This is exactly what I needed to hear, thank you

Travel photography as a budget strategy: nice photos make your posts and memories better, but you don't need a camera beyond your phone for most travel. Don't spend $1,000 on gear for a first trip.

Manga cafés as overnight accommodation in Tokyo is a real strategy. Clean showers, private booth, unlimited drinks, and cheaper than most hostels.

I've been rewatching this director's films in order and the evolution you're describing is very visible.

The error fare window is genuinely short. I've had deals disappear while I was deciding whether to buy. Act fast or don't.

This is the film that started my interest in this director's entire filmography.

Cambodia visa on arrival: the unofficial fee pressure at land borders is real. Flying into Phnom Penh is much cleaner.

I've been saying this for months! Glad someone finally posted it

Pre-Columbian American metallurgy is consistently underestimated. Andean metalworkers achieved remarkable things with gold, silver, copper, and bronze. The absence of iron technology (which requires higher temperatures) was a technological constraint, not a sign of cultural backwardness.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned rail pass in this thread?

This community is so helpful. Thanks everyone

I was literally just thinking about this yesterday

The way the film handles its subject matter is the reason it's in the canon and not just the critical reputation.

Work exchange hosts who add tasks constantly are a real type. The Workaway forums have threads about this. The 5-hour/5-day standard is worth citing.

The Powell's Books in Portland is a religious experience and I'll defend that description.

I want to push back on the Cannes comparison — Venice tends to reward this type of film more.

The real tip is always in the comments

The Balkans route is so good for budget travel. Albania especially — the coast is beautiful and almost nobody from the West goes there.