The Penny Drops

I’ve spent today running around looking for a cheap ticket to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Why? Well, because a mate of mine has convinced me to first come visit him there, before I move on to India. It seemed like a great idea at the time, but of course all great ideas have drawbacks. The biggest draw back of this plan is that all the flights to Colombo are more expensive than the ones to India. Add to that the fact that I’ll still need to go from Sri Lanka to India, somehow, and it all adds to the cost.

It’s all worth it in the end, of course, but now I’ve got to start watching the pennies. I’m going to have to stop throwing money around (as I’ve kind of been doing for the last few months) and instead go back on the cheap-cheap. The only real problem is that it’s hard to go back to that style of living, once you’re used to a slightly more upscale style.

I’ve started working in beer quotients. I think to myself, ‘how many jugs of beer would this be?’ and then, generally, find that it really isn’t that bad. A lonely planet for India? Two jugs of beer. A visa? Four jugs. One week stop over in Sri Lanka? 10. That may sound like a lot, but I’ve paid for that many jugs in one night, before. It seems so ridiculous to have thrown money away like that on those nights and to not do something probably more enjoyable now.

Still, the lesson must be learned, otherwise the trip will be a great deal shorter than I mean it to be. I must reign in my spending. To start with I think it might be a good idea to buy less jugs of beer. That might be a challenge, thought. With all the people that suddenly want to say good bye. Let’s just hope they take pity on this soon to be unemployed, penny pinching traveller.

Also, of course, I’m shopping around for cheaper tickets. Such website as Zuji and Airfares.com.sg are being ransacked for the cheapest possible alternative. If I’ve read it all correctly, then it’s possible I might have found a ticket that goes for just under 700. That’s a great deal better than the 800 that I’ve been quoted in most other places. Of course, that too might be too good to be true. Heck, so far I’ve only spent a few hours looking. I’ve got a few weeks more. I’m sure it will all work out and, more importantly, that it will be a great deal of fun working it out.

The next six months will confront me with far more difficult problems than this one and, truth be told, that’s part of the reason I’m doing it. A trial by fire will ultimately harden iron into steel (yes, or crack it beyond repair, but let’s try to be positive, shall we?)