Safety is a topic that always seems to come up when we talk about future travel destinations. We are often surprised at the number of people who are honestly afraid to travel outside the United States. They point to reports on the evening news, or warnings from government entities, or share stories they heard about their sister’s cousin’s best friend’s ex-boyfriend’s former babysitter’s coworker’s niece experience in a foreign land. There are a lot of sensationalized stories out there, and yes, some are true. However, in order to have a complete picture, go to a foreign news source and see what they have to say about us. Many report that we are all gun-toting, hamburger scarfing, violent people who regularly endure drive-by shootings and such. If we paid attention to their news sources, we would all live in steel-reinforced panic rooms and never leave. The point is, all of these stories need to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism. Fear mongering sells stories. We know these stories about where we live do not depict our everyday life. The same may be said for this type of story in other countries, too.
We have found ourselves in situations that were perfectly safe, but may have frightened others. We have learned that the attitude we display has a significant impact on each situation, in that we choose to see them as learning opportunities and adventures, rather than ordeals. Life is much more fun this way. For example, there was that political rally on Antigua where our car was blocked in on all sides. Instead of panicking, we chose to enjoy the music and dance with the locals. Everyone was smiling and having a great time. Eventually, when someone noticed us, they helped us navigate around the rally, and we were on our merry way. Antigua is actually one of the friendliest islands we’ve visited.
We have been going to Mexico more often lately, and inevitably the topic of drug lords and kidnapping comes up when we tell our friends where we are going. First of all, we are not in the tax bracket to interest any kidnapper. Ever. Second, we do not frequent the same places as drug dealers, and we are usually asleep when they are conducting their business. Third, we try to dress to fit in, not stand out like a tourist with money. Finally, and most important, we try to stay aware of our surroundings, and if something seems off, we calmly head towards safety.
We are also asked about food safety quite often. One of the best parts of experiencing a new place is the food, and we are people who like to eat. We have enjoyed a wide range of fine dining, dive bars, food trucks, and festival style meals. Locals are always happy to tell us their favorite place to eat, and have always provided excellent advice: If there is a line of people waiting to be served, and/or a bunch of people sitting near a stand munching on their meal, you know it is good food. These places sell their food quickly and it is fresh. These are the good places to go and the food has always been excellent. If there is no line, or no one eating nearby, it is probably best to keep going somewhere else.
We are just as likely to contract a food borne illness at home as we are in another country. Truthfully, the last time either of us had traveler’s tummy was because one of us was lazy and brushed her teeth with tap water instead of grabbing her bottled water at a hotel that advised against tap water. It really wasn’t a surprise when it hit….or much fun.
Traveling Team Fischer 