A couple of pointers to would-be travelers that I have discovered while adventuring
Regarding banks:
I’m with HSBC, I will never open an account with this bank ever again. More than once, after lenghty (and I do mean lenghty) phone calls to the bank while standing in dusty streets surrounded by people who can’t speak a word of English I have been assured that ‘It’s alright sir, your card will definately work now’
Innumerable times this has been a lie. Luckily I have managed to talk our way round owing money to people ‘cos I can be cheeky like that. But more vulnerable travelers, lone girls for example, could be in a right pickle if they’re stuck in the middle of the night at some dodgy middle of nowhere and can’t draw money out to get a taxi away.
Secondly, Quantas- if you do buy a round the world be very prepared to spend a lot of phone credit and time on hold waiting to talk to their customer service/booking department. Just reached a new record of half an hour on hold. Did I get a sorry? Did I heck.
And Breathe.
Now that the much needed rant is complete, I can break some charming news to all you folks back home who have been wearing black mourning garb since our departure – we have a new arrival date, and it’s 2 months earlier. While it obviously a shame that we are home so much earlier than intended, we both agree that there is very little point in staying in Australia just for the sake of hitting that ’12’ month goal. Especially as my contempt for the land grows more palpable with each passing day. We’d both rather a full 10 months, with the last one being in some new exotic land that I am ashamed to admit I wasn’t even really aware of until very recently. (Honestly, though, how many of you can say you’d heard of Laos before reading this?)
Our new plan is to be in LA for the 19th of Febuary, and out of New York for the 5th of April. That gives us the last week of Geb and all of March to career around Guatemala, El Salvador and maybe a little bit of Southern Mexico or Hondurras. I’ve even been practicing Spanish.
Tomo un kafe, por favour!
Tags: Australia, Travel
mikeloken
It’s the worlds bank no less!
Turns out it’s the world’s logo. We actually went into one in Malaysia and they told us they couldn’t do anything to do with our account. So that hardly makes it the same bank all around the world!
lol, i’m heading out with 3 – yes three lined up to disappoint me – Barclays, Nationwide and Lloyds…