W00T! So patriotic! Maybe we should send this picture to Abdul Kadir to shut his big mouth. Very nice photos!
man... this is even better than reading the national geographic.. brilliant pics... they're so beautiful... the culture... everything... some of these pics are those which tourists visiting don't even bother to take... just love these... RM1800 FOR THE WHOLE TRIP ??? now that is so damn fking cheap !!!!!!!! i plan to do backpacking in the future... wow... i really wanna go to europe but china looks like a wiser choice because it's soo much cheaper... and it's really beautiful.. those pics...
Don't forget to tell him the places he can't visit, and the things he can't do.. I hear for the Beijing Olympics they've prepared a book that they give to all journalists.. it lists the places you can't go.. and the things you can't do.
I dunno.. probably for some of them. But the military are armed and ubiquitous.. would be really difficult to try something especially if you don't know the language
Haha... Thanks for the compliments!! Well, the thing with backpacking is, you can really set your travelling budget. Apart from the air fare, every other expenditure is pretty much within your control. If you're on tight budget, you can opt to skip lunch! =D, or stay in a dormitory style hostel and use only your legs for transportation to all interesting sites. The low RM1800 was also due to the fact that I managed to source cheap air tickets from a charity auction. Using less established airlines may help you save costs - if you don't mind the absence of in-flight entertainment and better looking air stewardess Usually, you have to transit at several places before reaching the destination. Direct flights costs considerably more. I remembered the time when I was going to Busan, South Korea to visit my friend there. My flight itinerary was absurd! - KL -> Singapore -> Narita -> Incheon -> Busan. Upon returning, it was, Busan -> Incheon -> Narita -> Singapore -> KL That was how I got it cheap anyway! Travelling in Europe is pretty much the same except for the fact that the currency exchange is beyond our control. A hotdog there costs about 4 Euros which translates to about RM16!! When I was backpacking in Europe, I invested in a lot of energy bars (so that I can skip breakfast and lunch ) I also bought bread and jam spread, again which is a lot of savings compared to if you have lunch at cafes or restaurants. Youth hostels there will cost you about 20-40 Euros a night depending on the type of rooms you bunk into. Shared dormitory will be the cheapest though. Although some people would have disagreed with me, I'll always advise you to stay in or nearby the city centre. Staying outskirts may save a little in accomodation but if most attractions are within the city centre, you'd have to spend considerably quite a lot on transportation, which at the end of the day, would not necessarily be a better choice. The most important tip for backpacking, at least IMHO, would be - having a map all the time! Yeah! It'll brush up your map-reading skills and it does, surprisingly help you save more money! I relied a lot on only my guide book and maps when backpacking. The information there will show you how to get to places without much problem, hence preventing hailing a cab when lost! It also allows you to make decisions as to how to get to some places. Nearby sites can easily be accessible by foot while others can be reached via subway or cheaper still, local bus.
Haha...! Really? Didn't know that. I bet those are places no one would want to go to... and things no journalists would want to do anyway! You can see the effect of Beijing 2008 now. Most tourist sites are going through a major facelift. Some are even closed for renovation. Contrary to what many people might have heard, China (specifically Beijing) is a safe place to be in. Though you see military personnels everywhere, they are indeed there for a good reason. It's how they `manage' their 1 billion citizens. As tourists, you'll feel safe because no one would dare to try anything funny on you. The military and police would not stop you for no particular reason (unlike in some European countries where I was asked for my passport) Therefore, unless you are pickpocketed or you lost something, its a rare occasion you get to speak to the policeman
Dashken: I'm definately all for it but just make sure you don't back out at the last possible moment else I make you eat Jason's toilet paper. Man the pictures so freaking rocks and I can't wait to quit my job and go travelling by myself but I definately need pointers from Jason.
Just imagine.. When he was younger, he was this super-shy kid who refused to get out of the house. Something must have happened to him in the university. Maybe he got knocked on the head or something. But he ended up like this, so it's okay!
Serious or not? I won't back out one. You know, I really want to try more jungle stuffs. Wow... what happened to Jason? His gf changed him? Scary thought... imagine if a girl can changed me into a talkative and outgoing person.
so you mean u were a tarzan when u were young? taking ur shirt off.. catch longkang fish niceeeeeeeeeeeeee
Haha! Yeah... I guess I got knocked on the head. Among others, opportunity came knocking on the door. My first trip abroad was to Hong Kong in year 2000 for an international conference. That was indeed an eye opener and a very educational experience. I saw how easy it was (with money of course... hahahaha! ) to just pack your bags and go. Of course, it's not so easy now as I'm already working - you gotta apply leave. As students, you just skip classes & hope the lecturer doesn't notice (it works all the time! )
