GEORGE TOWN: A 30-year-old freelance writer from Kepong appears to have redefined the meaning of travelling on a shoestring.
She had flown to Sweden with just US$200 in her pocket two years ago and made it back home to Kuala Lumpur by just hitchhiking.
Petrina Thong, who is a freelance scriptwriter, said she managed to come back home by hitchhiking through a dozen countries.
Admitting there were trials and tribulations while getting a ride from strangers, she said she became used to it after a few times.
She told a woman traveller’s conference here recently that she nearly got killed in one instance but that had not deterred her from moving on.
Thong was in Penang to give a talk about her experience to women travellers at the Zafigo conference which concluded recently.
She said the key in hitchhiking was to use every sen wisely and being thrifty whenever possible. She slept in sleeping bags by the streets wherever she went and rummaged through dumpsters for food.
She said most malls and restaurants in Europe threw away foods which were still fresh and packed properly.
“So people often took food from the dumpster. You can tell whether if it was spoilt from the smell,” she said.
As for forty winks, Thong said she slept well in sleeper bags and made bus stations, petrol stations, recreational parks and many other places her home.
To clean-up she used wipes and occasionally took baths at petrol stations.
When the weather became too cold, she would ask peoole if she could sleep over at their place, garage or covered spots for a night or two.
“I picked up cardboards, placed it under my sleeping bag and curled in the bag at night.
“There was this one time I slept out in the open, and a man in Crotia gave me camping tent, it was very nice of him,” she said.
As for her philosophy in travelling, Thong avoided touristy places and focused on soaking in the nature, which she said saved her a lot of money.
“I am not interested in buildings and museums. I was more interested in nature especially the deserts. So you can definitely see me staying in the jungle or out in the field for days,’ she said.
Being a solo female traveller, Thong said it was initially daunting as she was harassed by men, especially in Eastern European countries.
She said she fended off harassers by saying no, screaming for help and leaving the place immediately when such situations occurred. She said this had helped her in getting rid of unwanted advances from men.
Thong however said there was once when she nearly got killed when she hitched a ride from a truck driver in Thailand.
“The truck driver I hitched a ride from tried to attack me with an axe. I managed to escape and got to the nearest police station for help” she said.
Thong said she had learnt a lot about humans, where the old adage ‘there are two types of peope, good and bad’ could not ring truer.
“People were very helpful, like the Italian who gave me a tent to sleep in, the people who took me in and offered me shelter during winter, and the man who offered to buy me a ticket back to Denmark.
“I made many friends who keep in touch with me and some of them are solo travellers.”