It really, truly was!!


It depends on how you travel.
If you stay in hostels and pensions, and don't eat at restaurants (you can go to grocery stores same as the locals, same as you do at home, and make much cheaper meals that way), and travel by buses and trains and public transport, it's really not too bad. Especially if you hand-wash your laundry and hang it to dry instead of using laundromats.
If you need internet, every city large enough to be a city and not a town will have free wifi someplace; I tend to start at the library and ask a librarian; either they have it there, or they don't have wifi but they do have internet and they'll give you a one-time card to use for an hour or so, or they'll tell you what places do have it. Sometimes large hotels have it in their lobbies. Sometimes you have to pay for a cup of tea at a coffee place. But it's there. So you can do research for the next few days and find bus routes and look up what to see, etc, even if you've lost your notes on the research you did before you arrived.
It's better, of course, if you know someone there and can stay with them. That saves a lot of money, just the place to sleep is probably the second most expensive part, besides arriving to begin with.
A lot of programs will give you tickets there and back to a place if you volunteer for them for a certain number of hours, or work for them for a certain length of time, and will help with the paperwork and visas. Then you can take time at the beginning or end of their program to do your own exploring.
And if you are okay with camping, the possibilities are suddenly huge, because there are a lot of very cheap national parks in Canada, where it's something like $8/night to stay, sometimes less. Sometimes free! Sometimes it's a weekly rate. So if you know someone with equipment you can borrow, you can go and see all sorts of things and places!

Yes, it does add up fast if you stay at hotels!

Have you looked for a hostel near where your friend is?

$50 per month :o Wow!

I bet that would help out Firn and Starkad a lot, though, don't you think?

Definitely.


Hm, let's see, rollover happened, so I could roll again? I need to check time stamps, but I think that's correct. I keep forgetting to do that, which is sad. Okay, so I found someone with the right variety of tarragon in their garden and they are willing to give me a start of it. I'm super excited for a few years from now when I have a large enough plant (or even plants!) and can cook with it again. For now it's too expensive to buy so I've just been leaving it out of recipes and you can definitely taste the lack!

Now I just need to track down a sage variety that will grow locally without taking over and tastes right.

Well, among other things.

Still!

Oh, chamomile is excellent too! I can't get any good quality chamomile here, though; no one I know grows it. Which is a pity, it's helpful in so many things. I'm glad you have access to some, and hope it knocks that cold of yours for a loop!

Wow, I really need to watch the market when you guys are online, then :D


Kyan, how long do you think the Knuffel Room Challenge should last? And should there be any restrictions on if people can use event items or older monthly items (since not everyone will have access to them)?