Ghost Town Glory: Punda del Este, Uruguay

This photo is from Punta del Este, Uruguay—not to be confused with Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. It’s a town at the end of the widest river in the world: the Río de la Plata. East of this point is the official start of the Atlantic ocean. The first time I heard about Punta del Este was back in 2011 when I did a Spanish course in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My Brazilian friends and I were planning a trip to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. I was talking to my teacher on the topic of Uruguay and he mentioned a townContinue reading

Monaco Adventure Travel

Besides meeting the newbie hitchhikers from Czechia yesterday here in Monaco, I also met these two cyclists from Poland who are doing a big European tour. I met them in the daytime when I felt more optimistic about adventure travel in Monaco and hadn’t downed a beer yet. But I haven’t seen any backpackers or that category of travelers since… Greece..! That was more than one month ago and suddenly I meet two duos in one day! That gives me some hope. These guys also have a Facebook page (that I still need to find) but unless you speak Slavic,Continue reading

No-Budget Travel: Why I Can’t Be Arsed to Budget

Long-term travelers receive the same questions all the time about this dreadful topic called “budgeting your trip”. I am the last person to have solid advice for you because I practice no-budget travel. I cringe upon hearing the B-word and the following nonquestions: “How do you fund your travels?” “What’s your daily budget?” “(How much) Do you save for your travels?” My answer to all of them is either “I don’t know” or “who cares?” This is absolutely the most boring topic of travel, and that’s why I’m usually reluctant to share my views. So here goes nothing: First ofContinue reading

The Last Hostel Before Iran (Yerevan, Armenia)

I did something unusual today: I checked into a hostel called One Way Hostel in Yerevan, Armenia. This time no picture from me camping in my tent somewhere awesome. I’m expecting this to be the very last hostel in a while; Iran probably doesn’t have mixed dormitories, especially mixed-gender ones. One night in a dormitory shouldn’t affect my Iran budget that much. Soon I’ll have to exchange my last Armenian Dram to get some stacks of Iranian Rials to buy very cheap cigarettes with. That’s what I’ve heard from everyone I encountered who’s been to Iran in recent times; highContinue reading