8-Months Travel Sabbatical, Within Budget at $50,000

No, we didn't win the lottery or have a trust fund.  We were an average middle-class DINK (dual income, no kids) household, living below our means, saving money the old-fashioned way to be spent on an event such as a travel sabbatical.

At first, we didn't know how to budget for an 8-month trip, but we took a stab in the dark by figuring out what our average daily cost might be, plus any outstanding bills to maintain our house, private health insurance, and our dog while we were away.

After 8-months and a few unexpected home repairs and veterinary bills, we are astounded by the accuracy of our $50,000 budget!  Of course, human nature dictates that expenses almost always expand up to a set budget.  Isn't that correct?  So, if we had set our daily goal at $100 instead of $150, we would've probably been able to achieve that, albeit a little less comfortably.  We're glad we set a realistic goal that fit our lifestyle and stuck to it.  We also had help from friends and friends of friends, who graciously provided us free lodging at some points of our journey.  We can't thank them enough. 

We can't remember the last time we heard these 2 words together, "Balanced Budget", yet here it is in USD:

Cost: A Luxurious Experience in Vietnam on a Backpacker Budget

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (our initial lower target range was $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

29-DAYS IN VIETNAM

Total $4190 or $145/day!  We just finished traveling through our 3rd Southeast Asian country, Vietnam.  Normally, we would've expected the cost to be similar to Thailand and Cambodia where we spent ~$130/day, but we weren't sure after we splurged on a few travel details on our final leg of our round-the-world trip.

Incredibly, after a 3-day luxury cruise in Halong Bay, several overnight train rides, coughing up airfare to get back down to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 2 hours instead of 3 days, and staying in mostly real hotels, we have managed to make it (barely) under our $150/day budget in Vietnam!  

Here's our cost breakdown.

Cruising the Bai Tu Long Bay (Northeast of Halong Bay) with IndochinaJunk, Inc.

Halong Bay. Ha Long means "descending dragon".  Local legend says that a family of dragons descended onto the bay to protect Vietnam from invaders by spitting large jade and jewels into the water, forming thousands of island barriers against the invaders.  Afterwards, the dragons decided to stay and make these waters their home.  We think you will quickly see that the islands are reminiscent of dragons resting in the water.  

Apparently, we saved the best experience for last! We think this UNESCO World Heritage site and 7 New Wonders of Nature is one of the most stunning natural landscapes we've seen so far on our trip. Right up there with Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.  Yes, Machu Picchu (Peru), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), and the rice terraces of Sapa (Vietnam) were also awe-inspiring, but they are largely man-made wonders.  The two thousand limestone formations that pepper the northernmost bay of Vietnam was formed naturally over millions of years through erosion.  Even more amazing are all the hidden caves and lakes inside these hollow islands, where many have yet to be discovered.  

Mike relaxing on the top deck
of Dragon's Pearl I junk cruise.

As a result, Halong Bay was definitely on our "must-see" list, but we didn't know how to best experience this place.  Do we just find transportation to Halong Bay on our own, then find a day boat to take us around?  Do we sign-up for a one or two night cruise?  Should we just go to Cat Ba island, the backpacker capital, and admire the limestone formations from the shore?

Although we prefer DIY travels, this is one place that is best experienced by joining a tour.  Unfortunately, it seems every hotel and business in Hanoi has a cousin or brother-in-law that supposedly runs a tour.  There are soooooo many tour operators to Halong Bay that it is hard to know what's legitimate and what's not.  After much research, we decided on a 3-day/2-night cruise through the less touristed Bai Tu Long Bay just northeast of Halong Bay for a full and unhurried experience.  

We wrote an unsolicited infomercial on how we researched and selected Indochina Junk as well as other options at the end of this blog.*

Cost in Cambodia: "Same Same, But Different" as Thailand

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (we started with a lower target range of $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom
in background, Cambodia.

ONLY 10 DAYS IN CAMBODIA, BUT FELT LONGER
For some reason, we felt like we were in Cambodia for a lot longer than 10 days (in a good way).  Maybe because we did so much and enjoyed so much in such a short period of time, it felt like we were there forever.  Good news is, one could practically live in Cambodia "forever" without hurting your finances. 

Again, traveling like "royalty", we ended up having the same daily cost of $130/day ($1300 total) as we did in Thailand.  However, our cost distribution wasn't exactly the same as it was in Thailand.  Lodging was equivalent.  Sticking to street food was just as affordable, although we actually spent more on food in Cambodia to satisfy some of our non-asian food cravings.  Fortunately, beer was dirt cheap in Cambodia while it can be quite expensive in Thailand, so our bar cost was cut in half.  In Cambodia, we forked over a lot more money on admission fees to Angkor Wat, museums, and memorial sites - a cost that we barely had in Thailand.  Massage, laundry, and transportation were just as cheap as it was in Thailand.  So, all-in-all, "same, same, but different". 

Cost - Thailand: Traveling in Comfort For Less Than $130/Day

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (we started with a lower target range of $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

ONE MONTH IN THAILAND

Man, oh man!  We have been traveling like royalty in Thailand with our $150/day budget.  Okay, royalty may be a far stretch, but a dollar definitely goes a long way in Thailand.  More so than South America.

Originally, we had hopes of keeping our cost to less than $100/day in Thailand, which is completely do-able.  However, electing to go with air-conditioning over a fan, first class cabins over second class, 3-star hotels over hostels, and signing up for day trips and activities have added to our cost.  What makes Thailand amazing for travelers is that despite all our upgrades, we are still way within our intended budget of $150/day.  

Glad It's Over: Thai-Cambodia Overland Border Crossing

Today was yet another "adventurous" overland border crossing kind of day from Thailand to Cambodia.  This was right up there with the complicated, anxiety-provoking overland border crossing from Ecuador to Peru that we did back in May. 

We've read and heard a lot of chatter about the potential pitfalls and traveler nightmares of crossing the Cambodian border. Perhaps a visit to these sites for some inspiration:  Seat61, Poipet - WikiTravel, Cambodia: Poipet - A Warning. 

It's not that we were worried about whether or not immigration will let us in.  We already had our $25/pp Cambodian e-visas issued in advance.  It's all about getting across the border and to our destination without getting scammed...too much.  Basically, bribes and scams are rampant in this stereotypically rundown border town of Poipet, Cambodia, and oblivious tourists are the main target.  Though this may not be a true representation of Cambodia, it is a good representation of most corrupt border towns around the world, and Cambodia is no exception.

By now, you should know that we made it across the border to live and tell about our experience!  So, how did we do?  

Here's what our 13-hour travel day looked like...

Return Trip from Ko Samui to Surat Thani Train Station and Bangkok

A week ago, our 18-hour "amazing race" from Bangkok to Lamai Beach in Ko Samui couldn't have gone more smoothly.  We thought the tour company providing bus transport directly from Surat Thani train station to the Seatran ferry terminal was a really good deal and without the headache of trying to find our own way, since we didn't see any public buses or taxis nearby the train station.

Our return voyage from Lamai Beach in Ko Samui to the Surat Thani train station to catch our 9:04 pm Express 84 overnight train back to Bangkok was a little more "on our own" and time consuming.  

We thought we would have plenty of time to catch our night train, so we thought we left our hotel really early at around 2 pm.  But it took over 5 hours.  We finally arrived at the Surat Thani train station at 7:30 pm, so remember to leave plenty of time for travel!  Here's how it went...

The Amazing Race from Bangkok to Ko Samui, Thailand

One could fly directly from Bangkok to Ko Samui island and be sipping a piña colada on the beach before noon, but what would be the adventure in that when you could spend 18 hours traveling instead?

For the mid-range budget travelers that we are, flying is usually not an option.  Plus, the train system in Thailand is so good, 12-15 hours on an overnight train is a very pleasant experience.

Here's our amazing race of a day from Bangkok to Ko Samui.

First class cabins. Seat
converts into bunkbeds.

OVERNIGHT TRAIN

The trains in Thailand are awesome.  Online booking is very easy through www.thairailticket.com, although you could also walk up to the ticket counter and find a seat on one of the many trains departing daily.  For overnight travel, first class private cabins book up very quickly in advance, so we made these reservations about 2-3 weeks prior to our travel date.  There is more availability for second class air-conditioned cars; but we would advise you avoid the second class fan-only cars.  Besides being hot, the windows are left wide open and offers 'free boarding' for mosquitos. 

The overnight express train (express, because it skips stations; but definitely not due to speed) in first class ($43/pp) from Bangkok left at 1930 and was scheduled to arrive at Surat Thani station at 0706 the next morning.  This was our third overnight train in Thailand, and we've yet to arrive anywhere on time.  The 11.5 hour ride took more like 12.5 hours.  

In the past...

Cost: 7 Days in Jerusalem

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (we started with a lower target range of $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

Israel has the prettiest money!

7 DAYS IN JERUSALEM

Long ago when we decided to add Jerusalem to our RTW trip, we knew it would be a temporary budget-breaker, but we didn't care.  We wanted to experience the Holy City no matter.  

So, despite the up charge in our lodging due to Yom Kippur and Sukkot holidays, we came out only slightly scathed at $190/day ($1327 total).  

Currency: USD$1 = 3.86 Shekels

Cost: Istanbul for One Week

This is going to be the shortest write-up on our budget thus far.  The app where I keep track of our spending crashed and I lost everything.  I thought I had the data synced to DropBox, but it is unrecoverable, at least by way of just the iPhone or iPad.  

So, this is just a guesstimate but in the 8 days spent in Istanbul, we spent big...waaaay over our allotted $150/day budget.  Even though we found a budget apartment for $68/night, we probably spent an extra $20-30/day on admission fees to attractions that weren't budgeted for.  Food and drink costs, although normal for someone just coming to Istanbul on vacation, felt outrageously high for those of us who have gotten used to cheap food and beers.  We spent double the amount we normally would have on food/drink.  The other major cost was the $350 private market and food tasting tour by a well-known food writer.  It was a worthwhile splurge for us foodies, but a definitely budget buster.  Aside from the overnight train from Sofia to Istanbul, we barely took public transportation in Istanbul so our transportation cost was minimal.

If we sat in our apartment and didn't do any sightseeing, we would've stayed on budget...which would've been ridiculous.  Overall, we think we spent a total of approximately $1760 or $220/day.  Not bad for one of the most touristed (therefore, non-budget) destinations along our round-the-world trip.  

Our next stop, Jerusalem, will be even more costly, but after that, we should make up financial ground when we get to Thailand = cheap.

Cost: Is the Balkans a Budget Traveler's Dream?

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (we started with a lower target range of $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

23-DAYS IN THE BALKANS
The least researched part of our itinerary was the Balkans region.  We planned on just "winging it", once we got there.  Therefore, we had no idea what the cost would be to travel through this region.  With a strong Western European influence, we anticipated higher prices; but also hoped for lower costs since these are still emerging countries with less developed tourism. 

The reality?  Reasonable lodging costs, cheap food, bargain wines, and even cheaper beers.  So, we were shocked to discover that we were actually OVER-budget in the Balkans!!  How could that be?  We were so proud of having so many days where we spent less than $150, but apparently the few budget-busting days in Croatia put us over.  Regardless, at an average of $160/day, we fully experienced the Balkans without feeling like we skimped on anything, so it was worthwhile.  

We spent 7 days in Croatia; 4 days in Bosnia and Hercegovina; 3 days in Serbia; 7 days in Macedonia; and 2 days in Bulgaria.  If we were on a stricter budget, we would've limited our time in Croatia to just a couple of days since it was the most expensive place in the Balkans.  Instead, Macedonia was a cheap place to hang out, where we stayed in nice accommodations, ate good meals, and indulged in bottles of wine for hardly anything.  Even the most touristed Lake Ohrid was a steal.  

Overall, the Balkans can be done on a budget even less than ours, and is a great budget destination for an authentic experience in a less traveled region.  

4th Day in Istanbul: A Photo Journey Through Topkapi Palace Harem

Take a journey of the Topkapi Palace Harem and palace grounds with us through these photos!

A BIT OF BACKGROUND...

Topkapi Palace was first built under the order of Sultan Mehmet II, the Ottoman conqueror of the Byzantines.  The palace, overlooking the Sea of Marmara, was the residence for many generations of Ottoman Sultans for 400 years since 1465.  In the late 19th century, the Sultan's home relocated across the bridge to the more European Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait. 

Quirks and Difficulties of Traveling Through the Balkans

From Sarajevo, we literally didn't have an exit plan because we couldn't make a decision on which direction to head.  We thought about going south towards Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH), then Montenegro, then Albania, but we found out that Albania does not allow public transportation to cross its borders from some of the other Balkan states.  It didn't sound like something we wanted to hassle with.

We considered taking a more off-the-beaten-path route, but again, cross-country transportation outside of major cities is sparse and lodging unreliable.  

We really wanted to raft down the super-deep Tara Canyon river in Montenegro, then go east through Kosovo, then Serbia, but getting to and out of Tara Canyon sounded like it would take many extra days.  Also, we're very glad we didn't do this route because Serbia would not have allowed entry had we gone through Kosovo first.  It has to do with territorial disputes about Serbia's claim over Kosovo, and it's complicated, but Serbia considers going through Kosovo first, an illegal border crossing.

Basically, we've considered several different itineraries each time, but most are eliminated due to transportation or border crossing issues.  The places we've been during the past 2 weeks represent the path of least resistance.

Zagreb, Croatia: A Tourist-Friendly Destination

We just left Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, and are heading to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina on a 10 hour train ride through the country.  

Here are some reflections on Zagreb and Croatia as a whole.  First, gotta love a language that makes full use of the letter "Z"!  Never seen so many words with "Z" in it.  

Not having done much research on Croatia in advance, it has been a fun week discovering new things as it unfolds.  For example, who knew that the necktie originated in Croatia?  Yup.  The Croatian army sported red ties called cravats, as part of their uniform.  When the French saw this, they immediately loved it and took the tie as a fashion statement (go figure).  The rest is history.  Apparently, the ballpoint pen was also invented by a Croat.   Akiko, being sort of a pen connoisseur, appreciates this little fact.  Truffles are also abundant in Croatia.  We got to sample some in our dishes, but this would've been a moment where we wished we could actually buy souvenirs to take home.  They sold many truffle related food products such as truffle oil, truffle paste, truffle essence, truffle salt, etc. 

Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, the Most Beautiful Collection of Natural Lakes

Dear Reader, have you ever heard of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia? If so, you have been in on one of the most beautiful secrets of nature. We faintly knew of its existence only because Akiko remembered a picture of Plitvice burned into her mind after a random, mindless, perusal session of Pinterest (Ha! Pinterest is not a complete waste of time after all...case closed).

TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING
When we arrived in Croatia, we didn't have any particular pre-planned destinations, and Akiko happened to remember something about these lakes, so we decided to head there from Zagreb. After some research, we discovered that it is in the middle of Croatia, and is a difficult place to get to by public transportation. In fact, there are none, except for a bus to/from Zagreb that may or may not stop once a day, and not anywhere near the entrance to the National Park. It seemed too unreliable. We had no intention of renting a car at anytime during our travels, but in spite of the extra cost, it seemed to be the best option. By having a car, it also opened up more options for cheaper lodging farther away from the National Park, since we could just drive and park there.

Cost: Surprisingly Close to Budget in Spain, Morocco, Italy

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $100 - $150/day is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  Our budget allows for a comfortable, low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels or budget hotels with private bath, meals/drinks, use of public transportation, and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  As foodies, we are not depriving ourselves from eating and drinking whatever and whenever we want to, although we are usually focused on finding budget, local cuisine.  Most of the time, breakfast seems to be included in the cost of lodging, so we are paying for 1-2 meals/day. An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

18-DAYS IN SPAIN, MOROCCO, ITALY

To get around these countries, we incurred quite a bit of transportation cost by way of buses, ferries (not as cheap as we hoped), and airfare (fastest, but expensive).  We also expected to pay more in lodging due to high season, and we assumed food would not be as cheap as South America.  So, all-in-all, Western Europe was not budget-friendly.  As we were recording our expenses, we cringed at the budget-blowing figures; however, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we ended up very close to meeting our $150/day budget, all thanks to our friends who let us stay at their condo in Spain and home in Morocco, giving us a 10-day reprieve on lodging expenses.  With the huge savings on lodging, we came out to $155/day instead of ~$200/day!

TOTAL

Overall, we traveled all 3 countries for a total of $2800 over an 18-day period, or $155/day - only $5/day above our budget limit.  Not bad.  

CURRENCY

Spain & Italy: Euro (€1 = USD$1.25)

Morocco: Dirham (1 MAD = USD$0.11)

TRANSPORTATION

Bus is always the cheapest way to travel. The downside is, it takes forever to get anywhere so if you're in a hurry or traveling long distances, it's not the best choice.  Trains cost more than buses, and it should get you to your destination faster, but not necessarily.  It's usually more comfortable and a direct route.  We were surprised at the expense of ferries.  We were expecting costs similar to say, the Washington State ferry system, but no.  Ferries still beat airfare, and what other option is there for crossing the water anyway?  Exactly.  But ultimately, even we caved a couple of times and went with the more costly air travel, just to shave off a few days of travel.  We took the bus and ferry from Spain to Morocco, but we ended up flying back to Madrid on RyanAir.  We also flew EasyJet from Madrid to Venice, Italy to save us from traveling several days through France.  

We heard through the grapevine that these European budget airlines are notorious for charging extra for everything: having to print boarding passes at the airport, baggage check-in (and they are very strict with the size/weight of the one carry-on...and they mean only one...) food/drinks on board, etc.  The trick is, when booking the flights, they will charge you for everything by default, unless you unclick all the options...tricky.  

The 2 flights were a total of $542 for the 2 of us; the ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco cost $134 for 2 people. All other costs were related to bus or taxi for a total of $960, which was 35% of our total expenses for this part of our trip.  

LODGING

Total $480 for 8 days of lodging that we paid for ($60/night).  We were able to find a hostel in Madrid for less than $60/night in a great location, but with shared bathrooms/showers and no air-conditioning.  In Venice, the best we could find was $90/night in Mestre, which was about a 10-minute bus ride across the water from Venice.  Staying in Venice would've cost over $200/night.  

MEALS

Total $900 or $50/day.  This is about average.  We sometimes cooked in at the condo and apartment, and sometimes splurged on a nice 3-course dinner with a bottle of wine.  

DRINKS (bottled water, beer, wine, soda, etc.)

Total $180 or $10/day.  We continue to be surprised at how inexpensive wine is. A glass of house wine is only a couple of dollars. Why is wine-by-the-glass so expensive in the States?!  

ATTRACTIONS/ADMISSIONS

We actually spent more on admissions fees and attractions than we had in the past.  They were all worthwhile.  We had $58 for museum entrance fees in Madrid, $34 to get into The Alhambra in Granada, and $45 for camel rides in Tangier for 3 peeps plus a hefty tip!

CLOTHING/LAUNDRY

Only a total of $25 this time, thanks to a washer at the condo and apartment; and   hand washing our clothes the other days. The $25 was for a new shirt.

MEDICAL EXPENSES

None!  Hoping to keep it this way.  Although our dog, Ogi, is making up for it by needing a tooth extraction by the doggie oral surgeon.  That will be anyone's budget breaker.

SOUVENIRS

Total $84.  It was much more economical to send postcards from these countries in comparison to South America.  Akiko also bought a few original artwork in Tangier and a Murano glass heart pendant to replace the one she broke in Venice.

WIFI/COMPUTER/ATM FEES

Total $31.  So far, none of the ATMs have been charging a ATM usage fee, which is great.  The $31 is the standard 1% foreign withdrawal fee we are getting charged by the bank, but that's it.  

As we head across Central Europe and the Balkan States, we don't really know what to expect with lodging, transportation, etc., but we think we will hover above our daily budget until we get to Thailand...then, everything will be very cheap!  So, moving forward, we're not going to worry too much about our expenses over the next month and just enjoy exploring these parts of the world rarely seen.  

Day 110: Transportation from the South Coast of Spain to Tangier, Morocco

On FRS ferry, leaving
Tarifa, Spain.

After a week of worshiping the sun along the southern coast of Spain, it was time to move on to Tangier, Morocco.  Our intention was to take the local bus system to the port town of Tarifa, Spain, then cross the Strait of Gibraltar via ferry to Tangier, Morocco.  There are also ferries from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier; however, these ferries go to the new Tangier port about 40 minutes out of the city, while the Tarifa-Tangier ferry docks right in front of the old medina and city center.

Unfortunately, the condo staff had no details on how to make this trip (probably because most people just go straight home), and our Internet research attempt came up sparse.  The only thing we were able to secure in advance was an 0815 bus ticket from Fuengirola (closest town to our condo) to Algeciras, Spain; however, we needed to get further than Algeciras to the town of Tarifa, and had no solid plans on how we were going to do this because the Portillo bus company that runs along the southern coast does not go to Tarifa...arrggh.  We would have to find another bus company for that route.  

So, this information is for any traveler in the southern coast of Spain (e.g. Málaga, Fuengirola, Marbella, Algeciras, etc.) who wants to take a bus to Tarifa, Spain, then a ferry to Tangier, Morocco.

Cost: Over Budget in Buenos Aires for 26-Days

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $100 - $150/day is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  Our budget allows for a comfortable, low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels or budget hotels with private bath, meals/drinks, use of public transportation, and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  As foodies, we are not depriving ourselves from eating and drinking whatever and whenever we want to, although we are usually focused on finding budget, local cuisine.  Most of the time, breakfast seems to be included in the cost of lodging, so we are paying for 1-2 meals/day. An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

To end our South America adventures, we decided to spend about 3-weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Argentina was a really good deal for tourists about 5 to 7 years ago when the country began recovering from their 2002 debt crisis and currency collapse.  We discovered Buenos Aires is no longer the most economical place to hang out in South America, so we had to get creative with our finances.  Our initial sticker shock was at the airport before we even got out of immigration when they charged $160 "reciprocal fee" to US passport holders. Then, the $50 cab ride into the city, then ~$110+ for basic lodging with a shared bathroom.  Because we were staying put for 3-weeks, getting an apartment really helped us lower the cost of lodging and food expenses.

Warning About Trying to Exchange Argentine Pesos to US Dollars

Read carefully if you, or someone you know is planning on traveling to Argentina in the near future, because we just lost an equivalent of ~USD$200 dollars.  How?  

When we were leaving Buenos Aires, we still had about AR$1200 pesos leftover; however, due to recent Argentine monetary policies (more on that in a moment), no legitimate currency exchange house will trade AR$ pesos into US dollars or Euros or any other currency for that matter.  Basically, we are sitting on a pile of cash that is only good in Argentina.  Unless we go back to Argentina, we might as well use it as toilet tissue because it's just paper to the rest of the world.

Cost: Peru for 3-Weeks

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $100 - $150/day is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  Our budget allows for a comfortable, low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels or budget hotels with private bath, meals/drinks, use of public transportation, and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  As foodies, we are not depriving ourselves from eating and drinking whatever and whenever we want to, although we are usually focused on finding budget, local cuisine.  Most of the time, breakfast seems to be included in the cost of lodging, so we are paying for 1-2 meals/day. An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

PERU
We spent 22 days total in Peru, where on average, $30-50 gets you decent lodging with a not-very-interesting breakfast. Prices were comparable to Ecuador, although we stayed in more metropolitan and tourist locations than in Ecuador, which drove the prices up a little more. Lodging was about the same, but the food and drinks cost more in tourist centers. Still, we could find a full meal for around $8; 25-50 cents for bottled water; a large bottle of beer for $2; laundry service costs $2-3/kg.  We ended up spending 7 nights in Los Organos beach, 8 nights in Lima, 5 nights in Cuzco, and 2 nights in Machu Picchu. Peru currency is the Nuevo Soles, although the prices listed have been converted into US dollars. Here is our breakdown:

LODGING
$43/day.  Not bad! We 'splurged' on a the perfect beach side bungalow in Los Organos for $60/night, but made up for it in Cuzco at the best hostel we've ever stayed in for $28/night. All cost is for double occupancy.

MEALS/GROCERIES
$42/day for 1-2 meals per day, including a few more expensive places due to being in the city or the kind of restaurant. We opted for quality in Machu Picchu, and spent more than expected at Inkaterra Lodge. Also, we treated ourselves to a nice meal at celebrity chef Gaston Acurio's La Mar Cebichería on our last day in Peru. Again, we continued to eat every meal out because we haven't had a kitchen to cook in. The portion sizes are usually very generous in South America so we generally end up sharing one plate of something. Good thing we are agreeable (most of the time) on what we want to eat! Consider doubling the budget if you eat a lot.

DRINKS (bottled water, beer, wine, soda)
$18/day, almost double what we spent in Ecuador. Tourist-centric locations in Lima, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu charge more for drinks at bars and restaurants. Although the cost of buying bottles of beer and water from a regular tienda are still very cheap.

TRANSPORTATION
In our calculations, we included the $640 already paid over 7 months ago for the domestic StarPeru flight and PeruRail train ride to Machu Picchu. Plus, we splurged on a first-class bus for our 18-hour travel from the northern beaches of Peru to Lima for $110. So, our transportation cost ended up being quite out-of-budget at $40/day. Peru is a much bigger country than Ecuador so doing strictly bus travel would've taken forever. Also, transportation to Machu Picchu is just plain costly, and difficult to keep withi a budget. Hopefully, we can make up for this in another country.

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS/SERVICES
$57 total on haircut/shave, soap, toothpaste, etc.  The most expensive item was money spent on mosquito repellant in northern Peru, and it wasn't even a good product. Our suggestion is to bring your own repellant that contains enough DEET. ($2.50/day)

SOUVENIRS/POSTCARDS (including postage)
Just like Ecuador, international postage to send postcards is expensive. $122 total or $6/day. 

CLOTHING/LAUNDRY
When we arrived at the beach, we had to buy some cheap beach towels and hats, and invested in some alpaca accessories (scarf, hat) while in Cuzco, for a total of $119 or $5/day in clothing and laundry services. Obviously, per our expenditure, we didn't buy the super expensive alpaca goods! Plus, whatever we buy, we have to transport for the remaining 6-months, so that fact usually discourages us from spending too much.

ATTRACTIONS/ADMISSION
The main cost here was the ~$100 entrance fee to Machu Picchu. $5/day.

WIFI/COMPUTER/ATM FEES
$49 on ATM transaction fees and re-charging our Skype account. We spent $1 on wifi at the airport in Cuzco. Until now, we've handled almost every transaction in cash because there are added fees for using a credit card. Every penny counts when unemployed. :) Again, our bank reimburses the typical $5 ATM fee initially charged, so the only expense has been the 1% of the withdrawal surcharge. $2.20/day.

TOTAL
[Drumroll]...We came to $162/day, $12/day OVER budget due to transportation costs. Without Machu Picchu, we would've been doing great at $130/day (similar to Ecuador), but Machu Picchu was totally worth the extra cost, and we tried our best to keep it within budget...we swear. Since we are staying in an apartment with a kitchen in Buenos Aires, we should be able to contain our costs again, and in anticipation of higher expenses going into Spain and the rest of Europe, starting August 7th.