A Safe Trip Abroad

Millions of foreigners travel abroad each year and use their foreign passports. When you travel abroad, the odds are in your favor that you will have a safe and incident-free trip. However, crime and violence, as well as unexpected difficulties, do befall travelers all over the world. No one is better able to tell you this than consular officers who work consulting travelers around the globe. Every day of the year they receive calls from travelers in distress.

Fortunately, most problems can be solved over the phone or by a visit of the foreigner to the Consular Section of his / her native country’s embassy or consulate. But there are less fortunate occasions whenconsular officers are called to meet his native citizens at foreign police stations, hospitals, prisons and even at morgues. In these cases, the assistance that consular officers can offer is specific but limited. To avoid the above mentioned information, study the following travel tips.

Category	Tips
What to bring	Safety begins when you pack. Try to dress conservatively not to mark you are a tourist. Avoid the appearance of affluence. Travel light to move quickly and to have a free hand. Carry the minimum of valuables and cash, use travelers checks and credit cards. Avoid hand bags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are target for thieves. Use inside pockets and shoulder bags with a strap across your chest. Consider getting a telephone card to use from your overseas location.
Local Laws and Customs	Learn as much as you can about the countries you are going to visit and keep track of what is being reported in the media about their recent developments.
Safety on the Street	Avoid crowded places abroad. Don’t use short cuts, narrow alleys and poorly-lit streets. Don’t travel alone at night. Avoid loud conversations and arguments; keep a low profile. Beware of pickpockets. Learn a few phrases in the local language to signal your need for help, the police or a doctor.
Safety in Your Hotel	Keep your hotel door locked. Don’t leave money and valuables in your room. Leave your room key at the receptionist’s.
Safety on Public Transport	Take only clearly marked cabs and define the fare. Never pick up hitchhikers.
Money Safety	Don’t flash large sums of money when paying the bill. Exchange money only with authorized agents.
Hijacking / Hostages Situations	Remain calm and alert and manage your own behavior. Avoid resistance and sudden threatening movements. If questioned, keep your answers short. Don’t try to be a hero, endangering yourself and others.
Unusual laws around the world to stay out of hot water on holiday
Singapore	To keep the streets clean, in 1992 the authorities decided to ban chewing gum completely. Stick to a mint to freshen up after dinner.
Amsterdam, Netherlands	Smoking tobacco in a public place such as a coffee shop is banned, while puffing away on pure cannabis is entirely legal.
Florida, USA	Unmarried women who parachute here on Sundays can be jailed.
Switzerland	Flushing the toilet in apartment here after 10 p.m. is actually illegal.
Capri, Italy	Wearing flip-flops as‘noisy footwear’ is not recommended.
Eboli, Italy	Kissing in a moving vehicle here can carry a fine of up to €500.
Dubai, UAE	Kissing in public here is illegal.

BLOCK IV

Topics for discussion and essays.

1. Have you ever been abroad? Are you afraid of going abroad alone?

2. Do you prefer summer or winter vacations?

3. Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group? Why?

4. Do you prefer active or relaxing holidays? Why?

5. Have you ever been in a difficult situation while traveling?

6. What are some countries that you would never visit? Why would you not visit them?

7. Do you travel with a lot of baggage or do you like to travel light? What are some things that you always take with you on a trip?

8. Has the airline ever lost your luggage? What happened?

9. What are popular tourist destinations in your country? Have you been to any of them? Which would you recommend to foreigners?

10. What is the best kind of holiday for different ages of people? (e.g. children, teenagers, adults, elderly people)

11. Do you think tourism will harm the earth?

LESSON 17

Hotel (Room types / rates, hotel type / facilities)

‘I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wake-up letter’ (Steven Wright)

‘The great advantage of a hotel is that it’s a great refuge from home life’ (George Bernard Shaw)

‘There was a girl knocking on my hotel room door all night! Finally, I let her out’.

(Henny Youngman)

‘A hotel isn’t like a home, but it's better than being a house guest’ (William Feather)