Adventure Accounting

I had phase of being addicted to online shopping. Multiply was still around back then. Checking Ebay was part of my daily routine. I filled-up balikbayan boxes with goodies such as shoes, lotion, perfume and accessories. It didn't make me broke, but it did fill up my room with trash. I learned how to give away a lot of my stuff over time. I'm more careful buying stuff just because they are on sale or they fit me. I changed. LA challenged my changed self. There are a lot of shops. Well, not in Rodeo Drive . I don't know if I can buy anything within my credit card limit there. Jaguars parked under the heat. They are really used. There's a weekend market near USA Hostels Hollywood . I checked it out and thankfully walked away empty handed. Bad idea to start the trip buying stuff. I have luggage limits. A couple of blocks away from the hostel is Trader Joe's. This is very dangerous to your budget and extremely dangerous to your luggage limit. Trader Jo...

I am used to sleeping in hostels. I am used to paying for a cheap price for a place to sleep and shower . And wifi of couse. Along with food and shelter, wifi is now one of the basic needs (in Maslow's hierarchy of needs).  But I am not used to paying $50 for that. But I had a difficult time finding hostels at the $25-$30 with some decency (meaning cleanliness, safety and wifi). I chose USA Hostels Hollywood because of the raves I read from the ever-reliable Tripadvisor.  Reaching the hostel is easy. I just rode SuperShuttle from LAX and paid the driver $14. For $50 a night in a 6-bed ensuite dorm, it is just okay. Dorms and bathroom are kept clean. You have your own night light and 2 outlets so you can conveniently charge your own gadgets or read when everyone else is sleeping. 

*Welcome to the land of fame and excess” – Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus.  EXCESS. I’ve been trying my best to avoid eating animals ever since my detox adventure in Cebu last January. Two documentaries changed by view about eating meat, eating fast food and portion sizes. Both documentaries focused on the diet behaviors in the US. Now, I completely understand why. I did not research about the restaurants to try in LA. I figured I’ll just try the usual chains and compare them to the Philippines: KFC, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Subway and other normal chains.   Warning: taxes in the menu excludes state tax. State tax in CA in 9%. So much for my American Foodchain Dream. My first American lunch I had a very late lunch in this sushi place near my dorm. I wanted to try Subway but I was with a dormmate and she wanted to try the sushi place. I wanted to sit down and eat too, so I let myself be dragged into the Japanese restaurant. I ordered a bento box f...

This is a "pakyawan post" on my first three days in Los Angeles, USA. I learned how to drive in college. Driving caused me stress before I even stepped in the classroom. I had no issues taking the jeep anyway, so there was no need to drive. When I started working, I learned the ropes how to be a bad-ass MRT commuter. There's no need to drive in EDSA. But when I changed work , my mother hounded me daily that I should start driving. I finally gave in and tried to give driving another chance - after 11 years.  C5 at 10:00PM, Northbound. Huhuhuhu. I've been proficiently driving (or so I say) for about a year when I travelled to a city where everyone should know how to drive. Driving is a survival skill in Los Angeles.  *I hopped off the plane at L.A.X. with a dream and my cardigan / Welcome to the land of fame, excess...*. Yeah, I let a Miley Cyrus song in one of my blog posts. I had less than three hours of sleep in that 12-hourflight . I spent the fli...

It was a great idea to travel from the US going to South America. But it slipped my mind that US lies on top of the equator, and South America is at the bottom. Summer in the north, and winter in the South. That’s why I had difficulty packing for this trip. The sunny streets of LA. Wind is cool. The parked cars are cooler. I decided to go travel with a wheeled luggage instead of a backpack. If that strips me of the “backpacker” label, so be it. I chose my back's health over labels. I knew for sure that there will be shopping done in Los Angeles. I packed the smaller suitcase inside the bigger suitcase. Your layering skills will be tested in these terrain. In Peru and Bolivia, the day starts out extremely cold (close to 0 deg C). As the day progresses, it becomes hotter. In MP, I removed the outer layer (a windbreaker) during mid-morning.     In the Salt Flats tour, the vehicle gets stuffy inside during the day. Once you step out,...

This was the itinerary that worked for my time and budget. This may not be the best itinerary for your travel style or your budget. I am a backpacker, but I also want comfort (di na bagets eh :P) . Some hard-core backpackers would scoff at flying instead of taking a bus. But hey, my time is more important that my money! Those are airport codes there. I flew to get from one point to another. My Los Angeles-Peru-Bolivia Itinerary: Date Flight Location Activity Accommodation Day 0 MNL-LAX Flight to US Flight Flight Day 1 Los Angeles, California Beverly Hills Tour, Rodeo Drive, recover from jet lag USA Hostels Hollywood Day 2 Los Angeles, California Hollywood Sign Tour USA Hostels Hollywood Day 3 Los Angeles, California Getty Museum None. Midnight flight to Lima Day 4 LAX-LIM Lima, Peru Arrive in Lima. Explore Plaza de...