PREPARATIONS!
How does one prepare for a trip of 135 days duration? A trip to an area with vast weather differences from moderate climate Seattle. With wariness necessary for day-to-day health and culinary practices. An area so vast, it requires airline legs and long bus rides on poor roads, rather than auto or train segments, to see all 30+ countries. With a chance to go to "Around The World," and visit four completely different continents. The answer is: Slowly and Carefully. With much patience. With Great Redundancy. With much research. And many changes. The "to do" list (major and minor) is essentially endless...
The Chinese have a proverb that “A Journey of 100
Miles Begins With A Single Step.” The
reality is, it begins with 1000 mini-steps, often redundant and frequently in
circles, before the first real embrace of the journey begins.
At first, the African portion of the trip was
supposed to be primarily South Africa and a few additional “safe,” game reserve
oriented countries to the north. Then it
expanded to see the entire eastern half of the continent. My thinking
was, "I may never get down these 12,000 miles again. Maximize what
you can." But to begin with, how best to enjoy the Dark Continent? What kit would I need to carry with me for
this previously unknown territory?
Obviously that requires carrying light gear,
capable of adapting to extremes of equatorial heat and highland or nighttime cold,
and yet capable also of comfortably repelling mosquitoes. Airlines also
don't really let you carry two bags these days.
Especially huge, overweight bags.
Not economically anyway. So,
where some local puddle-jumper airlines such as Europe’s Ryan Air try to
maximize their earnings by charging for “overweight luggage” (your onboarded
sandwich alone may trip their meter), it is best to confine yourself to a modest
carry-on suitcase, and expandable daypack with padded laptop compartment.
Mine is an Eddie Bauer “Adventure Pack,” and the suitcase is a very lightweight it luggage brand with roller wheels,
extending handle, and hidden/removable backpack straps. A modest trick I have added in the last
couple years is to wear a travel vest, stuffed to the gills with all manner of
weighty things that remains on my person during “weigh in” and helps both
backpack and carry-on from otherwise being weight or volume challenged. Even a fishing vest helps.
So, with weight restrictions for some of the
smaller airlines, you have to do a lot of initial gear listing for countries
and conditions, and then a lot of culling of your departure list.
As for the trip at large, certain things are
necessary before departure. The big picture highlights are:
1) Pay rent, utilities and bills 140 days
in advance. Arrange bill pay with
your primary bank. Put as many accounts
on automatic monthly payment through that checking account as possible. Make post office and mail forwarding
arrangements. Pay your post office box
for the duration of your trip. In some
cases, shutoff or suspension of services is preferred. This applies to home phones, some internet
service, some cell phones, but can include gas, power, and water on
occasion. Don’t forget obvious things
like milk delivery or anything brought to the house on a regular/subscription
basis.
It is best to research your own credit card
transaction power while abroad in advance, and consider adding additional
cards. For example, most card carriers
impose a 3 to 4% “foreign transaction fee” on any purchases or a hefty % or
flat fee (often times, based on which ever option provides the most income to
the bank) for cash disbursements with their card. Capital One does not apply a foreign
transaction fee. Wells Fargo for example
will apply only a $5 separate withdrawal fee on cash advances, if a separate
travel account is created separate from a primary checking or savings account.
2) Get your destination health shots. For Africa, this included a very worthwhile
travel consult from the local King County Health Department and the Bartell
Drug Store chain about: security, cash issues, eating practices, hygiene on
three other continents, medical planning, and many other valuable pieces of
advice for the first-time African and Asian traveler.
For example, I was told to drink only capped
liquids, avoid all animals (thus potentially avoiding an expensive and
difficult series of rabies shots), brush my teeth only with bottled water,
don't wade in freshwater lakes or rivers, dress in pale colors to avoid
attracting insects (particularly malaria carrying mosquitoes), scan my passport
and all credit card documents and send them to myself via e-mail, plus notify
my bank and credit card companies of the impending trip.
3) Finally, I am told to register my trip online
with the US State Department prior to entering each country for security
purposes and tracking if necessary
4) The State Dept also has a travel advisory site
with relevant travel warnings and advice for each country at:
The recommended shot schedule for Africa, The
Middle East and Far East was:
A) Typhoid
B) Yellow Fever
C) Hepititis A –
(Hepititis B is also strongly recommended)
D) Tetanus Booster
E) Diarrhea prescription
(preventative)
F) Malaria pills, Prescription
(in reserve)
My previous shots for South America and Central
America had a carryover to them, in some cases, such that I elected for the
Hepatitis A (2nd in the series), Hepatitis B (1st in the
series), professional malaria consult, and malaria (Mefloquine Hydrochloride)
prescription. Twenty pills, taken once a
week … one week prior to entering into a malaria prone area, once a week
during, and up to two weeks afterward.
Cheap insurance in the long run, for misery protection.
5) Arrange for a notebook type
laptop computer that is lightweight, southern hemisphere compatible,
and backed up! That includes lightweight
mouse, Dragon Speech Recognition Software, and (new in my travels) microphone/headphones.
6) Line up my cameras for ease of packing,
charging, and redundant battery supply. I elected this time to bring
only one, a super lightweight Canon SX280 HS (with backup battery and backup
digital disc). This camera is nearly
like an SLR, with override settings for f-stop and shutter speed. It also features a 20 power zoom lens.
7) Get a suitcase that can both be wheeled,
and carried backpack style w/ straps. This
is very, very important when traveling through rain-filled streets covered with
all manner of human and animal filth.
8) Contribute to my existing travel
blog. This helps avoid excess
note-taking, excess e-mailing, and a dearth of adequate photo capacity for
timely display of pix taken on the fly.
I had previously created: Freestyle
World Traveler on Google’s enabled
platform blog site at:
I learned to blog just before leaving for Buenos
Aires three years ago. Once on the road you don't really want to send all
those individualized e-mails for the latest version of a "Trip Of A
Lifetime," even if one loves to write. I also needed to get the news
about the upcoming trip to Africa and points beyond, out to my regular contacts
on an efficient basis. I also didn't want limits on the pictures that
could be sent or shown while abroad. For
authors, blogging is also a ready-made jump start toward timely remembrance of
the finer details of your trip and allows for rough draft readiness upon your
arrival home.
9) Arrange visas for Africa, The Middle
East, and The Far East. This is a most
complicated project. In 2011 this step was only necessary for Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Suriname – but
expanded exponentially this time. This must usually be done well in
advance, as you have to send documents plus your passport itself to
each consulate or embassy for each country (including itineraries
and places where you will stay – essentially proving you are not going to beg
while in theater, and have means to get out of the country rapidly -- when you
don't even know where this will be if you practice freestyle travel). This
takes up quite a bit of time, obviously.
(Note: it may be necessary to add
pages in advance to your US passport. In
some cases, especially when visas can take up to two pages for each country, a
lengthy trip will leave you short, and some countries have been known to refuse
entry on the simple grounds that there was nowhere to stamp a passport with an
entry stamp!).
When planning on visiting 31 countries (and
possibly more), it also adds appreciable expense. The most expensive visa was China, at
$140. The cheapest was Egypt, at $15. Luckily, a number of countries (mostly
European Union nations and those on friendly terms with the US) are free. Others allow you to obtain your visa on a
simplified basis on arrival at your arrival airport, or border crossing.
So I determined to just pick up the visas IN Africa,
etc, by stopping at the consulate for each intended destination in a
neighboring country, and present the passport and application for visa in
person (hopefully with 1-day expediting). Or applying for the visa at the
border, or at each arrival airport – if allowed. Then there are some countries like Turkey,
that don’t require an actual visa, but a “landing stamp” – a fee for the right
to land and then transit through their country.
Argentina does the same thing in South America.
It is imperative to have in the list of countries
you will visit (and those you suspect you might visit), what visas are
required, how much they will cost, and where they can be obtained (only at
nearby consulates or embassies, at the airport, at the border, or only online?). Some countries, such as Eritrea (a breakoff
slice of Ethiopia) are nearly impossible for a westerner to obtain entry
into. Others, such as Saudi Arabia,
don’t really allow “tourists.” Your visa
application there must be submitted way in advance, and be well thought out and
supported in depth showing all details of your intended stay. It is wise not to assume because some
location is on your glide path, that you can automatically enter there and work
the details out upon arrival.
10) Renew all documents and licenses coming
up for renewal during my absence from the United States, including professional
continuing education, driver's license, and so forth. Also, suspend car
insurance to cover the vehicle only
(comprehensive coverage, no collision or liability), so as to save money during
my nearly five-month absence.
11) Obtain medical emergency/trip
cancellation/emergency evacuation insurance, which for Israel at least, is required
to enter the country. Proof of this coverage must accompany you. I have found on previous occasions that Travelex.com and InsureMyTrip.com are good sources for this.
12) Arrange for a United Airlines frequent
flyer membership -- the airfare equivalent of a EurRail pass, allowing you to
cobble together multiple air segments at a heavily discounted fare so that
travelling the whole continent becomes possible. United is part of the One World Alliance
partnership of airlines. When combined
with the Alaska Airlines cadre of partners in the Delta Airlines headed Skyteam
partnership, most of the expected 29,000 air miles I would accumulate would be
usable one way or another in the near future (on the previous trip to all of
South America, the LAN airlines partnership with Alaska Air alone added over
27,000 frequent flyer miles to my portfolio).
13) Scout for as many rooming situations in
advance as possible. Being a freestyle traveler, this is made much easier
with a large number of useful Internet tools. One of them I found and
have used extensively was at: HostelBookers.com.
Others include: Expedia.com, Airbnb.com,
Skoosh.com, and HostelWorld.com. This of
course also applies to car rentals. Take
it as a matter of gospel that the transport aspect of any trip is much cheaper
arranged in advance, than upon arrival at an airport or border crossing.
The Hostel Bookers site is very intuitive, with
many easy to use drop-down lists, and all that is required in advance is a
10% deposit to secure a hostel type room or inexpensive hotel or pensione -- and not full payment. Thus if you change plans—which can be
expected with regularity -- all you have really lost is 10% of an already small
intended payment.
14) Minimize my cell phone account,
cutting down the minutes, and changing my messages to indicate I'll be out of
contact for 140 days and NOT to leave messages, as I can’t access them ! The change also encompassed addition of an
international plan, packaging a basic package of international texts and phone
calls without roaming charges for a reduced monthly price. It is also HIGHLY recommended that key phone
numbers for places that you intend to travel, be pre-loaded into your cell
phone. Just as a hint: that would
include any fraternal organizations you belong to, the Red Cross perhaps, but
especially the US Embassy number for that locale. If in places like Cuba or North Korea, that
would include our diplomatic stand-in.
I have considered "pay as you go" cell
phones for when I arrive at various airports on previous occasions, and always
decide against it. The freedom and ease
of movement was a prime motivator, and I found there are many complicating
factors to having a cell phone that would work in each country, without paying
outrageous roaming charges throughout the continent.
An example of small things that come up that needs
preparation, is a roster of currency exchange rates for the 31+ countries on
the trip’s wandering path. In this way
one has a baseline of what the conversion rates are and whether they were
getting better or worse. Also, I wanted
a platform for comparing venues. Would
it be better to exchange at cash machines, only at banks, at vendor shops, the
airports, at hotels, or some other spot?
You are wise to add to this listing the name of the currency and its
three letter symbol.
16)
Brushing up on my self-taught Arabic was another small task requirement;
this would include getting an electronic translator/calculator, and a small
lightweight pocket book of most commonly used terms.
17)
Electronics these days, are a huge consideration for extensive travel
abroad. We are not talking hair dryer
adapter plugs here. I instead speak of
support technology for cell phones, laptops, cameras, and other means of
communicating with fans or the folks back home.
So in addition to the usual coterie of universal adapter plugs good for
multiple continents, also necessary are: chargers, USB cords of varying makes
(USB to USB, USB to mini), camera card readers (take up far less battery wear
than connecting your camera directly to a computer via cable), cigarette outlet
chargers, and adapter end prongs of every fashion. Plug enough of these micro-terminals
together, and even from the most convoluted outlets, you eventually get the
power connection you need.
Electrical conversion adapters are an
obvious adjunct to this. For the first
time, I am carrying a backup battery reserve power pack (Anker brand, Astro Pro
series, 15K capacity) that will work on both the cell phone and laptop. I am also carrying a cigarette lighter
transformer for the first time, converting auto electric into 110 volt
alternating current, such that almost any appliance can be plugged in to it
(while riding a bus, for example).
18) Take
care of the home front. That means
arranging for a trusted party to water the plants, feed the pets, and start the
cars occasionally (hybrids like the Toyota Prius, if not started regularly,
will lose a $3000+ battery without occasionally being fired up – so this point
is critical). It may involve things like
removing the mail (the paper should be suspended, of course), changing the
interior light timing, checking doors and windows. Having a list for this party that includes a
set of trusted craftsmen such as an emergency plumber and electrician and roofer
and handyman is imperative, in the event of a pipe bursting during freezing
weather for example.
19) The
most difficult and time consuming part of preparation in the long run is route finding. At first, the whole world is your
huckleberry. But once you winnow down
your bucket list dream stops, and add to it with additional research (my five primary sources were given in the
previous blog), certain economies of scale begin to suggest
themselves. You don’t have to travel the
length of the country, to see its most attractive features. Then: is it cheaper and more time saving to
fly, or drive, or take a ferry? There
are advantages of each to be weighed and balanced against each other. Guidebooks are the best starting point. My personal favorite for its breadth of
information is still Lonely Planet.
After a route is established, airfare(s) must be
purchased. Then visas arranged. Or at least planned. Then the rental car and hotel considerations
follow. My travel style is “freestyle,” ever since a first extensive travel
abroad to the four nations/five political divisions of the British Isles.
It is characterized by saving money on hotel rooms and first class
transportation and spending instead on good food, entertainment, and
cultural venues. It mostly includes travel with few reservations, and
high levels of extemporaneous adaptation.
Like
alpine-style mountain climbers who get acclimatized to the oxygen
deficiencies of high altitude and then rush the summit as opportunity
allows, time is generally not spent building up "base camps" with
reservations and a set itinerary for trips. Best to let the local
conditions and native advice instead serve as a guide. Just as hosts
always clue you in to the best places to eat and shop, so does serendipity guide
a fortunate path … if only you take care enough to listen.
This often depends on who you meet. A
missed flight or train ride, could turn into your most favorable day.
That chance conversation about the proper camera at Costco, can lead to
inspired destination advice. The
apparently odd traveler at the waterfall could end up being a
valued fellow companion for a few days to a week. The shy cook who
tells you about a not-to-be-missed Unesco World Heritage Site, makes
a willing ear a valuable commodity. These chances don't take place
with a set-in-stone plan.
I fancy hostels over hotels. They are cheaper, especially when you take in
to account 135 days on the road. The
support staff is not as harried. They
are often multi-lingual. More importantly,
they are usually travelers themselves.
And the company you encounter in the communal kitchen or the
lounge/internet area is almost certainly more interesting than that encountered
in a hotel lobby or bar, where comparative square-offs involving “Can you top
this?” are commonplace.
The world wide web is a priceless tool for
researching a trip of any length.
Through the internet, you can negotiate hostel costs, allowed arrival
times, and details such as whether the host will pick you up at the airport. You can also get advanced information on
bus/van/taxi routes, tours, and pricing involved in your preferred destination
for the day’s (or night’s) entertainment.
But this element takes much time and sleuthing. It helps to have a really good advisor, a
travel partner or group with a love of “surfing,” or both. It also helps
to have a love of maps and geography, and to have at least some knowledge of
the present world political situation and where the current “hot spots” are
before finalizing any plans. Therefore, flexibility and having alternate options serve
as the ultimate wing-man when putting a substantial trip together.
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