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DESTINATION GUIDES > SAFETY
ABROAD
Your safety abroad depends on you! Using your
common sense is often enough to avoid problems.
Some tips:
Only carry as much cash as you need for the day,
as automatic teller machines are found every few
blocks in many cities.
Wear a "money necklace" over your neck and under
your undershirt, to hold your cash/passport.
Using your front pocket for wallet/valuables is
simply not safe; Kids will notice it, grab it
from behind, and run away.
DO NOT wear fanny packs, belt bags, or anything
of the sort! If you are traveling out of
country, locals will usually be able to spot you
for a tourist; such bags are a dead giveaway. A
quick snip of that belt and your bag is gone.
When out sightseeing or walking after dark, keep
a wad of $1 bills wrapped in a $10 bill. If
confronted by a person seeking to rob you, pull
it out slowly and quickly throw it far away from
you. Run in the opposite direction that you
throw the money. Hopefully, if the robber sees
that $10, he'll think it's a lot more money than
it is and he will go after it. You can run to
safety, and you won't be out a huge amount of
money.
Always, when standing around or sitting drinking
coffee, keep your foot through the strap. If
someone drops something, or something happens,
look at your backpack. This may be a diversion
to steal your backpack.
When traveling abroad, purchase a passport and
money belt. Wear this around your waist, under
your clothes
First, attach a brightly-colored piece of fabric
to the handle of your luggage. This will prevent
anyone for mistaking it for their own. Secondly,
when using a public washroom, never EVER leave
anything of value on the inside hooks of the
door or on the floor. Put them on your lap.
To help people help you during an emergency in a
foreign land, type (and preferably laminate) a
small card, on which you mention your age, blood
group and other relevant medical details. Most
important, a number to contact - a global cell
phone or the number of the hotel you are staying
at.
Try not to look like a tourist. Wear plain
clothes that won't give the impression you are
carrying money or valuables. Leave jewelry at
home - including rings and watches. Buy a cheap
watch just for travel - you only need to have
the correct time while on a trip!
Keep passport, airline tickets, and the bulk of
your money in a money belt, about US$50-100 in a
neck wallet, and about US$5-10 in your jeans
pockets.
If you are traveling internationally, be very
hesitant to take anything for anyone else,
especially if you do not know them well. At
best, the airlines will ask you lots of
questions about what you are taking.
HEALTH
Food and waterborne diseases are the number one
cause of illness in travelers. Make sure your
food and drinking water are safe (see below).
Regardless of the pharmacy situation in any
country, it is always advisable to bring enough
medication to last through your trip. Be sure to
carry it with you rather than trusting it to
checked luggage (many frequent travelers bring a
double supply of medication and pack each in
different bags). It is also advisable to carry
extra prescription sheets written by your doctor
(with the generic names) in case you need
refills during your trip and to show at customs
as proof of the medication's identity and
necessity. Always remember to check the
expiration dates on all medications, whether
they are from home or abroad. Depending on where
you are traveling, you may also want to carry an
anti-diarrheal medication and/or ask your
physician for an appropriate anti-diarrheal
prescription, as a precautionary measure.
If you visit mountains, ascend gradually to
allow time for your body to adjust to the high
altitude, which can cause insomnia, headaches,
nausea, and altitude sickness. In addition, use
sunblock rated at least 15 SPF, because the risk
of sunburn is greater at high altitudes.
Because motor vehicle crashes are a leading
cause of injury among travelers, walk and drive
defensively. Avoid nighttime travel if possible
and always use seat belts.
Vaccines (as Appropriate for Age). See your
doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to
allow time for immunizations to take effect.
To stay healthy, do:
•
Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
• Drink only bottled or boiled water, or
carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles.
Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.
If this is not possible, make water safer by
BOTH filtering through an "absolute 1-micron or
less" filter AND adding iodine tablets to the
filtered water. "Absolute 1-micron filters" are
found in camping/outdoor supply stores.
• Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and
vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember:
boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
• If you will be visiting an area where there is
risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention
medication before, during, and after travel, as
directed. (See your doctor for a prescription.)
• Protect yourself from insects by remaining in
well-screened areas, using repellents (applied
sparingly at 4-hour intervals) and permethrin-impregnated
mosquito nets, and wearing long-sleeved shirts
and long pants from dusk through dawn.
• To prevent fungal and parasitic infections,
keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot.
To avoid getting sick:
•
Don't eat food purchased from street vendors.
• Don't drink beverages with ice.
• Don't eat dairy products unless you know they
have been pasteurized.
• Don't share needles with anyone.
• Don't handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs,
and cats), to avoid bites and serious diseases (including
rabies and plague).
• Don't swim in fresh water. Salt water is
usually safer.
What you need to bring with you:
•
Long-sleeved shirt and long pants to wear while
outside whenever possible, to prevent illnesses
carried by insects (e.g., malaria, dengue,
filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis).
• Insect repellent.
• Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to
take if you have diarrhea.
• Iodine tablets and water filters to purify
water if bottled water is not available. See
Do's above for more detailed information about
water filters.
• Sunblock, sunglasses, hat.
• Prescription medications: make sure you have
enough to last during your trip, as well as a
copy of the prescription(s).
After You Return Home:
If you have visited an area where there is risk
for malaria, continue taking your malaria
medication weekly for 4 weeks after you leave
the area. If you become ill with a fever--even
as long as a year after your trip--tell your
doctor that you traveled to a malaria-infected
area.
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