Thoughts on Solo Backpacking: The 'Solo-Traveling-Jitters'

How I actually got into this craziness?

Sunday, February 9, 2014, it was past midnight (1:25AM), but here I am, still awake with plenty of thoughts running through my mind. This has been the case for a few days now. I am two days away from getting on that plane to Bangkok where this craziness was about to take me. I’ve been having sleepless nights, wondering what will or will not happen to me, thinking if should go or not go on this trip and weighing if this is the sane or insane thing to do. So how did I get into this mess?

Wondering where my next destination will be! Czary 101

Let me take you back on the day I booked the plane ticket. It was late night on July 12, 2013; I was a little groggy from the bottles of red horse (a local beer) I drank during my friend’s birthday celebration earlier that day. As usual, I went online to check my Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts before going to bed. That was when I came upon the “piso fare” promo for all domestic and international flight of Cebu Pacific Air posted in their Facebook account. I randomly search for international flights bound to anywhere. I did not have any plans of purchasing a ticket anyway, since I have a scheduled trip to El Nido, Palawan on July 26, 2013. But when I checked the travel period; it was from January 1 to June 30, 2014. So on a second thought, the trip will not be happening in the near future and that will give me enough time to plan and save for my trip. I immediately booked a roundtrip ticket to Bangkok for 10 days thinking that the trip will be easy peasy since Thailand is a backpacker friendly country.

Trying to figure out Hongkong's train system!

Forward to December 2013, I was browsing the internet preparing my itinerary, planning my trip, looking for cheap accommodations and places to visit when I stumbled upon the news about the Bangkok protest. The headline reads “violent clashes between anti and pro-government groups on 30 November and 1 December 2013 resulted in 4 deaths and 57 injuries.” For a moment, I did not care at all since the Philippines, also has its own share of violence resulting from political crises. But to be sure, I further searched for related articles regarding the political crises in Bangkok. As I dug deeper, the fear of traveling alone in Bangkok started to grow. There was a time when the airport at Bangkok was closed due to the protests, the shopping district was taken over by the protesters, riots and other violent acts are prevalent in the streets. Although such things also happen to the Philippines, at least I know how the protest will go, when the protest will happen, where the protest will take place and how I should react. In short, I am accustomed to Philippine setting and I am acquainted with alternate routes in avoiding protest sites, which is not the case when I go to Thailand.

Another crazy pose! Don't asked me where I got them, it's probably innate.

The days passed by and for every day that passed, I made sure to check on updates and news regarding the 2013-14 Bangkok protest. Instead of my daily habit of checking my social media accounts, I was glued to my laptop searching for updates. Several Bangkok news and current affairs websites published photos of the current situation about the Bangkok protest and shutdown, which added to my agony. However, I also stay informed about the effects of such political crisis on tourism side from the stories at tripadvisor and virtualtourist forums. It was really uplifting to read the comments on these sites providing updates on the ground, assuring people planning to go to Bangkok that everything is normal as long as you avoid the protest sites.

My resolve! 

Going back to NOW, I still have my doubts regarding my Bangkok trip. My mind (and soul?) is still at war if I should push through with this trip. Because regardless of the protest and political crisis happening in Bangkok now, I still fear the idea of traveling alone in a foreign land where I know no one and I know nothing. I also fear that no one might understand me due to language barriers. Although I have some experiences on solo backpacking, but those were trips within the Philippines where there is an assurance that I can easily call for help whenever anything bad might happen to me. This post will go on if I try to list the risk associated with my planned solo backpacking trip to Bangkok, but I decided not to, for it will only further discourage me.

This is how I define crazy!

Others might say that I’m making this a big issue, well I don’t care! Because I am honestly frightened right now and I’m so close to quitting and throwing my plane ticket to the garbage bin (I still have a soft copy in my phone & laptop though haha). What’s keeping me from really doing that is the amount of money and time I invested in this trip (my plane ticket, my accommodation reservation, my bus ticket to Siem Reap, etc). On top of the prepaid expenses is my burning passion for traveling. Yes, I said it before (History of Tra-Abel) I enjoy traveling, meeting new people, trying different food and learning about new culture. So why should I give up on my dream of traveling anywhere my foot brings me just because of those risks that I believe have always been there (just stay there and never come to me, LOL). The dangers of traveling – either far or near, solo or with a group, first timer or experienced, will always be there and it is there to stay. What I think one can do is just try to minimize it by exercising normal security and safety precautions. This can also be done by proper planning, (I don’t believe in an uber-detailed itinerary but just plan right, or whatever that suits you) through gathering enough information about the place your about to go to.

Finally, to answer my question above on how I got into this craziness? Well, blame it all on my passion and the decision to follow my dream. I am not getting any younger and this world has a lot of uncertainties anyway, so why not make those “uncertainties” be about my travels. I would gladly turn them from uncertainties to memories that I will surely cherish for the rest of my life! Wish me luck! #starttheyearwithabang-kok #2014travels #2014traabel   

When we landed at Puerto Princesa City Airport. The start of Tra-Abel!

End of Blog Entry, 4:33AM, Sunday, February 9, 2014.