Stories From a Nomad Abroad

Discussion in 'Real Life Stories' started by AR Toasty, Dec 28, 2014.

  1.  
    Photos of your city look absolutely brilliant mate. Reckon there's some good surf there, yeah? That's what I've really been lacking in my life the past five months... no waves. The closest I've been to Brazil is near the northern border, up in the Peruvian Amazon. I've wanted to revisit South America for a very long time, and explore it much more thoroughly.
     
    I don't like to think so far into the future, but if I can stop and make some money in Europe I would ideally then like to travel through the Americas. Exciting to think about, but I'll lose my mind if I start getting so excited so early. 

     
  2. you`re right dude, some solid surfing in here. Nothing to big and only beach brakes but still you can always find some waves within maximum 2 hours from here. surfing is the shit
     
  3. How was your 420 toasty?
     
  4. Toasty! I must know! This thread is like a novel to me.
     
  5. He should write a book,might not be a bestseller but there is a niche for travellers tales.

    Especially from a stoners point of view :) cause lets be honest its a factor why we go to these far flung places haha
     
  6. Let's start a Toasty cult! He can laze around like a Roman of ye olde days and we can feed him with grapes and doobies and such.
     
    [​IMG]
     
  7. He can fuck right off! Lol
     
  8. This all sounds too amazing man I'm a month into my first long term adventure but it's just Spain (and a bit of Portugal) cause I'm learning Spanish but already loving it. Love the feeling of waking up not knowing where your gonna sleep that night. Already planning for South America sometime next year. Like other people have said travelling solo is very easy and you're never alone. And it forces you to meet people. Loving all your posts man have fun stay safe


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  9.  
    Carthaginian spotted, burn him!
     
  10.  
    It's hard to keep track of the days when you're traveling -- every day is Saturday. I don't even think I registered that it was 4/20, but I can tell you that I very likely spent the day in a haze. We were in Vang Vieng, where my days by that time were reduced to laying on a bamboo raft on the Nam Song river with a Beer Lao in one hand and a joint in the other. When I got tired of making small talk with the backpackers floating by on inner tubes, I inevitably made my way up the hill to my favorite pizza bar to lounge in the open air, have a bite to eat, another toke, and chill watching episodes of Friends that played on constant rotation. More smoke and drink followed, perhaps accompanied by a "happy" shake. I didn't indulge in those daily, but when I did.... pure magic. :smoke:
     
     
    I hardly consider myself a "stoner" traveler, and when left to my own devices I don't seek it out. Which comes as a surprise to a lot of people for some reason -- I have no idea why, but I seem to be a magnet for fellow backpackers to approach and ask if I know where to find drugs. Of course I know where to find drugs! There's an easy way to find them anywhere, and I'm always down for a shopping adventure... but why people just assume I'm a savant is a mystery to me.
     
    I don't think I have the patience for book writing, though perhaps one day.
     
     
     
     
    Dude, that's fucking sweet. I've been to Spain twice and loved it every bit of my short time there. I was doing some reading about the Camino recently and the pilgrimage is totally something I'm attracted to. Whether I get to that or not, Spain is somewhere I will definitely return to one day. South America too -- that's ultimate. Any specific destinations or regions on your hit list?
     
  11. I'm glad to hear you're still having an awesome time, Toasty :) Laos and Thailand sound like badass places to visit! How are you getting your funds, if you don't mind me asking? Are you going off saved money, or making more doing odd jobs along the way?
     
    And what is this 'happy shake' you speak of? You make it sound very inviting :smoking:
     
  12.  
    Cheers bruh! Southeast Asia is bananas. I love it. Laos has been brilliant beyond words, I'm stoked to get into Vietnam at the end of the week, and definitely looking forward to Thailand in a couple months' time.
     
    We're travelling on saved money. Between my wife and I, we managed to save about $36K prior to leaving Australia. Over our intended year of travel, that gives us about $50 per day to budget. We spent close to double that per day in Japan, but here in Laos I've had days where I've dropped less than $20. It all works out and should get us through the rest of year, when I then hope to return to Europe and replenish the funds a bit. I'd work more on the road if I could, but it's tricky because of work permits and other legalities. When we stay in a place for a week or more, we always ask to work for accommodation. Cleaning and maintenance around the hostel for a couple hours per day in exchange for a room and sometimes a meal or two. It doesn't save much, but every dollar saved today is another dollar extra for tomorrow.
     
    Happy shakes (or happy pizza, happy tea, happy garlic bread, or a plain ol' bag of "happy") are a SE Asian treat offered by certain places if you're keen enough to ask to see the special menu. Your choice of three types of drugs to add to your food or drink; marijuana, or two unmentionables. One such unmentionable I don't partake in, but have had my share of the other more magical one. Fucking brilliant. Many nights spent with the uncontrollable giggles. [​IMG]
     
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  13. I'm going to Spain this summer. I have family but I'll definitely be solo adventuring. I've been there but it's been awhile.

    Any tips (from anyone in this thread).
     
  14. #94 AR Toasty, May 5, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2015
    Gooooooooood morning, Vietnam!
     
    The first time I ever woke up in Hanoi, when I visited about two years ago, I immediately rolled over to face my radiantly sleeping girlfriend and exuberantly quoted that to her in a volume appropriate for an 80s hair metal gig. Her reaction notified me in no uncertain terms that this type of behavior was not okay and that there would be no second chances if ever I decided to make such unwarranted proclamations at such an hour ever again. I spent my mornings for the remainder of our two weeks in Vietnam greeting the dawn with a cup of amazing Vietnamese coffee on the roadside with only myself and the bustling market vendors for company, while my sleeping beauty did just that until after the sun had well and truly risen. I learned a lot on that trip, not least of all that my now wife is far from a morning person and that traveling with another person (especially a significant other) is about compromise. At the time it caused tension between us -- I'm an early bird who's up with the sun; she doesn't move much before the clock hits double-digits -- but we both made compromises. And look at us now: five months into an adventure around the world and nobody's filed for divorce.
     
    And to be honest, I really appreciate my mornings to myself. Let her sleep. As the saying goes... happy wife, happy life.
     
    Welcome to Vietnam! We've been in Hanoi for a couple of days now and I'm every bit enthralled with it as I was the first time. I'm not a city kid (as I've said countless times before), but something about this place just draws me in. It's insane. The traffic never stops, the vendors never quit, and the whole pulsating mass of it all never ceases... I can't explain why, but I dig it. I dig Vietnam. It's the very picture of Southeast Asia, but with that French Colonial flair that I love so much. The coffee is to die for, the street food is off the chain, and while I can't help but feel like a walking dollar sign to the vast majority of people, life here intrigues me to no end. It's a destination as polarizing as its history (of which I'm a big buff), with travellers seeming to either love it or unequivocally hate it, and I can see why. Fortunately for me, I dig it. So far anyway.
     
    I'm currently in the process of trying to find a motorbike (possibly two) to buy so we can cruise on down the Vietnamese coast, but until I'm successful in that endeavor, I'm living slow and soaking in Hanoi. Spillover of the chill vibes from the past month in Laos -- which ended very well, thanks for asking. We left Vang Vieng earlier than planned to head northeast and take in some of the more cultural sites. I didn't know this, but northeast Laos is the most bombed place in the world (particularly by the Americans during the Vietnam and "Secret" Wars). I really appreciated the cultural lessons, and I'm very much looking forward to the next month exploring more of that type of stuff in this country during the upcoming weeks.
     
    The hostel we're staying at has guitar that I spent the entire night listening to some borderline-douchbag play. It's a shitty guitar, which didn't help his shitty performance. Anyway, being the first one up this morning gave me the opportunity to do a little picking -- something I haven't done since Wuhan, in China. Shortly after that night busking in the night market, I got into a tiff with the woman and perhaps inspired by that experience, I wrote a little song while sitting in a little plastic child-sized chair on the side of the road at a food stall in Chengdu. I put a melody to it this morning and though it's no masterpiece, I decided to record it. So I went into the loo to get some better acoustics and did just that. Reckon I woke up the entire hostel, but hey, beats a screaming Robin Williams quote as far as alarm clocks go.
     
    Shit recording on a shit guitar, but as I always say.... listen if ya dig.
     
    https://soundcloud.com/super_andy/for-you
     
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  15. I listened to that as i vaped a trench :)

    No bad singer mate :) lad of many talents.

    Good luck getting a couple bikes.sounds like you're having a ball mate.
    Well its the usual wet weather here lol
    Be safe and look forward to the next installment :)
     
  16. #96 AR Toasty, May 5, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2015
    Cheers mate! No masterpiece, but it's certainly nice to hold a guitar. I got a whack of emails recently from friends back in Oz saying the local radio station has been spinning my old tracks again... fucking stoked, but makes me pine for music like a junkie. [​IMG]
     
    The thing I've always missed least about England is the bloody weather. [​IMG]  Hot as hell over here with a scorching sun, though when it rains... she fuckin' pours. Like, collect two of every species type of rain. I'll take it any day over the ceaseless cold drizzle of home.
     
    Was entirely successful in my bike endeavors. A bloke and his chick staying in the hostel here were selling their Honda, right size for both of us plus backpacks. Brilliant. When I inquired he said to me, "You were the guy singing in the toilet this morning. You are very loud." I laughed and apologized, had a beer and shot the shit for a bit. Cool dude; a surfer and muso from Czech. He and his girl are off in the morning for Laos, which is a shame because I would've liked to party and talk adventure longer. Such is life on the road. Anyway, $200 later and I own a motorcycle. Watch out 'Nam, here we come....
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  17. Renember i want to see a profit,or at least break even when you punt the bike before you leave lol
     
  18. Toasty man where ya been?
     
  19. Toasty my dude... Sounds like you are having the time of your life! I hope its still going good. You are making me wanna save up a few grand and go to Laos for a week

    Hook some blades up with an update.
    Your music is great by the way mate!
     
  20. Fuck.


    I just wrote this big long post updating my adventures, waxing poetic on the beauty of the world, hailing the generosity of people and the importance of sharing positivity and goodness in the global market and I lost it all. I want to blame this frightening (albeit mad sexy) GC design, but it very well may be my Cambodian internet signal.


    Shame you missed out on the update, but I've got to jet. There's adventuring to be had, mate. Injuries in Vietnam led me to inspirational volunteer work in Cambodia and now it's time once more to move on into Thailand. Every day is beautiful when you open yourself for it to be. Be good to others, it's all we really have to share in this maddening world.


    Love yous sexy legends and hope you're all killing it. Tell me what you're up to or tell me something wonderful because I'd love to read it.
     
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