Travel tips I found today

No new news about when we might travel :-( the only thing we've heard lately is that our 171H paperwork will expire in a few months and we have to start working on getting it renewed. Thankfully we do get 1 free renewal but having our homestudy updated might cost us. We are really hoping to travel this month as it's now been over a year and were told the wait should be 10-12 months. I really want to travel in the spring and be home to enjoy the Summertime with our daughter. I always bug Sandy about the Cherry Fest in July, usually I start on new years day by saying "the Cherry Fest is only 7 months away!!" the Cherry Fest is in NorthEast and runs all week, They have the largest firemens parade in the state and tons of great food plus I can't wait to show off our new daughter. This is the one time during the year I get to see people I graduated with.
Well not much else to say but here's some great travel tips I found today:


Traveling overseas exposes you to exotic environments, diverse climates and unique food — as well as health hazards. Here’s how to prevent them from ruining your trip.
By Doug Newcomb

Millions of people vacation outside the U.S. every year and return home with nothing more than jet lag, but traveling abroad involves unique health concerns. So while you’re planning your international itinerary, put equal effort into making sure you have a healthy trip. This requires a bit of research and may add a few extra dollars to your travel budget, but preparing for the worst will help ensure the best trip possible.

Before you go

With all of the resources available online, finding out what the weather will be like in Angkor Wat, checking the current political climate in Chile or locating the best hospitals in Helsinki is just a few mouse clicks away. Your first stop should be the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/travel), which provides detailed travel-health information on every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. It also contains entire sections devoted to vaccinations, diseases related to travel, food and water safety, illness and injury, travel clinics and more.

Then, check the State Department’s Web site (http://www.travel.state.gov) for a list of travel warnings and alerts. While countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan are understandably under travel warnings, destinations such as Mexico and China, which many travelers consider relatively safe, have also recently appeared on the travel alerts list. The State Department also suggests that you familiarize yourself with conditions at your destination that may affect your health — the climate, altitude, pollution and air quality — and that you investigate available medical facilities, accessibility to prescription medications you may need and the immunizations required.

The best way to stay healthy on a trip abroad is to make sure you’re feeling shipshape before you leave the U.S. You’ll obviously need to be fit before embarking on an international ski trip or a strenuous eco-adventure. But even if your idea of an ideal vacation is lolling on a tropical beach or strolling through European museums, the effects of long-distance air travel, unfamiliar foods and schlepping bulky bags can be hard on the hardiest of bodies. Consider scheduling an exam at a travel clinic before you depart so that a doctor can give you health advice tailored to you and your trip. For a detailed list of travel clinics, check out the International Society of Travel Medicine’s Web site (http://www.istm.org).

No matter how much you prepare, things can still go wrong while you’re out of the country, and you don’t want to be scrambling to find decent health care — or figuring out how you’ll pay for it. Check with your health insurance provider to see what your policy covers when you’re outside the U.S., and if medical evacuation, which can run upwards of $50,000, is included. If you aren’t adequately covered, you’ll have to decide if it’s worth buying traveler’s insurance (not to be confused with trip insurance, which reimburses you if something goes wrong with your reservations or travel plans). These short-term policies cover you while you are out of the country, and typically cost less than $100 per individual for a trip of up to 20 days.

Many online travel agencies offer this type of insurance, and it’s also available through independent companies such as travelersmed.com and AIG Travel Guard. You can also check with outfits such as MedjetAssist and Global Rescue, which specialize in medical evacuations. Or, consider Medex, which offers a complete suite of international travel services, such as its 360 Global Medical Monitor, which adds country-specific information on diseases and health risks, immunization requirements and recommendations for local hospitals to a travel insurance policy.

While you’re there

Once you’re at your destination, the best way to stay healthy is by being cautious about what you eat and drink. For example, while one of the pleasures of foreign travel is sampling local cuisine, the CDC advises:

• Avoiding raw foods, including salads and uncooked vegetables
• Eating only fruit that you’ve peeled yourself
• Avoiding unpasteurized milk and dairy products
• Eating only foods that have been freshly cooked and are still hot
• Exercising caution when eating food prepared by street vendors

Even greenhorn globetrotters know not to drink the water in many places. Instead, you should quaff only canned or bottled beverages and imbibe coffee and tea made only with boiling water. The CDC also recommends avoiding ice cubes in areas with questionable water quality. If the tap is the only source for quenching your thirst, the CDC advises rapidly boiling water for at least one minute.

Water can pose a health risk even if you don’t drink it. Infections of the eyes, ears, skin and respiratory, neurological and digestive systems can be contracted by swimming in contaminated water.

Other health concerns

Since many illnesses spread through germs, an important liquid to pack is hand sanitizer. A small first-aid kit stocked with bandages, pain relievers, antiseptic, anti-diarrheal tablets and other emergency essentials can also be a vacation saver.

To protect against malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses, use a repellent containing DEET on exposed skin and apply it on top of sunscreen when necessary. Wearing a long-sleeve shirt and long pants also keeps the bloodsuckers at bay. And remember that, like vampires, mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. So stay inside screened-in quarters after sundown and sleep under insecticide-treated bed netting for an extra layer of protection.

According to the State Department, road traffic-related injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. citizens traveling abroad because of such factors as substandard roads and lack of safety equipment in vehicles. Therefore, it recommends:

• Renting newer vehicles with safety belts and airbags and bringing your own child seats from home
• Riding only in taxis with safety belts, sitting in the rear seat and offering drivers an extra gratuity for driving safely
• Avoiding overcrowded or top-heavy buses
• Hiring a driver familiar with the area and local traffic
• Wearing helmets when riding motorcycles and bicycles and bringing your own helmet if you know you’ll engage in these activities.

If something goes wrong

If and when something does go wrong in another country, you’ll want to have an escape plan. Start by registering with the State Department before going abroad so that you can be contacted in case a crisis develops in the area where you’re traveling. This will also automatically register you with the embassy in the country you’re visiting; it’s also helpful to have the phone number and address of the nearest embassy or consulate handy.

Many travel insurance policies cover emergency medical evacuation. But if something happens that requires such a drastic measure, you’ll want to know how to get in touch with the medevac service pronto. Most insurers provide a wallet card with international toll-free numbers, and Medex offers international mobile phones and satellite phones that are pre-programmed with a one-touch “lifeline” to its emergency response center. With any luck, you’ll never need it.