Posts Tagged "Travel Tips"
3 Tips Every Traveler Should Know
The days leading up to a trip are packed with anticipation and excitement. We check our reservations, pack our new bathing suits, stock up on magazines and read up on our destination’s ‘must see’ attractions. Some things we don’t normally consider can make the difference between a great trip and a good trip; or at the extreme a great trip and a horrible trip.
Pre-Read Paperbacks
I pack at least one pre-read paperback per leg for flight attendants. This one statement: “I finished this. Would you like it?” can provide you with amenities and service beyond the average traveler’s. Human nature urges us to give back when something is given to us. Flight attendants are the Wikipedia of the skies. They know the best restaurants, best attractions, things to avoid, things not to avoid and everything you would expect someone who visits your destination several times a month.
Travel Health Kit
Something as simple as allergies, bug bites or food that your system is not used to can create havoc on even the best planned trip. Daily medications will undoubtedly be brought with you, but always pack them in their original containers with copies of your prescriptions. Many travelers have their medications confiscated at borders because of improper packaging. Keep your doctors business card with your medication for further reference should you be questioned by authorities.
If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction carry an epi-pen with you at all times. Relying on the healthcare in developing countries is not worth the risk. Language barriers can often waste vital time in an emergency situation. A list of your medical conditions translated into the local language is helpful also.
Commercial Travel Health Kits are available from several reliable online sources:
• American Red Cross:www.redcrossstore.org
• Adventure Medical Kits: www.adventuremedicalkits.com
• Chinook Medical Gear:www.chinookmed.com
• Travel Medicine, Inc.: www.travmed.com
• Wilderness Medicine Outfitters: www.wildernessmedicine.com
Digital Recorder
One of the most useful accessories I bring with me on every trip is a digital pen recorder. It is simple to use, light as a pen and never fails to get me where I want to go. Getting lost in big cities like Paris or Rome is the best way to find things you are not looking for. The problem comes later when you want to find them again. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Piazza Navona to Trevi Fountain in Rome, which passes several great restaurants. While you may not be ready for a candle lit dinner at 10 AM, it is much easier to record the name and location of the restaurant for reference later than to pull out the Italian-English dictionary at the taxi stand and bumble out “little restaurant by the big church”. The latter will provide you with a strange look instead of mouth watering Frutti de Mare.
How to Smoke on a Plane
It wasn’t that long ago that I was sitting in the back of a DC-9 flying from Miami to Newark choking on clouds of smoke. An hour before, Reagan had given one of his ‘super power’ speeches on a TV, barely visible through blue plumes in the bar. I was headed to basic training and I didn’t care how smoky it was. In a few short hours I wouldn’t be able to smoke for 8 weeks. Determined to get as much tar and nicotine into my system as possible before walking through the gates of hell, aka Fort Dix New Jersey, I puffed away with the best of them.
I can only imagine what it was like for non-smokers to be stuck on a plane filled with smoke. It is no wonder that smokers are looked down on these days. Like every other aspect of our lives, technology has caught up with smoking. Electronic cigarettes are becoming more and more popular every day. I see them in clubs, restaurants, airports and even airplanes. E-Smokers are not immune to the occasional sideways glance though. Mostly out of curiosity, but on occasion annoyance. The casual passerby would assume the person was smoking a regular cigarette.
How E-Cigarettes work
A look and feel similar to cigarettes, electronic cigarettes deliver a dose of nicotine without the harmful chemicals found in tobacco. Unlike other stop smoking aids, you get a billowy cloud of smoke when exhaling; so it feels like you are smoking, not substituting. The cloud of smoke is actually harmless water vapor that has no odor to bother non smokers.
How to smoke on a plane
If you are going to draw attention to yourself, draw inquisitive over negative attention. Toy guns are not allowed on aircraft, not because they are dangerous but because they give the perception of danger. No one on the plane would care if you had a toy gun in your bag for your nephew’s birthday if they knew it was a toy. Take a toy gun out on a plane and wave it around and you have serious problems. Be very open with people around you on the plane with an electronic cigarette. Before using it ask the people next to you if they have ever seen one. Show them that it looks like a cigarette but is not. Always refer to it as a nicotine inhaler. Never use the word cigarette. Explain how it works. Make sure they understand that you may exhale a small amount of water vapor. The longer you hold it in the less vapor you exhale. Assure them there is no odor or second hand smoke.
What Electronic Cigarette is best
There several brands available. I decided since I had committed myself to quit smoking that I would try all the major brands. Blu came out on top. Based on price and quality, Blu leads the pack (pun intended). I found a couple brands that had a cheaper trial offer, but I didn’t care for them. The longer term price for refills was no bargain with the cheap trial offers. With Blu the price is 75% cheaper than smoking cigarettes; it is durable and looks better. I had the choice of white or black and chose black. Since I wanted to be able to use the electronic cigarette in places I couldn’t smoke, I opted for something that looks more like a pen than a cigarette to draw less attention to myself.
For anyone that travels and smokes or for anyone that wants to quit smoking or even if you don’t want to quit, I strongly recommended checking out Blu at www.Blucigs.com
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