[killer_carlson]

The days you are switching cities are the days you will spend more money. You have less control over where you eat or sleep those days than you do once you are in a city. For budgeting, budget more for those days.

Re: camera equipment. Be prepared for the fact you will be leaving your stuff unattended in a room full of strangers at times. You may think you will always have your camera with you, but you wont be taking it to the bar, or the common room in the hostel. Be prepared that it might get stolen. Based purely on my experience and nothing else, when people got ripped off at a hostel, it seemed to have "locals" in it. Either that or travellers at the end of their trip who were desperate to stay travelling and freaking out about having to go home (like wigging out). I hypothesize that the local nationals have a better idea to offload stolen stuff than would a foreign person, and the guys freaking out are opportunistic and desperate.


Re: laundry. Just ask at the hostel. Most will have it, but some will suggest a laundromat. Ask other travellers to share a box of degergent with you. Save a couple of bucks.

Re: flag. Personal preference. The trip is about you and what you want of make of it. I had a flag and still do. Others dont. Do what you feel like and dont sweat the decision.