BudgetTraveller intern Amy Woodyatt’s latest post addresses the highlights and pitfalls of making friends while on the road….

One of the best things about travelling is getting to meet new and interesting people. However , sometimes, even if you set out with the best of intentions, that new friend can turn out to be mental. Time and time again I have learned this the hard way.

Friends for life

The summer of 2010 and I was travelling without a parent for the first time around Europe with a group of friends, your standard Interrail holiday. We arrived in Vienna weary, smelly but ready to ditch our bags at the hostel and explore the city. Staying in our otherwise all-female dorm we found Josh, a chatty Australian travelling alone.

He seemed nice enough, was our age and most importantly, not at all fazed by the fact that he was sharing a room with a group of giggly 18 year olds (I half expected that he would ask the hostel staff to relocate him), so we invited him along to join us for a meal, as he was travelling alone and seemed pretty chilled. To really get a taste for Austrian culture, we went to a restaurant recommended by several locals, and due to us being obviously foreign, we were given picture menus.

Wow, this place was cheap. We ordered from a picture menu that priced every dish at 10 euros, but nothing prepared us for what would happen next…

Lo and behold, a MEAT SWORD was brought out of the kitchen and presented to us. A SWORD OF MEAT.  The thing was about half the size of me.

AMAZING we thought. All of this for only 20 euros!

Lo and behold, a magnificent sword of meat!

Our amazement was shortlived when we received the bill, which revealed that the meat sword actually cost us 100 euros. Uh oh. We were nearing the end of our trip, and as true budget travellers, we only had about that much money to last us ‘til we went home.

And here’s where our new travel buddy stepped up. Unfazed, he paid for over a third of the bill, and wouldn’t even let us pay him back. With no money for a bar we shared a beer in a park later that night and it turned out the guy had some pretty awesome stories from the road. We got on so well that when I’d gone home and he continued his travels, he even made a detour to visit me in England!

Just goes to show, however brief your encounter, you can make lifelong friends when travelling.

Friend or ‘wife’

Sat on a street corner at a Bia Hoi stand in Hanoi, Vietnam, my boyfriend and I were enjoying a refreshing glass of (20 pence) beer to finish off the day. A few tourists were sat around us, it was warm and breezy; we had found an oasis from which we could sit and watch the busy, bustling city.

‘My name is Sunshine’. She certainly was a vision, wearing only a bright orange vest and neon yellow Playboy boxer shorts. Yes, that’s right, she was wearing underwear as actual clothes. A sweaty, chubby vision in underwear stumbled towards us.

Nothing more attractive than a woman in boxer shorts

Although she came to sit next to us, it became clear after a while that Sunshine didn’t want to be friends with us… well not both of us, anyway.

‘Your face is so old. You are wrinkled. I am so young, my skin is so young, don’t you think? But you look so old!’ she charmingly told me.

(At this point, can I point out that I was 19 and she was about 40…)

‘Err…’

‘Everybody says I am beautiful. You agree.’

Conversation between myself and Sunshine had stopped. She had moved on to my boyfriend.

‘Err…’

‘You want to take me to tourist office? Get me a visa?

Wow, she was forward alright.

‘I always wanted to marry Western man. So we go tourist office?’

My boyfriend politely declined, at which point her comprehension of English also dramatically declined.

‘Get me visa. I am very beautiful and want Western husband. Get me visa.’

It took an hour and a tenuous story about food poisoning and sleep deprivation to get rid of her.

My advice: if they seem crazy when they approach you, don’t kindly give them the opportunity to prove you wrong. Run for the hills.

The next day our taxi driver drove past her, burst into laughter, pointed and screamed ‘she crazy!!!’.

No shit, Sherlock.

New BudgetTraveller Intern Amy tells us the fun things to do in Thailand that the travel books don’t recommend..

1.)  Go to a ping-pong show

Yeah, the idea of Thai women firing ping-pong balls out of their ladyparts is a bit grim. So is watching them fire darts, smoke cigarettes, draw pictures…the possibilities are endless, and get gradually more disturbing. Although I can’t deny the whole experience is seedy and a little uncomfortable, it is equally hilarious, and by far one of the best holiday stories I have to retell. Like it or not, the sex trade is a massive part of the Bangkok experience, and whilst I am NOT encouraging you to sleep with a ladyboy, being able to brag to your mates about having a ‘Hangover 2’ sexperience is priceless.

Ugh. We all know where that’s been…

Top tip: to avoid being harassed by Thai prostitutes, take your girlfriend along to a show. They will be more inclined to leave you alone if she looks pissed off i.e. not open to a threesome.

No acting will be needed.

Remember these golden rules when at a ladyboy show…

2.)  Get a massage from an ex-con

When in Thailand, you will obviously get a Thai massage. You’d be a fool not too. But what you might not think about doing is visiting a massage centre that aims to rehabilitate prisoners. The best thing about visiting here is that not only do you leave the parlour feeling relaxed, but you also feel good about helping some women get a second chance in life.

Try the Lila Massage Parlour in Chiang Mai to look as relaxed as this:

Never thought having an ex-con rub me up and down would leave me smiling..

3.)  Go to Bangkok zoo

If you are at all concerned with animal rights, DO NOT GO TO BANGKOK ZOO. About a quarter of the animals are dead, or on the way out. But again, it’s kind of funny, in a heartbreaking and I-feel-bad-for-laughing kind of a way.

Bangkok zoo: not for animal lovers

4.)  Go and watch Thai boxing

The idea of sitting in a cramped, sweaty arena, watching Thai ‘men’ beat each other to oblivion may not seem immediately appealing, but the skill and art to the sport, along with the incredible enthusiasm from the audience, makes this a brilliant experience. Think blindfolded boxing, snake charming showmanship aplenty.

DING DING!!

And finally… things you still shouldn’t do

1.)Eat fast food over street food

When you’ve been away for a while and all you can remember eating is noodles and rice, the temptation to go for a cheeky fast food binge is great. Can I please recommend that you resist…

Tempting, I know. But don’t go there.

Whilst my travel buddy and I never got ill from eating traditional Thai food in a restaurant or from street stalls, I cannot say the same for fast food. The day after a KFC my partner fell victim to a particularly nasty case of chronic diarrhoea in the middle of Bangkok shopping mall.

Biggest. Mistake. Ever.

Stick to good old tasty street food…

…Even if it sometimes surprises you

Top tip: Take the time to take a Thai cooking course… Save money by using your activities budget to cover your food as well!

2.)Ride a motorbike without practise

One of the most popular things to do in Thailand is to rent a motorbike. Sure, it’s an easy, fast and fun way to get around, but if you are going to rent a bike, I’d advise getting some practise in beforehand. I can’t begin to tell you how many people I saw hobbling around in casts and on crutches, and most of these accidents could probably have been avoided if the riders had been familiar and confident with their motorbikes.  Traffic is hectic, with little to no regard given to road rules, hospitals are haphazard and grim, and most importantly, do you really want to have to cut your holiday short?

…and finally, never…

3.) Book the rest of your holiday through a travel agent in Bangkok

Whatever they tell you, there ARE hostels available, and you do NOT want a 5 day trek that will set you way over budget. Travel agents in Bangkok will rip you off mercilessly, so it’s better to book treks, tours and hostels when you get to your next destination!

Kolkata.

I am back to the place where my life began.

It’s always a deeply moving experience, going back to the place where you grow up.

Sleeping on the bed where you daydreamed for years, dreaming of a life you never had.

Being back in the safe cocoon of your parents care.

Mums food!

Mum is serving up dollops of nostalgia, cooking all the food you love and know so well.

Dad has turned 70 but still is showing the enthusiasm of being 20.

We talk about everything from the state of English football to exchanging tips on photography over umpteen cups of his favourite Darjeeling tea.

In the hot afternoons I retreat to the comfort of my library of books- I dust off the books I have read, re-read and know so well from my youth.

Amitav Ghosh’s ‘ Shadow Lines’ , Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ , Short stories of Guy de Maupassant, Collected works of Roald Dahl- leafing through the pages of these books, I feel like not a day has passed since I left Kolkata in 1998 to study in Scotland.

Suddenly, death pays a visit {Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/mo_ie_us/ }

Just as I settle in the warm embrace of the past, death pays a visit.

Few days ago, Calcutta woke up to the shocking news of the death of 90 people at a fire at one of the city’s leading hospitals.

The scene of the disaster- AMRI hospital is just a stone’s throw away from my house in Jodhpur Park.

As the tragedy unfurled, horrific images of the dead and the next of kin who have lost their nearest and dearest appear on national TV.

Everyway I go, the talking point on the street is the tragedy and why in this day and age, it could not have been prevented.

Once the fire was spotted in the middle of the night, the fire service was not alerted for a few hours.

Staff were not trained in fire evacuation procedures.

Even worse, after failing to control the fire, night staff ran from the scene leaving patients to a horrible death.

I feel morbid. Suddenly, the holiday is over.

Then in the evening things take a turn for the worse when my 83 year neighbour is rushed to the hospital with chest pains.

The events have rattled me and my parents too.

Death is suddenly our neighbour.

My parents are concerned about my health and insist I go for a medical checkup.

The medical checkup- a pain but had to be done!

I haven’t been to see the GP in 13 years.

I feel good. I don’t feel the reason for a checkup.

However recently, one of the few downsides of travelling constantly has been an irregular lifestyle, not enough sleep and the pressures of trying to carve out a career in an area where few people have gone before.

I am not complaining.

I feel alive, I’m living life to the fullest.

Sometimes only when you take life to the edge do you really see the difference between life and one where you do no exist.

I see this difference clearly when I go for my executive healthcheck.

For a sum of 2700 rupees, I am being given a full MOT.

Everything from an E.C.G, blood test, Ultrasonography, Chest X-Ray, lung function test and also being put on a treadmill to check my heart rate. For just £35 ( $55) it’s an amazing service.

Spending the whole morning in hospital is a wakeup call- going through all those health checks-being strapped onto a bed and all kinds of things prodding/poking your body, confronted by all the smell of antiseptic and ethyl alcohol, the sight of those pallid, glum looking patients , the depressing dim lights and narrow long corridors.

I start developing an appreciation of how complex my self is and how important is it to look after myself.

I emerge, feeling much happier. Results are due today so wish me luck but it looks ok…. other than a wee problem of high blood pressure.

After the trauma  of recent events, comes the hope of new beginnings.

I attended a wedding yesterday.

One of my oldest, dearest friends from school – Kamalini is finally taking the plunge.

I am happy for her. His name is Souvik. He looks like a kind, caring guy.

Plus he’s always smiling, cracking jokes- I get a good positive, good vibe from him.

I am an optimist.

Despite marriage having not worked out for me, I am still positive and admire those who decide to take that big step and make a life long commitment towards spending their lives together.

It’s not a perfect idea but its at least offers people a starting point, a base on which to build something of meaning.

Marriage is like a seed.

If cultivated properly, it flourishes, promises something fulfilling and nourishing.

If the seed is not watered, looked after…ultimately it will die an untimely death.

However, marriage is a choice of life for some.

Just like life and death can be a choice.

So it’s sad when people are not offered the dignity of choosing between life and death.

As the AMRI hospital tragedy showed, that choice is often taken out of our hands.

The lesson is that we have to live life to the fullest while we still have the power to make that -so carpe diem folks!

Make the most of now friends.

If you missed here are my earlier instalments of the Kolkata Diaries: Part 1  and also a photo essay of my friend’s wedding .

Hey folks- greetings from Kolkata, India !

I’m in Kolkata for the next 2 weeks , taking some time out (trying to!) but in between will be writing a few posts about my time here and the things I love the most about my hometown.

Yes, there will be a lot of talk about food since that is my/the  favourite pastime of people here so prepare for a few gastro-orgasms

So…I present to you my first instalment of the Kolkata Diaries. Enjoy!

I am still jet lagged after 2 days in Kolkata.

My body is still adjusting to the different cycle of life here.

I fall asleep late at night to the bedlam of stray dogs on the street fighting their territory and wake at 5am to the sound of crows bawling from the rooftops.

I left Edinburgh on the first day of winter snowfall 2 days ago.

It was 4c.

I’ve arrived in Kolkata which is around 27C.

The winters are mild here.

Despite having lived here for 9 years, everytime I visit Kolkata…it takes my breath away – I call this city my ‘parallel universe.’

Beneath the chaos and confusion there are plenty of stories happening in front of my eyes.

The tailor

For instance, I visit our family tailor on Rashbehari Avenue.

I hop on a tuk tuk or auto rickshaw. The fare from my house is a measly Rs 10.

My old pair of jeans needs loosening at the waist a wee bit ( I’ve gone from 30 to 33W in 3 years) -for the adjustment, he charges a paltry Rs 50.

I am also getting a tailor made shirt done for Rs 160 ( $3 )

Great Expectations

While he notes down the measurements I observe outside a stream of cackling mothers gathering in hordes, waiting expectantly for their children to finish school.

Exams are on.

Finally, I see a few children emerging pale faced, worn out with their test paper in hands.

Mums grab the paper from their hands.

The kids are virtually made to resit the paper then and there, mumbling all the answers standing on the street.

In a city of 30 million people where good jobs are at a premium, a good education is the ticket to a better life.

The rat race begins at an early age and the weight of expectations are high.

One person who has survived the Kolkata rat race and built a successful career is my very own father.

At 70, he is still quite an active guy and works as an ENT consultant, part-time.

He still has the biggest smile and enjoys life as if he was 20.

He is my hero and my greatest inspiration in life.

I arrived in Kolkata on the day of his 70th birthday.

The ultimate in Bengali Home Cuisine- Alu Posto and Kolai er Dal

We celebrate with a delicious homecooked lunch that my Mum has prepared.

The meal consists of traditional Bengali classics- Alu Potol Posto, Chana Alu Tarkari with rice and  Kalai Er Dal [dal made of split white (skin removed_ Urid dahl ]

This is the ultimate in traditional Bengali cooking for me – as I eat, I feel a tear of happiness coming into the corner of my eye. There are so many happy memories associated with the food you love and know so well.

The years melt away…

After a nice wee siesta in the evening we go for a nice cup of coffee at Cafe Coffee Day at the local shopping mall -Southcity.

Coffee here is great. Standard cup of cappuccino is Rs 30 ( $0.75)

Birthday cake for Dad is the black forest gateau.

Its sensational and highly recommended [ Rs 70 $1.20 ] If you’re feeling peckish they also serve a nice range of grilled sandwiches at around the Rs 70 mark.

Shame that they don’t have free wifi

It’s a strange feeling to be in a city where there is a sparsity of free wifi points.

I guess there are some benefits of not being connected when you’re on holiday.

In that sense, Kolkata is a great place to come on holiday if you’re looking to switch off.

Every month, I’ll be inviting a few intrepid ‘Budget Travellers’ to share their experiences on the blog and this week I’m very excited to introduce you to Sarah Kloke, travel blogger at the very cool wheremytoothbrush.com

Taj Mahal is something that most travellers might visit at some point of their life so this guest post is incredibly handy guide to making the most of your time at the ultimate shrine dedicated to love. Enjoy. Take it away Sarah…..

Taj Mahal

With cheap accommodation, even cheaper eats, and some of the most rewarding cultural experiences on the planet (ya, I said it), India is a practical yet challenging paradise for the budget conscious traveller.

It is undeniable that the cost of travel in India will only put a minimum dent on your wallet, especially if you respond to those “foreigner” prices with some playful (and hopefully successful) bartering.

But sometimes the price tags in India can’t be altered.

Like for instance, the Taj Mahal’s entrance fee (leave your bartering skills back at the guest house for this one).

With a foreigner admission price of 750 rupees, this attraction could very well end up being the bulk of your daily budget.

But it’s the Taj Mahal…and you’re in India. So even with a steep (by India standards) price tag, the Taj Mahal almost always ends up being a must on everybody’s India To-Do List. But there still are a couple ways to pay the Taj Mahal’s entrance fee, see one of the greatest wonders in the world, and still keep that wallet dent to a minimum. You see, it’s all about the before, after, and in-betweens of that beauty of a palace.

The Before….

Walk into the grounds

With harmful CO2/ gas emissions of vehicles and the generally high index of pollution in India, the Taj Mahal has recently seen a lot of environmental wear-and-tear. Reactively, the city of Agra has outlawed all vehicles within a 500 m radius of the Taj Mahal. Now you can opt to travel in using one of the millions of tuk-tuks eagerly waiting for you, but it’ll cost you. Alternatively, it’s not such a bad walk into the actual grounds. And it doesn’t cost you a single rupee.

The In-Between

Make a day of it (It IS the Taj Mahal after all…)

Depending on lines, time of the day, and your wavering patience, you could probably spend about 2 hours within the Taj Mahal itself. But why rush it? The three outlying red-stoned buildings of the Taj ( in picture above) are pretty gorgeous in their own right and the grounds itself provide a nice (and green!) escape to some of the typical chaos that may exist in Agra. Take your time enjoying one of the greatest wonders of the world. And just think, the more time you spend INSIDE the Taj Mahal, the less money you spend OUTSIDE the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal, from the Gardens

See a new angle

From the front, the Taj Mahal has been photographed like, a gazillion times. But ever wonder what the back of the Taj Mahal looks like? Well, go see for yourself and cross the river to the historic Mehtab Bang Gardens. For a not-so-frightening admission fee of 100 rupees, you enter a much less crowded tourist attraction and are rewarded with a much more unique (and probably less photographed) view of the Taj Mahal.

The After

Avoid the souvenirs

If buying a plastic replica or better yet, a glass snow globe of the Taj Mahal is your thing, it’s best to avoid any of the souvenir stalls located both within and directly outside the gates of the grounds. Sellers are usually more reluctant to bargain with you here and you will definitely be paying a serious rupee for anything bought in this area. Your best bet is to make your way into (or out of) Agra and find your little keepsake there- most likely for 1/16th the price.

Even with these tips, it’s best to keep in mind that the price of entrance to the Taj Mahal is outside the norm for the rest of the country…which is practically angelic harp music to a budget-conscious traveller’s ears.

India manages to find a pretty harmonious balance between lowering the cost of travel and heightening the experience of travel.

And you know, it’s got that lil’ thing called the Taj Mahal.

About the author

Sarah personifies the travels of her toothbrush on her travel site, http://wheresmytoothbrush.com/

Between a slight obsession with dental hygiene, travel, and natural crunchy peanut butter, Sarah has been making various parts of Asia her home for the last two years.

Often heard bragging about the time she was stranded on a train in India for 31 hours, she’ll probably continue to do the same routine (travel. write. brush teeth. repeat.) until she runs out of stories. Or countries. Whichever comes first, really.

Amongst the rickshaws and crowds of Old Delhi, travellers might be forgiven for forgetting Delhi has a sky, let alone the Yamuna River. But go north, to the New Tibetan Colony, and you can stay by its very edge.

Majnu ka Tilla, Tibetian Colony in Delhi

Accommodation here is not expensive. This writer stayed in a twin room at the Wongdhen with a river view for Rs. 375. The scope for bargaining, however, is lower than Pahar Ganj and there are far fewer hotels to choose from. Travellers should also be prepared for the narrow, twisting lanes of the settlement.

While the original purpose of the Colony was simply to house refugees, today it has become an outpost of Tibetan culture.

Prayer flags dominate the skyline, and every second person seems to be a monk.

In general, restaurants here retain a distinctly Tibetan menu and are clean, cheap and good.

As well as chow mein, try momos (stuffed dumplings), thukpa (chow mein in soup), shabalay (spring roll cum Cornish pasty), fing (vermicelli) and tingmo (a steamed bun eaten with gravy).

For the genuine Tibetan experience, it’s impossible to escape trying Tibetan tea (tea with yak butter).

The Colony is situated outside of the centre, and travellers should be aware that the Colony lacks some conveniences, not least an ATM (the nearest is at Delhi University).

From personal experience, this writer ventures that monsoon is not the best time to stay: river flooding caused all Internet facilities to shut, and at one point part of the street was shut off due to the fact a stray wire had electrified the puddles.

Nevertheless, for more leisurely budget travellers the quieter atmosphere can be worth the journey.

The area of Majnu Ka Tilla is not without charm: colonial buildings fester away in the undergrowth, boys play cricket on the road, and Delhi University is close by.

Furthermore, a rickshaw to the nearest metro, Vidhan Sabha metro costs Rs 15 local price but it is also possible to walk.