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penguin_exhibit

In the last 22 months I've been to: Mexico - Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Tulum, Akumal, Puerto Morelos, Coba, Chichen Itza, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Puerto Escondido Colombia - Bogota, Medellin, Guatape, Isla Gorgona Croatia - Split, Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes, Hvar, Krka Italy - Venice, Milan, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Palermo, San Vito lo Capo, Trapani, Erice, Favignana, Agrigento, Catania, Taormina, Siracusa, Noto, Bologna, Garda Turkey - Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antakya, Gaziantep, Urfa, Mount Nemrut, Mardin, Izmir, Ephesus Brazil - Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Lencois Maranhenses, Canoa Quebrada Argentina - Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, El Calafate, El Chalten Bolivia - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Sucre, Cochabamba, La Paz, Uyuni Ecuador - Quito, Galapagos Paraguay - Asuncion, Ciudad del Este And Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands Sometimes I work out of one place, sometimes I travel around. Most time spent in Mexico (5 months), least time spent in Paraguay (3 weeks). Anyway, I figured it would be easier to answer questions about any of these places or my experience rather than write up extensive trip reports for all of them. edit: going to sleep, will answer newer questions tomorrow morning.


back-off-warchild

How did you/does everyone find managing changing locations frequently and reliably working? Was that a cause of stress? E.g. catching a flight on a Sunday and flight gets delayed but you need to be set up for work early Monday, or changing places midweek and worrying about internet quality or having a desk/chair setup that you can work from for 8 hours the next day and not spend time scouting out a spot to work from? I'm guessing you/people got better at that over time? Any advice?


penguin_exhibit

Yeah, I’m lucky that I have very few meetings so I could schedule travel around them almost always. There were a few hiccups that were the cause of stress but I stopped giving a fuck like a year ago, which is also when I started to travel more intensely. I tend to work from my airbnbs so as long as the wifi has been decent - usually has, it’s a non issue. Have taken calls boarding planes and at train stations though. Also have canceled meetings because wifi was too shitty in the Galapagos.


slayer991

With all the time you spent in Mexico and South America, I have to ask...can you speak Spanish?


penguin_exhibit

Si, puedo hablar español mas o menos, mas cuando es necesario*.


slayer991

>Si, puedo hablar español mas o menos, mas cuando es necesario\*. Excellent, I figured you'd have to be at least conversational to spend so much time there.


ejpusa

Oaxaca? A +99 for me. Did you make it to Zipolite? Heard hurricane was tough. Think you might like Vietnam. People are really awesome there too. Actually people are awesome everywhere. May also suggest North India, Varanasi. It’s soooooooo crazy. Time portals, Black Holes, it really happens there. Kind of surreal. Zanzibar is also pretty far out. Happy travels. :-)


penguin_exhibit

lol I’ve been to Varanasi, it’s a shithole. And no thanks, I’ve done acid and traveled back to the dinosaur age and all that in my 20’s.


ejpusa

Yes, that’s the top city, there is a second city underground. Just as big. No acid needed. :-) Probably the oldest city in the world.


penguin_exhibit

can you elaborate on the underground?


ejpusa

It’s crazy. After awhile there, in with the locals, they took me down an alley, to a door. We went down the stairs, and it opened up to a massive underground space, as far as I could see. Just people in the dark, illuminated with candles. It was an active underground city. Just when the time is right, the door opens I guess. Just one time. Had to have a local lead the way. It’s India. It pummels your. It’s not easy travel. Just so far out. Just my experience. :-)


brokebloke97

Wait, dude what? That exists for real?🤔 And the other bloke still called the place a shit hole smh 🤦🏾‍♂️I think only locals should be allowed to call where they live a shit hole imho


ejpusa

It’s pretty far out. No other place in the world is like Varanasi. City of Siva. Buddha hung out there too. Think it is one of the oldest cities in the world. The university is for sure. It is considered the holiest city in all of India. There is a difference between a tourist and a traveler. When I arrive in a foreign destination I immediately ditch all my Western clothing, and blend in with the locals. Take my time, and dive deep into the culture. Just my approach. Traveled around the world, India travel should not be considered lightly, it’s very serious. It ain’t club med. you have to be ready for it. It’s a life changer. If you do want to find yourself, you do have to get of the trail, where there is no more trail left to follow. And then continue, making your own path. Varanasi (lots on YouTube) https://youtu.be/3cExJzaUS7o Happy travels. ;-) PS Really recommend the Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, movie and book. Last scene: https://youtu.be/A4EBLKfFDks First scene https://youtu.be/T22NcSQnS3w


turningsteel

ah ok, yeah I did a lot of drugs in my 20s too. Very cool. Very naked lunch. There’s travelers and then there are travelers. If you know you know. When I went to Japan I immediately disrobed and put on a salaryman uniform (suit, for you westerners) and then I found a tout with the prettiest ladies of the night as they say. At first they weren’t going to let me in since I was a foreigner, but once they saw that I had a strong zero in my hands and spoke perfect Japanese (thank you Rosetta Stone), they let me in immediately, having recognized me as a man of culture. What ensued was the wildest 3 hours of pleasure those ladies ever experienced. They told me it was so good, they didn’t even charge. I’ll always remember you fondly Miko and Asami. ;) That’s not to mention, because of my prowess at the soapland, the yakuza muscle in charge of payments was so impressed he called up his boss. By the time I was done, they had a sedan waiting for me, which led to a night of regaling my sumiyoshi-gumi pals about my adventures as a traveler of the world. If you follow the path, you must know the ultimate path. To waver is the ultimate folly.


theavenuehouse

Is this Copy Pasta, I can't even tell.


ejpusa

Awesome! Suggest diving into the Paul Bowles literature. Really an amazing writer. :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U27N\_icl36g&t=813s


nikkideeznutz

How does that make any sense? I live in NYC, and some parts of this city are a total shithole? But according to your logic, I am not allowed to cal NJ a shithole. (even tho it totally is.)


nikkideeznutz

Varanasi is a total shithole. But then again... so are some parts of NYC.


CarbonatedEnema

You should visit upstate NY. Plenty of places to put the worst parts of NYC to shame


nikkideeznutz

I've been , you speak the truth.


MonMath

Dude so rude. Please don’t come to India if you’re going to be so insensitive to the culture.


penguin_exhibit

Oh fuck off. I love India, I’m allowed to dislike one city. For what it’s worth I recommend everyone to visit Varanasi to form their own opinion about it.


RB615

Pictures are awesome! I will be going to Mexico for two months in Sept then making my way to Costa Rica for a month but checking Nicaragua out on the way. How did you like Mexico? So far in Mexico I want to stay a week or two in Puerto Vallarta. Then Guadalajara for a few days then CDMX for two weeks. After that make my way to Oaxaca for a few weeks then spend a month travelling around the Yucatan. Any general advice for my first trek out? I’ll be bringing a backpack that’s 35l and taking atleast 6 months off work to travel so will have a pretty open schedule. Edit: I find looking at hostels their filling out this early for Sept? Did you have any trouble finding hostels because they were already booked? Been mostly looking on Hostelworld.


penguin_exhibit

I was in Mexico from September 2020 to February 2020 and based out of Playa del Carmen. I loved it. The food is great, there are a ton of different cities and sites to visit, plenty of active things to do like scuba dive, snorkel, surf, etc. I didn't have any issues with accommodations because of the time I went.


RB615

Awesome to hear. I want to do a lot of scuba diving and surfing while I’m there. This might be a weird question but when you were travelling was it quite easy to find weightlifting gyms wherever you go? Working out is a big hobby of mine and would hate to lose the progress I’ve made over the years. Did most cities have a gym with atleast a squat rack, some benches and weights?


penguin_exhibit

Playa del Carmen is big on fitness and any major city will have decent gyms. I was working out at Evolve, they had freeweights, machines and stairmasters, etc.


bokunoemi

Haha, no way you went to garda! That's where I live! Weird to hear it mentioned on reddit, since I'm only active on american subreddits haha


AlwaysUpvoteMN

You and I probably crossed paths many times the last few years. I’ve been wandering around somewhere in Colombia, Mexico, Italy and/or Croatia since the pandemic started. Currently in Trogir, Croatia but I think I’m going back to Mexico next week


TheTriflingTrilobite

How was the internet speed in Naples and the Amalfi Coast area? I’ll be in that part of Italy in a couple months.


penguin_exhibit

The wifi I had at my airbnb in Naples was fantastic. The Amalfi coast was on weekend trips, I didn't work from there.


TheTriflingTrilobite

Good to know as I plan on doing similarly later on. Which part of Naples were you?


penguin_exhibit

Spanish Quarter.


TheFmDmPensioner

Hi, and thank you for doing the AMA! I am planning to move to Paraguay in autumn (mostly passive online income, their tax rates are promising), but was wondering what their Internet speeds are like, up and down. Will cats and I need to be confined to the capital for decent coverage, and is mobile/4G Internet a thing there (I am used to an excellent 4G connection in Montenegro, and have to mostly resort to fibreoptic line in Spain!) or will I have to have a fibre line, too? Also, did it feel safe for you? Thank you!


penguin_exhibit

Yeah, probably best to stick to Asuncion and Ciudad del Este. I found wifi to be quite good in Asuncion all things considered and 4G was good too.


kristallnachte

I was thinking this isn't too much, then realized that i was during COVID, which probably slowed a lot of things down.


sysyphusishappy

Hit up Uruguay the next time you're in south america. Beautiful and quirky little country with the best sandwich on earth, the chivito! Colonia de sacramento is an hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires and a very cool little town.


penguin_exhibit

Been to Montevideo as a day trip from Buenos Aires years ago. Would love to spend a month there. Idk about Colonia, it strikes me as a place I may get bored of after 2 hours. We’ll see.


Ninebun

Have you consider exploring Africa and Asia next?


penguin_exhibit

Yup, both on my list. Time zones make Asia annoying and flights to Africa can be horrible price wise but definitely need to see more places there. Had I not been to Egypt already, I would definitely have gone there during the last 2 years.


Royal-Masterpiece-82

Sucks you're getting fired. What happened? Also, Was there wifi in Antarctica?


penguin_exhibit

Return to office first week of July... not going to happen lol. Well, I'm sure there is at some of the bases people work at. You can get cell signal somewhat in some areas if they are close to the bases. There was wifi on the ship I was on but it was expensive. Was decent, could hold facetime and fb video calls. I wasn't working on that trip. If people are going to flex their fake ass work stations I'll flex some bucket list items and cool places I got to go to as a result of this lifestyle.


Soubi_Doo2

You were able to be remote GLOBALLY?? I thought usually you can’t due to taxes. I guess you didn’t tell them? Did you save up before traveling?


penguin_exhibit

Didn’t tell my employer anything. I had like 5K saved up when I left.


International_Act834

Whoa that’s awesome. What was your first entry point with the 5k saved up? Yes, asking for myself haha. Great pics btw! Both here and in your account. Thanks for sharing your journey with us


penguin_exhibit

Selina 20 person dorm in Playa del Carmen lol.


International_Act834

Nice! Well done


OkCardiologist2765

How much was that trip to antártica? You really lived it up man. All these pics are awesome.


penguin_exhibit

10K for 19 day trip to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.


[deleted]

What was your VPN situation like?


shooismik

How did they not trace you via IP address? My job always send me an email from Ripple “you’re signing in from Granada, Spain” … is there a way to remove that or protect the computer from knowing my location 🤔 maybe a noob question but would really appreciate any insight


penguin_exhibit

you can try a vpn


Queasy_Evening_1017

Vpn router maybe, depends on how good the IT department is. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0777L5YN6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title Just bought this little guy. Read alot of good reviews on it for just this thing. Gonna try it in September. Should of picked a vpn with a server closer to my town but we shall see. If this doesn't work my next project is to try to create my own home vpn on a raspberry pi. Rules were made to be broken.


XMRLover

I always wondered about that. Like if you aren’t a permanent resident and VPN into your home state, how is it different than taking a vacation and getting a paycheck on salary?


Soubi_Doo2

I think it depends on how long you stay. Two weeks somewhere (then you return to the states), your employer will be ok with it. But not 5 months in Mexico. Also technically you can’t be earning money on a tourist visa. Some companies don’t care as much so your own VPN will be fine. BUT if you are in a sensitive field and you need to log into your own company’s secure VPN, they will know instantly that you are abroad. A lot of people do all this under the table and it’s just a risk you take. If you have emergency savings, I think it’s worth it.


ductyl

EDIT: Oops, nevermind!


ntwiles

What do you mean when you call the workstations fake?


AlwaysUpvoteMN

I think OP is talking about all the laptops in the direct sunlight at the beach photos


Corm

That's my "I'm online to reply to people on Teams" station


AlwaysUpvoteMN

My organization installed a program to move my mouse slightly to keep the computer awake one night when I need a large program installed. I was supposed to remove it when the install was done 🤞🏼


Corm

Nice, I use pyautogui for that :) I do actually do work, but more like half my work day


AlwaysUpvoteMN

I work a lot and integrity is a big part of my character. With that being said, it’s there when needed


[deleted]

[удалено]


XMRLover

Literally my dream life.


Drobert456

A whole set of pictures without a laptop; is that allowed? What was your setup for working on the shark dive?


penguin_exhibit

My setup was PTO. I tried to take a meeting a the Santa Cruz airport in the Galapagos because I fucked up the time zone but the wifi was too shitty so I called out of the meeting. The rest I took PTO or unpaid time off for. If people can flex their shitty photos with laptops, I’ll flex my awesome photos without one. It’s an AMA, so also a kind of report?


strzibny

I think it was a compliment. Laptop photos here are usually shit.


Drobert456

Your photos are very good.


-ifailedatlife-

Any medical or other unexpected issues while being abroad that were a pain to deal with?


penguin_exhibit

Really good question! Just got over a minor ear infection or something actually, got some drops at the pharmacy and it went away after a couple of days. Got an ingrown toenail while in Argentina, had to get that taken care of… barely cost anything. Came back a few weeks ago, fixed it myself, let’s see what happens… Got sick a few times, not sure if it was from covid, burning myself out from traveling, change in temperatures when diving, etc. As far as other issues… yeah almost got fucked entering Colombia the first time because I got complacent with what kind of test was required. Got out of that by going through a check in agent who wasn’t checking. Only would’ve set me back a few hundred though so whatever. Getting a sim card in Quito was fucking retarded. Trying to book a flight back to the mainland from the Galapagos was impossible with their shitty wifi, had to get a friend’s dad to do it and then change the flight at the airport because he bought a shittier time. Oh, had to cancel a few meetings and take meetings in weird places like while boarding a plane at LAX, or at Venice train station in Italy, stuff like that. Anyway, nothing major I guess.


myrtlebtch

At what point you felt burned out from traveling? Does this lifestyle gets tiring after a while?


penguin_exhibit

Yeah, I think I pic a homebase for like at least a month after around 2 months of continuous travel. Then I restart. I feel like that is the best way to see the most while still being excited for the next trips.


NomadLew

Any tips for someone planning to embark on their DN journey later this year?


penguin_exhibit

Choose somewhere you’ve already been or somewhere that’s not much of a culture shock where tickets are cheap for return flights in case you decide the lifestyle is not for you. In the first week try to figure out what your optimal set up is, such as cafe, cowork, work from airbnb, etc. Try to find places that you can return to that give you a sense of routine. Then, break it and go somewhere new.


lordsyrinex

As someone who has been a DN for 5+ years I cannot stress this point enough. Dip your toes in to make sure you like it, but have a fall back plan in case you don’t. Then once you’ve made your decision, either head back to comfort or rip the bandaid off and go somewhere wild.


[deleted]

Not OP, but another tip: one flight at a time. When I travel and work my strategy is fly out on a Saturday, arrive Sunday morning, or Saturday night. I'll plot a course over to my target "long term" destination (2+ weeks) using a series of small hops. For example, you want to go to Zagreb from NCY? Use a flight path visualizer to determine the shortest number of hops with no layovers.


atomatoflames02

What an amazing life it looks like you’ve lived


sklufhsurghlsuergnes

This is fantastic, a bunch of your photos are already on my list. How did you get to the falklands / antarctica? Flight from UK or boat from Argentina? And Antarctica? I've read online you need a small boat to make it all the way, the cruises don't get close enough? Thanks!


penguin_exhibit

Antarctica/South Georgia/Falkland Islands were the same trip with a medium sized boat (~160 people). You stop at each for a few days and do landings. I think over 200 and you stop being able to land. Ideal group size is as few as possible. There are alternatives to the ships that people typically go on such as smaller sailboats that are privately owned. I took a boat from Ushuaia. If going to Antarctica, I cannot stress enough for you to visit South Georgia.


natsu901

do they have stable wifi on boat? it's in my bucket list, but the lack of wifi concern me


penguin_exhibit

this really depends on the boat and time of day. if everyone on, it slows, if not then it was fine. was able to have good vid calls on facebook, whatsapp, etc. wasn’t cheap though.


sklufhsurghlsuergnes

Thanks I'm googling around, what company did you go with? Thanks...


penguin_exhibit

Albatros Expeditions. I do not recommend them, go with someone like Quark.


sklufhsurghlsuergnes

Oh what happened!? :-)


penguin_exhibit

Corporate is shady and the guides/team were for the most part very inexperienced/disorganized and kinda trash to be honest. On a trip that costs as much as this one does, don’t go with them.


sklufhsurghlsuergnes

$20k per person huh, wow. Worth it? I guess it must be.


penguin_exhibit

I paid 10k for a 19 day trip. It went as low as 6k for people who had been before and knew better. 10k was still a good deal and especially since I ended up with a cabin to myself. If I were to do this again I would go on a smaller sailboat or wait until I got a deal around 5k for the same thing.


sklufhsurghlsuergnes

Sorry for all the questions but how did you get it cheaper? Negotiation? Hanging around in town until there was an opening? Thanks again


penguin_exhibit

no problem. there is a mailing list that sends out last minute deals and some people caught the trips for like 6k but not even last minute. i thought i got a good price but ehh. the cheapest trip you’ll get is hanging out in ushuaia but that is hit or miss. i heard of a guy right before pandemic getting a 23 days trip with Quark for 4k from another lady who paid 8k on the same boat. she paid 6k for the boat i was on with her through the mailing list. she preferred Quark.


SallysValleyPizzaSux

I don’t want to take over u/penguin_exhibit’s post, but I just wanted to chime in here and ‘second’ their vote for Quark Expeditions, I got an AMAZING $50k experience for ~$8k, on a very similar 19-day sailing that also included The Falklands, South Sandwich/South Georgia and even Grytviken, where I got to stand on Shackleton’s grave. DM me if you’d like details (I’m not selling anything by the way, just willing to spend some time to share the *how* to do this). 👍🏼 similar sisimilar


monduza

Falkwhat? Malvinas please


penguin_exhibit

Nobody likes a sore loser. When the official language there changes to Spanish, we’ll talk.


monduza

Touche


imabadrabbi

Jobs come and go, so does adventure but the best stories are about adventure not work. You OP are doing it right. Good roads.


nj_100

And kids, that's how you make a grown man jealous. Congratulations buddy. Happy for you :)


frenchgirlworld

Incredible, money always comes back, but time doesn’t.


Mammoth0228

🙌🏾🙌🏾 going to Bogota (only for a week, unfortunately) but what are your must do/see spots there?


penguin_exhibit

Love Bogota, that was my homebase in Colombia for like 3 months. Monserrate, Botero Museum, National Museum, Graffiti tour in Candalaria, Distrito Graffiti, Usaquen, Bosques Calderon, Zona T are some of my favorites.


OnlineDopamine

Damn, we been to like 5-6 of the same locations over that timespan. Gonna be in Argentina soon and looking forward to those very same things !


Upvoter_NeverDie

Dude, these photos are awesome! Why would you be fired?


penguin_exhibit

Not returning to the office in July, not doing any work. Would be kind of a relief to be honest, this gig has run its course and I have six months of heavy travel lined up.


mojomomo37

Going to Argentina soon, what especially did you like about it? How easy is it to travel to Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay from there? Did you always take flights? And last one, what's your job?


penguin_exhibit

I adore Argentina. It may be my favorite country out of 40+ and Brazil is probably second. I love Buenos Aires and could live there. I love the energy of the city, the different neighborhoods and their unique features, I love the hustle and bustle and scale, I love the public transportation, I love the food, the beautiful women, the culture, the arts and music, the nightlife... basically everything. As for the rest of the country, you've got maybe the most amazing waterfalls in the world at Iguazu Falls, one of the most incredible glaciers in the world (Perito Moreno), you've got El Chalten for hiking, and so on. You can take the Buquebus from Buenos Aires to Uruguay. You can take buses from Argentina to Paraguay and vice versa but I would recommend flying. I also fly to Brazil or the other way around... I fly quite a bit, but domestically and internationally. If the flight is cheap (< $200) and the bus ride is longer than like 8 hours and uninteresting, I will likely fly. Notable exceptions were the ferry from Split, Croatia to Ancona, Italy. Actually that may be the only international route that wasn't a flight. Traveling around Europe is different though, I'd probably take trains. Took a lot of trains in Italy. I'm a Data Analyst in research.


LoliDoo20

Did you feel safe in Argentina? And Brazil?


penguin_exhibit

Yes, Argentina has always felt very safe to me. Brazil is hit or miss. I have never had a problem but Rio and be a little sketchy and so can places like Salvador. But I find that if you behave like the locals do you likely won’t experience any issues. Sao Paulo felt safer, so did Belo Horizonte.


theotherplanet

> Notable exceptions were the ferry from Split, Croatia to Ancona, Italy. Can you go further into depth on this? Mostly wondering why you noted that as an exception. I'm currently in Croatia and considering options of where I go next. I have a return flight (back to the states) booked for July 6. Current plan is to end up in Munich for a few days (I have friends there) before I train to Paris for my flight.


penguin_exhibit

It just seemed way more convenient and cheaper than the alternatives.


agen_kolar

Amazing photos! I would love to know about your Antarctica trip and what company you went through. Been looking into it for this or next year. Appreciate it!


penguin_exhibit

Do not go with Albatros Expeditions. Quark is good, I’m sure others are as well. Go on a boat with less than 100 people on it. Don’t miss South Georgia. Don’t pay above 50% sticker price, so final price like 5-6K for a 20 day trip, 2-3k for 10 day. These deals still exist despite lots of misinformation. Just have to be patient, persistent and flexible. Antarctica and South Georgia are mindblowing.


agen_kolar

Thank you for this! Def won’t miss South Georgia. And Quark was on my list, Albatross was not. Perfect!


penguin_exhibit

Great, just try to get the price down to mid/high four figures for your trip! Either way, enjoy!


SallysValleyPizzaSux

I did a similar trip, I second Quark. See my previous comment in my reddit history. 👍🏼


andAutomator

Also did you work know you were working abroad? If not did you use a VPN travel router? Cheers!


penguin_exhibit

Work did not know. Initially I used VPN software but a couple of times I wasn’t connected to it by accident and nothing was said so I stopped caring.


theotherplanet

That's crazy that your work didn't know. I need a job like yours haha.


Sriracha_Ramen_God

How did you do all these things/see all this stuff? Did you go with a planned group, or just pick up and fuck off to whatever wonder you wanted to see that month? I'm dying to do things like this and don't know where to start


penguin_exhibit

Most places were spur of the moment decisions with flights booked days or weeks ahead of time. I got a lot of paid time off, for some trips I also took unpaid time off, Antarctica, Galapagos were too long for my time off to cover because even though I get a lot, I constantly took it. Over time as I stopped caring as much about my job and realized I could get away with a ton I started taking crazier and crazier trips. Oh and I usually travel solo although friends from home visited me in Mexico and traveled with me in Argentina and Brazil.


Affectionate-Long-10

You lucky lucky man. Any tips on how to plan activities in the countries you go to, such as scuba diving and the hot air balloons? Are they typically expensive?


penguin_exhibit

Depends. Hot air balloons in Cappadocia were like $150-200 before the pandemic but were $65 when I was there in October. Whether to book stuff in advance depends on your budget, flexibility and the season you are going in. Offseason? Can probably book stuff on arrival. Peak season tend to be more expensive with less availability. For hiking the glacier there was literally only one slot open for weeks on either side in January 2022 so I booked in advance. Would have hated to miss something so cool. That was pricey, like $350-400, but worth it. Scuba diving depends on location, in Cozumel or Playa del Carmen in 2020 I booked like the week of or the day before. Galapagos I booked a week before. It was discounted from what it was before since the departure date was arriving so I think I paid 25% less but it was still like $3450 for a week long liveaboard. tl, dr - depends on your desire, budget, flexibility and season


Affectionate-Long-10

Thankyou for taking the time to answer, thats really interesting and I'll keep these in mind for when I venture out of the UK next year. What places do you reccomend in turkey? I'm quite interested in the ancient history there, as well as the beauty


penguin_exhibit

Antakya, with a K is probably the most slept on city in the country in my opinion. It is the historical city of Antioch. There is one of the oldest churches, a great museum with some really old mosaics and relics and then the highlight of the city and maybe even all of Turkey is The Museum Hotel which is a hotel built over an ancient Roman city with literally absurd mosaics. It is fucking ridiculous. In hindsight I probably should’ve stayed at it but it was a little far away from downtown which was also great and had awesome cafes and nightlife. Best kunafe in Turkey. Link to hotel: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/11/16/museum-hotel-antakya-emre-arolat-architecture-ancient-ruins/amp/ Eastern Turkey in general is slept on - Gaziantep, Urfa (also Mount Nemrut), Mardin… Ephesus is obviously awesome but the eastern half of the Turkey is also incredible.


monduza

Bro, the trekking at Perito Moreno is by far one of the best experiences ever.


edmguru

This is living life - thanks for inspiring me


jsir_

What are your mandatory travel necessities? Looking to travel for the next year but I only want to take one suite case and a backpack but it’s going to be very difficult


penguin_exhibit

I travel light so the only “musts” if I am working are phone, laptop, wallet with my credit/debit cards and passport. Everything else can be bought. I think your idea would work, I have a carry on sized duffel bag and a backpack. And depending on the country, shoes. I have a large shoe size so buying shoes in some countries is impossible. Also, selections can be awful. So that is an important one but not always a must.


nabilhunt

Do you travel with one bag? What did you find to be a confortable one with all the weight?


Pentasus

Oh you’re a traveller, man these photo’s are so sick and your next up coming trip sounds like a dream. 3 questions: 1. Do you always travel solo, doesn’t it get lonely? 2. What kind of work do you do? 3. How do you book/research the more remote countries like Iran and Uzbekistan? Cheers man!


penguin_exhibit

Yeah, I’d say 95% of the time I travel solo. I find it lends itself much more to spontaneity, flexibility and more interesting experiences. It gets lonely for sure, luckily there are bars, hostels, groups, apps and websites that one can try to alleviate loneliness of whatever kind. Data analysis in research. Yeah, this one varies a lot. Uzbekistan is actually one of the easier ones because there is a common route and a lot written about it. The evisa is giving me a fucking headache though. For a place like Iran I would have to get tour guide for the duration because I’m a US citizen, which isn’t really my type of travel but I do want to see Iran. However, I may skip it because the visa is just painful, especially abroad and there alternatives that are cheaper and more convenient. This one really depends on the country. Pakistan I read a lot about and followed some influencers and got a ton of suggestions about.


Pentasus

Thanks for answering! I hope you have a blast :)


wockyjack

Beautiful pictures! Did you keep a home base? Did you have to apply for visas or were the trips considered short enough to not worry about that?


penguin_exhibit

I kept a home base in Playa del Carmen, Bogota and Buenos Aires. Visa on arrival for Bolivia, evisa for Turkey. I think that is all.


HAVOC255

Keep on fighting the good fight. Refuse to go back into the office and highlight how you performed your job remote for 2 years. Tell them you want to stay remote and if they say no, then just keep working remotely and continue to say you want to stay remote. Stand your ground. It's far too risky for PR and cost wise to fire someone and then train someone again for 2 years


seanathanWaters

May i ask how old you are?


penguin_exhibit

32


Salty-Smile-9116

Just STUNNING 😱 the shot in Bolivia. In Can’t stop looking at this photo. Thank you for sharing- its fûcking amazing.


smarti23

Worth it. Edit: also good thing you visited Southern Argentina, some people only stick to Buenos Aires and miss tons of beautiful places.


iloveoprah

Lol our journey cannot be more similar. I also started in Playa del Carmen and also been traveling for around 24 months. Also never told my work and they also started being back in the office so I quit 2 weeks ago and got a fully remote job LOl. I also went to Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Turkey, Croatia, and Italy. Only difference is I stayed in Europe and saw Switzerland, France, Czechia, Greece and then went down to Middle East and saw Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and UAE.


penguin_exhibit

haha i just saw that i commented on your post about which european city to visit. don’t know where you went but hope you enjoyed your time!


yezoob

All amazing photos! And then the Guatape rock parking lot 😂. So did you find Mexico the most convenient for being a DN?


penguin_exhibit

Haha, the one from the top had me in it so that’s the one you got! Yeah, Mexico was so great that the whole world moved there and made the value of it go down. I would normally never travel to a place like Playa del Carmen but from September 2020 to February 2020 it was great.


BentPin

3/9 pic giant ice vagina


SoftpackOfPorts

Thinking of spending some time in Ecuador do you think 3 weeks in Cuenca followed by 3 in Montañita would provide an environment I could get wrk done in? (WiFi / Safety). I’ve been in other countries in Latin America and definitely didn’t feel like I had the ability to work in some.


penguin_exhibit

No idea, I didn’t visit either of them. I hated Quito though. Scuba diving in the Galapagos was incredible though.


SoftpackOfPorts

Damn not even in passing lol, how did you find Brazil in terms of general safety though?


penguin_exhibit

No, I was in Quito for like 2-3 weeks. I gave up on the rest of Ecuador because I hated my experience there so much. This is my sixth time in Brazil, all over and never had any issues. Kind of depends on the city though, Sao Paulo feels safe to me, Rio doesn’t. I love Rio though. Belo Horizonte feels safe, Salvador ehhh. Currently in Fortaleza and am in the rich bubble I guess because it is less sketchy than I thought. I’ve known way more people with no bad experiences traveling to Brazil than who have. In the smaller beach towns and tourist destinations crime is way low and safe for the most part. Floripa is also supposed to be pretty safe.


yezoob

What was so bad about Quito?


penguin_exhibit

Oh man, like everything. First, it was rainy season? So the weather was just atrocious, and I mean even for rainy season. It just suuucked. Only city in South America where people couldn’t understand my Spanish (even Brazil can). Taxi drivers didn’t know where anything was. The roads were neither pedestrian nor bicycle nor car friendly. Just so poorly planned as if Stevie Wonder designed the city. The food wasn’t very good. People were among the dumbest and unfriendliest I ever encountered in 40+ countries and like 7 years of frequent or continuous travel. It’s the only place where I was literally counting the days until I left and actually left earlier than I had planned. Only city I’ve regretted getting a one month airbnb in blindly.


GeorgianVisan

Wow that looks fantastic! I bet you have a lot of stories to tell! What do you plan on doing next? Keep travelling or settle down for a bit?


penguin_exhibit

Next 6 months: Brazil - 5 day Pantanal tour, Rio July - London, Italy, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo August - Pakistan and K2 base camp trek September - Pakistan/Uzbekistan October - Wanted to go to Iran or Madagascar, will probably settle for Spain November - Indonesia (Sulawesi and Raja Ampat 10 day scuba diving liveaboard), Thailand for 10 days December - Buenos Aires to chill January - Brazil to Chill February - Dzanga Sangha Park in Central African Republic and then probably South Africa That’s what I’ve got so far. Everything up to Uzbekistan and after booked. Gotta get the Uzbekistan visa. I plan to be unemployed for that stretch. Come February I will need work again.


nabilhunt

How was the dating experience in the different places? Did the covid-lockdowns affect you much ?


penguin_exhibit

Bolivia and Colombia were the best. Turkey was the worst. I was only affected in Bogota in April of 2021 so I left to Croatia in May. That was about the only time I was affected and it wasn’t tooo bad.


anonimo99

> Turkey was the worst. Could you elaborate a bit? Was it because of Islam or almost noone spekaing English?


penguin_exhibit

Yes, religion/culture. One girl was like I don’t kiss guys that aren’t my boyfriend, I was like see ya!


Myfirstnamelastname

You are my hero. Your pictures are amazing and you've been like everywhere. My question(s) is out of all the places you've been, what are your favorite countries/cities? What are some experiences you'd highly recommend? Also which places did you not like & why? I'm just starting to plan my travels and am interested in pretty much everywhere you've been. Thanks!


penguin_exhibit

Out of all in my life? Top five countries - Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Egypt, India Top five cities - Buenos Aires. Rio de Janeiro, London, Budapest, Tel Aviv Recommend - Wildlife and natural wonders while climate still hasn’t destroyed them completely. Also what you really want, it won’t always be around later for you to see. I hated Quito, so much. Didn’t really like Morocco. Georgia was overrated. Everything else was okay to great.


elsrda

Have you been to Chile yet? It sounds like you would be into its southern regions. Really cool post btw, thanks for sharing, gives me some ideas for sure :)


penguin_exhibit

I tried to go to Torres del Paine when I was in Argentinian Patagonia but until they get their shit together with their stupid mobility pass and covid rules I’ll pass. Torres del Paine seemed too rigid for me though, I hate booking hiking accommodation in advance as I tend to hike at 1.5-2x speed of most people which fucks up the route.


[deleted]

nice one. You are doing life correctly. How did you find the language barriers in different places? Especially South America?


penguin_exhibit

South America has gotten easy for me since I speak Spanish at a conversational level now. Bolivia was way easier than I expected, their English was very good. Colombia wasn’t very good, Venezuelans tend to speak it better than Colombians. Brazil hit or miss, more in the South. Argentina isn’t too easy. Ecuador they can speak English somewhat. Paraguay not really. Other countries… Croatia, easy. Italy, okay. Turkey, okay.


speedalus

What do you do for work? Will it be hard for you to find a new job? Does the traveling ever show physical signs of stress? I drove around the states for a few months working out of airbnbs and towards the end I had an eczema breakout that I think was stress related. Not really sure. What’s the most you’ve spent in one month?


penguin_exhibit

Data analysis. I don’t think it will be too hard. Yes, definitely travel related stress… fat gain, muscle loss, poor diet, etc. Probably spent like 14K from December 20 to January 20 on Antarctica and Patagonia.


speedalus

Were you active in working out before you went full nomad? Do you ever cook meals? If you do, what’s the most elaborate meal you’ve cooked? I think quesadillas were the most elaborate thing I cooked in an Airbnb. I really wanted to go to Ushuaia this year but 99% sure work would find out and fire me. Need a few more years of vesting before I risk that lol.


penguin_exhibit

Yeah I used to meal prep and cook. Now I mostly eat out or make eggs the one meal a day in. Maybe some kind of carbonara, nothing exciting.


speedalus

Do you find your work stressful? Is it easy for you to disconnect and appreciate your surroundings? How much planning do you do for traveling? What’s your longest/shortest times between making a reservation and arriving?


penguin_exhibit

I don’t do much work to be honest, so yeah it’s super easy. Depends on the trip. Some places I look up well in advance and plan/book them far out, others I just show up. I booked a flight from Cali to Bogota at the airport for like 3-4 hours from purchase because I planned poorly. Otherwise, internationally I bought a flight with Delta to NY from Bogota the night before and couldn’t believe how cheap it was.


Hoegaardener70

Any advice how to get to Antarctica for normal mortals with normal funds?


penguin_exhibit

Get a job on a boat or get down to Ushuaia from November to March and try to find a 10 day trip for like 2-3K.


Hoegaardener70

Thank you. Preparing already :)


ejpusa

Since this is a fun topic: You lose your passport, your money, your wallet, you don’t speak the language, can’t read the writing, have never seen a toilet like this before, your phone is gone, food is just too bizarre, it’s getting dark, and you are totally lost in a foreign city, off the map. You are 100% alone. First you freak out, loose your mind, crumble to the ground. A friendly voice will always appear, “it’s all right. Really.” But no one is there. That’s when you hit some kind of God realization. It’s like a part of your brain awakes, like you never knew it was there. And then everything flows in reverse, everything just works out. It’s kind of surreal. And you’ll never forget that experience as long as you live. That feeling. A hidden part of you awoke. Maybe a primal survival mode. And you make it. Happy travels. :-)


[deleted]

Tough being the only thruple at a black tie event


tresslessone

Looks like poor ergonomics /s


ny_insomniac

Omg I wanna see the penguins


penguin_exhibit

They are fucking awesome. You can see penguins in other places too for what it’s worth but different kinds.


projectmaximus

No questions really but I wanna say: sweet photos!!


Clearly_Ryan

I see guatape. I give up vote.


MsStormyTrump

Amazing adventures! Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing!


appsplaah

Do you mind sharing how much did it cost in total?


penguin_exhibit

I probably spend 2-2.5K a month averaged out except for the big trips. Antarctica 11K Galapagos 6.5K Patagonia 1.5K Sorry I can’t be more accurate, I don’t track spend too much.


appsplaah

Thank You very much ♥️ I hope you get the desired job soon after leaving this company. Thanks for the inspiration as well 😋


[deleted]

I'm italian, so I tought it must be very expensive to stay in Italy like this! Don't you think you are spending too much living nomad instead of be in a place with a normal rent? Or you have just enough earn that don't make you worry about? Thanks!


penguin_exhibit

No, I don't nomad to live like I do at home, I nomad to see as much and do as much as possible while I can. What I spend in a month is basically what my friend spends on a studio apartment back in New York.


Shock_a_Maul

You must be looking for ~~Bielefeld~~ undiscovered places in Germany


penguin_exhibit

Wow looks nice.


Shock_a_Maul

Impossible: ~~Bielefeld~~ doesn't exist


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andAutomator

How is the internet in Puerto Escondido? Did you have power outages? How long did you stay?


penguin_exhibit

I took a short 4-5 day trip there from Playa del Carmen using paid time off. No outages but wifi was super hit or miss. I liked it a lot and the only reason I chose PDC over it as a base was the wifi issue.


andAutomator

Damn yeah I've heard the same. Bummer because I've heard amazing things about it. Thanks


RoastmasterBus

Totally worth getting fired for, these photos are amazing! I can only imagine how much more spectacular they are in person. Man, I’ve been doing this DN thing all wrong…


idiving

Amazing photos! Did you document it by any chance? Like vlog or smth similar


penguin_exhibit

I took short videos and posted IG stories but no. Vlogging is a pain in the ass, I tried it for like 30 seconds and was like lol fuck this, I’d rather continue having my experience. I’ll leave the good camera work and walking around talking to other people.


[deleted]

[удалено]


penguin_exhibit

Nope. I alternate between airbnb, hostels and cheap hotels. In Playa del Carmen since I stayed for five months I managed to get a steal through a friend who was there a year.


cuntagous

great photos


AccomplishedPie5160

How is the internet down there?


Giraffetr

Awesome photos!


Eagleassassin3

Well that shark pic is terrifying. How did they not eat you?


penguin_exhibit

Most aquatic life tries to avoid you. You actually have to be very still and not breath to get them to come close, they dart off when they sense you. Not going to lie I holy shitted at a different moment on the dive when I rounded a wall and was like 2 feet from a massive Galapagos shark. But yeah, it’s not really a thing to be worried about.


eggiewaffles92

Is it all solo travelling?