Associated Content: Articles for Peanuts

As some of you may know, my interests in travel do not stop with backpacking around. If possible, I’d like to make a living in the travel industry as well. The “if possible” part, however, is a big ‘if.’ Travel writing is incredibly attractive (get paid to travel around and write about it!), but it is also incredibly competitive and low paying – certainly not lucrative enough to fund travel costs. I’d like to pursue expedition travel agent and tour operator opportunities when my SE Asia travels conclude, but well paid positions in this market are also difficult to obtain. Starting your own company in this field requires substantial experience, capital, and connections.

Regardless of the difficulties in profiting from having fun, I’ve drafted a few travel articles and found an online company that literally pays peanuts for them. I submitted two articles about a week ago and got paid $4.51 for one and $4.62 for the other. Ha! The company is called Associated Content (associatedcontent.com) and accepts articles from anyone writing about anything. This is hardly a way to make a living or a name as a travel writer, but is good experience if nothing else.

Here are the links to my published articles. I’m working on several others that I’ll submit soon.
Thailand: A Backpacker's Paradise
Hostels: The Secret to a Cheap Vacation

The one named “Thailand: A Backpacker’s Paradise” received criticism almost immediately from an American (I think) living in Thailand. He claims that Thailand is getting much more expensive and says that the costs I list are incorrect. I’m not sure where this guy lives in Thailand, but I know that costs in the south are substantially more expensive than the north, which is where I spent most of my time. All costs listed are costs experienced. But hey, criticism means someone actually read the article. Woo-hoo! Another online writing site that actually focuses on travel is called Matador. They maintain a “bounty board” where they list subjects for which they are looking for article submissions. Each opportunity has set requirements for content and format. This of course limits what I can write, but is closer to real freelance work and pays much more. Ehh. Drop me a line if you know of other sites like this. Travel writing may not be in my future, but I suppose it’s worth the old college try. It’s not like I’ll be strapped for time over the next 6 months!

Thailand Top Experiences

My Thailand travels are far from complete (still have to hit the south), but five weeks and ten towns have provided sufficient adventures for a “Thailand Top Experience List.” Counting down to the best, here we go:

10) Climbing up to Mae Hong Son’s Wat Phra That Doi Kongmu 474m above the town
9) Exploring the ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai8) Fearing for my life while bussing on northern Highway 1095, snaking along narrow roads at lethal speeds with mountain on one side and a 1000 ft drop off on the other

7) Motorbiking around Sukhothai and Pai

6) Trekking, elephant riding, and bamboo rafting in jungle and mountains outside of Chiang Mai

5) Thai cooking class in Pai

4) Not getting mugged, beaten up, shot, stabbed, raped, or otherwise defiled (yet)

3) Not going to work everyday – hip hip horray!

2) Rocking out to Dragonforce and Green Day with old Thai dude on bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

1) Thai-time with dudes in Chiang Mai, old guys in Mae Hong Son, and girls in Mae Sariang (see “Thai-Time” post below) - nothing better than mixing with the locals

Thai-Time

Near the top of the list, Thai locals love fireworks, Buddha, Playboy, and Sangsom. Not a bad combination, all be it a strange one. Sangsom is a sweet rum, but many locals refer to it as ‘Thai whiskey.’ Everyone from partying teenagers up to shady old men drink this stuff like it’s going out of style. What I’ve started referring to as “Thai-time” is when friendly locals invite me to join them in polishing off impractical volumes of Sangsom. What’s great is that the reverberated theme is always “just be happy.” Even the locals who know minimal English know this phrase and live by it. How simple and sweet is that? Thailand is awesome.

Stuck in the North

So I am still stuck in the Northern vortex of Thailand. Perhaps they put something in the water, because I’m finding it impossible to leave and go to the south. The scenery is awe-inspiring, the people are happy and friendly, the food is awesome, and everything is cheap. Whenever I think about voyaging south, I think about how much effort that would entail and then I compromise with a bus ride to the next town over. I think it’s settled: the white-sand beaches, secluded islands, and beachside climbing will have to wait until later in the trip. Perhaps February.

Since last post I’ve been to Pai, Soppong, and now Mae Hong Son – each a little smaller and more beautiful than the last. In Pai I took a Thai cooking class and learned how to make traditional curry, stir-fry, and Thai soups and salads. There was also a lot of emphasis on specific ingredients and spices and tricks cooking with a wok. Totally sweet. In Soppong I checked out this enormous cave called Tham Lod. In Mae Hong Son I’ve just been trekking around a lot and hanging out with other backpackers and a few locals. Aw yes, it’s a good life.

Thai Cooking Class in Pai

Cave Lod in Soppong

Lake in Mae Hong Son

Property of the US Army

Alright, so there are many things that are different and unique about Thai people, but this one is just plain strange. A popular fad right now is to wear clothing that says “US Army” or “Property of the US Army.” Young people, old people, both girls and guys. They certainly don’t support America’s invasion of Iraq or anything that the US does internationally. They have very few guns (only the police have real hardware) and very little violence. I have yet to be confronted in a negative manner for being American, but it’s clear that the US government and military are the bad guys. Yet it’s cool to wear US Army shirts and carry US Army handbags. These dudes are weird.

Another popular trend is to brandish the Playboy bunny logo. Shirts, socks, hats, you name it. This is great – the US Army and Playboy, alive and well in Thailand.