue sky in a typically smog choked city. She spent the day walking, shopping and getting her last minute fill of Chinese street food before leaving Asia. Luckily, the second time around she made all of her flights home.