From croc-filled rain forests to desert cattle drives, from beaches with the world’s best surfing, to the urban delights of Sydney’s world-famous opera house, it’s hard to imagine a more diverse and romantic destination.

In my travels throughout Asia I have met many Australians.  In fact, most of my friends – or mates, as they say — are Aussies.  I enjoy their easy-going, fun-loving attitude more than the occasional arrogance you might encounter from a Brit, Canuck or Yank.  If you happen to visit Australia’s wild west, where Perth is the largest city, you may have trouble understanding them.  I hung around with a couple Aussie miners from near Perth while holidaying in the Philippines.  They were great drinking buddies, despite my not being able to understand half of what they said. 

As for the women, I can’t speak much from personal experience.  Sailors I have spoken with raved about Perth as a favorite port of call.  They particularly enjoyed being greeted by the hundreds of young Aussie women waiting for them at the dock.

Romantic opportunities abound.  The urban centers of Sydney and Melbourne offer all the sophisticated city delights, from opera to casinos, one could ask.  Red meat lovers will find the quality of beef and lamb every bit as good as the American versions.  While Aussies may scoff at popular American beers such as Budweiser and Miller as “beer flavored water,” their wines are world class award winners.

If the seaside is your idea of romance, Australia is a vast dream.  It boasts more beaches than any other nation, including the world famous Great Barrier Reef.  Sample the local vintage in the vineyards of the New South Wales wine country.  Nature lovers may find relaxing at a spa in a rainforest more their style.  Escape the mainland, if you must, with a visit to the World Heritage site, Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, and enjoy the many lakes and rainforest.

A stay in this diverse island nation with your Aussie lover will be an event you will never forget.

Posted by Wade as Places, Romance at 7:48 AM EST

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Web sites are appearing that can save you the cost of a hotel room. They match people who are willing to offer a free bed, couch or floor to total strangers. Vagabonds seeking a free place to stay register at sites like CouchSurfing.com and GlobalFreeloaders.com. Believe it or not, there are thousands of people around the world willing to let you sack out on their floor. Lucky folks might even end up in a bed. For example, I went to CouchSurfing.com and found 18 people in my current town, Chiang Mai, Thailand, willing to put up with you. GlobalFreeloaders.com lists over 14,000 members in the United States. I’m thinking about offering my extra bedroom.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Places at 3:52 AM EST

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Your tool for this venture into a nomadic lifestyle is simple: a laptop computer.  Don’t think you need to lug around more than a five pound computer.  Actually, you can get by without a computer.  There are thousands of cybercafes around the world, from tiny provincial capitals to busy cities.  The famous backpacker hangout in Bangkok, Khao San Road, has numerous cybercafes with countless cheap and plentiful computers with Internet connections.  I’ve used cybercafes worldwide from Phnom Penh to Rio de Janeiro with good results.  A portable printer is not necessary since you’ll be sending your work over the Internet.  Many third-world countries have poor telephone systems, but cell phones are ubiquitous even in poor, remote parts of the world.

Posted by Wade as Jobs, Tools at 5:16 AM EST

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If you haven’t traveled overseas before, it can seem like landing on a different planet. If you’re traveling to look for a prospective lover, you’re in for a great time. Don’t hesitate to travel alone. You don’t have to be alone for long. Don’t feel you have to make some contacts before you travel.

Expect unusual reactions when people find out you are planning a trip to travel alone overseas. I used to read a book on Thailand while on the bus to work. I got some surprising comments. One woman on the bus said her male friend was looking for an Asian wife because he was fed up with American women. A man warned me that communist guerillas were planning an imminent invasion (that was early 1984, and we’re still waiting). Another woman groaned in disbelief when she found out I was going to Asia, of all places, alone, for a vacation!

Planning Your Trip

This book is designed to supplement, not compete with, information available in commercial travel guides. There are many excellent travel guides available, and I will make some recommendations at the end of this chapter. I recommend you read up on the country you plan to visit before you leave. If nothing else, a good travel book tells you what to expect. That and good planning can save you time and money and enhance the enjoyment of your trip. Do your research before you leave rather than waste precious time while overseas. The more you know about the culture and country you visit, the more you’ll enjoy your trip.

Traveling alone can sound intimidating to rookie travelers, even if you have someone special waiting for you at the airport. Some people — undoubtedly those who don’t enjoy life to the fullest — may tell you that it’s unsafe, that all kinds of potential mishaps await people who travel overseas alone. They’ll talk about terrorists, communists, wars, thieves, malaria, even AIDS — anything to keep you from going abroad and having the time of your life. They haven’t got the guts to go themselves and are jealous.

Several people may ask you why you traveled alone overseas, without any friends or contacts to meet when you arrive. It comes down to two fears: Weren’t you lonely? Weren’t you afraid? You need not be either. It is safer walking down the streets of Bangkok than in most American cities. As for loneliness, it is ironic that people should be concerned about that, of all things. One reason you’re going to travel to exotic places is to get rid of loneliness. Most people, once they know what they’re doing, will feel less lonely during their travels than they ever have.

Making Friends after Arrival

Should you decide to travel overseas without previous contacts, you will meet interesting people after arriving. The easiest way is to just head for the singles bars. Don’t overlook the opportunity to meet and make friends during your travels. It can actually be easier to make interesting friends overseas than it is in your home country. There are many English-speakers living and traveling in popular travel destinations. The best places to meet them are in the bars and restaurants frequented by international travelers and businessmen.

People in many parts of the world are open, friendly and interested in getting to know you. Chances are they will take you to meet their families, who will be extremely hospitable. They will be eager to help make your trip to their country as enjoyable as possible.

You will find many places to meet people: thriving open markets, universities, stores and discos. Just hanging out in one of these places gives you an excellent chance of meeting a friendly and nice-looking local eager to practice their English on a native speaker. This is especially true of university areas, where you are most likely to meet a young, English-speaking student for companionship. Most people in the tourist service business also speak good English.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 5:14 AM EST

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Imagine the thrill of becoming a permanent traveler, without ties to a home, a nation or a routine.  Often referred to as a “PT” – a permanent tourists, previous taxpayer, perfectly together – or whatever.  A PT arranges her paperwork and lifestyle so that she resides either nowhere or in a country deemed advantageous to her tax situation or style of vagabonding.  If you are one of those freedom-loving individuals who loathe ever-sprawling big government, the constant infringement on personal life, feel current levels of taxation to be repressive, then maybe the life of a permanent traveler is for you.

Hopefully you will learn how to use a computer and the Internet to achieve the ultimate personal freedom.

What is the best time in the world to travel?  Many will advise you that the only time to go is when you are young, typically right out of college.  The truth is you can go anywhere, anytime, even with a minimum of cash.  You can take a sabbatical from that career now.  Rent that house and crank up that computer, then hit the road.  Don’t wait for retirement.  Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old, too successful or have too many kids.  Don’t be afraid to tell the boss you want to telecommute part-time from a sleazy oil boom town in Ecuador for the next year or two.

Still not convinced?  Try it out with a semi-nomadic lifestyle.  If you’re a schoolteacher, spend the summer on the road and see if you can finance your travels with your computer.  A professional?  Use the techniques described later in this book to persuade your employer to take an extended sabbatical while you telecommute part time from Estonia or Morocco.

Posted by Wade as Plan at 3:33 AM EST

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Deciding which country to seek love in is a tough but enjoyable decision. You can look for love anywhere on the planet. I hope this information will arouse your curiosity, and eventually, when you meet someone in person, your ardor.

Deciding How to Look

Before you decide where to look, start thinking about how to look. My advice is to develop a game plan. Develop a method to achieve your goal. Some factors to consider are your personality, independence, financial flexibility and whether you’re interested in friendship, a love affair, marriage, or all of the above.

The kind of personality you have — your lifestyle, religion and general attitude toward life — are the most important considerations when looking for someone from another culture. Different people from different countries have different personalities and customs.

Of course, anything I state about the characteristics of people from a particular country are based on personal experience, what I’ve heard from others, and research. There are exceptions to everything. For example, the people of Malaysia are a combination of four or five different cultural and religious traditions. Don’t expect everyone in each country to be similar. There are striking exceptions, so be alert for them.

Study the Culture

Before making a decision on which country or countries to target, I recommend that you research the history, culture and customs of countries that interest you. I hope to give you some ideas about where to look, but the world is your playground. There are so many countries in the world, and the map is always changing. It is estimated that there are thousands of cultures to choose from with a vast diversity in customs, languages and race.

Research Tools

A list of nations is found in any good world almanac, along with brief information about the country. An encyclopedia such as the free online Wikipedia has more detailed descriptions of each country and its peoples. The encyclopedia is a surprisingly good source of information for people interested in seeking love overseas. These resources give some hint to the kind of person you are likely to encounter: customs, religion, temperament and eating habits. A good travel guide will also have helpful information. Most libraries have books on all major countries. Hopefully, understanding something about their country will help you make a decision on which country you are most likely to find a person you can love.

The CIA World Factbook is an excellent reference on the economies, politics, geography and climate of every country in the world. It is available in the reference section of the public library and on the Internet. Of course, there are some things a book can never tell you. These can only be learned by seeing and touching the person you desire.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 1:24 AM EST

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Anyone who has driven across the U.S. border into Mexico will have a good idea of the drastic differences in driving conditions between developed and developing countries. Not only do road conditions deteriorate, but any semblance of orderly procession becomes a chaotic mess in places like Mexico City or Manila. Foreigners driving at night in developing countries are tempting targets, so don’t drive at night. Road conditions can be unpredictable, with hazards from herds of goats to rice scattered on the road for drying, to impassable monsoon-flooded sections.

It is theoretically possible to make automobile journeys of epic distances. One possible journey would be from Vladivostok, Russia to Cape Town, South Africa. Another epic drive might take you from Valdez, Alaska to the opposite end of the Americas, Punta Arenas, Chile. A trip of this scope would require extensive research on road conditions and visa requirements. Some countries do not allow entry by land.

Posted by Wade as Transportation at 2:35 AM EST

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Full-time RVing is catching on these days. Do-it-yourself technomads, though, may find commercial RVs a bit flimsy. Boondocking technomad’s can put together their own with a bit of resourcefulness and dedication. I seriously considered spending a year or two RVing fulltime with my 12 year old daughter throughout North America. I was going to build my own, though. I planned to pick up a cheap used travel trailer for around $5,000 and haul it with an old Ford Bronco or something. Instead, I opted for Southeast Asia where boondocking is a bit less practical than in the States. If you do decide to take up that RV nomadic dream lifestyle, and build you own rig, check out Scott Bidstrup’s page at http://www.bidstrup.com/fulltime.htm. Boondocking is RVing by parking for free in places other then fee-based RV parks like Walmart parking lots or national forests. Scott spent six years as a nomad. He offers practical tips on everything from buying and converting a used U-Haul box to a home to the joys and practicalities of bringing the kids along. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting reading.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Places, Tools at 1:00 AM EST

292 Comments »

Involvement with someone from a foreign country will probably include contact with one of four religions: Buddhism, Orthodox Protestant, Catholicism or Islam. Korea and Thailand are mostly Buddhist, while the Philippines is over ninety per cent Catholic.

The chances are good a Malaysian will be Muslim. Don’t necessarily let this hinder your ardor. The American press doesn’t portray Muslims fairly because of their preoccupation with sensationalizing terrorism. Malaysia is not an Arab country. The Muslims there are peaceful and tolerant of other religions.

Don’t let religion be a barrier to coming together with the right person. Few follow their religion with a fervor that prevents them from marrying someone of another religious belief. A belief in God satisfies most, and some will even marry an atheist.

Make sure you know what to expect so there will be no disappointments or false expectations. As a Buddhist, Muslim or Christian, your intended might not want to live with or make love to you until you are officially married. You can clear that up by being honest and open in all your communications.

Posted by Wade as Lifestyle, Romance at 1:01 AM EST

302 Comments »

This is one of the most complicated, confusing decisions a computer nomad has to make.  To begin with, it’s best, if it all possible, to avoid having one.  While local calling rates have dropped to the point where everyone in the family has one, anyone who plans extensive travel and needs to use his computer with one regularly will pay dearly for the service.  In any event, cell phones should be only used when absolutely necessary, especially when overseas or outside of a local calling area.  Long distance calls are particularly expensive when using mobile phones.  Use your calling card whenever possible.

The first thing to do before you start to research mobile phone service providers is to determine, as accurately as possible, where you will be calling from, where you will be calling to, and how often you will be making and receiving calls.  Write down a list of the places you intend to visit over the next, and how long you will be staying.  Estimate the length and locations of the calls you will be making.

When you contact a mobile phone provider, give them the exact information you have assembled and ask them for a rate quote.

Posted by Wade as Tools at 12:49 AM EST

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