How to: Turn Your Travel Pics into Photo Books

A friend recently showed me travel photos from a trip to South America.  But instead of pulling them up on her laptop like I like to do, she took out a leather-bound book and opened it.

Since then, I've been wanting to make a photobook of my own, containing my best travel pics.

Since I spent some time searching for discounts (because that's what I do), I thought I'd do everyone else a favor and put all the current coupons for photo books into one spot:

1. Photoworks.com

Free shipping with coupon: MYFIRSTORDER

2. StorePhotos.com

Save 5% on your entire order with coupon: SCRAP

3.  Pixable.com

Save 25% on all hard cover photo books with coupon: 25HCPB

4.  Kolo.com

Free ground shipping with every order of $100 or more

5.  Mixbook.com  

Free shipping on orders over $30

6.  OurHubbub.com

Save 20% on any order with coupon: DADSGIFT

How to: Minimize your Medicine Kit

The Problems of Travel Meds

Ah, I miss Peace Corps. Especially the medical kits they give you. It was the size of a large lunch box and packed with every over the counter medicine you could think of (in single-dose packaging), along with various bandages, antibiotics, antivirals (there was avian flu in the area) and exactly four condoms.

Since finishing Peace Corps, I slowly bled (figuratively and literally) through that box.  I thought I'd just pick up what I'd need on the road, but what I quickly discovered is that the foreign brands are completely unfamiliar and half the time I can't read the packaging.  I've had salespeople recommend what to take, but I also know that in a number of countries they prefer herbal remedies and distrust pharmaceuticals. A number of times I took something without knowing what was really in it. 

For a time I kept tossing in packs of DayQuil and NyQuil in the hopes that they would nuke any sickness I got while traveling, but I soon realized two things:
     1.They're expensive
      2.They're bulky

It says how anal I am when I look at thick gelatain capsules and think: “These take up too much space!” and it definitely speaks to how stingy I am when I think: “Eight dollars for medication? That's a night at a hostel!”

So I looked at what it was that I was actually taking—as in the ingredients—and started looking around for the specific meds within them.

What's in a SymptomPak

What I found was a brand called SymptomPak (the link goes to the product page on Amazon.com).  The idea is that instead of buying multi-symptom medications, you buy only the base ingredients and take what you actually need.

I bought their 5-pack for $25, and in it was the following:



1.Acetaminophen, for aches and pains

2.Phenylephrine, for nasal and sinus congestion

3.Dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant

4.Guaifenesin, for loosening chest congestion

5.Chlorpheniramine, a antihistamine for allergies (runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.)

When I was taking DayQuil, for example, I was really taking acetaminophen, phenylephrine and dextromethorphan mixed together.  From a economic standpoint, this is pretty sweet: there is 30 doses worth of Dayquil in there, not counting the other meds, and if the cold you'd take the Dayquil for didn't have, say, coughing, then you could just not take Dextromethorphan.

What's Worth Taking and Leaving
 
When I bought the multipak, I got it to have all the meds at home, while knowing that only some would accompany me on the road.  I'm picky about goes into my pack, so I decided on the following:.

1.Acetaminophen: Definitely. I've turned to this for everything from a strained foot ligament (Prague), aching muscles from diving (Egypt), to hangovers (Thailand).

2.Phenylephrine: Definitely. Although I tend to eat healthier when I travel, constant overnight travel, increased stress and less overall sleep means that I have gotten head colds while on the road. And since time is such a factor in travel, I'd rather dope up and enjoy another day than do a day of bed rest.  My motto: I'll sleep when I get home.

3.Dextromethorphan: Nope. I rarely have upper respiratory problems and rarely have problems with coughing. Rather, if I'm coughing, it's because I have mucus in my lungs and throat, and for that I'd rather turn to amoxcicillin.

[Read the blog post about getting antibiotics while on the road and how to use them]

4.Guaifenesin: Nope. Same as Dextromethorphan.

5.Chlorpheniramine: Yep. Ironically I don't like taking antihistamines for allergies, but I have discovered that they are important for two things: Insect bites and overnight travel. When I was in Honduras, I could barely sleep because of the sand flea bites ringing my ankles, and antihistamines made the itching temporarily go away. Also, I used to pack sleeping pills for overnight bus, train and plane trips because I find it almost impossible to sleep while sitting up, but then I had a nurse tell me that popping 3-4 antihistamines will have the same effect.  She was right.

What Else You Get:
 
The kit came with a color-coded chart listing symptoms and what to take, and you can take all five together if
need be. The pills were actually the same color as on the chart (acetaminophen is green, for example) and each was marked with the first letter of the medicine.

I don't think the chart is needed because the dosing is uniform: adults are meant to take two pills every four hours, no matter which kind you are taking.  From there it's just a matter of memorizing what symptom goes with what pill.  I didn't memorize the whole names, just thing like: "Phenyl=Runny Nose", "Dextro=Cough", etc.

What I hadn't realized would come with the kit, but which is pretty cool, is a small (about the size of two thick matchboxes) pill case with six compartments. As someone who has watched his pills get crushed in their packaging while in his backpack, I'm surprised I never thought to get one before.

All in their compartments, I realized the pills looked a little like candy and not unlike ecstasy pills, so they might cause a slight issue at border crossings. Still, I now easily have a year's worth of medicine in the space formally taken up by three doses of DayQuil liquicaps.

Sweet.

How To: Withdraw Money With A Debit Card But Get the Fraud Protection of a Credit Card

So here's the conundrum:

1.  You don't want to carry a lot of cash overseas because it might get stolen.
2.  Traveller's checks are an option, but in reality they are hard to use because so few establishments take them, especially if you're in a non-developed country.
3.  You can use a debit card to withdraw money from ATMs in major cities (which also gives you the benefit of a favorable exchange rate) but debit card protection liability is $50 (meaning you have to pay the first the first $50).
4.  Credit cards have almost unlimited liability protection, but they also have abusive rates if you withdraw cash from them, which compound daily.

Meaning: You want to use a debit card, but if it's stolen you're screwed.

Well, Visa Prepaid has a card that's a good solution: the Vision Premier.  Basically, you deposit money into your prepaid account (which can be done via bank transfer or direct deposit) and then you use it the way you would use a debit card: to pay for purchases, buy things online or withdraw money from ATMS.

But since the card has Visa's Zero Liability Protection, you're completely covered if it's stolen and someone rings up charges on your account.  So: protection of a credit card without the rates of a credit card.  Pretty sweet.

Since Visa is promising no credit check and no fees with this card, I assume they are making interest off the money you deposit on the card prior to spending it.  That means you aren't making any interest.

My advice: keep most of your money in savings or high interest checking, and try to be organized enough to only move what you need onto this card when abroad.  Since bank transfers usually take 3 days, I'd also keep a couple hundred extra on the card in case of emergencies.

Click Here: Learn More about the Visa Prepaid Vision Premier Card

How to: Let People Can Call You for Free While You Are Traveling

Here is how you can be reached for free almost anywhere in the world:

1.  Take your iPhone or iPod Touch with you and make sure it has the free Skype App installed.
2.  OR have your netbook with you with Skype installed.
3.  OR get on the internet at your hostel if they have Skype installed.
4.  Get a SkypeIn number and give it to everyone you like or love or are trying to keep the sexual tension going with while you are on the road.
3.  People call you on your number and it's free for them (assuming they have nationwide calling) and free for you (other than the cost of getting the number).

That's right.  People call you when they want and can talk to you as long as they want anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

Even if you aren't available when they call, they can leave a voicemail that you can check the next time you get online.

The service is not free for you (after all, you are getting a second phone number), but it is a relatively cheap way to let your mom hear your voice whenever she's worried sick because you're currently traipsing around the Australian Outback with a couple of Cambodian hookers and a kinky kangaroo.

It's $18 for 3 months or $60 for a year.  The nice thing is that if you already have one of Skype's unlimited subscriptions, you get 50% off.  Since the USA/Canada Unlimited subscription is $2.95/month, you can bring the total to $12 for a one month trip and that means mom can call you whenever she wants and you can call her whenever you want and (provided you're somewhere there is an internet connection) the two of you can talk as long as you want for $12/month.


Click Here to Learn More about SkypeIn

How to: Call Home for (almost) Free

I have a mother.

She doesn't like that I travel.

Well, she likes looking at the pictures and listening to the stories, but she also worries non-stop, even once throwing a fit and forcing me to call off a trip to the Middle East just because Israel and Lebanon happened to be at war.  What I've learned from this are two things:

1.  Don't tell my mother where I'm going
2.  Call or email her frequently when I'm there

I used to just email her, but technology has gotten to the point that letting her hear my voice is ridiculously simple and cheap.  This makes her feel better, and it means she puts up less resistance when I'm about to go somewhere new that may or may not have a working government.

Firstly, it seems that almost every hostel in the world now, from Egypt to El Salvador to Thailand has the internet.  And not just the internet, but wireless internet.  Although I was surprised to realize it, it's actually cheaper for most places to set up a wireless router than to try and lay down an ethernet connection.

This means two things:

1.  Most hostels now have Skype on their computers
2.  You can now access Skype via the hostel's wireless internet either on a netbook or your wireless 3G phone

Hell, Skype even makes a free app for your iPhone or iPod Touch that you can get HERE.

By the way: anyplace you have a wireless connection, you can use your iPod Touch like a phone if you have the Skype app installed.  All the functionality of an iPhone without getting locked into a contract.  Woot! 

Skype has saved my butt abroad more than once, particularly a time in Egypt when I had lost my ATM card and I was able to call the bank's 800 number via Skype on my hostel's computer and get it sorted out.

But while most people already know about using Skype to call other Skype users or 800 numbers, Skype now has unlimited calling plans to a number of countries, including an unlimited world calling plan for $12.95/month and an unlimited plan to the USA and Canada for $2.95/month.

So it works like this: if I'm going to be gone for a month, I fork over the $3 to have unlimited calling for my trip.  Every couple of days, when I find a hostel with wireless internet or Skype installed on one of its computers, I can call my mom and let her know how I'm doing.  It's that simple.

Here is the Link to the Program

How to: Backup Your Passport Online

This is actually a simple bit of advice, but it seems to be little known because every time I mention it to someone, they kind of slap their heads and thank me.

You probably know that you should leave a copy of your passport with someone that you trust in case something goes wrong while you're on the road, but that is problematic because then you have to A) Get a hold of them (when you're likely not even in the same time zone as them) and B) Have them find a fax machine so that they can fax it to the embassy.

It's better is to give a copy of your passport to yourself.

1.  Scan your passport.
2.  Email the photo to yourself or store it online
3.  Access it from anywhere in the world with internet access.

Since every American embassy has internet, it means you can pull it up while you are there.  Simple, right?  But most people don't think to do it.

Also worth emailing to yourself and storing online (provided said storage place is secure):

1.  Credit card numbers (in case they get stolen)
2.  Travelers Checks numbers
3.  A passport photo (so you can print if you find a place that prints photos)

How to: Handwash Clothes

This was taught to me by my host mother when I was in Peace Corps, and I have two years of experience doing it.

1)  Fill up a sink/bucket/tub with hot water.

2)  Add soap.  As in actual soap.  I break bits off or just rub one piece of clothing over and over under the water until the water becomes whitish.

3)  Put your clothes into the water, and stir them around for a few minutes and then let them soak for 5-10 minutes.

4)  Get each piece of clothing and rub it against itself, pushing the cloth together between your knuckles and rubbing up and down.  You really only have to work the underarms and collars of your shirts and the butt and knees of your pants as these are the areas most likely to be dirty.

5)  Give a light wring to each piece and put them aside.

6)  Rinse out the sink/bucket/tub and fill it with cold water.

7) Dunk and wring each piece of clothing several times to get the soap out.

8)  Give one final, serious wring to each piece of clothing.  When you are done, no water should drip from it (my host mother used to hand me back clothes that I hadn't wrung out enough).

9)  Hang your clothing up.

10) If you are anywhere near a laundromat, or if your hostel has cheap laundry service, skip steps 1-9

How to: Get your ATM Fees Reimbursed

I thought I was going to cry the first time that I logged onto my Bank of America checking account while traveling in Slovakia and saw that the last three ATM transactions had been hit with $5.00 surcharges (on top of the $2.00 the Slovakian ATM had charged me).  Basically, more than a day's travel budget had been blown on fees.

What, did the bank WANT me to carry around huge amounts of cash while I was traveling in order to minimize my withdrawals?  Or did they want me to bring a bunch of money from the states and get hammered at the exchange bureaus (if you didn't know, ATM withdrawals give you the best rate of exchange)?

So that's why, after looking around, I settled on Evantage Bank.

Why?

Evantage reimburses your ATM fees, even international ones!

This was proven on a recent trip to Honduras and another one to St. Maarten.  Rather than fearing the ATMs, I was able to visit them as often as I wished.  True to their word, Evantage paid for my ATM fees.

That's the big one for me, because I live in the South Bronx, which has a cash based economy, so I find myself withdrawing money once a week even at home. 

On top of that, Evantage has:

1. High yield checking (currently at 4%) up to $10,000.
2.  Low requirement to get that rate (10 check card uses a month)
3. No phone tree when you call customer service! A real Oklahoman immediately picks up and answers your questions!

Obviously I can't use my check card 10 times a month abroad, but what that means is that when I'm in America, my liquid cash earns 4% and when I'm abroad I'm saving almost that percentage in ATM fees. 

 All in all, it's pretty sweet.

How to: Bribe an Official

Although I try to avoid bribing when I can (and have successfully talked my way out of having to bribe the police a few times), sometimes it's necessary.  When?  When I've messed up, that's when.   
Scenario: Something has gone wrong, and the official is acting like he is going to do something bad to you.

Your Magic Words: "I'm sorry about this.  Is there a fine?"

The Rationale: Of course there isn't a fine, but this is the official's way of taking money without looking like it's for him/herself.

After They State the Fine: HAGGLE!  Yes, haggle.  I had a Moldova train attendant who wanted $100 and I got him to $60, and I had Cambodian border guard who wanted $20 and I got him to $10.  There is no harm in trying, and it saves you money.

Your Magic Words: "I wish I could pay that, but I don't have that much.  I only have ___  on me!"

After They State a Mid-way Price: "But sir, if I pay that, I will not be able to eat tomorrow.  At most I could pay..."

And so it goes.  Just remember that when someone gets a bribe out of you, it means they will try to get it out of others after you.  So use sparingly.

How to: Use Toilets in the Middle East and Asia

I created this blog to address travel issues that other websites or blogs wouldn't normally cover. And one topic that you never see anything about is how to use bathrooms in the Middle East and Asia.

Here is what you will see: either a porcelain bowl (for you to sit on) or a wooden/earthen/porcelain cover over a hole in the ground (for you to squat over). You are also likely to see: A) a small basin built into or out of the wall of your bathroom stall with water flowing into it or B) A bucket and a hose.

What you are not likely to see is toilet paper.

What you should know is that toilet paper is a relatively recent and wholly American invention. It was created by us only 150 years ago (made of aloe-infused hemp) and even that didn't catch on until a softer version was put onto rolls. Believe it or not, it took a couple decades for the rolls to catch on, people buying them only after they had been heavily marketed to hotels and gas stations.

What did they use to wipe their asses before? Anything: corn husks, magazine pages, and, as is still the case in the Middle East and Asia, their hands.

So this is how you do it: take your hand, scoop some water from the basin (or bucket) and use it to wipe your ass clean. Think of it as a manual bidet.

Will you get poop on your hand? Yes, you will get poop on your hand. Use more water to clean it off. After, clean your hands in the sink with water and soap.

Oh, and use your left hand for this. If you've noticed, people in these regions will never shake hands or touch food with their left hands. This is why.

Think this is disgusting? They think it's disgusting that you dry wipe your ass and leave bits of poop to crust on your bunghole. This is why you have itchy ass. This is why you get track marks on your underwear.

Do I agree with wiping my ass with my hands? No. I just carry toilet paper with me whenever I travel to these regions.

I'm just explaining how it's done.

Happy pooping.

How to: Buy Antiobiotics Abroad and Use Them

If your ass has been turned into a rectal firehose after dining in a third world country (or maybe just at a McDonalds in France) and you desperately need antibiotics, the last thing you want to worry about is finding a doctor/making an appointment/fighting through language barriers/having enough money to get a prescription.

Luckily, most undeveloped countries don't require prescriptions. You can walk into almost any pharmacy in, say, Central America or Southeast Asia and simply buy them. And having them can save your vacation.

I'm frustrated it's not the same in America.  I once was on a road trip when a sore throat that had only mildly bothered me when leaving Oklahoma became Freddy Krueger masturbating my esophagus by the time I was in Arizona.

I knew, 100% knew, what I needed: a course of Amoxicillin. But of course I couldn't buy it on my own, and a walk-in clinic (which prescribed me exactly that) later billed me $247. My insurance didn't cover it because I was out of network, and I had to grit my teeth and pay it. All because I needed someone else's permission to treat myself.

Fast forward to the Peace Corps and suddenly I felt like an adult. Since a quick medical response was unlikely at our far-flung work sites, we were each given antibiotics to take with us and taught how to use them. Finally my health was in my own hands.

So I can now pass on my knowledge to you and you can take your health into your own hands.

When you get abroad, pick up: 

1.  Thirty 250mg tablets of Amoxcicillin
2.  Ten 500mg tablets of Ciproflaxcin.

Amoxcicillin is a penicillin class antibiotic, and you should take one three times a day for ten days for:

A.  Bronchitis and pneumonia (you're coughing up yellow or green phlem)
B.  Throat infections (it burns to swallow)
C.  Urinary tract infections (it burns to pee)
D.  Gonorrhea (it really burns to pee; and you've recently slept with a drunk Canadian)

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone class antibiotic and you should take one twice a day for five days for:

A.  Infections diarrhea (particularly if water is coming out of your ass)
B.  Food poisoning
C.  Skin and wound infections (redness is spreading or red lines start progressing away from the wound)
C.  Urinary tract and bladder infections

If in doubt--particularly about food poisoning--, I recommend taking the Cipro anyway. I wouldn't recommend that in America, but time and health are so important while traveling that most of us can't afford several days or even weeks of being out of commission. Be prepared and you'll find that while the guy in the next bunk is groaning and clutching his stomach, you'll be ready to slip on your shoes and see more of the world.

And hopefully you'll be nice enough to prescribe him some antibiotics.