Tropical the island breeze, all of nature wild and free, is this where you really long to be? Before you live the La isla bonita illusion and get overly kissed by the sun, let me just present to you the reality of island-living. Behind the pristine beaches, warm and emerald waters, desolate islands, rich marine life and sunny weather, there are just some things that I don't really like, or what those travel agencies didn't tell you about.
As some of you know by now, I decided to chill in paradise and take a break from traveling to work on my travel & tours startup project, which hopefully, I could get the website up and running by the end of this season.
The grass is greener on the other side as they say, and it turned out that the tropical dream is not as perfect as it seems to be. Don't worry, I am focusing on the good things and not on the following:
Insects and Other Pests
Forgive me, I don't want to sound super whiny here, but hey, we all have our weaknesses. I can surely dive with sharks, hold a boa or handle a tarantula, but I have my top little enemies here.
Cockroaches - oh yes they are everywhere, yuck! I have this irrational fear of cockroaches and I just couldn't make peace with them, sorry. I just had enough bad experiences, and I traveled far and wide just to avoid seeing them. That even when I was living in cold and high altitude for a couple months they still haunted me in my dreams. They are my nightmare, the enemies of this world and they are so strong! Years ago, I had to call my then boyfriend just to kill those pesky creatures for me. I had to learn how to kill one on my own, but it just flew to my face. They can fly yes, they act and feel like they are butterflies when they are nothing but cockroaches. Sorry for all the hate speech! It's just years of pent-up frustration.
Mosquitoes - I'm a mosquito magnet here! I have to carry deet anywhere I go, they are so annoying aren't they? I miss those times I really didn't have to worry about mosquito bites and hanging out outdoors. Mind you, they can be deadly too.
Flies - they follow me and land on my skin, they make me feel like shit. I smell good and take a bath regularly, but they seem to be anywhere with warm weather. They can be annoying as hell.
Sand Flies - they can be your worst nightmare. If you like to sleep on the beach and there are sand flies, you are doomed. It depends on how your skin reacts probably, but I get red bites all over my body. It can be overwhelming and irritating. Sand fly bites will itch like hell and will last for several days, that it feels so good to scratch however bad for my skin.
Very Humid Weather
Since I couldn't afford thick clothing at the moment, it is nice to stick with board shorts, bikinis, and hot pants. Thank goodness as times are hard these days, less cloth, more savings! It's not really the heat that bothers me, it is having to sweat just after walking 5 meters. Yes, that's tropical for you. I miss those days when I could walk outside with nice, cool breeze on my face. It is also more comfortable traveling and walking with my heavy backpack when it is not very humid. Not to mention you are prone to rashes and other skin problems in this type of climate. Unless you can afford to have air conditioning in your house, but even that can be a luxury. It is good if you happen to be a rich expat who can build a mansion with centralized AC in the middle of the village, just avoid the begging neighbors. You have to adapt to the humid climate living condition if you really want to live the tropical dream.
Very Laidback People
I know maybe it is not a bad thing, is it? But I have much experience with them than most of you here, I guess. Just understand the weather, everything is available all-year round, fruits and crops everywhere that people have all the time to slack off and not think anymore. Blame my years of fast-paced life and the go, go, go and get, get, get mentality that I have probably brought to this peaceful place. I no longer have the patience for anything, like give me a real smile, please. Most tourists think that locals are nice and all that, but what didn't they know? Being helped out is not free, getting ripped off is common and sometimes you just don't see what's behind those smiles. Locals talk about crazy things, this whole free-time chit chat I have no patience for.
Tourist Trap
If you are a budget traveler and you don't know where the real good and cheap things are, then you might be spending more money in a touristy place. This is when the couchsurfing community comes in handy, as you get to meet some friendly locals who could teach you where the hidden gems are, like where to shop, where to eat, where to go and how to get the best value for your money. If you don't know where to go, then you will find yourself yet in another tourist trap. If that is what you prefer, then go ahead and meet other tourists, is that why you are traveling anyway?