I’m at the airport, waiting to board the plane for home. I’ve been traveling for three weeks and covered so much ground, so many sights, that it feels like it's been a longer trip.
Some people enjoy travel for months at a time. When I'm moving from place to place and learning new things, about three weeks is my limit. After that, I begin to have trouble taking in new information, I begin to long for my own bed, I want to see my friends and family. So I am at the airport, waiting to board the plane for home.
I’ve learned about the Aborigine of the Outback and the coasts. I’ve seen kangaroos—I saw a fox (imported here by the English for fox hunting) holding a joey in his jaws as he ran across the road, I saw kangaroos boxing, I’ve seen emu foolishly running in front of the coach. I’ve held a koala and photographed faerie penguins. I’ve been to the Red Desert, the Blue Mountains, valleys, the Pinnacles, the Twelve Apostles, been snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, walking, hiking, enjoyed time with Kate who will always remain a close friend even though we live half a world apart.
But it is time to go home.
As I leave Australia, it seems like a good time to share some travel tips.
Flying
I started my trip to Australia in Perth, Western Australia. The flight there took me half way around the world. If I had continued to travel, I would have been on my way home.
I learned a lot about jet lag on that flight. I went from Boston to LA to Sydney to Perth in what seemed like an endless combination of planes and airports, traveling for 38 hours before I was able to sleep in a bed. I lost a day (crossing the International Date Line) and got so confused and jet-lagged that a few hours after I put my head on a pillow, I got up demanding a piece of toast. It was the middle of the night and we found toast.
I’ve taken a few other long flights in my travels, though this was the longest. Here’s some of what I learned.
- If cost keeps you in coach (and let’s face it, that’s where most of us travel), make sure you bring things that will keep you comfortable: your own pillow, eyeshades, ear plugs, your favorite stuffed animal. (I carry a down pillow that squishes into knapsack. I’ll leave out other things to be sure I have that pillow.)
- I wear a jacket and sweater onto the plane and use them as additional pillow and blanket.
- Wear your most comfortable clothes—vanity is not an issue, comfort is.
- Hydrate. Planes are dry, water is important.
- Cleanliness does not make you paranoid. It is a good idea to wipe down your tray and arm rests with an antibacterial wipe. If the person before you had a cold, do you really want to start your vacation with it? Only once have I worn a mask on a plane, when the swine flu had everybody anxious. I’d do it again if I got nervous again.
- Those bags that allow you to squish out the air making puffy things smaller are great for getting stuff on to a plane. You just have to be able to squish the things back down when you prepare for deplaning.
Packing
- Pack things that will dry quickly and so you can rinse them out in a sink. “Wicking” athletic activity clothes are great for this.
- Do not pack a rainbow of colors. I always lean toward black: goes with everything, doesn’t show dirt.
- Dress in layers. A lightweight t-shirt, a blouse on top, a sweater or light fleece, and waterproof rain jacket can get you through a lot of weather. (Maybe not the record-breaking New England winter of 2015, but seriously, it can get you through a lot of weather).
- Wash, wear, repeat. Three or four days worth of clothes can last two weeks or more.
- Do not bring valuable jewelry. Bring only what you will wear all the time and make sure you will not be upset if it gets lost. Things happen.
On planes, I tend to wear cotton: t-shirts or blouses and jeans. Other than that, I am the wicking-clothing queen.
- If you can split a very long flight by staying somewhere for a full day and night of rest, do it.
Safety
Be careful and alert. If you’re far from home and someone manages to get your wallet or passport, it’s a lot worse than the inconvenience you would deal with at home. Thieves who prey on tourists are skilled and devious. In Ecuador, I was a man on my tour wisely put his wallet in his front pocket. He never noticed when a thief slit the pocket and took the wallet. (no, not kidding). In Spain, an acquaintance had someone accidentally (hah!) spill coffee on her and then try to make up for it by wiping her, apologizing....and his accomplice ran off with her bag. In China, a monkey so harassed a friend that she paused to reorganize herself for safety--and the monkey grabbed her knapsack and fled. (I don't think the monkey was a trained thief, I think he was an annoying-as-hell monkey -- but can you imagine the fun that followed that?) I’ll spare you more stories (unless there’s a demand for them) and just go with some good ways to avoid becoming a victim (of humans or monkeys). So far, all these have worked for me and/or acquaintances.
Before you leave for your trip, notify your credit card companies of your destinations and dates. Make 2 copies of your passport—leave one with someone at home.
Somewhere in your luggage, separate from the passport, put:
- the other passport copy
- emergency contact information for your credit cards (but not the actual card info)
- a copy of your itinerary
When I travel, I can’t make much of a fashion statement, but I also haven’t had any crises. I recommend a waist pack with separate compartments that zip shut. (These are gender-neutral and just as effective at foiling pick-pockets as purse-snatchers.) Are they fashionable or cute? No. I don't care. Some waist packs have a wire in the waist band that can’t be easily cut; some have zippers with pulls that can hook to something so no one can quickly unzip and steal.
I also wear a money-belt that tucks under my clothes, and that’s where I keep most of my cash, a spare credit card, and my passport (when I don’t need to show it often).
That's it for my travel advice today, that's it for Australia. I thank you for following this blog.
Coming up next: New Zealand.
Coming up next: New Zealand.
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