Touring - Where did you find the funds to tour?

I'm not talking about the weekend tours or the vacation tours, but rather this question is directed to those who have done extended tours of several months or more.

For those of you who have embarked on a LONG tour, or are about to embark on a long tour, or are making plans to do a long tour at some point in the future ... how are you funding your trip?

I did a three month cycling tour of Australia last year (set off a year ago today!) and I funded that trip with my savings. I was pretty strict with my budget, but even so the tour cost more than I had anticipated (they always do, don't they) and so I incurred a bit of debt by the end.

When I finished that tour, the love of travel and touring was firmly planted in my heart, and I knew that I want to spend a great deal of time travelling and cycle-touring around the world ....... but how to pay for it?????

I'm too old to be able to pick up jobs in other countries like kids/students under 25 can often do. And I don't have a Bachelor's degree to allow me to work as an adult in many other countries. In reading through piles of immigration information, it seems that more and more countries want immigrants to have a Bachelor's degree (or some other desired professional qualifications) of some sort before moving to the country to work -- they are upping their standards.

So, I've opted to return to school and get my Bachelor of Education in the hopes that I will be able to find teaching positions in various countries around the world, and thus be able to travel and tour ... and afford it! :) It's not a quick plan, but I'm hoping it will work for me in the long run.


But I'd be interested in hearing about any other funding ideas. Have any of you been able to earn a bit of money writing articles for magazines? Writing books? Doing public speaking? Picking up work along the way?

I've been thinking a lot about that very question Machka.
I don't have a lot of expenses day to day. I sub-let from family so I can take off on a moment's notice. If the car sits, it costs $70/mo. for insurance.
Other than that, I'd just have to feed myself.

I may be young and naive (turned 30 today) but I figured if I had a few hundred in the bank for food and emergencies, I'd probably be fine for extended tours.

My thought was to tour Canada and maybe the US in the summer of 2006 stopping at every little farm, bakery and corner store along the way, offering to help out for an hour, half day, day whatever.

A bit of heavy lifting or sales help in exchange for either some food, a few $$$ or a lawn to pitch a tent on. I figure I could travel the world without really worrying much about $$$ as long as I could sweet talk some odd jobs along the way.

BTW: my heart goes out to you on the BA issue. I chose to spend my education dollars on a pilot's licence. While I'm a qualified commercial pilot (Aeroplane, Group I instrument rating, Class IV instructor) that's an industry you don't so much work in as get married to. Maybe if someone needed a pilot along my travels I'd take a day of flying but I'm skeptical anyone would hand the keys to a plane over to a "drifter".

Lacking a BA, I find it tough to break in to anything else. (government job would be nice but they don't seem to want me...despite having managed an aviation firm for 3 years. No B.A., B.Eng., B.Sc. etc.)

Your public speaking idea is excellent! I'm starting to envision an organized tour with booked engagements. Video tape it, make up promo material, do a second tour with heavy promotion...you could really make a living at that if you had an angle to present.

I'm toying with becoming a certified personal trainer. I'm NOT in shape but will be by Christmas. I could spin-it as my "get back in shape" program. I know people who've done similar and made a living at it. Quasi-health guru/motivational speaker.

I may be young and naive (turned 30 today) but I figured if I had a few hundred in the bank for food and emergencies, I'd probably be fine for extended tours.

My thought was to tour Canada and maybe the US in the summer of 2006 stopping at every little farm, bakery and corner store along the way, offering to help out for an hour, half day, day whatever.

A bit of heavy lifting or sales help in exchange for either some food, a few $$$ or a lawn to pitch a tent on. I figure I could travel the world without really worrying much about $$$ as long as I could sweet talk some odd jobs along the way.


I've looked into this quite a bit, and it would be OK for a Canadian to pick up odd jobs here in Canada, but sadly other countries are really cracking down on this sort of thing. It is illegal for a person over the age of 25 to get a job in many other countries without the appropriate paperwork (visas and things). There are some places where you might be able to work under the table, but every now and then these places get "busted". Take Australia, for example. I could have picked up work in the fruit picking industry all over the place there ... except that I'm over 25, and if I had been caught, it would have meant a fine of up to $10,000 and deportation. I couldn't afford the fine, but the deporation worried me even more because that would go on my record and I would probably find it difficult to re-enter Australia, or possibly to get into other countries.

Just another note - count on about $30 a day to survive a tour. Some days you may get away without having to spend much at all ... but there will be other days where you feel like you are forking out your life savings.




Your public speaking idea is excellent! I'm starting to envision an organized tour with booked engagements. Video tape it, make up promo material, do a second tour with heavy promotion...you could really make a living at that if you had an angle to present.

I'm toying with becoming a certified personal trainer. I'm NOT in shape but will be by Christmas. I could spin-it as my "get back in shape" program. I know people who've done similar and made a living at it. Quasi-health guru/motivational speaker.


I know of a number of people who do that sort of public speaking ... usually you do have to have something published first, but if you could get a couple articles in magazines ... :D

Along with getting my Bachelor of Education, I'm also hoping to take various coaching certification courses offered at the school I am attending. I figure that might broaden my possibilities too. :)

Teaching seems to be one of the most internationally portable professions, so it sounds like a good move. I've know a lot of Canadian teachers who have moved overseas for a while.

$30 a day? Are you set on touring the first world? You can extend your touring time by spending much, much less money in Asia or South America.

Teaching seems to be one of the most internationally portable professions, so it sounds like a good move. I've know a lot of Canadian teachers who have moved overseas for a while.

$30 a day? Are you set on touring the first world? You can extend your touring time by spending much, much less in Asia or South America.


So far I have toured in Europe, Australia, and North America ... and for those places, I found I had to count on about $30 a day. While I have heard that it is less expensive in some parts of Asia and other areas (I haven't heard anything about South America), I have heard that Japan is quite expensive. Do you have any experience with touring Japan?

My dream would be to find a teaching job somewhere in Asia for a year or two ... and to do some touring while I'm there. :) And then maybe South America ... possibly Africa ... India ... etc. etc. etc.

I've only toured in the UK and South America. Patagonia was crazily cheap- because we avoided main cities and camped a lot, spending money on anything besides basic food supplies was often just not an option. If you can speak Spanish, you can often get free lodging on farms and in public areas (fire stations, sports stadiums, etc) in smaller towns.

Japan? Yeah, that place is very expensive as a normal tourist, and so I'd expect it to be the same for cycle touring. I can't remember ryokan/hotel prices, but they were in the same league as what I was used to in the UK. Japan appears to be quite crowded and regulated, so I wouldn't want to try random camping there. I'm hardly an expert on the area though- I have noticed that there are a couple of posters based there that you could ask.

I was staying with some teacher friends in Ontario recently. They mentioned that there are international job fairs for teachers that are held occasionally there. Do you know about these already?

Well, my minor in University is International Studies, and so I'm learning (re-learning) French right now, and would like to take Spanish maybe next year. I also have my eye on a course to teach me Manderin Chinese.

During my travels in France, I discovered that people are much more willing to help if you at least make some attempt at speaking their language.


I have heard rumors about these international job fairs and will have to keep on the lookout for one in my area. I will be attending my first Education Undergraduate Society meeting tomorrow, and I know that society is supposed to be able to provide me with a lot of different teaching/education information, so I will check with them too.

I'm just saving what money I can for my "big" 4/5/6 month tour, as well as saving as much vacation time for when I resign. I figure I'll have an extra 9 weeks pay after I resign (I can't save all my vacation time-or I'll lose it).

My SUV (which I rarely use nowadays) is paid off, but probably not worth my while to sell. Insurance/registration isn't TOO expensive-I might take the plates off it while I'm gone, or leave it for my brother to use.

A degree in education seems pretty portable across borders-good choice. I'm a bit "pigeon holed" in my field (clinical laboratory science) to hospital labs in the US.

Most Western countries have there own regulatory/licensure as well. Working in my field in a developing country wouldn't pay much, and would prove problematic in that I'm not multilingual (and don't pick up languages with ease). I have seen a few grant supported positions in developing countries, which pay western salaries, but they require too long of a commitment. I'd get a bit squirily working in an African bush hospital/clinic for two years, but would surely do it for a couple months.

Too bad about there being an age limit for general odd jobs, but understandable at the same time. One could probably keep on a near "perpetual tour" if short term (legal) bartending/wait/bus/hotel help was available at heavily touristed spots/resorts. Touring from resort area to resort area world wide, working for a month or two at each, would be rather interesting.

Perhaps another tack is to train for a career that doesn't require on-site attendance. As an example, I am a software engineer that works from home. All I need is a computer connected to the internet. It doesn't matter what country I am in, I would still be working for a U.S. employer.

Just a thought...

I worked at the same company for twelve and a half years, saved up my money, and traveled through Asia for a year. I had enough savings that I didn't have to work in that year. Aside from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, Asia is cheap. Lots of people got work teaching English. For the most part you don't need any degree or certificate (or even to speak very good English).

Lots of people got work teaching English. For the most part you don't need any degree or certificate (or even to speak very good English).


Yes, that's still true ... that people without degrees can get jobs teaching English in some countries. I considered that possibility myself ... but as I researched it more, I discovered that more and more countries are starting to tighten up their requirements so that their standards are in line with "western" standards. Right now, for example, it is almost impossible to teach in Japan without some sort of degree (doesn't have to be specifically a teaching degree), and other countries like Korea are starting to go that route as well. In my research I also found that the jobs people without degrees were getting were pretty low-end as opposed to people with degrees who were getting a little higher-end jobs in better locations etc.

With that in mind, I opted to get my degree, rather than just going with one of those one-month or one-week ESL teaching programs/companies ... I think it opens up many more possibilities for me. :)

We should have a forum competition for the cheapest tour per mile.
Guirilla camping, grocery store food, oyster bucket panniers...
Only question is alcohol stove or gas (given the cost now...)

biodiesel: count me in! Next time I go for a ride that involves a least one overnight, I'll post on what the wallet damage, if any, is. I think this thread deserves a sticky so it can be the official "how much do you spend on tour" thread... :)

BTW: my neighbor has taught ESL in Korea. She sent me this link: www.daveseslcafe.com
And this one as a sample posting: http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=11262

We should have a forum competition for the cheapest tour per mile.
Guirilla camping, grocery store food, oyster bucket panniers...
Only question is alcohol stove or gas (given the cost now...)


Yes, but what if we don't want to have the cheapest tour per mile?

When I toured Australia for three months, that $30 per day I spent included some luxuries too. I could have toured on less ... there are many places to bush camp (and I did do some of that), people gave me food on a number of occasions, and I could have avoided all the tourist attractions . . . . . . but I didn't want to tour like that.

Instead I divided my nights between bush camping, real campgrounds (so I could shower), the houses of people I knew or met along the way, and hostels (where I could sleep in a real bed!).

I couldn't count on people feeding me the whole time, and so I had to buy some of my own food. If I had stayed in the populated areas, but areas that weren't known as touristy, my food would have been less expensive, but I wanted to see as much of Australia as possible, and so I went places that were touristy, and places that were off the beaten track, and so food was more expensive.

And I really wanted to see certain tourist attractions ... so I took a short cruise up the Gordon River in Tasmania, I paid the admission to see Port Arthur, I took the cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef, I took a train to the Blue Mountains ... and so on. I didn't do those sorts of things every day ... it probably worked out that I did one touristy thing per week or so. But those things are included in the $30/day.

If I had opted not to see any of the really interesting things in Australia, and to just cycle from one bush camp to the next ... I could have probably gotten away with whatever amount it would have taken to feed myself. But how boring!! The ride would have become a Randonee rather than a tour ... and I do enough Randonneuring without spending 3 straight months at it.

I think it comes down to a trade-off .... do you want to just cycle through a country and see whatever you can from the saddle of the bicycle ... or do you want to experience and see other things -- things you need to get off your bicycle for. Also ... how much or how little comfort do you want?

Machka, that's cool. Totally agree - everything has trade-offs of course.

I think a person could tour "free" but the idea of not having a shower in, say, 40-days and 40-nights... oh my! It might not be a tour you'd want to be on. :)

I've heard the term "randonnee" but don't really know how it differs from "touring." Grey zone?

If I might ask, what were some of the touristy things you did in Oz? (theatre, dining etc?) I'm big on cheap, ramen noodles (Udon & Kimchi! Yeah!) which are one Canadian dollar here. Can you get stuff like that in Oz at every corner store? (just wondering since Oz is on the hit list sometime in the the nebulous future)

BTW, to address the cooking question that someone brought up earlier: Trangia mini burning Methanol (Methyl Hydrate). I can carry enough fuel for days of cooking (maybe weeks), it won't destroy or contaminate gear if spilled and it's the primary ingredient in gas-line antifreeze. In a pinch a gas station would have that. (but most/all hardware stores have cheap, abundant methyl hydrate)

Yes, but what if we don't want to have the cheapest tour per mile? <snip>...

...<snip>I could have probably gotten away with whatever amount it would have taken to feed myself. But how boring!! The ride would have become a Randonee rather than a tour ... and I do enough Randonneuring without spending 3 straight months at it.

I think it comes down to a trade-off .... do you want to just cycle through a country and see whatever you can from the saddle of the bicycle ... or do you want to experience and see other things -- things you need to get off your bicycle for. Also ... how much or how little comfort do you want?

I tour along a similar mindset, frugal I suppose I should call it. I enjoy experiencing bits of history, museums, castles etc. and they all usually have entrance fees.

I also find meals from restaraunts and cafes a key experience as well while on tour, I just don't eat out the 3 meals a day. For my long tour I doubt I'll be eating out every day. I hope to "bank" my meals out, for stopovers when I'll be staying in hostels in cities. Heading out for an inexpensive (nice) meal from a hostel is also a great way to meet fellow travelers.

As far as cheapest miles ridden, I'd think Heinz Stücke would have to be the winner there. He has to be aproaching 500,000Km toured by bike now.

I've heard the term "randonnee" but don't really know how it differs from "touring." Grey zone?

Randonneuring is ultra-distance cycling. A brevet or a randonnee is a timed long distance ride -- distances like 200 kms (13.5 hours), 300 kms (20 hours), 400 kms (27 hours), 600 kms (40 hours), 1000 kms (75 hours), and 1200 kms (90 hours).

For example, I just did the Last Chance 1200K - 1200 kms in Colorado and Kansas in 90 hours, including all breaks for sleep, toilet, eating etc.. See story here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=140291

You can also take a look at my website (see signature line below) for more Randonnees I've done around the world, and some more information about them.

And these links can fill you in on more info. Randonneuring is my first love, and it is often what takes me to places I might never have otherwise gone ... and I often end up touring before and/or after a Randonnee.

http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/links/links.html
http://www.rusa.org/
http://www.ultracycling.com/
http://www.audax.org.au/index.asp
http://www.audax.uk.net/index2.htm


If I might ask, what were some of the touristy things you did in Oz? (theatre, dining etc?) I'm big on cheap, ramen noodles (Udon & Kimchi! Yeah!) which are one Canadian dollar here. Can you get stuff like that in Oz at every corner store? (just wondering since Oz is on the hit list sometime in the the nebulous future)
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The touristy things I did revolved around museums and nature. There was the Gordon River Cruise in Tasmania that took us to see huon pine and also an old prison island. There was Port Arthur - an old prison/penal colony. I went to see a couple rainforests that they've done up with signs and things to tell you what everything is. I took a crocodile cruise in Queensland and saw a couple crocs. I took a cruise out to the Great Barrier reef. And the train and tour bus to the Blue Mountains. Stuff like that. I didn't take in any "theatre and dining" sort of experiences - that sort of thing doesn't really appeal to me. I'm more interested in history, geology, biology, etc..

Again, see my website in my signature line for the log of my trip there, and also photos.

And yes, you can get ramen noodles in Australia. However, be warned, food is a bit more expensive there than here in Canada. I found myself choking over the price of stuff like bread and pop a few times.

RAWK! I didn't know Brevets qualified as a randonee. In that case, I definitely want to get in to those! I know what you mean about touring leading into and after one...that'd sort of be my plan. Pedal like stink for a finite distance just to get from one point to another then slow down and relax - "tour!"

Do you feel sleep deprived on a those rides? How's a 200km compare to a 1200km? (aside from "six times longer")

I'm not much into the "opera" type events either - whale or croc-watching - or sky/scuba diving. Maybe an amusement park. They have Six-Flags parks all over the US.

I'll check out the links! Thanks!

RAWK! I didn't know Brevets qualified as a randonee. In that case, I definitely want to get in to those!

Do you feel sleep deprived on a those rides? How's a 200km compare to a 1200km? (aside from "six times longer")



Brevets are the distances from 200K to 600K ... Randonnees are the distances 1000K and longer.

On rides 600K and over, yes, there is an element of sleep deprivation. On the Last Chance, for example, I got about 4 hours of sleep in that 90 hours.

Comparing a 200K with a 1200K is sort of difficult. A 200K is an easy day's ride which can be done completely in daylight without incurring any sleep deprivation, and without having to put in much effort.

A 1200K is a whole different matter. You've got to plan what to carry, and what to leave in bag drops. You've got to have some idea of the weather patterns in the area you will be cycling, and you've got to do your best to plan for them. You need to plan out your strategy including "sleep stops", pace, etc. and then you need to be prepared to have your plans all go out the window halfway through the ride. You've got to be creative (and this part you'll learn on the shorter brevets which are qualifiers for the longer ones) -- being able to find food and water along the way, being able to fix all sorts of bicycle difficulties out there by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, etc.. Staying on the road for approx 90 hours also takes a great deal of mental strength ... when your brain tries to tell you to stop the madness, you've got to push on.

But I enjoy them! :D

Very cool thread!!!

Belated Happy 30th to ya af895!

Have sorta had this type of idea rolling around in my head for several years except in more of an early retirement idea though (I'm 40). My desires don't include forien lands other than Canada. My finacing ideas come from the RVer's that are "full timers". There are organizations that help you get seasonal jobs here in the US, set up seasonal mail accounts & other related things. I've cousins that are doing this in thier 50's who live in thier motorhome, travel during the winter months across the southern US & have picked up seasonal work at amusment parks near thier family during the summers, as they've sold thier home.

One dream is to do something like this with a smaller travel trailer, tow vehicle, & bike. The US National Parks offer this type of employment as well as campground type places to park the unit too. My thought is to work in an area for a season, bike tour during off time or between seasons, then move to another area/National Park for the next season & enjoy more touring! Being that I'd be working in the "touristy" areas I could tour out & away from this base.

I'm not much into the "opera" type events either
I'm not into opera either, but the Sydney Opera House had restricted view seats for $20, so I thought, it would be cool to see an opera there. When I went to go to my seat, the usher asked if I wanted to be upgraded. She said to wait until the opera was just about to start, and then take any empty seat. So I got a $100 seat for $20.

I took a train to the Blue Mountains

What did you look at in the Blue Mountains? (I live just over the other side)

Busking and touring go well together. If you have a small instrument you can take with you, or some other "talent" you can show off in the streets, it will help. I've also had some luck offering bike repairs in exchange for money or food.

I did a stint of tour guiding and English teaching for a few years in Italy--very fun, easy, sometimes lucrative, and you don't need a BA (or even a work permit) but you have to commit to staying in one place for a while. Virtually all of my "touring" was radial trips combining bike and train whenever I had a few days or weeks free. Luckily, it usually worked out that my schedule was open for most of September-October, when the weather was perfect and most of the tourists were gone.

Freelance travel writing usually doesn't cover the costs of your travels (although if you're doing something exceptional you might be able to publish a book about it and make a lot of money later, and I do know a woman in Rome who sometimes makes thousands of Euro a month writing for upscale magazines--but she's well-connected).

I've published some of my travel writing for a pittance, and then "gained" hundreds of dollars in a tax write-off. (Don't do this without reading up on the laws, or contacting a lawyer). I don't know how this works outside the U.S.

Busking and touring go well together. If you have a small instrument you can take with you, or some other "talent" you can show off in the streets, it will help...

This might be possible, but from what I've seen in my travels, a lot of cities are cracking down on street performers. Many make folks get permits, or only allow performing in specific spots or certain times of the day. There is also a bit of competition for "the good spots".

The regular bus/train backpacker crowd can haul around more/larger instruments as well.

-I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it apears "more regulated" than it used to.

What did you look at in the Blue Mountains? (I live just over the other side)


I just checked my website, and I don't have that information there!! I've got to "finish" my trip logs!! Maybe subconsciously I didn't want it to end.

On Sunday, December 6th, we caught the train to Katoomba and joined a tour bus from that point which took us to Scenic World where we walked into the Jamison Valley, and then up Echo Point over to the 3 Sisters, past the Katoomba Cascades. Then we caught the bus again to Leura and around to the Leura Cascades.

Ah, just reading my written log brings back so many memories ... I wish I were there again. :)

My funds for touring come from my web development freelance work. Over some years I have built a portfolio of clients who mostly require maintenance work from me. We are already familiar with each other's way of working so my whereabouts are not an issue if I can stay reasonably in touch by e-mail.

The usual challenges I face are getting to find a small desk space with the minimum comfort and without excessive distraction to work from for some 20 hours a week. Another obvious hurdle is the internet connection, some times they will let me use the phone line at hostels with no trouble, others they will look funny at me and deny me the 'privilege', others will think Im going to do something evil with their line even when I explained to them that no long distance dialing was required, it is always a gamble, this problem will tend to dissapear though as wireless network service gets widespread.

Also there is the issue of lugging the laptop around ... my pannier with laptop inside has met with the flow of a water stream for a few seconds, the canopy of a tree on the side of a cliff and the pavement of the road more times that I'd liked, damm those ortileb panniers are good!. Other trouble with the computer is that it really gets the attention at hostels, which gets me worried, fortunately nothing bad has happened other than a girl calling me a 'posh' backpacker :) I also should mention that once the hostel owner gave me special accomodation including meals for more than a month in exchange of a simple web page work and some computer consulting.

Well, I think Im showing off a bit, but anyways, it is a profession that is very compatible with bicycle touring and I would highly reccomend it if there is the curiosity about designing and building web pages.

if there is the curiosity about designing and building web pages.


First of all, I think that's a great way to fund your touring ... and secondly ... my webmaster handed my website over to me, and has left it up to me to update ... well, that was 9 months ago, and I haven't done a thing with it, mainly because I'm not sure what to do and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. I'm not even quite sure where to begin. I've got a lot of the information I want to put on my site sitting here ... but I don't know how to get it on there, or how to rearrange things or anything ... any quick little tips??

Try China for teaching jobs. I'm sure it would be easy to find work for a Canadian there.
Cheap country to tour in. Take teaching jobs whenever you need cash.

try Googling it and you'll see how easy it would be. No degrees needed. Chinese are starving for english teachers and they'll take anything. I've been approached several times and being asked if I want a job. Englsh isn't even my native language although I am fluent (more or less).

Here's a link to get you started

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/

Busking and touring go well together. If you have a small instrument you can take with you, or some other "talent" you can show off in the streets, it will help. I've also had some luck offering bike repairs in exchange for money or food.

I saw this done several times in Australia. :)


I did a stint of tour guiding and English teaching for a few years in Italy--very fun, easy, sometimes lucrative, and you don't need a BA (or even a work permit) but you have to commit to staying in one place for a while.




How recent was this? I've been checking into the possibility of teaching in various countries over the past year or so, and more and more of them are highly recommending some sort of Bachelor's degree. A few places will still take people without ... but there's almost always the small print that they prefer someone with a degree, or will take someone with a degree over someone without. Also some countries, like Japan, won't even let you into the country to work unless you've got some sort of degree or qualifications that they find particularly desirable (e.g. technical stuff).

First of all, I think that's a great way to fund your touring ... and secondly ... my webmaster handed my website over to me, and has left it up to me to update ... well, that was 9 months ago, and I haven't done a thing with it, mainly because I'm not sure what to do and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. I'm not even quite sure where to begin. I've got a lot of the information I want to put on my site sitting here ... but I don't know how to get it on there, or how to rearrange things or anything ... any quick little tips??Well, do you have any knowledge of html? I can understand you get overwhelmed if you didn't get involved with the coding of your current pages and suddenly you have to deal with updating this huge site.

My suggestion is that you start your site from scratch so you get to learn and understand what each html tag does. Its not complex at all, believe me. You can start by doing simple pharagraphs <p> , lists <ul> and basic tables <table>. Doing the code yourself you also get the oportunity to organize it your way and make it ready to reuse for other pages.

You can work it all on your computer then upload it when it is ready. Uploading depends of what interface your web hosting provider gives you. It is usually ftp which works just like copying files between folders.

I can give you further pointers if youre interested, let me know or PM me.

As a counterpoint to GNZ: you can also use an "abstraction layer" authoring tool for web development.

Adobe GoLive and MacroMedia DreamWeaver are basically the two big guns.

You can, in a pinch use something like "Microsoft Word" to output to HTML. It won't be pretty code but it'll get the job done if you're not trying to sell your work.
(eg: just posting a travelogue)

I'm developer and I use GoLive with some manual tweaking as needed.
You can download a free trial version (fully functional) from Adobe.com

Yes, I forgot to mention that you can also use an editor that creates the HTML for you, but it requires that investment. I prefer to recommend learning the code because it gives you better control.

It depends on your level of commitment really.

I've done this, i started working on my (very basic) website from scratch a year or two ago and i tried everything. When i started i knew quite some about computers and nothing about HTML really... The learning curve was steep at the beginning but short.

I am now convinced that manually writing HTML code would be the best (and if you invested for some months in learning perhaps even the fastest) method to write the nicest pages as well as give you the max. ability to make a living at HTML.

However. I am of the quick, fast and cheap solution school at times. Hence i found manual coding to be a bit too much investment in energy and time for my taste.

So i tried Dreamweaver, but it seemed like Bloatware for my simple purposes, way too many options (confusing) and sucked up way too many resources of my PC to my taste. It is the best and most proffesional probably, but i ain't proffesional so,..

I tried writing pages in Word. Yech,.. that was severely limited and ugly. Plus Word is bloatware of itself, to use bloatware to do something it does badly seemed non sensical.

Then i ended up with Freeware, namely NVU and Filezilla. Tiny, fast as heck, stable and does everything i need it to do. Best of all it is free. I learned how to make very simple pages with this system within a week. Very easy. I should still invest a few weeks someday to make my pages 'good' and better looking but the most important thing is that they are up and out there.

But no matter what route you go it is definately a good idea to:

1. "Steal" code! Download any and all Pages you think are nice/cool and then use their code, nothing wrong with that unless you try to pass it of as your own 'invention'. Also asking the author whether it is ok to use it and thanking them is a decent thing to do.

2. Having someone somewhat experienced in HTML (preferably in person but on-line works to) to answer questions or help lift barriers really helps! I usually save up my "stupid" questions then pick someone's brain.

3. A good provider/host can be essential, you pay for what you get.

But of course one day i would like to learn how to write code. There are lots of amazing Freeware Code Editors and programs to help out with code such as HTML tidy.

The last option is using a Blog, blogs will allow you to update very easily and frequenty and HTML code can be added to pretty things up. Plus Blogs can be updated from any computer with internet access, you don't need to have any special HTML programs installed and such, that makes them very handy for when you are travelling and want to write up stuff while it is 'fresh'. Web authoring on programs is always a little more ponderous a slow in my opinion (not too much) but enough to make a difference.

I now use a Blog for quick and dirty ramblings that have no lasting value (yet) and my page for more in depth stuff that i hope will be nice to for people to read and that i am rather happy with for the long term.

Let us know how you fare and if you have any additional tips in a while, i'd love to hear them.

Hi Machka,
I am an overseas English teacher and it is a good way to be able to travel and live oversease. I'm in Japan now and have been for about 5 years, but I've also taught in S. Korea, Turkey, and Colombia, as well as back in the States. Although, I think I'm about done being a foreigner and have started thinking about going home, I'm glad I've done this and don't regret it for a moment. I've been to lots of places I never would have made it otherwise.

I think you're on the right track in getting your degree in Education. I assume that this is the Canadian qualification for teaching? If so, you're in a good place because not only will you be eligible to get work at decent, reputable language schools, you can also look for work at International schools. From reading your posts, (pardon me if I'm wrong) I assume you're older than the "backpacker" crowd, and this being the case I don't think you'd want to mess with being an unqualified teacher--sure you can get work, but it will mostly be crap and you'll enjoy it less. Also, unqualified teachers (I can say this because I started as an unqualified teacher myself) neither get nor deserve much respect in their host countries and give the rest of us a bad name. Please don't join their ranks. In any event, qualified or not, you'll have to start somewhere and for that you may want to look into some of the big language school chains in Asia (English First, ECC, AEON, Nova, GEOS). Yeah, you'll hear complaints about them all, some quite legitimate but mostly from 22 year olds who seem to have higher opinions of their own worth than the market does. You'll get a decent salary, probably an apartment, basic insurance, etc. So, you work for a year contract, take off for a few months and then sign on for another year. A lot of people start this way and then add further qualifications like a UCLES TESL certificate or diploma or even an MA. Then you can get university jobs that pay very well and offer lots of time off (I get almost 5 months of vacation every year but get paid a full year's salary at my uni in Japan). But it's not really possible to start at that point, I think.

I recommend Japan--in my opinion it offers the best combination of salary and lifestyle for a teacher who is starting out. Taiwan and Korea are also decent bets. Somebody recommended China. No thanks. Interesting place to visit, buy way too dirty and intense for me to want to LIVE there.

Hope this helps. I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have any.

Cheers,
Tom in Osaka

P.S. Pet peeve rant--People, the Japanese bubble burst a long time ago, yet the "Japan is so expensive" meme just doesn't die. This country is not expensive. Costs are fairly similar to the U.S. Okay, so that makes it more expensive than Vietnam. But I'd say its certainly competitive with many EU countries or N. America. Food and lodging are comparable to U.S. prices. Yes, I know Tokyo still shows up as the most expensive city in the world, but the criteria they use to measure that are directed towards business travellers (How much is a taxi from the airport to the city center?--yes、taxis are expensive and it's a long way from Narita to central Tokyo, but most things are pretty "normally" priced if a tiny bit more expensive than the U.S.) It would be completely possible to eat and camp for less than US$30 a day here. And if by any chance you're looking to buy electronics, you might possibly get a better price here depending on what it is. Bike parts are also pretty reasonable here. --End rant

In re: Austrailia

When I was there in 2002 I lived on damn near NOTHING. I wasnt cycling as I was still intact enough to skateboard. I slept in the park almost every night, spent almost no money, hit up the MANY free food places around (krishnas, food vans, etc) and would say that the 5 months I was there I prolly averaged under $5us a day.

Really a nice question … In my bike tours I need not much funds. I love “surviving” type of tours, sleep in my tent in the wilderness, eat wood fruits or supply food by fishing, frogging … beautiful !!! This summer I will do such a tour at least 2 months.
Bob

...Have any of you been able to earn a bit of money writing articles for magazines? Writing books? Doing public speaking? Picking up work along the way?

I have funds to tour because I worked for the same employer for 25 years, always living below our means. Since that employer went bankrupt, I've been a self-employed consultant for 6 years now, and have not only more time but also more income.

I have one book in print that sells well, but the income is trivial. I'm working on a second book now. I calculate that if I have about a dozen books in print, I'll have equivalent income to working all the time.

Magazine articles may be more lucrative, but in my profession, there are too many articles written on a pro-bono basis for the magazines to pay much.

Public speaking is a good option. You can create the course, market online, and plan the venue and time in advance to match your travel schedule. A three-day seminar can fetch up to $1000 fee from each attendee. Of course, your profits are defrayed by the rental of the venue, handout duplication costs, and the purchase or rental of computer and projection equipment. If you're doing presentations for others, a presenter's fee of $1,000 for an eight hour class is about typical, and you lose the flexibility of choosing the place and time. If you are doing your own presentations, you end up with more work but more money.

Good luck!

@ FarHorizon, i am very intrigued by your ideas and would love more info on your experiences. I would also like to publish some books to provide me with some income. Could you tell me more and how? Also what are your books and presentations on? Do you have good examples of site of someone that offers presentations and does well out of it?

Thanks for anything you can share!

i've been here in japan for about 16 years now, and i can tell you that for most working class people it's more or less prohibitively expensive. some figures(in u.s. dollars) for traveling "cheap": youth hostel about $25 per night + another $15 for optional dinner; food - breakfast, lunch and dinner at fastfood or family restaurants will go for about $25 - $30 per day minimum. portions are miniscule and generally no refills on coffee, which costs about $2 to $4 per tiny cup. you'll need to fill out your food consumption with about as much food again from supermarkets or convenience stores (which are conveniently located at nearly every intersection). don't count on tofu being cheap

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Hi Machka,
etc.,etc.
--End rant


thomasd - i posted first, read your post later. i don't agree that japan is cheap. also, it would be fairly impractical for someone on a tour to pick up some extra money teaching. if you want to teach, you need to "establish" yourself somewhere. the big chain schools are not all that dissimilar to the military; the best you can say is that your basic needs will be met and it's steady.
however, i'm up here in takarazuka. i've got business and family responsibilities, so extended tours are not going to happen soon, but long days, or 1 or 2 nighters are not out of the question. when i go alone, i either camp(stealth usually) or use youth hostels on occason. kind of planning to go to the japan sea via kyoto & biwako for an overnighter this spring or early summer. if you're interested, maybe we could pm our fax or phone #'s. (that's if i can figure out how to pm)