We've all got a little bum...
somewhere inside.
We want to go off and disappear for a while, in some strange place away from the world or somewhere interesting -- dropping out of life for a time... or forever.
You know those people who wander around in cold places in thick coats, clutching bottles in brown paper bags muttering to themselves. Well, they're bums just like you, except they didn't think how and where to have a happy bum experience. Don't be like them.
At last, after thousands of years of fledgling bums wandering off clueless of their plan -- at last, a resourcwe for all of us, how to het there, where to go. Finally it's now possible to be clueless after arriving.
Bum Philosophy
There are too many philosophies, goals and expectations of life. It's a miricle we're here -- let's all do as little as possible.
Just think if people with stupid ideas, like Hilter, Marx or Jesus, had have bummed instead of strived.
At conception, there were millions of sperm competing for that egg... and YOU made it my friend. have you ever actually stopped to congratulate yourself for this?
Do it now. stab your right ring finger vigourously into your left bosom and declare with all the force you can muster:
WELL DONE ME,
and now take a well earned break
for the rest of your life.
Included in this site:
1 -- Routemaps and ideas of the cheapest way to get to cool bumming places.
2 -- Ways and places to live for no or almost no cash, e.g. free camping, beaches, survivalism, donation only godfreak places.
Ways to make a living, e.g. busking, insstruments and how to play them. Careetrs that allow short-term working and long-term absense etc.
4 -- Ways to live cheaply, food wise, simplicity etc, mending clothes, giving up addictions ect.
Flights
Courier flights
www.nowvoyagertravel.com
Cheap Flights
www.cheapflights.com
www.lastminute.com
Bangkok about 250 last minute, plus 20 to pick up the ticket at the airport.
www.onetravel.com
www.flightcatchers.com
www.clubdirect.com
www.atlasdirect.com
www.farnleyflights.com
http://www.oasishongkong.com/
*** Possilby Hong Kong from ?141. YES, THAT REALLY IS POSSIBLE.
www.goclassic.com
Insurance
www.backpackinsurance.comCustomer Services
Ashdown House
125 High Street
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 1DQ
(from 09:00 to 17.00 on weekdays)
Freephone 0800 028 2396
?130=7 Months
General Living Advice
www.netcafeguide.comCybercafe list
Volunteering
*** Lots of worldwide volunteer opportunities which can be contacted by post etc. Each post has a bar on left about who they are looking for.
Niational Volunteer Activity Promotion Centre -- Japan,
Shin-Kasumigaseki Bldg,
3-3-2 Kasumigaseki,
Chiyoda-Ku,
Tokyo.
www.oneday.takingitglobal.org
www.iyv.org
Thailand
www.acetuk.orgwww.unesco.org
** www.clepdc.org depdc.org
www.infothai.com/disabled
Chang Mai disabled. Placement only, paying accomodation. www.horizoncosmopolite.com
www.volunteering.org.au
National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand,
Mahidol Building,
Rajavithi road,
BK 10400
00 66 2246 0077
www.ncswt.or.th
Umbrella
www.openmindprojects.nu
No 168 MOO1
Meaung mee nonkhai 43000
Nongkhai
Nongkhai province 43000
Thailand.
good, need UK speakers with computer skills.
www.plan-international.org.uk
London interviews.
www.unaexchange.org
www.vso.org.uk
London interviews.
Gin's Guesthouse,
71 Mu 8
Chiang Saen
0 5365 0847/1023
Mobile: 084-0462827
British Honorary Consul,
198 Bumrungraj Road,
Muang,
Chiang Mai 5000
053 263015
9-11.30 m-f
VIETNAM
None specific
Laos
www.power4limbs.orgUK placements only at present.
MALAYSIA
www.lisle.utoledo.eduwww.raleigh.org.uk
(might need qualification)
SINGAPORE
www.nvc.org.sg(Unbrella)
Taiwan
www.appaf.scqsuedu.twUmbrella
Laos
NoneHong Kong
www.avs.org.hkChina
www.aptibet.orgwww.unesco.org/ccivs
Unbrella www.volunteering.org.au
Jinghong
Flight to Kunming 280Y ticket (if lucky).
Airport is ten minutes from town.
Go through security by flight number, and so get to the right queue.
Bus number one to the airport.
Taxis are five rmb around town.
Crown Hotel
Jin Huang Lu
0691 2199888
Dai Garden Building,
Manting Lu,
25rmb bed in a hut, shared?
Alien's Hotel,
200 meters from bus station.
Twenty US attached.
Wanli Dai Syle GH,
Mantin Lu.
Basic.
8984496
Not far from the Meking Cafe
Best China rail map: www.nordling.nu/achaerer/ghinamap.gif
Mei Mei's is on the north side of the big roundabout.
Forest Cafe
Galannan Road
00 86 6918985122
Mob: 00 86 013988195351
Mob: 00 86 01398819535
Online booking.
Jinghong map online
Flights, bus and hotels.
DouDou home style gh Y120
ONLINE FORM.
Cambodia
NoneJapan
IAVE Japan,
Rm 305, Gyoen Heights,
1-6 naito-Cho,
Shinjuku-Ku,
Tokyo 160-0014
http://www8.plala.or.jp/iavej
IJGD Internationale Jugendgemeinschaft Dienste eV,
KIaiserstrasse 43,
D-53313 Bonn,
Germany
djia@ev-rreiwilligendienste.de
Japan Youth Volunteer Associarton (JYVA),
3-1 Yoyogi - Kamizono-Cho,
Shibuya,
Tokyo,
151-0052 Japan
jyva@blue.ocn.ne.jp
National Volunteer Activity Promotion Centre (NVAPC) Japan,
Shin-Kasumigaseki BLDG,
3-3-2 Kasumigaseki,
chiyoda-Ku,
Tokyo
Umbrella
www.qca.org.uk
Quakers, for non-quakers also.
Shin Shizen Juku,
Tsurui Mura,
Akan Gun,
085-1207 Hokkaido,
Japan
Tel: 0081 154 642821
con: Hiroshi Mine
Teaching English to the Japanese; only need enthusiasm.
Korea
c/o Somgpa-gu Volunteer Centre,
62-2 Samjeon-dong,
songpu-gu,
Seoul
138-180 S. Korea
spvol@unitel.co.kr
Con: Kyun-Oak Kim
Umbrella
Mongolia
www.mydc.org.mnTaiwan
Asia Pacific Public Affairs Forumn,
28F, 55 Chung-Cheng 3rd Road,
Kaohsiung Ciry,
800 Taiwan
www.apaf.nsysu.edu.ty OR www.apaf.nsysu.edu.tw
SOURCE OF ALL
WORLDWIDE VOLUNTERING -- 4TH ED
HOW TO BOOKS
ISBN: 1-85703-910-6
Worldwide Retreats that are Free or Cheap
http://www.plumvillage.org/French Plum Village Retreats. 240 Euros for the most basic. New Year and winter retreats for longer periods.
www.buddhafield.org
UK retreats at about a hundred pounds each.
http://www.taracentre.org.uk/
More promising. FIVE POUNDS PER DAY FOR WORKING RETREAT, and can stay on after successful interview for about 300 per month.
Buddhapadipa Temple,
14 Calonne Road,
Wimbledon,
London SW19 5HJ
Tel: 020 8946 1357
Temple only, plus courses, i.e. no resience.
http://www.gatekeeper.org.uk
Spirituality through walking.
http://www.lbc.org.ukLondon Buddhist Centre. Retreats in Surrey for about one hundred pounds a week. Day classes in central london, such as metta instruction etc. at about five pounds, or three for the unwaged.
http://www.metta.org.ukSearchable UK events and decent forums.
http://www.westlondonbuddhistcentre.comNot bad. Week retreats around two hundred pounds. But just near Royal Oak station, there are puja nights, meditations and celebrating the sangha day on November 5th.
http://www.nealsyardagency.comExpensive holidays and retreats.
www.gaiahouse.co.uk
www.amaravati.org
*** Full working meditation temple, Therevada, with library, overnight stays, retreats, all by donation only.
www.ratanagiri.org.uk/index.htm
Full working monastery, Therevada, possible to stay. The monks retreat around Jan. Lay comminity. By donation. Northumberland.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/phrakhem/Thai style forest hermatage in Warwickshire. Small and not retreats advertised, but fully working calendar. Possibility.
http://santacittarama.altervista.org/e_index.htmItalian Therevada. Can stay by donation. Initial stay is one week. Three hours work a day.
http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/HRH/index.htmNew Therevada place being built in Harnham, UK. Want volunteer days, possibility of staying and helping.
www.buddhacommunity.org
Terevada lay comminity of meditators.
London Buddhist Centre
Retreats and Festivals. None of it free, but close to London and about 115 pw solitary.
BajralokaAbout 120 pw up to three months. Schedule seems OK. Other retreats which aren't free.
Thai temple in Wibeldon with occasional short retreats and lay assosiation. Not poss to stay though.
www.unstonegrange.co.ukVenue which rents itself out to keep itself going.
www.globalretreatcentre.comFree teaching UK, village near oxford. Mostly one day courses, but occasional residential, only staying for the duration of the teaching.
www.manjushri.org.ukOne hundred pounds a week mark.
www.madhyamaka.org*** Kadampa. Thirty five pounds for a single, but people 'of independent means' accepted as lay resident indefinitely, or you can stay for free for seven days in exchange for 35 hours work.
www.skandavale.orgHindu type place that accepts longer visitors at their discretion. 'God'.
www.samyeling.orgTibetan place with own island, but charge for everything.
www.rigpa.ieTibetan in Ireland. Probably expensive.
Khagpo Kagyu Ling, in Montignac is Tibetan and has a four pound sterling dorm.
La Bicanderie in Saint leon sur vezere is Tibetan and three pounds a day.
Sakya Tsechen Ling.
Institut Europeen de Bouddhisme Tibetan in Kuttolsheim is Tibetan and about six pounds a day.
Centre Zen de Strasbourg.
Europe
A brief list of destinations, with comments relating to bums.
ALBANIA.
Tax to enter the country is about five pounds sterling. Average room cost about seven pounds.
ANDORA
Between france and spain.
Expensive. Quite a bit of camping. A few seven Euro dorms.
CROATIA
90 day visa for British national. You have to register with police each time you arrive in a new place, which is usually handled by your accomodation.
Thre are four or five YHA's.
Capital: Za Greb.
Sea links to Italy.
Accomodation: Eight pound Sterling dorms, or a few five pounds.
CYPRUS
Expensive.
ESTONIA
Visa changes periodically; check before travelling.
Tallinn is the capital, with eight pound dorms.
ICELAND
Expensive.
LITHUANIA
Visa is ninety days for British national.
Vilnius is the capital. Dorms from a fiver sterling.
MACEDONIA
Don't need a visa.
Skopje is the capital.
MOROCCO
Visa is for 90 days for British national.
Rooms about two pounds.
Capital = rabat.
Fezx. Casablanca. Marakesh. etc. Easy spanish jaunt.
SLOVAKIA
Visa 180 day free for British.
Capital: ratislava.
Hostels bout three pounds. Busy. Silnia avout a tenner.
SLOVENIA
Visa - 90 days for British.
Ljubljana. Ten poundish.
YUGOSLAVIA
Five pound room in Belgrade.
KOSOVO
Muslim country.
Prishtina capital. Expensive.
European Travel
Inter rail pass about a undred for a month and three days. Maybe thirty for eight days second class?
Camping pass from the AA 4.50
South East Asia
CAMBODIA
Accomodation, 3 to 5 US approx, attached.
ATM's in most cities.
Visa, twenty US pm, get in advance to avoid rip-offs at border. Six months for 100, 150 PER YEAR.
Border crossings, three in Thailand, three Vietnam, one in Laos.
Internet about 35p ph.
Phonecards for outgoing calls.
Phom pen, 2-6 US room, supermarkets.
Siam reep from a dollar.
FANTASTIC.
LAOS
Cheap accomocation = rural north, far south two dollars. Five to six dollars in expensive areas. Only one atm in the country. Mobile Sims only work in capital. Boats from Cambodia are OK. CAN ENTER FROM CHINA, AS LONG AS HAVE VISA ALREADY.
Tourist bus from/to Vietnam daily.
MYANMAR
Overland: FROM LAOS TO CHINA.
Accommodation: four to six US.
Can sometimes volunteer to teach English in the monasteries.
Visa thirty US for 28 day single entry, expires in one month.
THAILAND
Internet connections can be bad.Ko samet, quick from Bangkok, about five pounds a night.
Ko Samui, south, gaudy. About a fiver sterling.
Kp pagh yang, backpacking type place, about three pounds.
Phuket town, OKish.
80 baht dorms around.
Call special number from mobile for savings.
teaching vacancies
Information generally about a number of monasteries in Thailand, specifically for the foreigner
Suan Mokkh in South Thailand, about two pounds a day
This web site also lists most places foreigners can go on the left or searchable, how to get to each one, schedule etc. very good.
wwwdharmanet.org/thai_94.html Free meditations centres book. You technically need 250 US cash when entering the country. www.thaistudents.com www.thaivisa.com Wat Mahathat is the international wat. Twice monthly lectures plus accomodation. It's in sector 5. www.wfb_hq.org Wat Pak Nam, has talks and a large Japanese following. See also, sorn=thawee meditation centre. Wat Asokaram www.we-train.co.th is a female fun hotel near the airport for 200B with a pickup service.
VIETNAM
Accommodation about five US.
Tet (New Year in Feb) is tight accomodation-wise.
Internet less than a pound.
visa a dollar a day. Seventy US for 90 days in Cambodia.
Beaches and cities. Work it out when you get there.