travel warning: vaccinations cost a sh*t load of money

So you think you've budgeted for just about everything. Even those stupidly irresistible mini travel shampoos made the list. Now all that's left is one boxy budget flight to your Third-World paradise.

Oh, but wait.

Don't they have millions of little buzzy, malaria-spewing things over there? And is that First-World immune-system of yours really ready to take on a rabid-monkey-infested, water-contaminated, disease-ridden, mozzie playground?

Well my little bunnies, if you haven't put aside some serious coin for your pre-travel vaccinations yet then you're in for a rude shock. Those little jabs are bloody expensive.

Ahead of my trip to Cambodia I went for a consultation at my local travel clinic. Me and my non-existant savings yearned to cut a few corners, however a charming poster on the wall depicting a man stumbling away from a tuk tuk with the caption "Acute diarrhoea won't wait for a nice, clean restroom," convinced me otherwise.

Two blood tests and eight jabs later, and here's what the damage bill came to:

Japanese Encephalitis $100
Rabies $110
Typhoid $55
Boostrix $48
Rabies booster $110
Hepatitis B $30
Malaria tablets 24-pk $110

Japanese Encephalitis booster $100

Tetanus $100

That's a grand total of $763. The amount of things that could've bought me in a South East Asian country is stupefying. That's like 300 Bin Tangs. Like 400 shitty DVDs. About 120 massages. Gah!

I mentioned blood tests above. This is chiefly necessary because vaccinations are freakin' expensive and blood tests are free under Medicare. Thus if you're umming and arring about whether you got that Hep-B booster back in 2003, a quick drain could save you from forking out when you don't need to.

You are generally able to claim some of this back on your private health fund, which I did, but I'd definitely try and get this out of the way a lot sooner next time.

Sorry, rant over!

nyc: sleep no more

IMAGE: sleepnomorenyc.com

Say what you will about my beloved Gossip Girl, but its shameless servitude to trends led me to this next NYC gem.

New York is a dizzying feast for the senses. However, on my last trip to the Big Apple I found what is possibly my new favourite experience (I know, big call); one which instantly cemented itself as a must-do for visits to come.

Last November I attended the delightfully sinister NYC production Sleep No More. 

As if Macbeth wasn’t macabre enough, Sleep No More takes the tragedy to a whole new 1930s level of creepiness using barely any dialogue at all (ahem... sorry Shakespeare).

British theatre company Punchdrunk debuted the site-specific production over three abandoned warehouses in Chelsea back in 2011. Each of the three levels has been painstakingly transformed into an old-school hotel, cluttered with more creepy paraphernalia and furnishings than you can shake a bone at. Masked patrons are invited to explore this gloomy wonderland and follow actors around as they wish in a sort of choose-your-own-adventure, interactive viewing. If you're attending with a group of friends, chances are you will all leave with a very different story and experience - and plenty to talk about after!

Did I mention they have a 1930s-themed bar serving classic cocktails and a bad ass jazz band?

Be warned fellow sight-seers: if you're after a leisurely night of theatre, you can kindly take your snap-happy, map-toting, complacent selves elsewhere. While the production is something of a voyeur's paradise, there's plenty to keep you on your toes. For the most part, actors carry on as if you're not there, staring right through you. However, without giving too much away, this certainly isn't always the case.

I'm not going to lie - after an hour or so of meandering through dim-lit rooms, disturbing scenes and dealing with unpredictable actors, I got quite lost. When I finally found the bar (hallelujah!) I stayed put. So yeah... unfortunately missed the grand finale. However, the jazz band was incredible! And I made great use of the bar. And handsome patrons.

I would definitely do it again, and no doubt have a completely different experience. If you're heading to the city of lights, do yourself a favour and GO SEE THIS SHOW. Without actually knowing you at all or how you get our travel kicks, I can safely say it's unlike anything you've ever experienced.

first post

So there are like a LOT of travel blogs out there. I've just been reading through a whole bunch of them.  Like, probably five, at least. And some of them ain't half bad. Like this one called Killing Batteries, by a Lonely Planet Guide writer, good stuff. I now feel adequately equipped to join the heaving, self-indulgent travel blogging set.

I am not a professional travel writer. Nor am I privy to little-known, globe-hopping pearls of wisdom. If you've come here for anything more than grossly exaggerated holiday anecdotes and gratuitous travel planning updates, then keep walking... I really only started this blog as a way to update my family and friends while I'm travelling.

I reside in Sydney, so there'll probably be something in here about that place. And many other places. I hope.