6 more days....health & safety
So obviously, I've got my passport & visas in order. *at this point, if I didn't - I'd be SOL*. Travel arrangements have been made, itineraries distributed, so there are other considerations my professors' shared with us about international travel. Oh yeah, for those new here...I'm headed to Rio, Buenos Aires and Colonia.
Next items on the agenda: health & safety considerations.
theDressCode:: of course we're doing the company/government visits, etc. So I have to have corporate casual attire. However, there are all kinds of other cultural considerations that I never thought of....such as these Latin American countries are patriarchal, and gender influences interactions heavily. So, I gotta keep the twins and the assets under control, know what I mean? In that spirit, I visit: http://www.journeywoman.com/, to get pointers on dressing for my specific destinations. It's a cool site, because the comments are from actual travelers, not just some canned responses. (Geek aside - the GUI's need work). Their common theme is to err on the side of conservative - duh, I should have known that.
dimTheBling:: the other common recommendation is to turn the volume down on the bling - minimal jewelry, and not flashing money. Again, duh. But I didn't consider leaving my Tiffany silver behind, because it's subdued. And while I love my fake Hermes bag, that may have to stay in the US as well. Oh well, the jury is still out on these. I do know that I'm packing those rinky-dink Coach wallet-purses. They're flat so I can wear it close to the body, and it's hard to detect once on.
importantDocuments:: this one spooked me a little - but yes, you should make copies of all your important documents (passport, medical ID cards, dental records, medical/prescription information, blood type, emergency contact info, etc) and leave a copy with your emergency contacts at home, and take another copy with you. You know, just in case. Don't want to give THAT any more energy, so....
theDrinking:: this one's easy, just act like you have some sense. This is the primary reason why I elected to room with a grownup. And yes, we are sharing rooms.
travelFirstAidKit:: I put these together even for domestic travel, so this is a must-have. Pharmacies abound, but you should still put this together before you leave, and make sure all your extended stay items are in there, like pain relievers, anti-diarrheal, band-aids, antibacterials, disinfectant, etc. I'm even throwing in my favorite laxative tea, just in case. Pads in case Aunt Flo shows up, condoms in case she doesn't ;-) But seriously, you should pack any items you'd normally need for the length of time you're traveling - in my case the things I'd potentially use in a 2 week period.
theDoctor:: a routine medical checkup is in order, and a heads up to the good Dr about where you're going is also a must. That way, he can ensure your vaccinations are up to date, and suggest any additional ones. Another suggestion I found helpful was to check your medical coverage with your health insurance carrier, to see if you're covered while traveling.
moreTips:: that were mentioned:
- bottled water for drinking AND brushing your teeth
- all food must be fully cooked - no rare meat (booooooooo - do they not know I'm headed to Beef country?)
- don't pet the animals - they may carry diseases
- carry anti-bacterial everywhere
- STD's abound, but STD awareness does not, so act accordingly.
theLegalSystem:: this one is the most important to NOT lose sight of. The laws in the host country can vary dramatically, even for the smallest infractions, so act accordingly. The host country's legal system is unfamiliar, and in an unfamiliar language, so getting hemmed up is just not an option (and your US lawyer cannot help you abroad). So, no drunk & disorderlies, no mouthing off to the police, no taking pictures of civil demonstrations, no barfights or even getting caught up in a soccer fight. Avoid jail at all costs.
These tips were just a few suggestions, but there are more at the State Department's travel site, the University of San Diego's travel site, and the CDC's website, to name a few.
That's it for now...tomorrow, logistics (or what I like to think of as, "Again, how many plugs for my laptop do i need?"