Space-Time Sabbatical

Washing clothes in hostels and hotels means scrubbing them with soap in the sink and then draping them all over the room. Sometimes we luck out, like with our love motel in Busan, South Korea, where the bathtub was big enough for Joel to get dirty while cleaning our clothes. Dive in and take charge; your underwear will thank you. 

After purchasing cheap international adaptors on Amazon, Joel and I were excited to put them to use. But then we discovered that South Korean outlets are recessed into the wall, so our adaptors would connect and then promptly fall out. Disappointed but undaunted, we propped a chair against the adaptor to keep it in place. Any available furniture will do! Just make sure the indicator light stays on and you're good to go.  

Before we left home, we used our CVS coupons and discounts to purchase travel-size toiletries, but of course these items run out eventually. So we've been keeping our eyes peeled for complimentary products, like razors, toothbrushes, and the plentiful mini toothpastes pictured. Sure, it's wasteful, but they come in handy on an overnight trip where a full-size tube means extra weight on the hiking trail. They're also the most adorable toothpastes you will ever find. 

Despite being another obvious environmental hazard, bottled water is a must in China and elsewhere. Our method is a bit more environmentally friendly, while also saving cash and lightening our load. First we save smaller bottles, which are often free on flights. When they've run dry, we buy a larger bottle. Next we redistribute the water amongst the bottles so that Joel can haul the larger one while I can carry the smaller one. Sometimes we also luck out and get to refill with the hostel's free purified water. Just be sure to discard the baby bottles after no more than a week to avoid the harmful effects of plastic degradation.

Aside from water, we've also been consuming vast amounts of tea (we are in Asia, after all). But a cup of tea here can be outrageously expensive. In Japan, we stocked up on hotel freebie powdered tea packets and boiled them using the room's kettle. When those ran out, we purchased loose tea and our very own glass thermos, which is "an old Chinese style of tea brewing made modern." Now we can caffeinate just like the locals! 

Being vegan and vegetarian can pose a challenge in many parts of Asia, especially on an all-day excursion (Great Wall, Great Buddah, Great you-name-it). We've gotten into a routine of fetching inexpensive supplies at the supermarket and making our own PB&J sandwiches to bring with us for the day. Joel has since perfected the craft by sourcing pre-wrapped mini-French breads, which are more common than sliced bread. They can be (sort-of) rewrapped for freshness and fit nicely into our cheap-o tupperware. Every few days we'll stock up on snacks, particularly before hikes and long rides. Some of our favorite snacks, which also double as breakfast items, include bananas, nuts, rice bars, crackers, and also veggie noodles for train rides. 

The first step in making travel plans often involves buying a travel guide. But the first step in our Book Hack is borrowing travel guides and then mailing them back home when you've moved on from said country, because the less weight on your back, the better. The China guide book is a monster! Joel had been lugging that thing around on our daily adventures until he decided to take a plastic knife to the binding and slice out only what we needed for the day. A pair of scissors works even better, and carrying 6 pages clipped together sure beats 1000! 

This bed in our Pingyao hostel may look luxurious, but don't be fooled...it was hard as a rock! These beds are a vestige of China's ancient kang bed-stoves, and a thin mattress laid atop stone doesn't do much to ease our weary bones. To get a decent night's sleep, we folded the mattress in half over itself (with considerable effort) for more cushioning. But when the mattress isn't large enough to fold, like in Xi'an, we'll sleep "burrito-style" by folding the comforter under and around us for an exra layer of padding. This trick works even better on sleeper trains! 

If you are a student or still look the part like we do, don't forget to pack your student ID card. Several attractions in China offer student discounts even to foreigners, so if you have a still-valid ID (like Joel's) or one that never had an expiration date (like mine) then try putting that thing to good use. Often the ticket salesperson won't look very carefully or will neglect to ask for your passport for cross-reference.  Student discounts can save you up to 50%, and on big ticket attractions it's most certainly worth a shot!

This travel hack has been in Joel's arsenal for some time, and I trusted in his travel wisdom: first you find the perfect pack, then you buy some packing cubes...or better yet, re-purpose sleeping bag or other thin but durable drawstring bags. You'll be amazed at the amount of stuff you can fit into your bag once you've first compressed them. Packing cubes or sleeves are also helpful for keeping things organized and making sure you don't leave anything behind. Right now, I've got 2 pairs of pants and 5 shorts inside a single cube! Amazing, isn't it?