They took a chance and were able to see the world.
Igor Severskiy and his girlfriend Elena are traveling Petrossuk two years. Started with hitchhiking and Hiking backpacks, but with time travel turned into a job: backpacks was replaced by suitcases, AutoStop—, air flights, and jeans neatly pressed suits. The guys do monthly consulting and change their place of residence. Sometimes in a new country is calling another project, sometimes curiosity. Most of the time Igor and Lena are working, but constantly trying to alternate with pleasure. Now on account of the 31 countries.
31 COUNTRIES VISITED IGOR AND ELENA
THE IDEA AND IMPLEMENTATION
The idea of doing a tour around the world came to me three years ago when a friend invited me to her house in Hong Kong. Remember, we went to the night market and bought fried octopus. Sit eat, city lights, all unusual and interesting, and the time until departure is less and less. It was at that moment the thought came to me to return home, quit your job and go back to Hong Kong, and then even further. And so it happened. Only in Hong Kong I came back two years later.
Planning the trip took six months. During this time I came up with the route, launched a business, found a partner, raised money, made all the necessary visas and documents, decided the route, lost my partner, lost most of the money, took the backpack and left with nothing to nowhere.
Six months of training were incredibly helpful. When decided on the journey, then immediately walked half of their friends with an offer to join. All nodded and said, “Cool idea, let’s talk closer to the summer”. So: such a thing is impossible to discuss “closer to the fly. You need to sit down every day and think, morally to fight, ask yourself the questions: why, whether, if I can. Ask these questions days, weeks, months. And only then abruptly pick up and leave.
ON THE BUDGET AND ECONOMY
At the beginning of the trip we had about 10 thousand dollars, and the rest was earned in the course. On average we spend 30-40 dollars per person per day, depending on the country, rate of travel, our capabilities, and many other factors. Sometimes, in Iran we spent only 4 dollars a day, and in Japan can be had for the same day to lay all 200.
It is important to understand that travel can be from any wallet. I know girls who have traveled all over Asia for two thousand dollars. Circumnavigation does not depend on the size of the purse — the most valuable experience you can often get for free.
Once we met the Australian Manager of the oil company, which the wife blamed for the fact that he bought a case of beer during your six-month sabbatical. They say that beer is expensive. We are not used to save on the small items of luxury. Dinner for $ 15 per person is nothing compared to the unfortunate date of the ticket, which can cost 150. Therefore, we skimp on good planning: trying to rent housing and buy tickets for months in advance. And of course, hitchhiking. It has not been canceled. Sometimes it seems to me that on the ride you can get to anywhere in the world.
You get bonuses with booking.com agoda and other booking sites for hotels. This allows a few days a month to live absolutely free. In expensive cities, we only stay in Airbnb apartments. On this platform you can bargain. In the same Tokyo Airbnb cheaper than the cheapest hotels and hostels in 5 times. And your own blog with minimal traffic will allow you to beat on the steep housing discounts of 50% or more.
For budget travel it is useful to calculate a daily spending by category. This rule generally works well, and in traveling and in everyday life.
ABOUT THE DOCUMENTS AND ROUTE PLANNING
It is useful to carry electronic copies of all documents — never know when I’ll need it, but will definitely come in handy. All documents are easily forged with the paid Adobe Acrobat. It is always better to have a fictitious insurance, selling plane tickets, a certificate stating that you are the son of the President of Rwanda, and the like. While the international press pass, and will allow free log in to cool events and receptions.
The correct order of compiling any plan is: weather (silly to be in China in the middle of winter or in Brazil in the height of summer), visa requirements (sometimes a visa into the country it is possible to obtain only from the Ukraine and sometimes — impossible), General information about the country (for example, we did not know that in Iran do not accept credit cards), distance (100 kilometers in Ukraine you can drive for an hour, while the same distance in Armenia you can go the whole day) and the budget (average cost of meal was $ 10, significantly reduced the duration of our stay in Argentina).
ABOUT THINGS WHICH ARE ALWAYS WITH YOU
We have always a passport, Bank cards, iPhones and laptops. We are trying these things never leave, and never risk. In terms of travelling broken iPhone – it’s a compound fracture, lost a charge card – the disappearance of Atlantis, a damaged passport – the return of the Universe as the big Bang.
During the journey, it is important to have high quality clothes and good equipment. If t-shirts and socks you can easily buy at H&M, things like shoes, backpack, notebook must be the most expensive and high quality. 150 bucks for a new Nike definitely, one and a half thousand on a Macbook — not one penny less, the backpack is only the most comfortable Osprey. Expensive brands reward quality, not fall apart from heavy use and will not live two months and two years.
ABOUT FAKAPOV
Serious fakapov happen to us almost every day. Two weeks later, after I left Ukraine, Greece stole a backpack with all appliances, belongings, money and passport. Had to spend a few nights on the street and eat stolen at Starbucks frappe, until friends bought me a ticket home.
In Mexico, upon arrival we all put in jail. We flew to Cuba with a stopover in Mexico city. Usually in such cases to leave the airport is not necessary, but in Mexico it is necessary. And since we didn’t have visas and we didn’t speak Spanish, we just started in the basement and closed together with the Cuban migrants and Mexicans in the ink. For the whole day, without food and water. At the sixth hour we have let the airport agent, who said that it doesn’t care who we are, where and why were in this room, but we will have to sit in it before departure. In the end, we migrants chipped in on a bribe to dinner, and that night we departed.
After that, we spent three days in the most expensive hotel of Cuba, where at that time lived Benicio Del Toro. Every morning we saw him at Breakfast, but Lena was not able to be photographed with him. All our stuff was stuck in customs, so Cuba had to walk around in the hotel Bathrobe and bathing shoes. In this form, to approach Del Toro Lena ashamed.
Not less strange the situation was in Japan. We flew across the Pacific Ocean to Cuba, and on the check it turned out that our Cuban visa do not actually Cuban, medical insurance is not medical, and indeed we are from Ukraine and a wild suspicion. One of the managers of the airport didn’t speak English, before landing remained a few minutes, and we ended the last arguments. Tickets across the ocean cost a fortune, and we already started with this condition to say goodbye. We saved the Adobe PDF file. While I was fighting with the Japanese, Lena silently forged all of our documents. With a creak and a screech we were leaving.
On Everest we were stuck in a snow storm, but our guide just took it and ran. We walked half a day through a snow storm, hating Explorer and wanting to smack him on the head at the first opportunity. But when I got home and saw the swarthy asshole, silently collapsed into an unconscious sleep. And for two years of travel stories has amassed a huge amount.
ABOUT WHEN
The Internet is everywhere. In Moldova in General Wi-fi at every step. Just crazy you can go. And even 3g is already in North Korea is expensive and for tourists, but it works. Held, by the way, even earlier than in Ukraine. Good broadband Internet in Thailand and Japan. In General, the most comfortable in the world of Internet (after Moldova, of course) – in his native Ukraine. Abroad in history that you can download movies at speeds of 10 MB per second, just don’t believe.
ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF NOMADIC LIFE
We are tired of the monotony. To move from country to country with the same rate and schedule is a routine. Therefore, we combine travel with work. Two weeks work, and then on two weeks leave in some kind of another incredible trip.
The hardest part is given a permanent visa. To pester every other Embassy is sickening. Diplomatic bureaucracy for the Ukrainian turns into a real headache. We need to file a suitcase of documents in almost every country. Particularly hurt to do it, realizing that Ukrainian diplomatic passport can enter the country practically in any country of the world. This means that our dear compatriots diplomats for himself agreed, but for ordinary people — and thought.
THE MAIN LIFE LESSON
We only get one. It is foolish to live it with a serious face, never bungy jumping in an active volcano. We have learned not to notice the everyday little things, to appreciate the time and the lack of it, to cherish the chance and sail wherever you want, and not where carries flow.
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