Two Ways To Travel Around The World For Free!
Saturday, October 4th, 2008Slowly, I’m beginning to turn my attention to the fast-approaching 2009 departure date for my next around-the-world junket throughout the Southern Hemisphere. I know that I want to begin in South America, due south of my home in Florida, and until last week, I didn’t know of any other way to make it between continents than to order a string of one-way tickets from an rtw air planner, just like last time.
That worked well and it was probably beneficial to have a schedule of flights in place to give my freeform trip a little structure. But, I did wind up changing departure dates several times and found myself wishing for the freedom leave a continent when I wanted to, not when I had arbitrarily decided to, six months earlier, when I’d booked my tickets.
As you might imagine, I perked up my ears in a chance conversation with Michael Sterns of www.grasshopperdreams.com, a children’s book author and world traveler himself, when he mentioned two websites that provide huge opportunties for backpackers to cut way down on overnight lodging and intercontinental travel.
First, he told me about a way to really save money on nightly lodgings: At www.couchsurfing.com, you can become a member for $25 a year and join a group numbering close to a million world travelers who offer their couch or spare bed to other members free of charge. You search for availabilities in the same way you look for a hostel while you’re on the road. If you find a match – meaning that the person is home and able to absorb a guest – then, that’s your bed for the night or the week – and there is no money exchanged, though you try not to be a burden on your hosts, by helping out with housework and maybe taking them out to a meal, or something. Just as you would do when visiting friends or family.
It isn’t necessary to offer your own home in an exchange arrangement, but many people do, when they are not on the road. It sounds like a great way to save lots of money, but also to locate the at-home backpackers in any city. You can find members all over the globe, so it might cover your overnights in a large chunk of your trip.
Then, there’s the major transportation in getting from one country to another. I think it surely applies to both hemispheres, but it really makes sense in the water-covered Southern Hemisphere, where I plan to be next. The website, www.findacrew.net enables both boats and crews to locate each other and make a match. It is free unless you want to get really serious and go a bit deeper, at which time you become a premium member at a cost starting at AU$49. But, everyone can do a whole lot without becoming a paying member…or certainly, try it on for size until you decide that it makes sense to join more completely.
If you have a boat and need one or more people to sail with you, then you fill out your profile and post your pictures (optional, but it helps). You will list your planned ports of call and sailing dates, details of the ship, and what you want in a crew. The surprising and confirming thing to me was that many had no age discrimination, listing the possible ages as, say between 18 – 99. Well, hey! I have nothing to worry about.
Most posts are free. You don’t pay and you don’t get paid. Some are cost-sharing arrangements and others might be commercial/professional with a salary attached. There are lots of categories and the website says that this is so effective that some big companies are using this community of expert sailors and inexperienced travelers to fill their various positions. Many spots do not require experience as the captain, often the owner/captain in a smaller vessel, assures you that he is an excellent sailing coach. Naturally, you must be willing to do the jobs required, like keeping solitary watch on your rotation and sharing the general tasks of cooking, clean-up and sailing duties. But, it doesn’t look like they ask you to soapstone the deck, or paint the hull, or even polish much brass, unless that’s in your original agreement.
Many lone sailors want someone to ease the loneliness of a long sea passage…and I’m sure that idea comes in many forms…also, hopefully worked out and well-understood before leaving the dock. Their profiles are pretty upfront and there is a category for both boat owner or crew member to state an interest either in a romantic relationship or a platonic relationship, as well as an experienced or inexperienced hand at sea. Companionship, in all its forms. Sort of a little like classified dating advertising. After all, occupying a small interior for long periods of time is a dicey situation when dealing with strangers and I think that the boat owner takes just as much risk as we hitchhikers do, because he’s opening his home and personal space to someone he doesn’t know. That’s why this service is so good. Once a possible match is identified, all parties can email back and forth to get acquainted. That’s where the premium membership earns its keep.
Non-smokers have a very definite edge. Sounds like seagoing people are healthy sorts and don’t want their immediate airspace polluted. Yay! I don’t smoke and that’s very good news to me. Sometimes, a heavy smoker still smokes even when they have run out of cigarettes. It’s in the pores by that time and people in their vicinity become secondary smokers just being near them. But, on the other hand, there are smoking captains who welcome smokers and let it be known that any passenger must put up with his own happy habit. So, you can see how the selection process works, right at the beginning.
Female crew members have an edge and are much more frequently specified. Not always for the jump-to conclusion, I believe and hope, anyway. Personally, I think we gals are much easier to get along with in small quarters and much more pleasant, in general. Plus, we smell better! Don’t you agree?
I have no idea if this plan will work for me, but I truly hope so. My hesitations are in the amount of time that might be consumed making a passage, versus the time I might then have to explore around in a country. If I could just be out as long as I wanted to, with no need to return home on any deadline, then that would be grand. You might never see me again because the laid-back, vagabonding life really sounds good right now. But, if I can’t find a ship or a boat out of a certain port, halfway around the world….then what?
Anyway, I’m early in my investigation, but I’m already dreaming big dreams. Did I mention the title I have chosen for my next book…the one about said Southern Hemisphere? “Age Schmage! Money Schmoney!” So, if I could discover this great money-saving secret and get around the world, this time, on even LESS than my Social Security…what a publicity coup that would be, in this time of supposed wrack and ruin.
lindajbrown