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Packing tip #2: No matter how many pair of underwear you start out with,
your mom will find some way to track you down and send you more. The
great thing is that they smell like home. The not so great thing is that in the
Post Office one looks a little peculiar holding Garfield boxers to their nose,
eyes shut in longing, and inhaling deep and slow.
Packing tip #3: Never go anywhere without a Frisbee. Lonely? Go to a
park or any open area and begin a pathetic game of solo Frisbee- throw the
disk and run after it, trying your hardest to catch it before it hits the ground.
This is impossible, but will win some sympathy from onlookers. Continue the
game until you spot potential buddy material and “accidentally” throw the
disk at their feet. If they take the bait, you got ‘em. A Frisbee also doubles
as a plate, but be sure to wash it first; you don’t know where your newfound
friend’s hands have been (very important if in Amsterdam).
Packing tip #4: The most valuable and safest form of cash are your credit
cards; sometimes they don’t work, like if you forgot to call your good friends
at MasterCard and tell them that you are going on vacation. Other times
you are somewhere where they are not accepted. Always carry a variety of
monies including traveler’s cheques, and good ole’ American greenbacks.
Disperse your monies throughout your belongings: journal, first aid kit,
passport, and beneath the insoles of your shoes- get creative.
Packing tip #5: A camera is a must. If you do not take one you will kick
yourself time and time again. You never know when a naked fisherman on
the beach is going to pop up. I take two. My camera of choice is my
Cannon SLR, but it can be bulky and I feel that it is more likely to draw the
attention of any potential thieves. My second camera is a wallet-sized
advantix that slips easily into my pocket;it doesn’t get in the way while
climbing, zorbing, bull riding, etc.
Packing tips #6: Other items I find indispensable:
- Sleeping bag and tent. If you find yourself hitchhiking in a rural area
outside Timbuktu you’ll wish that you had them.
- Compass- I think one of the best ways to get to know a place is to get lost,
but it is always nice to be able to find your way back.
Packing tip #7: Before you take off on your adventure, place each item you
plan to take on the floor in front of you. Go through them one at a time and
ask yourself, “Will I use this? Can I do without it?” If you think you can, out it
goes. After it’s all said and done, my backpack usually weighs in around
thirty pounds, a weight that I can carry all day without killing myself. Make
sure that you have extra room in your luggage or pack when you leave
because you’ll need room for souvenirs and any cartoon underwear that
your mother happens to send you.
Although it may be the last way you want to spend the money stashed away
for your travels, a visit to a physician for a physical is not a bad idea. It gives
you a little one-on-one time with a medical professional who can address any
health concerns or problems that you may have.
Before you go research required and recommended vaccinations for the
destination(s) you will be visiting, at The Center for Disease Control and
Prevention’s website, www.cdc.gov/travel. Discuss these with your physician
and lay out a plan for immunization. Some vaccination series may take up to
two months to complete so make sure that you plan accordingly.
The possibility of illness and disease when traveling must be kept in
perspective. If the CDC had its way the perfect traveler would be covered
head to toe to protect against malaria, dengue, filarsis, leishmaniasis,
onchocerciasis, and trypanosomiasis. He would never taste the authentic
delicacies of street side vendors in order to avoid cholera and typhoid fever,
he would never dip a toe in freshwater no matter how perfect the swimming
hole for fear of schistosomiasis, he would walk around with a wide-brimmed
hat and large dark sunglasses to prevent skin cancer, and he would never
play with monkeys in order to avoid rabies and the plague. Add a mask to
prevent the inhalation of airborne illnesses, and the perfect traveler
is…Michael Jackson (minus the whole not petting monkeys thing).
Montezuma's Revenge, It Happens
A third to a half of all travelers traveling for two weeks or more will have
stomach trouble at some point. No matter how closely you follow the old
adage, “If you can cook it, boil it, or peel it, you can eat it…otherwise forget
it,” there is a good chance that you still could have problems. Diarrhea can
be brought on by a change in climate, food, and water. It’s not a pleasant
experience or subject, but it happens, and eager reader, I am here to help.
With any stomach problem the main danger is dehydration. Inflow should
equal outflow; otherwise you could have yourself a serious problem. Always
carry several tablets of rehydration salts that can be picked up at your local
drugstore. They can be added to a bottle of water in order to replace lost
minerals and salts. If after 48 hours you are still wearing down a path
between your bed and the can, seek medical attention.
Drugs like Immodium AD provide temporary relief; but they are not a cure.
Let your body try to flush out whatever is bothering you. Only start popping
pills if you aren’t going to be near any toilets for a while and/or you are trying
to avoid causing an international incident.
Always carry a roll of your favorite TP in a Ziploc bag next to a picture of your
toilet at home. Besides its obvious purpose, it can be used for a fire starter,
napkin, and if it falls out of your bag walking through the airport- a
conversation piece. In some nations TP is rarely used. Why waste paper
when you have a perfectly useless left hand just hanging there at your side?
In other nations TP is harvested from the scraps at the sand paper factory
after they were discarded for being too rough. If it’s too rough for wood it’s
too rough for you. Save yourself a lot of pain, suffering, and hygienical
hijinks, and don’t forget the Charmin.
I find few things more intimidating than public transportation. Once stepping foot
upon the bus, train, tram, or subway, one enters the world of the locals’ life. As
people carry out their daily-grind to and a from work they don’t seem to smile a lot,
and they become easily upset or put out by any delay or change in their routine. It’
s a hostile environment, made more difficult by the non-universal laws of public
transportation: In Bucharest you must buy your ticket before getting on the bus and
insert it into a ticket punch on the bus. In Sarajevo you buy the ticket from the
driver and it does not need punched. In the London tube you need to put your
ticket into a scanner to enter and leave the stations. In the Athen’s subway the
ticket must be punched before getting on the train. Nowhere is it the same. The
only unchanging fact is that if you break any of the rules or etiquettes of public
transportation, you will be met with mean and strange looks from drivers,
conductors, and fellow passengers.
What to do to make your public transportation experience less of a nightmare:
1. Consult your guidebook- Sometimes they give you the low down on when
and where to buy tickets and how to use them properly.
2. Ask fellow passengers when to get off, what to do, and for help if you
become trapped.
3. Remain calm.
4. Smile a lot- Ignorance is truly bliss.
If you are brave, time constrained, or out of shape try the above, but if not, the best
advice I can pass on is to walk. You will see more anyway.