Category: Blog

It’s usually quite easy to find a gym in your neighborhood or by your workplace to make sure you get your weekly workouts. But when you’re traveling around the world and you’re in a city for a limited amount of time, it doesn’t really make sense to pay for a gym subscription. So here are my few tips on how to exercise while traveling around the world as a digital nomad.

Gyms are hard to come by

To be perfectly fair, I never really bought into the whole gym mentality. You have to pay for a monthly or yearly subscription, you go in super pumped the first month. But then you slowly start to slack off and you don’t stick to your original ambitious schedule. You feel bad about yourself but you don’t feel like canceling your subscription because that’s just admitting to defeat. And when you finally decide it’s gone too far and it’s all just money out the window, you realize that you can’t even get out of the gym subscription. And now you feel worse and your wallet keeps getting lighter. Also, I don’t really like the idea of being in cramped spaces with a bunch of random people huffing and puffing, sweating it out on everything single piece of shared equipment. I honestly don’t get how people go to such gyms in the morning before going to work.

But if that’s your thing, more power to you! That being said, you’ll find it quite difficult to find gyms when you start your digital nomad lifestyle. I’ve only had a handful of times when my Airbnb or hotel had a gym facility. In fact, when I was in Quito, Ecuador I did spend a couple days a week at the shared gym. It was fairly empty but honestly, the equipment was either bad or broken so it wasn’t really that productive and in fact, it was dangerous! The treadmill would randomly skip, as in it would stop moving forward for a split second when you step on the surface. I could have seriously hurt my ankles! Sometimes, you will actually find some outdoors public exercise contraptions by public parks; think LA outdoor bodybuilder gyms. These can be fun, but every time I came across these it was just way too hot to even consider using them on a regular basis. Hats off to all the locals who in fact work out in such conditions!

Exploring your neighborhood by foot

One of my favorite things to do is to simply walk around my neighborhood. It’s a great way to get your bearings when you first arrive at your new home. You get to find out where the closest supermarkets, restaurants and bars are. When you’re walking, you also have a lot more time to take in the city and see how the people are, what type of food is available and you really get a feel for what it’s like to be living there. Sometimes it is fun to rent a bicycle, scooter or a car if you’re doing a road trip around the area, but you really don’t get to take in the city and the vibe as much as walking around.

I typically look at Google Maps or Maps.me (an open-source map app with sometimes good info not found on Google) before heading out and set a destination. That can be a restaurant or a bar, laundry service, a park or any kind of landmark that looks interesting to me. It doesn’t have to be that far either, it’s just a way to set a direction to follow. After that you can just explore the area, go with the flow. I also usually walk for about 2-3 hours, which is a good amount of exercise! I’ll go wander around and after about an hour, I’ll look at how I want to make my way back home and that can quickly add up to 2-3 hours. The next time around, I’ll look at the map again and go some separate direction to see what else there is to explore.

Walking is a great exercise because it doesn’t even feel like exercise. It’s very lightweight and you can go on for a long time. But at the same time it has a ton of health benefits and since it’s not strenuous you’re not likely to hurt yourself or overtrain. And when you walk around in the sun, you also get all that sunny vitamin D. Make sure you have plenty of battery on your phone so you can always easily find your way back home. Also, be careful when you pull out your phone in public. Don’t flash it around to draw attention to you and have it stolen. Smartphones have made their way everywhere around the world and you’ll see everyone with a smartphone. But there can always be pickpockets and petty thief so beware. With that in mind, make sure you pin all the fun places you found during your walking adventure. You’ll find places you’ll want to go back to and that aren’t necessarily marked on Google Maps!

Turn your walks into jogs

I used to love running and I suppose I still do. I ran the San Francisco Marathon in 2015 and that took 6 months of training. I don’t think anybody goes to such lengths if they don’t at least slightly enjoy jogging!

As part of my exercise routine outside of my marathon training, I used to go jogging around the block. I also liked to do long runs along the Bay and I really got into High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) where I would spring for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds, repeat for a total of 12 minutes. Believe me, it’s a lot harder than you think!

When I started traveling, I did try to continue jogging. It’s also another way to explore the city you temporarily calling home. But I never really enjoyed jogging to new areas especially if they’re busy with people. I like to have a pre-determined area where I want to jog and stick to that area, whether that’s a strip by the Bay, a trail around a park, or up and down a fairly quiet street. But if you enjoy exploring new areas while jogging, by all means you should go for it! Just obviously try to be respectful of the people around and don’t go flashing by local pedestrians!

Take in some Nature

I think you’re picking up on a thread here. Yes, I love using my feet to get around! Hiking is another one of those fun activities where you’re basically just using your legs to move from A to B. But what’s great is you get to be in Nature. And you’ll be surprised how different the fauna and flora can be entirely different in different parts of the world. An awesome website to check out is www.alltrails.com. They show a ton of different trails from all around the world so you can get a feel for what you’re getting into before heading out.

Certain parts of the world are famous for their hiking and so you can find organized hikes that you can sign up for. I used to sign up for these at hostels as they always have a ton of activities they want to advertise. After making friends over drinks at the hostel, you can ask about what activities they’re planning and if they’re interested in tagging along. That’s how I planned my hike up a volcano in Antigua, Guatemala. I even got to see a real-life volcano eruption, which was wild to see in person! Honestly, the hike was physically harder than the marathon. The marathon is a lot tougher psychologically. You keep asking yourself: when will this end?! But the steepness and the gravely way up the volcano was really tough. We also had to camp for the night so it involved a lot of hiking. But the reward of getting to the top and witnessing a volcano eruption and seeing Nature in all its glory was totally worth it!

Find fun activities to take part in!

You don’t have to limit yourself to just walking, jogging and hiking. As I mentioned earlier, hostels are great places to find out about what kind of activities are available in your area. Many times, the host or the person who’s working at the hostel is so excited to show you around, they might even be looking for someone to tag along with them!

If you’re into basketball, look for a public basketball court. If you’re into swimming, look for a swimming pool. If you’re into beach volleyball, hang out by the beach volleyball court and make friends. In fact, if you’re by the beach, it’s always fun to relax, nap, tan and read. But you can also go for a quick jog by the water, you can go for a brisk swim and if you bring an inflatable ball or buy some paddles, you can hang out with friends and do a casual game of paddle board.

When I was recently in Mandalay, Myanmar I was lucky that my girlfriend had a friend in the city. He invited us to play some futsal. I hadn’t kicked a soccer ball in years but it was exciting just to mess around and aimlessly run after the ball. I was sore for the next 3 days but it had been a while since I did such a brisk and breath-taking workout.

Body weight exercises at home

At the time of this writing, the coronavirus is forcing us all to stay at home. That makes it difficult to go out for a swim or even just a walk around the neighborhood. But not to fear, there are plenty of ways to work out at home. In fact, back when I lead a “settler” lifestyle, this was the main way I got my exercise done. I did a lot of running, but most of the time I was just working out at home. And although I invested in a few dumbbells and jump rope, you really don’t need that much to get a good workout.

I don’t expect to travel around the world carrying dumbbells in your backpack. That would be a terrible idea unless your idea of backpacking is carrying bricks around. But there’s a ton of bodyweight exercises you can do at home. Also, there’s a ton of free smartphone apps you can install and follow along with the prompts. Also, you can easily search for body weight exercises on YouTube to find out all the best routines you can add to your schedule. I usually just focus on some lower abs and obliques for body weight. That’s because I have a few other tricks down my sleeve for a full body workout.

I’m more on the slim side but I tend to want to focus my workouts around my chest. And many of the exercises that focus on the chest typically require gym equipment. But I recently came across some super lightweight resistance bands that I can carry around with me on my travels. They come in different shapes and resistances but since they’re so light, buying a couple of these is a no-brainer. You can use them for stretches, your upper body, lower body, core, etc… There’s a ton of YouTube videos that showcase all the best routines so be sure to search for resistance band exercises there.

Nintendo Switch Fitness Boxing

And for my final trick, I’ve got the best thing ever! Of course, it has to involve gaming. Fitness Boxing on the Nintendo Switch is a super fun game that gives you a true workout. No joke. In the beginning, I tried to stick to the daily recommended 30 minutes full body workout. But I would be so sore after a couple days and I’d give up on it until the next week. I tried dialing it down to the other recommended option of daily 20 minutes full body workouts, and I still found myself skipping days from soreness and exhaustion. If you put your all in this game, it’s really no joke. Now, I’ve settled with a daily 10 minute chest workout which at the end of the day still gets your whole body working out. And I’m finally able to keep up with a daily routine with this.

What’s great about the software is that it gamifies exercising, the music is great, it really gets you moving, the challenge keeps increasing as you learn new moves and combos and you don’t need to buy any extra peripheral (like Ring Fit Adventure). You just strap your Joy-cons in each hand and punch away! I’m sure there’s a bunch of other games you could buy that follow the same concept like Just Dance 2020, but this one I knew I would get into from the start so that’s what I went for. There’s even a free demo on the Nintendo e-shop so go ahead and try that out!

That’s it for the tips and tricks I have to keep in shape when traveling around the world, whether I’m self-quarantining or not. I hope this is helpful and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you on the next one!

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Latest Blog Posts

• How To Exercise While Traveling Around The World
• How To Cook When Traveling Around The World
• That One Time I Almost Got Mugged in Colombia
• What Is A Mobile WiFi Hotspot? Do I Need One As A Digital Nomad?
• Our Best Chicken Wings Experience In Da Nang Vietnam

It took me a while to figure out what it was that I missed the most from my previous “settler” lifestyle. But I figured it out. I miss having my own kitchen! Having a full-sized fridge with a freezer, a big enough kitchen with at least 2 stoves, a large sink, the essential cooking appliances and good kitchen equipment. I’m not a pro cook, I’m just an amateur who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. Also, when you’re traveling long-term it gets very tiring to go out for every single meal. And if you’re on a budget and spending time at hostels you’ll find many fellow travelers gathering around the kitchen to make cheap meals. So, how do you cook when you’re traveling around the world?

Find A Place With A Kitchen… Duh…

The obvious answer is to find accommodation that includes a kitchen. You can always find hostels with common area kitchens on Booking.com and I would recommend you look at the photos and the comments to make sure it looks useable. There have been many times when the equipment just wasn’t useable like blunt knives, no fridge, even pots with holes in them! If you’re going the Airbnb route, accommodation will likely be more expensive if you look for a place with a kitchen. But if you’re staying long-term, chances are it’ll be worth it.

Also, I would recommend doing your groceries early when you arrive at your new place so you get all the essentials and have enough time to use it up during your stay. Check your kitchen to see what’s available. Sometimes prior visitors will leave behind cooking oil, salt, pepper, sometimes some herbs, spices and sauces too. Some of my fondest memories staying at hostels was making friends around the kitchen and common dining place exchanging ingredients, sharing food and just hanging out around a nice cheap meal.

Doing Your Groceries

It’s quite obvious but worth mentioning: try to get what you need in the size that you think is best for the length of your stay. If you’re traveling overland for a while, you can invest in some cooking oil, salt and spices to carry from one place to the next. In terms of ingredients when doing your groceries, you’ll want to buy fresh local ingredients. You can find a ton of fresh fruit and vegetables for cheap. Sometimes you’ll find places that sell meats that have been lying out in the air. I would typically avoid those and go for packaged meats to stay on the safer side. For eggs, you may find it weird that they keep them outside at room temperature. That’s in fact quite common around the world, even in certain European countries. If you find them refrigerated, keep them refrigerated at home. But if you find them stored at room temperature, it’s perfectly safe to keep them that way at home as well. Makes more room for your fridge too!

Of course, what you buy will depend on what type of diet you have. Many travelers are vegetarian or vegan, which is great because you can find really fruit and vegetables that are fresh and sometimes exotic to you, but local to where you’re traveling. I like to periodically experiment with my diets and so my grocery shopping habits will change from one year to another. I was vegan for over a year when I was back in San Francisco, I tried the ketogenic diet for about 6 months while traveling. And I’m now experimenting with keto carnivore. Not full carnivore just yet as my diet revolves around meats and greens, and eggs and cheese. I know it sounds hardcore, but I’ve found that I can still have a lot of variety in my meals and I’m seeing some good benefits to my skin and overall energy levels. I might do a separate blog post on diets and nutrition as I have been obsessed with different diets for a while.

You May Not Always Need To Cook

When I first arrived in Vietnam, my first country in Asia during my travels, after traveling through Latin America, my first reflex was to go do some basic groceries. I couldn’t find a small bag of rice, so I opted for a 1kg bag. Big mistake. When I got back to my Airbnb, I found the equipment was lacking and it was always a mess to cook. And at the end of the day, what I came to find out is that street food outside is so prevalent, very cheap, authentic and really good that it made no sense to actually cook at home! It’s almost like, any local who cooks for themselves just set up shop outside and sells some to people as street food as well. That’s an exaggeration but it certainly felt that way. You might be scared about eating street food in certain parts of the world, but it’s the best way to try the local food! Always make sure what they’re serving looks fresh, try to go to places that are crowded with other locals, and enjoy!

Street food is a ton of fun and is a huge topic that I will keep for another blog post.

If You Just Don’t Have A Kitchen

If you’re really in the mood to cook but you just don’t have a kitchen to cook in, one option is to take a local cooking class. I have never got a chance to get to it, although I would love to give it a try someday. You’ll get to learn the local staples and core ingredients, how to prepare them, the history of the dishes and at the end you can to eat a delicious meal you prepared hanging around making new friends!

When I was in Pattaya in Thailand for about 2 months, I didn’t have a kitchen but I was desperate to get to cooking. The area I was in was very “clubby”. A ton of girls working the streets at night, loud music playing until 2am every night and many of the places to eat around the corner were catered to long-time older expats or young adults dropping by for a long weekend bachelor party so it would mostly be Western food. So I was enthralled to eat out that much. Also, I had been traveling without a kitchen for a while and I was just really in the mood to cook. Plus, watching cooking YouTube videos non-stop did not help. I even came across crafty people figuring out how to cook with clothes irons in hotel rooms!

So I looked around on the internet and came across this compact foldable hot pot device. I was hooked! I kept looking at the specifications, what they said you could cook in it. It also works as a hot water kettle, which sometimes is baffling but hotels and Airbnbs sometimes don’t even have those. And so I bought it, but it was going to take a while because I got it on AliExpress. In the meantime, I gave in to my addiction to cooking videos on YouTube and learned a ton about how to cook Thai food. I was also thinking in my mind how I can adjust the recipe so I can cook it in my new foldable hot pot. I even came across a YouTuber who had a similar compact device and he was just experimenting a bunch of recipes too. That was super cool and inspiring. It made me think I could even start my own YouTube channel where I would show how I experiment with my new hotpot as well!

Experimenting With My New Kitchen

When it finally came, I was so excited. I bought a bunch of local ingredients at the supermarket and got to try a bunch of Thai recipes. I got to a point where I was able to cook some decent meals. And so after a while, I wanted to try some new things and I came across some more YouTube videos on how to cook sous-vide steaks. So I gave that a shot too! The result didn’t look great since I didn’t have any equipment to sear the steak at the end. But it was still really juicy and cooked through! I would definitely recommend this device if you’re always in a mood to cook and are in a situation where you often come across accommodations where they don’t have a kitchen. It’s a ton of fun to experiment with and you can cook some surprisingly good meals too!

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YouTube Your Way To Become A Chef

Some of you may be excellent cooks, but many of us are total newbies. What I found to be the best way to learn, is simply to watch YouTube cooking videos. There’s a ton out there and here are a few of my favorite channels.

• Brothers Green Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrothersGreenEats
• Pai’s Thai Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/user/PailinsKitchen
• Helen’s Vietnamese Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelenRecipes

It can seem daunting at first, but as long as you take it slow, keep expectations low, keep trying new things and don’t set your Airbnb on fire, you’ll be having a ton of fun! If you don’t have the exact ingredient or equipment you need for a recipe, that’s fine. Just try thinking outside the box and see how you can make it your own recipe.

So even though I really do miss having my own kitchen and the luxury of having all the appliances I can work with, it’s still fun to cook while traveling. I love watching YouTube recipes and adjusting them to what I have at my temporary home. At the end of the day, I’m no great cook, but that’s the part that I enjoy the most. Experimenting and trying different things and then tasting the results of the hard work.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you on the next one!

Latest Blog Posts

• How To Exercise While Traveling Around The World
• How To Cook When Traveling Around The World
• That One Time I Almost Got Mugged in Colombia
• What Is A Mobile WiFi Hotspot? Do I Need One As A Digital Nomad?
• Our Best Chicken Wings Experience In Da Nang Vietnam

One of the questions that people always ask is: Is it really safe to travel around the world? The truth of it is that it’s just as safe and just as dangerous as living in most other places, in general… Obviously, you want to avoid places that are known to be dangerous. And you have to be aware of your surroundings and take necessary precautions to not be easily targeted. But most of these things are quite straight-forward and you probably already are cautious enough on a daily basis in your home town. Here’s the story of how I almost got mugged in Colombia. By the end of this story, I think you’ll understand better what I mean.

From Bogotá To Medellín

I arrived in Bogotá around July of 2017, only about 4 months into my round the world trip. I stayed at a hostel and made some friends, many of whom were French. Then, I had a friend who came to visit and together we traveled from Bogotá to Salento and then Medellín. When I said goodbye to my friend in Medellín, I knew that my original hostel friends had also made their way to Medellín and so I decided to stay at the same hostel as theirs. When I arrived that late afternoon, I made some new friends. Many of them French, but also an Argentinian guy. We also went to buy more beer at the liquor store about 4 minutes away.

And after having a good time, around midnight (not that late), we had run out of booze and I thought it’d be nice to continue the night with a bottle of rum. So I asked if it was safe to walk at night alone to buy alcohol. Even the host of the hostel said it’s perfectly safe. I already knew the way and it’s only 4 minutes away.

And so I took off on my own, found the liquor store and bought a bottle of rum and a can of beer, just for the road. As I’m drinking my beer walking my way back home, by the way I was only a little tipsy mostly sober, I’m passing this street which wasn’t very well lit. I see a tall Colombian guy coming my way on the same side of the street. I noticed one of his hands was wrapped in some bandage. In any case, I continued on and as soon as he passed me on my left hand side, he somehow out of nowhere grabbed me from my loose sleeveless shirt from the front and violently pulled at me. The next split-second, I realized he had a knife in his other hand, waving at above his head pointing at me. He was yelling something to me in fast Spanish and I didn’t understand a word he was saying!

Ninja Reflexes

I honestly don’t know what came through my mind at that point. I was just gripped by the fear and the adrenaline shot up in me. I was trying to say something to the guy just to try and calm things down but out of nowhere, I had this ninja reflex to throw my half full can of beer straight at his face! The next thing I knew, I was on the tarmac, my loose shirt over my face. And so I immediately took off my shirt, picked up the bottle of rum from the handle and bottle up in an attack stance, and I got back up. I saw the tall Colombian guy standing further away and he was backing away slowly yelling at me “Gringo! Gringo!”. With the adrenaline still in me, and now somehow maybe feeling more in control of the situation out of his grip, I yelled what was the most gringo thing I could have screamed at him back: “F*** YOU!!! F*** YOU!!!”.

I was slowly backing away myself and when he got out of sight, I turned around and briskly walked back to the hostel while making sure he wasn’t following me. I remember distinctly that when I made it to the better lit intersection, not even 30 seconds away, there was a lit garage with an old man sitting on a stool outside, just chilling. Looking at me with my bottle of rum shirtless. I see him and I’m just passing by telling him in broken Spanish: “Es peligroso aqui! / It’s dangerous out here!”.

I pass him by and to my left is already the entrance to my hostel. I remember my hands shaking as I was trying to grab the lock and fit the key in it to open the gate. And as soon as I got back in, everyone was just chilling, drinking beer, playing guitar and chatting. I sat down, put the rum down, and told them I just got mugged. And they all stopped what they were doing and looked at me and I must have been all shook up because they realized I wasn’t joking. So I tell them the story and they were all flabbergasted! Of course, they were sorry for me, they said they should have come with me. Even the host said that in this part of town, nothing of the sort has happened in at least more than a decade!

And so that night, we stayed up all night and finished that bottle of rum. I can tell you, that was the best rum I have ever had.

Jokingly when I tell this story, I say the morale of the story is that alcohol saved my life! If it wasn’t for that half can of beer and that bottle of rum, I probably wouldn’t have been able to defend myself. Then again, if buying alcohol was not the original motivator for me to go outside at night, I obviously wouldn’t have gotten myself in this situation. In any case, I was understandably shook up for about another week when I was there. But in no way did this make me think that I should stop my travels and go back home.

With Hindsight

With hindsight, I was lucky that the one time this happened I came out of safe and sound with only a few bruises on my back from that fall on the tarmac. I was also extremely lucky that my aim was good and I was able to hit him in the face with my can of beer. Also, I’m not entirely sure if he was holding a real knife. For all I know, it could have been a toy knife or whatever, just something to use as a scare tactic. He might not have had the intention to hurt me gravely, but I acted as though he was ready to slash me. The other thing that I still find mind-boggling is: if he was trying to mug me expecting me to give him my wallet or my phone, I had both of my hands busy carrying alcohol. He grabbed me and yelled at me so violently such that he didn’t even give me a chance to reach out for my wallet! What was he thinking?!

Of course, I’m not condoning violence. When I threw that can of beer, that was all sheer adrenaline for self-defense. If you know me, I’m not the violent type and I don’t like fights or even arguments at all. It was so curious to me where that reflex came from, but I’m glad it was there when I needed it the most. At that time, I wasn’t really exercising or playing any sports that demanded physical reflexes but I had it in me when I needed it!

Isn’t Colombia Dangerous? Well…

So you might think, well this is Colombia, it’s a dangerous place, what were you expecting? It’s true that Medellín has a bad reputation since you might have seen it portrayed as the city where all the drug gangs and cartels were operating. The fact is that in the past decade, it has cleaned up in a spectacular fashion up to the point it has now been a huge tourist destination. It is one of the safest and most developing and prosperous places in Colombia. The mayor there is heralded as the hero who managed to bring peace and prosperity to the entire area that used to be full of gang violence and poverty by introducing all manners of public policies to curb the situation.

The hallmark of his work is the metrocable which is a gondola lift metropolitan transportation system which connected all the poor surrounding areas to the center where all the jobs are. Most of these poor areas are high up on the hills or even on the other side of these hills. That allowed many to find jobs in the city center. Furthermore, since it’s a gondola lift, it doesn’t increase traffic on the streets and its a much more ecological solution to public transportation. And since the success of the metrocable, numerous other cities around the world are exploring and implementing similar solutions.

Rant On Inequality

It also got me thinking about the preconception that poorer countries are dangerous. In my opinion, what leads to violence is wealth and opportunity inequality. When I traveled to many of these less developed countries, I saw that many of locals were not necessarily very rich, but at the same time most other people in their surroundings aren’t rich either. I do believe that no human being is really born with bad intentions with the goal of hurting people around them. Most likely it’s a response to their situation and they’re acts of desperation. And so to be honest, I felt like some of the streets in San Francisco or even New York make me feel a lot less safe. Many of the people on the streets are desperate and they’re seeing how unfortunate they are while people are passing by happy with comfortable lives on a daily basis. And if they turn to drugs and are surrounded by other desperate people, that makes them more desperate and makes the streets even scarier.

What I Learned

So at the end of the day, I was mugged in a city that could resemble many other cities around the world. And that’s what I want to get to. I could have come across this unfortunate situation in the middle of Paris, New York, San Francisco or London! You just have to be careful, get your bearings and try not to find yourself in a dangerous situation. Since then, I try not to go out on the streets on my own at night. I try to avoid walking close to people if I am in that situation. Every time I arrive at a new destination, I always ask my host whether it’s an Airbnb or a hostel, whether it’s safe to walk alone, what the best transportation options are whether they’re public transportation or a car-hailing app like Uber or Grab.

So that’s my experience with almost getting mugged on the streets of Medellín. I’m lucky I didn’t get hurt and haven’t come across any other such events so far in my 3-year adventure. I hope this helps you get a better understanding of what it’s like out there and that it doesn’t discourage from traveling. Just be sure to stay safe and enjoy what the world has to offer.

Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you on the next one!

Latest Blog Posts

• How To Exercise While Traveling Around The World
• How To Cook When Traveling Around The World
• That One Time I Almost Got Mugged in Colombia
• What Is A Mobile WiFi Hotspot? Do I Need One As A Digital Nomad?
• Our Best Chicken Wings Experience In Da Nang Vietnam

At this point, you’ll come to understand that digital nomads not only travel around the world, but they also make a living while traveling. That is how we’re able to travel long-term. And yes, there are many different ways to earn money while traveling. But the 2 most lucrative and sustainable ways are doing freelance remote work and building your own online business. And you know what both of these methods involve? You got it right. You need a decent internet connection. And while most of the times you’ll try to stick to places where you’ll have a stable connection, it’s still very common to find yourself disconnected. That is not ideal when you really need to get online for that call with your client…

So what’s the solution to ensuring you have a good internet connection at all times? You will want to invest in a mobile WiFi hotspot.

What Is A Mobile WiFi Hotspot?

It’s simple really. It’s a portable electronic device that you carry around with you and when you need to connect to the internet, you can turn it on and voilà! You have an internet connection. There are many different kinds on the market and I’ll be reviewing all the best WiFi hotspots for digital nomads on this blog. There are a number of criteria that I like to focus on even though many come with extra bells and whistles. But first things first…

How Do Mobile WiFi Hotspots Work?

There are in fact 2 different kinds of hotspots: ones you need to buy and insert a SIM card, and those that allow you to use what’s called a Cloud SIM.

The traditional types require you to buy a local SIM card in whichever country you are to gain access to internet. You can usually buy a SIM card with just a data plan i.e. without calls or text messages. However, buying a SIM card every other month as you travel around the world as a digital nomad gets tiring very quickly!

Newer hotspot models come with a new technology they call a Cloud SIM. What that allows you to do is to connect online to your hotspot’s service provider (e.g. GlocalMe, Skyroam, etc…) and you can purchase data plans off the internet which will then be activated directly on your hotspot device. Yes, you do need an internet connection to purchase these data plans. But usually, they will give you a recurring time-limited plan which should give you enough time to purchase your data plan. How ironic is it that you need internet to buy more internet. But that’s the way it is…

For digital nomads, I recommend these newer Cloud SIM mobile WiFi hotspots hands-down! It’s such a hassle having to find and purchase SIM cards and you don’t want to be running around looking for one when all you need is to connect to the internet to catch up with your client online for that important call.

How Much Does A Mobile WiFi Hotspot Device Cost?

WiFi hotspots come in all kinds of models. But I will only be reviewing those that are portable enough for long-term traveling. And in general, they can cost anywhere from $50-$150. And it will come down to the different types of features you may want and may not need. But remember, this is an essential device you’ll be needing to earn your money as you travel. So I suggest you do your research thoroughly and invest in the best device for you. Lucky for you, I have done a ton of research into the best devices for you so you can make a well-informed purchase decision. Check out my reviews here: travelsalot.com/best-mobile-wifi-hotspots

How Much Do Data Plans Cost?

This will be dependent on which device and which provider you go with. Also, you’ll find that depending on which provider you go with, prices will be different for various regions of the world. So one thing you can do before buying your mobile WiFi hotspot is to preemptively create a “tentative” itinerary of which countries you’ll be traveling to for the 1st year. I say “tentative” because as you’ll come to find, nothing is set in stone when you get into this nomad lifestyle. To learn more about how you should create your travel itinerary, check out my blog post on the subject here: travelsalot.com/how-to-create-your-travel-itinerary.

At the end of the day though, if you are committed in the lifestyle and you end up traveling non-stop for several years, you’ll end up covering a lot of ground anyway so I would mostly focus on the device’s features over the price. Also, I’m not a financial/tax adviser, but depending on what kind of work you’ll be doing (remote freelancer or starting your own online business), chances are you’ll be able to expense/deduct these internet costs.

Again, I’ve done all the research for you so you don’t have to! Make sure you check out my reviews for the best mobile WiFi hotspot plans here: travelsalot.com/best-mobile-wifi-hotspot-plans

What If I Plan On Using The WiFi At Hotels And Cafés?

Yes, you will encounter many free WiFi spots at hotels, Airbnbs, cafés, bars and restaurants. Also, the WiFi situation just keeps getting better around the world. You’ll find that most locals are sitting at cafés or at street food plastic chairs for kids furiously typing away or intently watching YouTube videos on their smartphones. But here are a few things you want to keep in mind.

1. Yes, you want to use these free internet spots as much as possible to avoid paying extra in data plans. So make sure you regularly double-check which internet you’re using and you’re not browsing away all your data plan.

2. Indeed, locals are using their smartphone data plans like there’s no tomorrow. But remember they’re using their own local data plan with a local SIM card. As a digital nomad, you can avoid having to buy a local SIM card each time you’re in a new country if you use a Cloud SIM mobile WiFi hotspot.

3. Many of these free local WiFi spots are good for easy browsing and blog editing, but it may not be strong enough for watching videos or running data-intensive programs on your computer. Which also brings me to my final points…

4. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you need to take an important work call and you’re stuck with a free local WiFi spot that just isn’t strong enough. So to avoid any big surprises, it’s always good to have your own reliable WiFi.

A Few Tips And Tricks…

In my many years of traveling, I’ve come across many different situations when I wish someone had given me the following tips and tricks. So here they are for you so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I made.

Whenever you arrive at a new hotel or Airbnb, connect to the free WiFi and use the free SpeedTest mobile app by Ookla to test your internet speed. You want to have a small number for your Ping metric, high numbers for the Download and Upload metrics. Over time, you’ll get a good sense for what’s a good internet connection for your needs.

Advice number 2, connect to the free WiFi and call your parents or your grandparent or a friend or your pet back at home. You’ll be able to check how good the WiFi actually is when you’re on a call and on top of that, your grandparent will be super happy to hear from you: 2 birds with 1 stone!

And finally, I would still advise you buy one of the cheaper data plans on your device just in case you really need to have internet in a pinch. You never know when you’ll need to make an internet call, whether it’s for work or for an emergency!

And as a bonus, here are 2 free mobile apps I also recommend you check out!

WHA (Work Hard Anywhere)

With this free app you can find thousands of cafés and restaurants with information on whether they have free WiFi, how strong the connection is, but also valuable info like if they have a lot of outlets to charge your computer, how much seating they have, if they have a full food menu, coffee, tea and also their hours of operation. You can also create an account and help the community by adding spots. It can be frustrating when looking for this type of information in Google Maps reviews. I don’t understand why reviewers don’t leave comments on whether or not the place has a free WiFi and if there’s a password, why they don’t leave it in there. Which brings me to the next free app recommendation…

Click here to download WHA

Instabridge

This free app made by a Swedish company has accumulated an impressive number of WiFi passwords hosted by hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés. As a bonus, when you get close to the WiFi source, Instabridge will try to connect to it if the password is public. Again, you can help the community by adding new WiFi passwords to the system. Plus, it’s super easy! Just connect to the free WiFi, open up Instabridge and you can automagically upload the WiFi information to the system.

Click here to download Instabridge

Conclusion

So there you have it, a quick overview of what mobile WiFi hotspots are, why I strongly recommend you invest in buying one before you set off on your journey, along with tips and tricks so you never find yourself in a difficult situation when you need internet pronto.

Make sure to check out my reviews of the best mobile WiFi hotspots and those with the best data plans.

You may now know this about my girlfriend and I, but we’re crazy about chicken wings! We developed this love for hot wings back in Japan where we started finding some good spots for them. Then when we started traveling, we’d have these cravings and would always be on the lookout for the best hot wings in town. Now that we’re traveling around the world together as digital nomads, it just clicked that we wanted to continue our worldly search for the best chicken wing experiences everywhere we go and to share them in our travel blog.

We recently arrived in Da Nang Vietnam for our 2nd time. Last time being back in May 2019. At that time, we thought we found the best chicken wings at a Korean restaurant and that was the original reason why we wanted to come back to Da Nang. But unfortunately, we found out that they were permanently closed. And so, when we got to Da Nang we had to start our search all over again.

Top 15 Highlights Of TiLo

Before I even go in to tell you all about this special gem of a place, let me list out all the top highlights of TiLo:

1. Best Chicken Wings In Da Nang

By far, the best chicken wings we’ve had. More on that below obviously, this is what we want to talk about in depth here.

2. Best Hospitality At A Bar/Restaurant

We had an awesome time hanging out with Team TiLo who were making sure we were having a fun time with them there.

3. Best Crêpes In Da Nang

They’re actually best known for their crêpes since that’s how they started out. There are a bunch of other places that are known for crêpes in the area, but you’ll want to make sure you try these out!

4. Super Friendly Atmostphere

We made some really cool people just hanging out the few times we were there. Everyone is super friendly and open to hang out and chat.

5. The Staff Speaks English (and French)

Tring is Vietnamese from Ho Chi Minh City originally and Lolo (Laurent) is from Paris, but they both speak excellent English and French. Super chill people who are happy to communicate with you in your preferred language.

6. Good WiFi

Yes, I actually did work while drinking beers and having the best wings in town here. Music is not too loud so unless you need to take a call, you can easily come here to do some work.

7. Pool Table Anyone?

If you’re looking for a relaxing game of pool, this is one of the best chill places to do so. Many of the other billiard places in the area are quite intimidating as they look more like clubs for pros.

8. Great Location

It’s close to the expat area but just 100 meters away from the really crowded area, making this a must check out not-so hidden gem.

9. Open Until 2am

Down to party until the wee hours of the night? People are hanging out until 2am and since it’s close to everything, you can easily grab a safe Grab scooter ride back home.

10. Large TV Screen For Soccer Fans

It was the South East Asian cup when I was there and so it was fun watching Vietnam beat Thailand on the big screen when locals and expats were cheering them on.

11. Reasonable Price

At 80k Vietnamese duong (3.46 USD) for a plate of 5 of the best chicken wings in Da Nang, you really can’t go wrong here!

12. Cheap Beers

Local beers at 25k Vietnamese duong (1.08 USD) means you can keep ordering until closing time at 2am.

13. Clean Bathrooms

It can be difficult finding nice clean bathrooms at local bars and restaurants here in Da Nang. But rest assured that you won’t have to be grossed out every time you have to go pee after every 2 beers you drink.

14. Restaurant-Owning Family History

Lolo’s parents owned a Vietnamese restaurant back in Paris for 25 years. They were even awarded for their long-standing business and support for the local Vietnamese community at the city hall of Paris (Mairie de Paris). So you know that Team TiLo have a ton of know-how when it comes to working behind the kitchen.

15. Loveliest Couple Working As A Team

As you must have guessed it by now, Tring and Laurent (Lolo) started this business together and combined their first names to name their business TiLo. They are a super friendly cheerful couple that when they combine their efforts together, have created a unique experience here in Da Nang.

How We Found Out About TiLo

I arrived before Yukino and was craving for chicken wings so I simply searched for chicken wings on Google Maps. I found a few interesting places so I head out on a long walk checking each place out as I walked past them, but none of them were really what I was looking for… So I kept walking for about 40 minutes and came across the last one on my list that I was going to check out.

It was somewhat crowded with a bunch of foreign expats playing pool in this open space while music was playing. I went in to ask about the chicken wings and met Tring in the open kitchen where she takes orders. I ordered a small plate of spicy chicken wings which she said would take 20 minutes so I grabbed a Saigon Red beer and sat by the street.

Before I knew it, she was back with my wings. They were breaded and came with a spicy sauce on the side. And although I’m not the biggest fan of breaded chicken wings, these were super tasty. The flavor was flowing from within so you could tell that the chicken was in fact cooked in spices before being breaded.

After that order, I found that they also had pan-fried ones so I went back to the kitchen to order those. There was another cook back there and I asked them to make these spicier. That’s when I found out that the cook was French so we spoke in French and turned out that both Tring and Lolo spoke French. So we chatted a little more about how they made the wings and then I left them to focus on the cooking.

When those wings arrived, that’s when I knew I hit the jackpot! The spices were actually set in the meat and the spicy sauce was in fact spicier as promised. These were by far the best chicken wings I had in Da Nang! I knew that when Yukino would be arriving in a week’s time that we’d have to come back so she can taste them too.

But It Was Also The Best Hospitality We’ve Had In Da Nang

While I was having my wings, Tring dropped by to ask about the spiciness which I had to agree was a lot better than I expected. And after a while, Lolo came to join me and we talked about his cooking technique and then about how he started his kitchen with Tring. And then one beer led to another and we ended up spending the next 3 hours chatting over beers and wings.

When Yukino finally arrived a week later, as I promised Tring and Lolo, I took her to try the wings. She agreed that these chicken wings were by far the best she had in Da Nang as well! Not only that, the TiLo team came back to hang out with us over beers and wings. We were just hanging out but you can tell that they really wanted to make sure we were having an awesome experience, which we did. When you go, make sure you talk to them. And if you’re a foodie and want to talk about food, you’ll have endless conversations about cuisines and cooking.

When we asked them what else was most popular on the menu, they pointed us to their pizza. So we went for the Cheesa pizza which was a simple thin crust blue cheese pizza. But it had the best ingredients and the dough was fantastic. And as we were munching away at each slice, we were surprised to learn that Lolo actually makes the dough himself. After hindsight, it totally made sense. It tasted homemade and it was really light, which Lolo pointed out was because he used little to no yeast.

It happens that Lolo takes care of all the dough-based food like the pizzas, baguettes and their famous crepes, whereas Tring worked the frying and the pans. Even though they are more famous for their crepes, which is how they started out, the pizzas were in fact what Lolo was most proud of, and we could tell not just by the way he was talking about them, but also by the actual taste and crispiness of the thin crust.

Best Ingredients Make The Best Food

As we kept talking about the techniques they use for cooking, the question of ingredients obviously came about. How do you find good blue cheese in Vietnam? He spent months finding the best suppliers for his restaurant. He picks them out personally from different places. He makes friends with the local sellers so they always give him the best and freshest on the market.

And you know they know how to use their ingredients. I love it spicy so Tring made my chicken wings extra spicy and Yukino asked hers to be less spicy and Tring was happy to make a separate sauce for her. What that means is that they actually make all the food especially for you behind the scenes.

The Friends We Made There

We met a French sous-chef who works at 3-star French restaurant at a 5-star InterContinental hotel in Da Nang. He was chill and unpretentious and even recommended us the Apocalypse Now club to catch some Techno tunes nearby.

I also met a French business man who’s in the business of exporting bamboo based products in France to help with the environment. Apparently, French law will be banning plastic utensils soon so there’s a lot of business to be had and he sounded very excited about the business opportunity side of things but also how he’s doing his part in helping the environment.

And I had beers into the late night until closing time with Australian Hank who’s a 50-year old surfer dude. It was impressive to hear that he’s still surfing pretty much every day at his age! Such a cool surfer duuude.

Best Is Still To Come

When we met Tring and Lolo, we got to spend time with them at their OG location which was awesome but they told us about their plans to move to a newer better location soon! We can’t wait to see where they take their chicken wing adventure moving forward! They can be sure we’ll be back to support them!

Make sure to check them out when you make your way to Da Nang. You can learn more here: Google Maps to TiLo

And if you enjoyed this blog post, leave us a comment below. You can also find all our best chicken wings blog posts here: travelsalot.com/travel-blog/best-chicken-wings-around-the-world

Where to Start…

It’s hard to pick a good place to start. So I guess I’ll start at the beginning…

I started my travels in Cancún, México. In only 9 days, I managed to not only get my PADI diver’s license. I also met my very first traveler friends. I ended up reconnecting with them throughout my travels, as you’ll see. And I keep in contact with them even to this day! I’ve had the opportunity to even visit them where they live. I traveled to Manchester UK as well as Stuttgart and Darmstadt Germany on a few occasions!

Time to Head Backwards Already

And although I had just started my travels, I flew all the way back to the other side of México to Rosarito. We celebrated my college friend’s birthday with our whole San Francisco crew for 4 days.

They had an easy 2-3 hours flight from San Francisco. But I had to fly 6-7 hours just to get there from within the same country! Little did I know that my future travels would include many of these unplanned flying back and forth situations.

One Direction

If you’ve read any other travel blog, they advise to travel in one direction (East or West). It helps with jet lag and it’s also better for your ecological footprint. But the freedom you gain from traveling also means that it’s tempting and it’s sometimes necessary to change your plans. It’s something you should keep in mind because most of the times, these trips can be costly. Not just in terms of travel tickets, but also when you’re staying in these places. Usually, you’re going back to see friends and family in more developed and expensive countries.

That’s why you should make sure to have enough cash in the bank for these interruptions. At the end of the day though, nothing beats reuniting with good friends every once in a while!

And On to Cuba

I flew back to Cancún for just 3 days to catch a flight I had already booked for Cuba. Cuba is still to this day a major highlight of my round the world trip!

It really was an adventure! We had barely any internet and I had to quickly brush up on my Spanish. We had to haggle for prices for just about everything. It was such an interesting place to visit though because of its history. Speaking with some of the local people, even in broken Spanish, was eye-opening. And as I mentioned earlier, how I had made my first traveler friends within the first week of my travels…

It just happened to be that one of them had booked flights for the exact same dates! And so we decided to travel together. We spent some time in Havana, Viñales, Varadero and made it back to Havana in 9 days. In that time, I learned so much about how to go about things when backpacking from one town to another. And to Mitch I am most grateful!

More Travels throughout México

Following Cuba, I returned to Cancún for one night. After that, I made my way down to Playa del Carmen where I met up with the other traveler friend I made that first week!

It just so happened that we had similar plans and timeline. We were both traveling our way through Central America and so we decided to travel together. Mitch taught me everything about haggling, talking to girls in foreign countries and making our own plans instead of going on organized tours. Annika on the other hand taught me how to organize ourselves when making our next moves on our trip, relentlessly looking for fun things to do at each destination and how to enjoy the beach!

I was always more of a mountain type of person. I always loved all the winter activities. But now, I’m definitely more of a chillax at the beach kinda guy!

Together with Annika we traveled from Playa del Carmen to Isla Cozumel. Then back to Playa del Carmen and then over to Tulum over 13 days.

I then had to say goodbye to Annika, only for a while though as I soon came to discover. She found a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a Caribbean cruise which included a stop in Cuba. She would be a volunteer on the boat so it was very inexpensive, but she would be working as a crew member. I had told her all about my experience in Cuba and kept telling her that she should definitely go. And so we parted ways. She went on her cruise going back North and I continued down South to Bacalar.

Love at First Sight with Esmeralda

Before heading down to Bacalar though, I did a one-day trip back to Playa del Carmen where I wanted to find myself a guitar. I’ve been playing the guitar since I was 14. And when I considered traveling I made the tough decision to leave mine behind. But only 35 days into my travels and I caved in! I met other travelers with guitars of all sizes and I kept asking if I could borrow theirs. But I realized just how big music is a part of my life. And so I had to get my hands on my own new guitar! And so, since then, Esmeralda has been traveling with me ever since. I like to think that I travel solo, but at the end of the day, I’m never really alone.

It’s a Small World After All

In Bacalar, I found 2 French guys at the bus station getting tickets for my next destination. To my surprise, they were the same guys I had just met back at our hostel in Tulum. I guess it’s not that much of a surprise, most people tend to go through similar routes. But, what was even more surprising was that one of them grew up in my small hometown of Fontainebleau! We went to the same school, and his sister was friends with my brother! I even got a chance to catch up with them again a year later in Paris! Just goes to show you how small this world really is. You’ll never know who you’ll meet during your travels!

We spent a day at the beach in Mahahual because we had to catch the bus the next day anyway. And so the next day, we took the same bus to Palenque. I was thinking I would continue traveling some more with them but then I got a message…

The Fantastic Fourth

The last of the 4 friends I made that first week just made it to San Cristóbal! And I was going to leave from there in only a few days! So I decided to say goodbye to my Frenchies at the Palenque station. After an 8 hour night bus ride with them, I waited an hour at the bus station. After which, I took another 8 hour bus ride over to San Cristóbal! It’s always hard to say goodbye but that’s just how the backpacker lifestyle goes. You meet people, you have a good time, and the next thing you know, you have to say goodbye to them. Then, you just have to hope that your paths will cross again at some point on the road.

I ended up staying in San Cristóbal for 10 days and had a blast. Mitch and Annika taught me so many things in the beginning of my trip. But it was David who pulled it all together. He’s been traveling for over 2 years. And we connected right away from the moment we first met over a month before back in Cancún. He infected me with his enthusiasm for traveling, his resourcefulness when it comes to long-term traveling and his humble nature towards experiencing everything the world has to offer. Little did I know that our paths would yet again cross in the near future!

Last Stop for my México Travels

This would be my last stop in this amazing country that is México. I started in one of the most touristy places (Cancún) and ended in the Southern most city closest to the border with their neighboring country. All in all I would have to say that San Cristóbal might have been my favorite! México is an amazing country and I haven’t even had a chance to explore all it has to offer. It’s definitely up there in the top 3 countries I would want to go back and travel to. It’s always tough to leave a country. But in my experience I found that it’s best to leave just when things seem to be going amazingly well. It gives you that itch to want to go back and discover more! And just like that, I was on to the next country on my list.

And On to Guatemala

I made my way through the border of Guatemala on a bus with a crazy Swiss guy. He got me hooked on the harmonica and so I bought one immediately when I made it to my destination. We parted ways upon arrival and I made it to San Marcos. It’s on the Atitlán lake so I boarded a ferry boat full of other backpackers and a few locals.

This was the most hippie place I had ever been to! It was surreal! I like to think that I’m somewhat of a hippie. My father loves the Beatles so much he named my youngest brother Lennon (not Lenin). But this! This was on another level. I’ll definitely write a separate post about my experience here in San Marcos. If you’re into yoga, meditation, spiritualism and shibari (yes, you read that right! and if you don’t know what that is and you want to find out, you do you), then you should definitely go visit San Marcos.

Getting Sick on Your Travels

Unfortunately, I got very sick with a common parasite in these areas. So I ended up staying there for 9 days, a bit longer than I had originally planned. If you go to San Marcos, be very careful with the water and the food. It’s just something that happens often in this area so be prepared. And do not hesitate to take the boat to San Pedro to get tested. You’ll get the medication you need immediately. And you won’t have to endure months of being sick back at home. Most doctors back at home won’t even be able to diagnose the problem!

After that whole ordeal, I made my way to Antigua. A beautiful town with great vibes and most importantly for me, a volcano to hike! That hike up Volcán Acatenango was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically. That’s after having run the San Francisco marathon back in 2015!

Volcán de Fuego

Very sadly though, a year after visiting this beautiful part of the world, the active Volcán de Fuego brutally erupted and devastated the entire area and its people. That’s another thing that travel does. It makes you that much more aware about what’s going on in the world. When I used to read the news, I used to only really follow what was going on in my surroundings, or whatever was making the main headlines. But the more you travel, the more you connect with the people and their situation and the more you care about what’s actually going on in the world.

It can be heart-breaking at times, but I can only say that being more connected with people all around the world is something that makes me feel like a better human being. At the time of this writing, most charities are no longer accepting donations. But if you want to learn more about how you can help in such situations, Charity Navigator is one of the best websites you can visit to learn more and help. Even the smallest contribution makes a huge difference. Yes, it really does.

Don’t Shy Away

It is now considered safe to travel and hike around this area. In fact, you would be helping the local community which heavily depends on tourism. So if you’re interested in hiking a volcano, don’t shy away, do your research and figure it out for yourself. Experiencing the true force of nature like an actual volcanic eruption is something that I will never forget. It’s simply breathtaking and reminds us all just how insanely powerless we are to Nature. Not to go on an entire ecological rant here, but honestly this type of experience can change your perspective on this planet we all live in and the role we have in all of it.

Quick Break from my Travels

From here on, I made a brief stop back in the US to attend to my youngest brother’s Harvard graduation. I had already experienced so much in just 2 months of backpacking! Going back to “”civilization”” (for lack of a better term) was quite a bit of a shock. But it was important to help me take a step back on everything I had gone through and realize just what an amazing journey I had embarked on!

There are so many first world problems and drama we fill our lives with when we haven’t even seen what life has to offer! That being said, it was good to reconnect and catch up with friends and family. After just 9 days in Boston, I was more than excited to continue my big adventure!

My backpacking days in Central America were not done just yet. But it also happened to be good timing since I was about to get to the border with El Salvador or Honduras which are considered to be some of the least safe places to travel in this general area. It’s still absolutely possible to visit these countries. But I figured that with the time I had left before September when I always go back to Japan and add to that the general safety concern, I decided to fly over to Nicaragua.

And On to Nicaragua

I arrived in Managua the capital of Nicaragua and was taking it easy on my own, not meeting too many people, not going on any particular adventure for 5 days (very reasonable, it’s important to take it easy!). Until I got a message…

My friend Annika just finished her Caribbean cruise and was on her way to Nicaragua to continue the rest of her journey. I was on my way to my next stop in León and so I told her to come join me there. And so we regrouped in León and we ended up traveling together for the next 27 days.

León was a beautiful small town. And with Annika’s fervor for doing fun cool things, we decided to do what I think might be one of the coolest most unique activities I had the chance to do during my travels… Volcano boarding!

Volcano Boarding!

At first, I thought we would actually be standing on the board surfing our way down, but with hindsight I realize now how that would have been quite dangerous. At that time, the speed record for going doing the sulfuric volcano rocks was 70km/hr! The hiking in itself wasn’t too hard, but having to carry the gear up the volcano definitely made it more of a challenge. But by far, the most rewarding part was sitting on a piece of wood with a piece of rope tied to it for steering, and dashing our way down the volcano!

We spent about 8 days in León with a quick stop at the Las Peñas beach. Unfortunately, it rained all day that day, and so we made our way for a short 3-day stop at Granada where we had a chance to go on a fun bike ride around the area. And then, we had to keep moving so we made it to San Juan del Sur, a major destination for surfers around the world, but again only for 3 days. We had a tight schedule and wanted to make sure we made it all the way through to our final destinations, so unfortunately we just had to keep moving. But the other reason why we had to move fast, was because we both got yet again a message…

Time for Yet Another Reunion!

David had gone back to the US to meet up with his girlfriend but he was now already in San José, Costa Rica! And so Annika and I took yet another bus, but this time to cross the border over to Costa Rica.

As you can tell by now, I wasn’t joking about making amazing traveler friends! You’ll obviously have read a ton of travel blogs saying that it’s amazing how you can make so many interesting and fun encounters during your travels. And to be honest, at first I was a little skeptical especially when I knew that I would be traveling solo. But at the end of the day, wow! What an experience!

It All Just Works Out In The End

I don’t know if this happens to everybody or if it’s just my luck. But I met these people the very first week of my travels and had a chance to not only learn a ton from them, but also to appreciate traveling with them and sharing so many experiences together! It’s just like what they always say about what happens after college. You’re constantly stressing out about your homework, exams and your grades and at the same time, you’re supposed to find yourself. But at the end of the day, everything just works out. It’s such a corny thing to say to desperate kids, but now I’m one of those old corny guys! And when it comes to traveling, I’m one of them too! At the end of the day, somehow, it all just works out!

And so, it just so happened that we managed to reunite for 5 days in San José. We spent some time at the hostel cooking, playing cards on stools, going out for drinks at the pubs and even went to see a Shakespeare play in Spanish! And although it was a blast catching up, Annika and I still had a travel timeline. David and his girlfriend had other plans too and decided to stick around a little longer. And so we said goodbye yet again, and so soon!

What’s Your Spirit Animal?

We then made our way to Puerto Viejo. There, we finally got to accomplish one of Annika’s goals during this entire trip. Seeing sloths!

If I had to pick, they wouldn’t necessarily be my spirit animal, although I do love the luxury of being lazy (by the way, we call sloths paresseux in French and perezoso in Spanish which both mean lazy!).

I always enjoyed associating myself with something a little bit more unusual. But also something somewhat kinda crazy. And so I always thought my spiritual animal was a flying squirrel! I’ve been known amongst friends as the Batman (for some crazy story which I won’t share with you right now), but anyway, I think I’m more of a flying squirrel and I have yet to see one IRL!

And after just 3 days in Puerto Viejo, it was time to take yet another bus. We made our way to the last country Annika and I would be visiting together on this trip.

And On to Panama

We crossed the border to Panama, the Southern most country of Central America and made it to Bocas del Toro. It had nice beaches and we stayed at a resort-like hostel called Selina; they’re a chain around this area of the world and I would recommend them but not necessarily in all cases. At the time of this writing, I’m in Quito, Ecuador and I’m loving their co-working space here!

And so in Bocas del Toro, we just had an amazing relaxing time at probably one of the best hostel experiences I’ve had!

We then traveled to Panama City where I got a very different vibe from the rest of all the various places we traveled to. I watched a documentary a while back about how Miami in the 80’s became massive because of a ton of investments made from dirty drug money. But then, it depicted how it was left almost vacant when things started going sour. And that’s what this reminded me of. It definitely looked modern but somehow it seemed kind of… empty…

The End of an Era

In any case, it was still an interesting place to visit. So after traveling for about 40 days in total with Annika, it was time to say goodbye. She wanted to spend some more time at the beach before going back home to Germany. And so she opted for Cartagena and Santa Marta in Colombia (which sounded amazing!). But instead, I flew to Bogotá to catch up with a friend who was going to be visiting. And so, after many adventures (and a few misadventures), we said Adiós; until the next time our paths cross.

But Wait, There’s More…

This blog post is now becoming quite long and I’m realizing that it probably makes more sense to split things up. This just happens to be a great place to take a break. My entire Central America journey comes to an end here.

As you can tell, I was traveling at a fast pace in the beginning of my travels. I was living the backpacker lifestyle which is very different to how I’m leading my digital nomad lifestyle today. But still, it was all part of the experience and I loved every bit of it! I want to flesh out a lot more on many of these places I’ve visited because believe it or not, I skipped out on a ton of stuff!

In any case, if you made it all the way through this first post of mine, thanks for indulging me on this first part of my journey. I’m just starting out with this whole blogging thing and am enjoying it so far! Next, I think I’ll want to cover an overview of my travels in South America and beyond. If this has been fun/helpful/eye-opening/abysmal, whatever the case may be, let me know in the comments!

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Hasta luego amigos!