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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #1  
Old 15 Nov 2006
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Costings and Working
I'm putting this in here, because I can't work out where else it fits.

I am 21, I am currently employed, I have no mortgage or commitments in this country and I want to leave.

I don't want to return to England for as long as possible, I'm just not a fan.

If I live fairly frugally for the rest of this year (I need to serve out 10 months with my current contract) I can save £20-25,000. I figure this will be enough to see me on the road for a certain amount of time. What I really want to know though, is have any of you managed to extend your roadtime with work? If I can work in a few countries, I need not dip into this resevoir, which would be handy.

I know at some point, I will have to settle down and be sensible, but at the mo, every bone in my body aches for some adventure - I'm less than 2 decades old, but already cynical and overworked!

The big problem is, I have no ostensible skill, I work as a linguist here, which although it brings me good cash at home, just enables me to communicate elsewhere. What trade would you recommend learning for extended travel? I'm quite willing to invest in learning something that will bring me cash and extend my vagabondiness.

Thankyou all very much.

Joel
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  #2  
Old 20 Nov 2006
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The franglais-riders
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tough one!
Well, the problem of working in others countries would be that the salary you would get would be fairly low compared with the UK. The UK is one of the coutries where salaries are very high. You could do the TEFL and teach english say in colombia, but you would get a local rate. I have no clue about local rate but say if teachers get 300 dollars a month, is it really worth it?
In my opinion it is best to come back to the UK, work a bit again and leave again.
Expats who work abroad and get high rates (rates comparable to the Uk ones) are generally very skilled workers, IT consultants, engineers like in oil and gas (plenty of work for those guys any where in the world that has gas and oil, and rates are rocketing as there are not enough of them) but require university degree plus lots of years of experience in the industry.
There was a thread few months ago about whether it was worth teaching english abroad.
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  #3  
Old 20 Nov 2006
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Someone of your age is in a similiar position to a gap year student except I suspect you may well be considerably better off than a student. I take Maria's point about work abroad being low paid, but at the very least it should allow you to live for a while in that country without touching your travel fund. Have you heard of www.thegumtree.com It lists a lot of temporary jobs as well as adverts for accomodation etc in many countries. I do know of a couple of people who are working in India as motorcycle tour guides. When they've had enough they go travelling for a while and then come back for another season. I wish I was in your position. good luck
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  #4  
Old 21 Nov 2006
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Working in other countries
Just be a bit carefull going in to some countries. I had a german couple stay at our house this summer and when they went across the border into canada the border patrol saw they had a website and looked it up. On the website they had mentioned the idea of working while on their trip. The canadiens went ballistic and reduced their time in the country. On the other hand when I lived in washington state I had a frenchman stay in the backyard for a month and pick apples in the orchards and he had no hassle. Take the trip
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  #5  
Old 21 Nov 2006
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Dont Worry,just do it !
Hi joel, 21 no comitments and £20 -£25k to spend, c`mon mate grab yer bike,car,truck or whatever your gonna use and just go ! with that kind of budget you will be able to travel for for a long time. For example stick to £200 per week and your out there for two years.Even in western europe you can get by on this budget, but in some less developed countries you could live well on this.Dont compare this kind of travel to a holiday though because if you treat it like a holiday you will blow your cash very quickly, it`s more a way of life i suppose. And when the money has gone, come back and start again in your well paid job and repeat the proccess. What i`m saying is at your age you have time on your side and no one to answer to or explain yourself to. There`s a big world out there just waiting for you to explore, and many adventures to be had in the proccess. Cheers.........Marty.
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  #6  
Old 21 Nov 2006
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What languages are you fluent in?

Depending on which ones you speak, this could be a ticket to ride in certain
situations and countries. If your up for going to war zones these skills
can be highly paid but have risk.

Like Maria sez, working in many countries will not pay much. Not bad really if
your living cheap there. You can still save money and make enough to move down the road. 25K UKP should keep you going for 3 years if your careful,
or if you stop moving it could last a long time. I lived in Guatemala years ago
for about $50 a month. Other places are still very cheap.

For working I'd try the US, Canada, Japan, Germany or the middle east.
In all these countries, with the right connections and skills, you can do
very well as a linguist, interpretor, or teacher.

Odds are in a year you'll miss Blighty and be back in the same old rut.

Patrick
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  #7  
Old 21 Nov 2006
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When I was 19 I went to Chile to a) supplement my crap university spanish b) check out girls. My game plan was to work to offset the money I would be spending but it didn't work out like that. In any country if you want to work you will probably change your lifestyle to having a fixed abode and then you start wanting to buy 'bits n pieces' that just cost money.
You still go to the pub the same, spend the same money, but your earning capacity is pathetic. And I spoke such bad Spanish I couldn’t impress any girls…
With the bundle you’ve accumulated I wouldn’t worry about trying to supplement your money in less developed countries, only the OECD type options. Now that I am planning to travel again (I’m 24) I have in mind taking 2-3 months volunteer work in South America, hopefully in exchange for a place to stay. I am travelling on about 5000 GBP maybe a shade more.
I’m not really telling you what to do but in retrospect I felt mistakenly I ‘had’ to work when really my savings went a long way through being frugal and not going to the pricey restaurants. Also if you are casual in your plans, things may fall in your lap. My last weekend in South America I got offered a job in a bar next to the best hostel in Buenos Aires. Unfortunately time was up!
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