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How and what to pack
Of course this is a tricky
question and will depend on how long you will be gone, to what kind
of weather and your activities in a certain place. The trick is
Onion like dressing, by layers. if it gets really cold and you have
a T-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a no sleeve winter, 2 pullovers and
a jacket, your gonna be fine. Of course that a camera, batteries and
a map depends on you. I pack a worldwide, all weather, all situation
backpack and my personal list goes something like this:
Clothing:
Pants, long and short, a jean.
T-shirts Something nice to go out
(hey backpackers are allow to have fun too)
long sleeve shirts
pullover
No sleeve winter clothes like a vest
Underwear (of course)
Something
for the rain
swimwear
walking shoes
flip flaps (for public showers)
towel
Accessories:
Hat
Scarf
gloves
belt
Money belt or place to hide
your belongings
Others:
Day pack
pen and paper (more useful than
what you might think)
small alarm clock (can you trust that hostel
guy not getting wasted? )
sunglasses
Toilet paper (some cheap hotels
might just not have and you may realize to late)
small lock
bicycle
chain (you can sleep better knowing that in the train nobody is
going to take your bag)
small sewing kit
extra plastic bags (for
laundry, garbage and other things)
Medicine and first aid kit
Make
sure you don't bring loose pills, it makes it hard to pass a border
with many small color pills around your backpack pockets, you don't
really need the prescription, just they have to be in the container.
Medicine for: headaches, nausea, diarrhea, painkillers will do.
According to your destination you might need others, check in
advance.
Fist aid kit:
alcohol swaps and band aids.
small pervinox
bottle and a swap with tape are also handy.
Sunscreen
after bite/
itch relief
Fungicidal
Self beauty
Toothbrush and paste
shaving
things (if you don't want to look like cast away)
soap
small bottles
of shampoo and conditioner
comb
So How To pack?.
I divide everything
in categories, pants, shirts, underwear, etc. If traveling with a
back pack I roll them and put them on plastic bags, take the air out
and accommodate them. Better a pack that can open in the top and in
the bottom so you don't have to unpack in every location and with
many pocket for the accessories. On a regular trunk I fold my
clothes also by categories and place them on top of each other
horizontally. like a closet so I don't need to open and take
everything out if I want to change my shirt.
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Organize your trip
First of all, where are you
going?? for first things you should know about your destination is:
Visas
Other legal entry requirements (passport validity, allowed period of
stay)
Mandatory Vaccinations
The Only place that can give you the correct information for your
country is an Embassy or consulate. Don't trust friends, websites or
travel guides. Call the embassy of the country you wish to travel
and tell them with what passport you are traveling with.
This 3 are the most important and can forbid you to travel. Any
other thing (like Actual political situation and others) might make
you think that you cannot travel, but if you didn't got that yellow
fever shot or stood in line to get a visa you can be denied
boarding.
Now, the big question is if
to plan or not to plan. well that's up to you. I will recommend not
planning but getting informed. After all you don't want to miss of a
particular must see. But on the contrary if you plan so much you
leave no place for adventure. On my first trip to India I didn't
even booked a hotel for the first night. Nothing happened and I
teamed up with other guys and got a great deal for a Hotel, cheaper
that we all thought.
Get a guide book, depends
the country LP is good. Just DON'T make it your bible. Most guides
are written by people that either have live there for a long time or
traveled several times to that place, take word on their advise, but
plan your trip yourself. Research a lot in the internet, official
websites and consulates. Try to talk with people from that country
that you meet or in the internet they might give you local eyes to
your future destination and recommend an off the track location that
they like
In general lines I would
sit down with a map of the area I want to visit and go from big to
small. Choose the area, then the cities and finally villages (most
adventures never come from a capital city or a big city. visit the
villages and town where people are kinder, and true traveler stories
become true).
Now that's done join the dots. Can you travel by train? generally
the cheapest way. Buses are also good and if you are short of time
you might as well get a flight (some places like Europe its cheaper
to fly but that's just an exception). Leave yourself time in each
place to spare for you might meet somebody or get sick.
Before you set up dates, study and get informed of festival, parties
and local celebration, you don't want to leave a day before the big
parade!!
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Personal
safety
Your passport in a foreign
country is your life. If you don't want to spend your vacation
figuring out how to get a new passport and where is your embassy
keep your passport as close to your skin as you can at all times.
Even when showering or if you go to the beach (in case you don't
trust the hotel/hostel safe box). Money belts are a must for any
backpacker and advisable for other travelers as well.
Keep a banking card with you but always carry cash, not all places
have ATM not anywhere your card might work. Cash, specially Euros
and USD are accepted worldwide.
When you arrive:
Don't trust no one, except another tourist traveling in the same
plane. You cannot make friends in the exit of any kind of
international terminal, specially "friendly" locals. Don't accept
help with your luggage also. When exiting an airport or
bus/train/boat terminal act as you been there before and not like a
lost sheep. Think before arriving how you are going to leave that
place (take public transportation, a taxi or just walking) and do
it.
When touring:
The most important thing is not to look like a easy pray. keep your
belongings with you at all times. Some places you will never pass as
a local, but you can be a normal tourist. Don't flash around
expensive jewelry, big cameras, or wads of money. Keep big
denomination bills in a safe place and carry in your pockets enough
change for the day. If you need to take money of your money belt do
it in a toilet, sitting in a restaurant but never on the street or
where somebody can see you.
When withdrawing money from an ATM always take your time. Count the
money, separate what you need in the moment and keep the rest and
and the card in your belt, before leaving the ATM. If someone comes
near of offers help shove him off. Its not polite in any country to
get help while in the bank.
If you stop for coffee or lunch keep your daypack at sight and don't
leave valuables on the table. When going back to the hotel at night
avoid shortcuts through dark streets and stay in the avenues.
When moving around:
Train station and public transportation are the petty thieves
gathering place, all over the world. Keep the things your not going
to use in your backpack. If you need to buy a ticket get the money
out in advance and leave it in your front pocket. Tie a sweater
around your waist. On platforms be careful when trains are arriving
or leaving. Don't stand in a place where you are going to be runned
over by people. When going in and out of busses or trains wait until
there is no crowding at the door.
If you spend the night on the train is useful to lock it with a
bicycle lock the same for your daypack.
Other helpful tips:
A good one if you want to test the real means behind a stranger that
want to befriend you is to take out your camera and do an auto pose
to take a picture of both you and him. If he refuses, you know what
to do.
Don't take a taxi if you can walk or take the bus.
Arrange prices beforehand and do things yourself, like buying
tickets or talking with someone. don't accept unwanted company.
Generally speaking trust people that are also traveling and are in
your age frame. Be suspicious (not paranoid )on lonely, over groomed
local males that want to join you for sightseeing, shopping, dinner
or lunch, or do something. Also beware of extremely attractive local
woman that just want you to invite her a drink.
Don't pull off a map and stand lost as you will attract predators in
look for a silly victim to reap off. It also gives a good starting
line like do you need help....
Keep a small stash of money in your hotel, hidden someplace (in the
toilet or in your bags) in case something happens with your main
money.
Trust yourself, if you think things are going bad or the person in
front of you is not what he claims to be just take off.
Lets hope it never happens but if things turn ugly (you are robbed
at gunpoint, or confronted by 3 or 4 though guys) the best thing to
do is to give up your cash and if they ask your card also. Keep calm
at all times and firmly reject giving up your passport. Also ask for
some spare change (or just don't give it away) so you can return to
your hotel.
Then just move on. After all you are on vacations.
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Where to
eat
Generally speaking, if a place
is full, the food is good. To pick up restaurants that don't target
tourists just open your eyes and look for signs that have no English
or are located near landmarks. Small streets provide plenty of small
places busting with locals eating good food. Generally is cheaper
around public offices, near train stations or around the parks.
For street for just follow your intuition, if the place have
customers and the food hasn't been cooked long time ago you are OK.
Find out what's the time for each street snack (for example in La
Paz, Bolivia the time for empanadas is at 10 AM. so if after 12
really they are not fresh anymore.)
In some countries is worth to be more vegetarian that a meat eater.
Meat tends to be more delicate in terms of handling and
conservation, while veggies don't need to have been reaped
yesterday. In some countries you would prefer to drink colas over
fresh juices and avoid ice.
Always give your stomach time to adapt to new foods, flavors,
ingredients and spices.
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Bargaining skills
Bargaining is an art indeed,
it involves a lot of knowledge of human nature and your environment,
specially in a foreign country. Please remember though that when
travelling you are a guest and must respect traditions, also its
important to remember the price of the item you will but in your
home country and the economic conditions in your host country. When
visiting developing countries take in consideration that an extra
dollar, Yen, Euro, Pound or Frank is for the locals a big
difference, and for you it's not. Taken that in consideration
bargain, and accept prices when compared to your country is fair,
and also consider your help to the local economy (and I mean to the
person that is selling you economy, not the GDP of the country)
This is my tactic and it might
work well or might get you in a discussion with the local vendor. In
most countries a retailer that sells to the streets and to tourist
is making at least a 100% profit on their products.
1. Decide which things you want to buy. If you are just shopping
around you will always pay more.
2. Get informed. How much are the prices of the same or similar
items you want to buy. In general terms compare prices of stores
with the economy in general. Market rules apply, decide how much the
product is worth for you according also to the prices in your home
country and your budget.
3. Choose the place you want to buy and start asking for another
products.
4. When choosing the product and asking the price the seller will
throw his highest bid. respond with your lowest one as you are both
planning to settle somewhere in the middle. He knows that. If acting
offended for your low offer just smile and tell him exactly that.
Have knowledge of what's going in the local economy and add phrases
like: "that's what my (local) friend makes for a week work! too
expensive!" or "that same item I can buy it cheaper in my
neighborhood supermarket" .Always pretend to know the real
price.
Say you come from a modest family, that is not your first time in
this country, that you have been here for over 3 weeks and so on as
to the person to think he cant fool you.
5. Be patient. Bargaining and not buying is rude and you will make
the salesmen rightfully angry at you. Only go further this line if
you are going to buy
6. Accept the offer of tea or coffee (very normal in Asian and
middle eastern cultures and in some places in Europe). Chat.
Befriend the salesman, but don't let him charm you.
7. If you plan to buy more than one item wait to negotiate the price
for one. Then ask discount for buying more with phrases like "if
you give me a good price is better for me and you that I make all my
shopping here" Beware though that a seller may compensate your
bargaining skills on one item with another items price.
8. Don't shove your money in someone else's face, its rude. Also
don't take your wallet before finish negotiating, specially if you
have more money there. A good tactic to get further discount is to
say "I' m leaving in a couple of days and this is all the money i
have left for shopping".
If the price is too high for you and the merchant seems
intransigible, just leave. He may call you back, meaning he regrets
and you can continue further negotiation. Convince him that is good
price and remember he will sell even to a small profit. Its better
than nothing.
9. Finally, when agreed in a price for all the goods you want to buy
ask if he wants Euros or dollars (of course only applicable outside
first world countries). Some countries restrict the amount of
foreign currency local residents can legally buy and he will happily
accept the offer... with a bit further discount.
With this tactic I bought a
gorgeous Narguile in the Markets of Jerusalem for 15 dollars, in the
Suq of El Cairo I got for a bill of 5 Euros a statue of Anubis, a
obelisk a small souvenir and 4 fake papyrus. In India I got a new
pair of shoes for 3 dollars.
On the other hand I have been politely asked to cancel my
negotiations and leave from stores in Turkey and Jordan... but if
you are polite, honest and not greedy a sale can go good or wrong
all the time.
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