Sep 24 2007
The Travel Plans are Coming Together
First I get the camera, then I get the laptop, then I get the power. Ok maybe not power… then I get the plane ticket! I just bought a one-way flight to Manila, Philippines to arrive on January 10th and what I get up to after that is anyone’s guess but I see a lot of hammocks and cocktails in my future.
I’m not sure how I came to the decision to fly into the Philippines. I could have chosen some cheaper spots in Asia to start out. I guess my reasoning is that it’s sort of out of the way from the rest of Southeast Asia and if I didn’t start there I probably never would have been to cheap and lazy to hop a flight to the islands later on.
The plan is to spend a month or six weeks in the Philippines, hop over to Borneo for a few weeks to look around, pop in to Brunei to say g’day to the sultan dude and then continue on to the rest of Malaysia before flying out of Kuala Lumpur for Beijing in early April to hand around there until the Olympics.
Anything can happen between now and then but those are the rough plans and my feet are getting extremely itchy. It’s always been my dream to travel without any time limit or definite plans so I’ll be taking things as they come and going with the flow as much as possible.
You may have noticed that I’ve got an extra link up top to a map. Well that’s not supposed to be there so pretend you didn’t see that, ok? I’m still working on the page but I can’t figure out how to do that without having the page visible to one and all. Yet another example of my lack of Wordpress knowledge I suppose!
The idea for the map is to have a marker for each place I’ve been. to When you click on the icon a list of blog posts for that place will pop up. These links will take you to my yet to be constructed travel blog where the posts will live. These posts will be purely travel related and aimed at family, friends and anyone who wants to stalk me (I’ve always wanted a stalker) and I guess the idea is to keep interested readers of my Nerdy Nomad blog informed about what I’m up to without having this blog overrun with posts about how bad my sun burn is and what I ate for breakfast. Plus I love Google maps and just wanted an excuse to add one to my site.
If anyone has been to the Philippines, Borneo or Malaysia or has any tips on cool things to do in Beijing I’d love suggestions!
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I've been travelling since January 2008 living off earnings from the web. Follow me as I bum around Asia and beyond, getting up to mischief and working online as I go.
Hey Kirsty - yay for buying your plane ticket! I’ll be sure to read about your adventures in Asia
About page rankings — I was worried about that, too, but when I do a search on google for ‘rtw travelog’, ‘brian and brooke’, ‘vs the world’, or ’round the world travelog’ - our blog site comes up near the top. Also, I still have the old site active (it has to be called by /index.htm) and that comes up for those searches as well as ‘rtw travelogue’.
Maybe you should make a static html page for a blog site of yours with the same keywords and see how the search engines pick it up. Or maybe if the static content on your home blog page has all the necessary keywords in it, it will do well in the search engines. It would be an interesting investigation!
Congrats on your travel plans coming together, Kirsty!
Regarding “hiding” the maps page … you should just be able to change the Page Status to “Draft” in the WP admin panel.
Hope that helps.
Sorry haven’t been to the Philippines and Borneo but I know experienced divers who are just gaga over the Phillippines - some of the best in the world apparently! Have been to Malaysia (except KL - saving that for a stopover!) and I would say as a solo woman you will have a lot easier time if you dress conservatively - you dont have to where long dresses or anything but avoid showing you shoulders (singlet type tops), belly and wearing shorts. You will also avoid sunburn and dehydration if you go for a the a longish skirt and a loose short sleeved blouse and a hat. Its just about showing a bit of respect really and it tends to be reciprocated 10X - I suspect Phillipines will be alot more liberal -but you will be suspectable too sunburn coming from Canada! Have a great time.
Brooke that’s a good idea. For anyone wondering, we’re talking about a comment I made on her blog over at http://www.usversustheworld.com/?p=85. Once I have a bit more time on my hands I migth start testing and tinkering a bit more.
Mike I think I might have an older version of Wp running or something because I don’t have that option but I’ve just set up another blog on a new site though that does. I might make it my goal to hammer out the map and the travel blog this weekend so it won’t be a problem.
I’m not much of a diver but I’ve only tried it once… with funny results. Might have another crack or might just snorkle instead as I think that’s a lot more relaxing. I think you’d be surprised at how hot and sunny it is in Canada in the summer! At least in Niagara where I’m from. No ozone layer there either. I think it’s my Scottish blood I need to worry about!
I’m one of your stalker…a grateful one indeed! I’d been stalking the whole ‘blogosphere’ just to gain confidence to start blogging my place in the Philippines. It’s overwhelming…but my husband and I are planning to retire soon, if possible. I’ll try to put up some of the pictures I have, maybe your trip will be enough push for me to start somewhere. If you later decide you want a stopover in Manila, we’re in Quezon City…still crowded and polluted, though there maybe a few places worth seeing. I’d been away for 2 decades but my sister (managing my place) and the rest of the family are wonderful guides. She has gone as far as Boracay beaches in the Visayan Islands, and that’s as far as I would venture. Mindanao and Palawan are tourist havens and closer to Borneo, but…I’m one scardy nerdy! I’m still a Filipina at heart and I wish you the best of your trip!