Late Traveller and facilitator looking forward to sharing my travel journey as I backpack around South East Asia and maybe the world.
I was given a gift or rather collection from the Business Centre I left back in Feb 2018 which amounted to quite a large amount of money (many thanks to all at Lenton for this very kind gift)
So I purchased probably the most expensive item I am taking with me which is a Nikon Camera and a few add-ons to it.
Hopefully, you will see the quality of photos once I start taking them, or rather figure out how to use it!
So I thought I would list what I am taking on this trip, bearing in mind I am backpacking through many countries, so I have gone for lightweight stuff to easily carry in my backpack. I must point out that these are my choices based upon my own preference and research, and I will update you as I travel and use the equipment on whether it’s good, relevant or lacking in some way.
Rucksack
Osprey Men’s Farpoint 70 Travel Pack, Jasper Red, Medium/Large [amazon_link asins=’B014EBKVPE’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’httpwwwfahdes-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’31f7203d-a561-11e8-8104-07b5a76ca274′]
I spent quite a bit of time online and visiting travel shops to find the one I felt most comfortable with. If you go to YouTube and search Osprey, you can watch many people pack them and see the pros and cons of each size. I chose the red colour because I noticed at airport carousels more are black or grey than any other colour, so I figured it would be easier to find mine.
Sleeping Bag
Because I am staying in Hostels to keep the cost of travelling down, I needed a good but lightweight sleeping bag. After, again, lots of searching, I opted for the following
Snugpak 1 Season Travelpak Sleeping Bag available at Gapyeartravel.com
Where do I start? This is my way of appreciating life and our wonderful world before it’s too late.
To everyone who thought I would never do this because I was too addicted to work and never made time for myself, guess what? I have! 😂
I realise that if I wait any longer in life to pursue my dreams, it might be too late.
The plan is to return to Southeast Asia and explore more of the places I visited during my previous holidays. I want to experience backpacking across the country, staying in hostels, and possibly working abroad to earn my keep, allowing me to extend my travels for as long as possible
I aim to create an online diary of my adventures, mainly for myself to look back on when I’m older. At 47, I’ve already started to forget some of the places I’ve visited, when I went, and with whom. I don’t think I’m going senile just yet, but who knows? 😉
I also want to share my experiences with family and friends back home and, hopefully, inspire more people from our older generation to be brave enough to travel.
The name of the site is “Nos,” which stands for Nomad Opportunities, Solved! I aspire to help people find travel opportunities, whether on a budget or not. It’s all about my travel experiences as someone from the UK.
After all, we are all nomads from time to time.
Hope you enjoy the journey!
If you like doing what your doing do it until you dont
For Mark a good friend
This was my first trip to Singapore, and my first visit to Asia. The first thing that struck me was the heat. I had an unforgettable first impression: Singapore has a unique character that sets it apart from any other country I have visited.
The city is rich in culture, blending both Eastern and Western influences. I immersed myself in vibrant areas like Little India, Chinatown, and Arab Street, where my senses were overwhelmed by the diverse smells and sights of these cultures—an experience unlike any I’d had before.
It was around 11:30 AM on a Thursday in December when I sat outside in a bar under a fan, desperately trying not to pass out from the heat. The temperature was about 38 degrees Celsius, and I was already on my second ice-cold beer.
I had just spoken with a friend back in England, complaining—as is typical for us Brits—about the weather. I thought I might as well embrace the stereotype head-on. “It’s too hot! Everywhere I go, I sweat. If I step into a shopping mall, it’s so cold that my shirt almost freezes to my back. Then I go back outside into the heat, and I’m as wet as if I had just taken a shower.”
After hanging up, a voice behind me asked in an American accent, “First time in Singapore?”
I turned to see a larger guy with a friendly smile. “First time in Asia,” I replied.
walk slower, speak slower and drink cold
In Asia, I realised the importance of slowing down how we speak and move to conserve energy and keep our bodies cool. I noticed that while many Westerners were sweating profusely in their T-shirts and shorts, Asian men in suits and ties remained remarkably comfortable.
They drank coffee, but iced rather than hot; they walked to the MRT, but more slowly than I did; and they used umbrellas for shade, drank water to stay cool, and many wore vests under their dress shirts to keep their shirts from absorbing too much sweat.
I learnt a lot those first few days; I still drank ice-cold beer, but in the evenings after the sun lowered its rays.
We became good friends, and I have many good memories of those days in Singapore. Over the next few years, I would spend a lot of time in the city-state. He offered me his spare room whenever I wanted it, and until COVID came, we had a good, regular friendship.