Questions from Kevin:
What do you consider the ideal length of trip?
My perfect trip is a minimum of two months but preferably at least three. In these times of increased awareness and concern for the environment, I like shrinking my carbon footprint by taking fewer international flights. One of the joys of being retired is that I can leave home for extended periods.
How should a person handle the money issue?
This is what I do:
-Figure out approximate costs. Add 20%. Save. Go on a trip within my budget and enjoy without scrimping. I never put the trip on credit to pay back later.
-Always have extra funds in an accessible account for emergencies. I’m increasing this amount to enable me to pay for an additional three weeks of unplanned living expenses.
-Always research the policies for bringing cash into and out of every country I’m visiting because some countries have strict rules with hefty penalties for travellers who break them.
-Always have cash on hand because not every place is bank or credit card friendly. I try to buy a little cash for the counties I’ll be visiting before leaving home. If that’s not possible, I carry US dollars, Euros or British Pounds which are easier to exchange in more countries than our Canadian dollars.
-Exchange funds with licenced money exchangers or at banks – not with shady dealers on street corners. Some countries require travellers to keep receipts for exchanged funds – I keep those receipts until I’m home.
-Carry two different credit cards from two different banks and two different bank cards from two different banks. Many times, one card won’t work when another will. In my experience, Visa and Master Card are the most accepted credit cards.
-Only use ATMs in well-lit public areas, at banks and only during open hours – in case the machine holds the card or “forgets” to spit out the cash. I never use random street-side ATMs but sometimes use ATMs at large tourist hotels. Wherever I use an ATM, I want assurance that there will be a person available to assist if the machine decides to misbehave. I pay attention to nearby loungers and watchers.
-When haggling, I do so in keeping with local expectations. A good deal is the one when both the vendor and the purchaser are happy. I love the art of haggling, and in many countries it’s a necessity.
-Keep small money handy for tips, buskers and beggars as appropriate.
-To deter robbers and pick-pockets – Western tourists are marks – I keep credit cards, bank cards and bulk of cash in a safe place and don’t flash it around. I keep a small amount of cash more easily accessible for the day’s purchases.
-Never carry a back-pocket wallet or the over the shoulder purse. I use a zippered inside pocket and/or across/around the body purse.
Would travelling alone be as rewarding as travelling with companions?
This depends on the type of trip. I have travelled solo and with family and friends. My least favourite form of travel is with a group of strangers although that is sometimes necessary, and I’ve had a great deal of fun on some small-group trips.
Solo travel has advantages because I can be spontaneous to change a destination, stay longer, or less time, do what I want when I want. I meet more people when I’m on my own, but it can be challenging when travelling from place to place. My best solo experiences have been when I’ve gone somewhere and stayed for a week or so or longer.
Travelling with trusted, like-minded companions has enormous advantages on a trip requiring constant moving. It is always helpful to share navigation tasks and I enjoy dining with a friend or two more than eating alone. In some places a solo woman is a target for harassment. Challenges can be easier to laugh about when shared with a friend. It’s always nice to watch each other’s gear during washroom breaks and each other’s backs when at the ATM. I’d rather sit with a friend on the bus than with a man who can’t keep his hands to himself. Sipping a beer or glass of wine at day’s end is more pleasant with a friend. When choosing friends to travel with, we review expectations, discuss activities and agree on comfort levels, activities, general itinerary and shared responsibilities before leaving home. I don’t mind staying in hostels for instance, but not all my friends do. Compromise – with those friends, we stay in hostels with private rooms. Some aspects of travelling with friends are particularly important to me:
Having similar spending budgets. A travel companion who regularly wants to spend €30 for dinner when my budget is closer to €10 creates awkward meal scenarios.
Having similar bio rhythms. Sharing a room with a travel companion who doesn’t turn out the light and settle until 11pm is difficult for both of us, as I’m habitually ready to sleep much earlier. Morning routines with a companion who doesn’t get going until noon is also challenging when there’s places to go and things to do.
Having similar interests and expectations. Bungee jumping, motor-scooter riding, hang-gliding and scuba diving are not on my list of fun things to do. I’d be a terrible travel companion for anyone wanting to enjoy those activities. I like a museum or two, but have the attention span of a gnat, so make a horrid trip mate for anyone wanting to study every dusty artifact in any museum. I prefer wandering through vegetable markets to see what people grow and eat. I like to watch interpersonal interactions and don’t like attending noisy, body-pressing festivals or checking out the late-night bar scene.
Cautionary tale: Frank discussion about personal needs, interests, ailments, energy levels, foibles, comfort requirements, tolerances and abilities are essential before deciding to travel together. I’ve seldom had difficulties but a small irritation at home can become an insurmountable problem during a trip. On a trip with six friends, one of them had developing dementia. Her family knew but chose not to tell me. This was a challenging trip, and the woman posed a danger to herself and her travel companions. Her family had to come and escort her home.
Should a person carry spare glasses or just the prescription?
I always bring spare glasses. Getting a prescription filled might take longer than I want to spend in any one place and may not even be possible depending on where I am. On a Silk Road trip, I broke the arm off a pair of glasses and getting it partially repaired ate up an entire day. I ended up damaging my second pair of glasses on that trip too.
Can reading material always be picked up locally?
Not always, especially as I only read English fluently. However, hostels often have exchange libraries, and many have books in English, German and French. Bigger cities tend to have bookshops with at least a couple of English-title shelves.
How often have you been ill on holiday?
More times than I’d like, and always food-borne gastric misery. It’s a good idea to bear in mind that without refrigeration, condiments such as mayonnaise can cause serious illness. In underdeveloped areas, a rule of thumb is to eat what locals eat, eat freshly cooked food, eat fruit and vegetables that can be pealed or washed in filtered water. A peek into a restaurant kitchen is sometimes an idea. Does it look like the food handlers have a place to wash their hands? Are the dishes rinsed in cold water running through a ditch? Is food sitting around waiting to be quickly heated and served? I’ve learned these things the hard way.
What foods would you consistently avoid?
I often stay clear of meat. In some countries lack of refrigeration leads to animals being slaughtered immediately before consumption. Sometimes these animals are old. Unhung, old meat can be tough and stringy and very difficult to chew. Thanks to a couple of weeks in Mongolia, greasy mutton turns my stomach. I need to be confident about how raw meat has been treated and when it was cooked. I also need absolute assurance that I’m not going to be eating rat, cat, dog, horse. Turtles, shark fins and other illegal meat items are also on my do-not-eat list. I’m not a fan of bugs and grubs. I’ve eaten both, but my Western tastebuds and prejudices ensure a significant gag reflex. Snake doesn’t appeal either.
Since a week-long bout of food poisoning after eating a deli sandwich from a French bakery in Vientiane, Laos I always avoid mayonnaise.
What medications should you always have on hand?
Travellers should check with a travel clinic and discover what professionals are suggesting. Some medications are countra-indicated for people with certain medical conditions or taking other medications.
This list of medications that I take with me is not a recommendation.
-Benadryl – useful for minor allergies or to calm insect-bite itch.
-Sudafed – or similar in case of catching a cold or sinus infection.
-Ibuprofen – to treat aches, pains and headaches.
-Gravol – in case of travel sickness.
-Ciprofloxacin – by prescription, in case of food poisoning.
-Diamox – when travelling above 3400 metres
-an appropriate anti-malarial when travelling in areas with malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Is mailing things home reliable?
Sometimes. Not every country has a postal service. Sending items home from Nepal for instance requires lots of paperwork and use of a shipping company such as UPS.
Beware customs rules when returning home. Travellers who send items purchased abroad ahead of themselves need to declare the value of those items as part of their duty-free entitlement.
I take photos of what I’m sending and pay a little extra for a tracking number. From personal experience, Germany, Turkey and the UK have reliable postal services.
A friend and I once sent a few items of extra already-owned clothing from home to ourselves in Europe. We were required to pay hefty European import fees – which were more than the monetary value of our old clothes.
Can one miss the “must sees?”
Some “must sees” are overrated, crowded tourist traps, but it depends on personal priorities and purpose for travelling. If the emotional, scenic or historic appeal is personally significant – then we should visit. Maybe we will be delighted and maybe we’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. Consider the Acropolis in Athens or Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain for instance. The acropolis is frequently crowded with bus tours and requires a €20.00 entry fee during the high season. Stonehenge is fenced off, also frequently crowded with bus tours and a high-season entry fee of £22.80. I like visiting ancient sites when I can feel the history and sense the magic. I don’t want dodge selfie-stick-welding tourists more intent on their hairdos than the site behind them. I don’t want to hear tour guides shouting their schtick to people who aren’t even listening. But how would I feel if I’d never had opportunities to visit both those “must see” places before the days of bus-tour throngs?
One of the easiest ways to choose or avoid “must sees,” is to travel independently. I see what I want, for as long as I want. I’ve learned to not try to see everything on a country’s tour list.
Cautionary tale: Gothic cathedrals. I’m fascinated by their histories, intrigued by how light plays and sound echoes within their vaults and naves, and I love the smells of candle wax and incense. York Minster is one of my favourites, but on a 2012 trip, after six weeks of exploring castles and cathedrals, by the time we arrived in York, “must see” or not, I was done with visiting cathedrals.
Where do you hide your money / passport?
If I told you that, they wouldn’t be hidden anymore, but I do keep these items secure, within zippered compartments and close to my body. My passport once delaminated, and ink ran when it got soaked while I was bathing with an elephant at an elephant rescue sanctuary. The Canadian customs personnel were unimpressed and chastised me for careless treatment of government property. Lesson learned – my passport now inhabits a waterproof pouch.
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