About | The Poor Traveler

Things don’t always go as planned. Especially if you’re me.

I am everything a traveler should not be. I am geographically challenged. I’m too shy to ask for directions. I’m too shy to haggle. I dread packing my bags because I tend to bring everything. Yet I complain when my backpack gets too heavy. I am clumsy. I am carefree. I am very gullible. And most of all, I am accident-prone.

The only thing I share with most travelers is the drive to see the world. Yes, that drive.

Since I was little, I had always wanted to see the world. But with just rice and soy sauce for a full meal, travel for leisure was beyond impossible.

My first out-of-town trip was in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, when my grandfather passed away and we needed (and wanted) to pay respect. In the middle of mourning, I couldn’t help but take notice of the sheer beauty of the place. That moment, I promised myself that I would come back and this time, enjoy it. I was already working when I fulfilled that promise.

Today, I work from 8am – 12 midnight. What I earn from my 2 jobs, I divide into three — necessities, savings and travel allowance. I work hard to do what I’ve always wanted to do and that’s traveling.

My meal now is definitely better than just rice and soy sauce. And most people now hardly label me “poor” when it comes to finances. But that’s not what this blog is about. It’s not just about the budget. I do not claim to be an authority in budget travel. What makes me a “poor” traveler isn’t the lack of finances. What makes me a Poor Traveler is the fact that I am a newbie traveler and I have so much to learn. And I wish to learn ‘em along the way.

The name of the blog was inspired by “The Seven Poor Travelers” by Charles Dickens, one of the blogger’s favorite writers. Although the concept of this blog is oddly distant and unrelated to the story. I guess the only link there is that I want to give a positive influence to all who read this blog.

That said, this blog is not for those who wish to strike the best travel deals. This blog is a diary of a traveler who got lost in the forests of Guimaras at one point, whose boat to Anawangin Cove crashed to a rock islet once, and whose bowel movement always gets in the way. I make mistakes, lots of them. Poor me. But as the old adage goes, we learn from our mistakes. Yes, you’ll find mistakes on this blog. But here’s hoping you’ll learn from them.

As I always say, I’d rather have misadventures than have “missed adventures.”

I am the Poor Traveler. I make mistakes. You learn.