Travel Tips

Fighting Police Corruption in Mexico
Fighting Police Corruption in Mexico 150 150 Greg Ellifritz

In the short YouTube clip below, you’ll find Paul’s approach to handling traffic stops in Mexico.  Download the document he linked to in his comments.  This might save you some big hassles if you live or drive in Mexico.

Tools to Combat Police Corruption in Mexico

 

 

 

International Travel with Guns
International Travel with Guns 600 450 Greg Ellifritz

I travel internationally quite a bit, but I’ve never traveled outside the country with a gun.  This article provides a good outline of the procedures you need to follow to stay out of jail.

 

Pay attention if you intend on traveling outside the USA with a firearm.

 

International Travel with Firearms

 

 

 

International Travel Safety
International Travel Safety 828 674 Greg Ellifritz

The article linked below contains generally good advice for international travel and is worthy of your read.

 

The only thing I don’t always agree with is the author’s advice to sit in a cab directly behind the driver.

 

It depends on the situation. In some neighborhoods, cab travel is too expensive for the locals. If they see an obvious passenger, they know that guy has money. In those neighborhoods, sitting up front with the driver makes the locals think he is driving a friend and not a customer with a bunch of cash. That may save you from a robbery attempt.

 

When sitting in the back, I like sitting opposite the driver. Any carjacking attempts are going to be coming from the driver’s side. Being able to exit with the cover of the car between you and the carjacker is a good thing.

 

Besides that, your most likely threat in most third world countries is the driver himself. Sitting opposite the driver makes it a lot harder for him to impede your exit should you have to bolt.

 

Want more info on taxi safety?  Read  my tactical training scenario about the topic.

Around the Globe: Tips to Make Your International Travel Safer

 

Grocery Baggers in the Developing World
Grocery Baggers in the Developing World 1280 1062 Greg Ellifritz

Have you ever thought about tipping the folks who bag your purchases at the grocery store?  If you are from the USA, probably not.  But things work differently in other countries.

 

When visiting these places, it’s important to notice and abide by the social mores in your host country.  Doing so will avoid any drama or ill will.  It also helps to destroy the “Ugly American” traveler stereotype.

 

Take a look at the photo below.  The people in the Santa hats are bagging groceries at the large supermarket near the condo where I am staying in Mexico.  Most of the baggers in the store are senior (or perhaps “señor”?) citizens.

 

Guess what?  They aren’t being paid by the grocery store.

 

They work entirely for the tips shoppers give them.

 

This type of “working for tips” gig isn’t universal in any country I’m aware of, but I’ve seen it a lot in Mexico, Colombia, and some of the more impoverished South American countries.  I’ve only seen it at the very large chain grocery stores.

 

Failing to tip these aging baggers is a social faux pas.  It’s the foreign equivalent of leaving your shopping cart in the middle of a store’s parking lot instead of in the cart corral.  People simply think you are an asshole.  That’s not cool when visiting a country where you have few local contacts.  If everyone thinks you are rude, you will not have a good travel experience.

 

How do you know whether or not to tip your baggers?  Watch the locals.  Pull your head out of your phone and observe what the people in line ahead of you do.  Follow suit.

 

You may also notice small stacks of coins near the bagger.  That’s another clue.

 

There are no set amounts for the tip.  Most people just give the bagger the coins they received in change after paying for the groceries.  If you are paying with a credit card, give up to a US dollar or so.

 

I always carry some small coins in my pocket when traveling.  They are handy in situations like this where you are expected to give a small tip.  You will also need those coins to pay for access to a public toilet in much of the developing world.

 

 

Eating Around the World
Eating Around the World 320 221 Greg Ellifritz

A fascinating look at how people in other countries eat differently than we eat in the USA. The article also has some great tips for healthy eating while traveling.

Well worth your time to read if you are either a traveler or a health nut.

 

What I’ve Learned from Eating Abroad

 

“How To Travel Smartly”
“How To Travel Smartly” 960 662 Greg Ellifritz

There are some fairly sensible travel safety tips in the article linked below.

 

Project Gecko Tells You How to Travel Smartly

 

If you are mostly interested in international travel, you should also check out this article on South American taxi scams.  These are all very common.  Use Uber or Lyft instead of relying on local taxis as a gringo.

Drugs in Foreign Countries
Drugs in Foreign Countries 532 496 Greg Ellifritz

American media has been reporting incessantly about the American basketball player who has been imprisoned in Russia after authorities found some marijuana vape cartridges in her luggage.

This is far from the only case when Americans have been punished in foreign countries even if they did not bring or consume any illegal drugs in the country in question.

 

Read this article.

American Arrested In Dubai For Smoking Pot Before His Trip – In Las Vegas

 

This guy smoked pot legally at home before flying to the UAE.

“The 51 year old was a day into his visit when pancreatitis sent him to the hospital. His urine sample showed traces of pot in his system. And the hospital reported it to police. After 3 days in jail the man is confined to his hotel, pending charges.”

 

You should also read the linked article about the flight attendant going out on a date on a layover in the UAE.  Police raided her date’s apartment and arrested both of them after they found two joints.

 

“People can still be charged and convicted in the UAE even if substances were taken outside the country, “as long as traces are still present in the bloodstream upon arrival in the UAE.”

 

Even worse, you can be arrested for having a speck of weed on your shoe.

Dubai Jails British Man with Bit of Marijuana on Shoe

 

I’ve also seen tourists rounded up in Bangkok bar areas and forced by police to submit to instant urine drug tests.  If any level of drugs is found in the urine the tourist is either arrested or fined.

I don’t care if you use drugs, but I don’t want my readers going to jail.  Be very careful with your drug use if you are going to be visiting Asia or the Middle East.

 

 

Street Meat
Street Meat 960 717 Greg Ellifritz

 

In the developing world, street food is often safer to eat than food in restaurants.  I eat at places like this as often as possible.  The food can be absolutely amazing and you have a very low chance of getting sick if you follow the tips in this article.

How to Eat Street Food Anywhere in the World Without Getting Sick

 

This is a salad containing cooked pig lung over a bed of chilled duck blood. It’s a traditional breakfast meal in rural Vietnam. I don’t recommend it.

 

General Hotel Safety Tips
General Hotel Safety Tips 300 300 Greg Ellifritz

My friend Annette Evans has penned two excellent articles on travel safety in hotels and airports.  The information in these articles is valuable both if you are traveling out of the country or staying stateside.  Check out the articles linked below.

 

Travel safety: hotel and vacation rental edition

Thoughts on airport safety and security

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“15 Safety Lessons Learned from Terrifying Travel Experiences”
“15 Safety Lessons Learned from Terrifying Travel Experiences” 730 484 Greg Ellifritz

I read lots of travel safety articles.  Many are utter bullshit written by people who don’t actually travel.  I recently stumbled across an article that was very different from other pieces I have read and wanted to share it with you.  I think you’ll find it both valuable and entertaining at the same time.

 

15 Safety Lessons Learned from Terrifying Travel Experiences