Comments on: Travel Smarter: 5 Ways to Stay Safe in a Dangerous Place

By: Maya

Maya — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 19:19:43 +0000

Great post. Very Useful.

By: daver

daver — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:10:25 +0000

LOL, after reading all of the comments, I guess I’m the odd man out, haha. Neither I nor my companion travel at all in high-risk countries or areas. Some of the comments remind of the old saying: “If you can learn from others’ mistakes, you might survive; if you have to learn from your own, you might not.”

By: daver

daver — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:01:40 +0000

Roger that, Oscar. Try as you might, “dressing down and looking poor” still looks like money, compared to many locals. If you are the wrong color and speak the lingo with an accent – or not at all – bye-bye!

By: daver

daver — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 17:57:38 +0000

Anywhere down there, watch your beverages and food. In Peru, some “friends” slipped my father-in-law a mickey while he was at their home for dinner. They rolled him after he passed out and he suffered kidney damage, as a result of the mickey.

By: Nazre Imam

Nazre Imam — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 12:08:26 +0000

i find the article is really very very effective and very helpful for all travel lovers.

By: July Gadabot

July Gadabot — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 13:53:19 +0000

Thank you for the post. I remind how we made our photocamera looks like old one and paste it with a scotch. I think it works.

By: Oscar Leon

Oscar Leon — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 13:18:28 +0000

Agree with your comments about self protection, mostly. And although it is correct that “the vast majority of humans are rational actors”, not in Guatemala. Not in Guatemala. I lived there. I know people who live there. I know people who have been robbed, kidnapped, raped and killed. Well, obviously I don’t “know” the people killed; I “knew” them. There are some countries in the world where the people do not have a fear of consequence. They commit crimes that they cannot possibly get away with and yet they do it, with impunity. I say impunity because in addition to the missing “fear of consequence” gene there is no effective law enforcement. Especially in relation to crimes against women – for which Guatemala has one of highest levels in the world. So when you discarded an experienced guide’s advice you put yourself and all your friends lives in danger. Not just of robbery but of rape and murder. They may have only set out to rob you, but hey, cute gringo, let’s gang rape her. Shit, if we let them live they will tell the authorities and we won’t be able to steal any more. We had better kill them. You only need to look at UK or US travel advisories – they are super accurate. I rarely comment on blogs – but for people reading this, I don’t want them to be under the illusion that dressing down and acting poor is getting to help them in that part of the world in such a secluded spot. It’s not a street in a bad neighbourhood that you need to get through.

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 10:33:33 +0000

when I was in a both N and S Ossetia… during the 1996 to 1998 war it was very tough and I never knew what part of town was safe and what part of town could get me into some dangerous trouble… I had some distant relatives they were in the Village mountain areas tho….not in the central city and there is a high and ethnic tension ratio so there was a division between a lot of the ethnicities…..my one adventure was trusting my now EX GF…..THAT it would be safe to go to Iran. .. for a day or two by Crossing to Armenia and down to the Iranian border. .. however little did I know that Americans are not allowed into the country WHATSOEVER ON THEIR OWN…without a guided government escort 24 hours a day to “mind them” from the moment they arrive at the airport until the moment they leave the airport so she tricked m

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:38:48 +0000

This quote cracked me up, lol: “Honestly, I love to get pissed. One of my favorite aspects of world travel is the opportunity to get inebriated in new ways, in new places surrounded by new people.”
Sounded like my first night in Bangkok a few years back: lost the wallet, forgot where my hotel was, good times!

By: Ryan Elwood

Ryan Elwood — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:40:26 +0000

No way. Been reading your stuff here and on cracked…and you spin fire? No wonder I clicked with your writing. I spin several props, travel and teach at festivals; am also a writer. Ever done a piece on firespinning? Really like your writing style and good pointers.