Choose Adventure

Safely Navigating the Challenges of Third World Travel

Building Floor Confusion
Building Floor Confusion 480 640 Greg Ellifritz

Just a quick note to remind you that in some foreign countries, the floor numbering of multi-story public buildings (like hotels and offices) may not be the same as it is in the USA.

When I was in Mexico last week, I checked into my hotel.  The desk clerk explained (in perfect English) that my room was on the first floor and pointed me towards the building where the room was located.

 

I wandered all around the first floor and couldn’t find my room number.  Then I saw this sign,

 

 

My room was on the first floor…the first floor up from the “ground floor.”  In America, we would have said that my room was on the “second floor.”  I’ve experienced this in several South American and European countries as well.

Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg- Part Two
Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg- Part Two 1024 684 Greg Ellifritz

I’m honestly shocked.  When I looked at my website analytics page, I saw that my article  Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg garnered the most pageviews of any of the articles I’ve written here in the last nine months.

It’s not the vital safety information I convey that brings people to my site.  Posts about day drinking at an all-inclusive resort spark the interests of far more readers.  Noted!

 

To capitalize on what my audience desires, I’m going to add yet another drinking tip for holiday vacations.

 

All inclusive resorts generally serve their guests unlimited alcoholic beverages at their bars.  It’s kind of rare for a guest in one of these resorts to bring their own alcohol since they drink for free at the hotel bars.

 

Consequently, it’s sometimes hard to find a bottle opener if you choose to drink anything but the house draft beer and well drinks.

 

Last week, the free beer started getting old.  Mexican draft Tecate light isn’t a particularly tasty beer.  I soon grew tired of drinking it and wandered down the street to one of Mexico’s ubiquitous OXXO convenience stores.  They had a nice selection of Mexican craft beers.  I bought a few to try them out.

 

My favorite of the Mexican craft beers I tried.

 

I got back to my room and realized even though I had a partial kitchen, there were no bottle openers anywhere in the room. The lack of bottle openers is common at all-exclusives.  Who needs a bottle opener when everyone is drinking free alcohol from the bar?

 

Fortunately, I planned ahead for such contingencies.  I had a bottle opener in the multi-tool I carry whenever I’m in a foreign country, but it was buried in my locked suitcase.  Always have a backup plan, especially when drinking.

 

The bottle opening backup plan I’ve used for the last 15 years ago is utilizing the brilliant Reef Fanning flip-flop.  I took off my flip-flop and used it to open my beer.

 

I’m not normally a flip-flop guy.  I can’t run well in them.  I can’t kick well in them.  It’s far easier to damage your foot or lose your balance and fall in a fight while wearing them.  I reserve flip-flops for the beach, the pool, or communal showers.  As I was staying at a beach resort, I brought my Reef flip-flops.

 

Why are the Reef Fanning flip-flops germane to this conversation?  Because they have bottle openers built into their soles.  Look at the photo below.

 

Reef flip-fops with integrated bottle opener

 

These sandals are exceptionally well padded and quite comfortable to wear.  The bottle opener comes in handy far more than you might think it would.  They are the only flip-flops I’ve traveled with since I bought my first pair in 2007.

 

If you are a serious drinker, you will embrace the concept of tactical redundancy.  You can never have too many bottle openers.  This style of footwear exemplifies the multiple use capability of the gear that makes travelers’ lives easier.
Buy a pair of these.  Take them on your next holiday and you’ll never have to worry about packing a bottle opener in your luggage.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the above links (from Amazon.com and others) are affiliate links.   As an Amazon associate I earn a small percentage of the sale price from qualifying purchases.

If you would like to further support my work, head over to my Patreon page.

The Ubiquitous AK-47
The Ubiquitous AK-47 640 234 Greg Ellifritz

The most common rifle I see in all my travels is some version of the AK-47/AK-74.  They are so common that I really think that all travelers should have a basic familiarity with the weapon system.

 

I found the article linked below to be an informative dissertation on the AK family of rifles.

 

Survival Weapons: The AK Rifle

 

Common Hotel Scam
Common Hotel Scam 585 391 Greg Ellifritz

If you ever stay in hotels, you should read this short article.  This is an extremely common scam.  I’ve responded to complaints of this happening more than a few times in my police career.  Interestingly enough, this scam is probably more common in the USA than in foreign countries.  Many locals in foreign countries don’t have the English language skills to pull this one off.

 

Be especially alert for calls like this in the early morning (4am-6am).  That’s when I’ve seen this scam happen most often.  People are drowsy and less aware when they have just been awakened from a sound sleep.

Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg
Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg 480 640 Greg Ellifritz

I don’t often stay in all inclusive resorts, but I wanted an easy travel experience in Mexico so I’m enjoying one right now.

 

One of the things that I hate about all-inclusives that serve free alcohol is that the cups in which they serve the drinks are universally tiny.

Here is the tiny cup containing the margarita I ordered poolside.  It’s difficult to see the scale, but it’s only slightly larger than a urine sample cup you’d get at the doctor’s office.  Suboptimal for a professional drinker like me.

 

Here’s a secret I learned more than a decade ago.  Whenever I go to an all-inclusive, I always bring my own large cup.  I use a large plastic cup I got at a local festival years ago.  Some folks use insulated Yeti-style cups, but I don’t like packing the extra weight in my bag.  The big plastic cup I use weighs next to nothing.

 

 

Much better.  I can get about four of the tiny margaritas into a cup this size.  It makes it easy to stay hydrated (or intoxicated if you prefer) and limits your waiter’s trips to the bar.

 

Speaking of waiters, tip your waiter well and he or she will treat you right.  I find in the developing world $10 a day per person to be a decent tip.  You’ll get your money back with your drinks being constantly refreshed and usually heavier pours.  It’s money well spent and it helps change the perspective of the “Ugly American” who doesn’t tip at all inclusives.

 

As to my drink of choice, I prefer a frozen margarita with extra tequila and a salted rim.  The crushed ice and salt help counteract some of the dehydrating effects of the alcohol.  It’s cool and refreshing in the hot sun as well.

 

I find that when I’m sipping on the beach, I can finish one of these about every 45 minutes.  Out of curiosity, I brought my portable blood alcohol breath tester with me on this trip.  At the one drink every 45 minute pace yesterday afternoon I ended with a blood alcohol concentration of .062.  Perfect.  A pleasant mellow mood without any danger of becoming too intoxicated in a foreign country.

 

Stay hydrated folks.

 

 

Breaking All the Food Rules
Breaking All the Food Rules 640 480 Greg Ellifritz

I get a lot of questions from first time travelers about what foods to avoid when traveling in foreign countries.  I would love to be able to provide an all inclusive list, but, like many things “it depends.”

 

It took a whole chapter in my book Choose Adventure to adequately cover the basics.  If you want my best advice, see the chapter “Eating and Drinking (Without Dying).”

 

Until then, let me stress that in many places you can break all of the “food rules” for international travel and still be safe.  Here was my lunch yesterday.  It was a big dish of ceviche and a Caesar salad with shrimp.

 

The food Nazis would be very unhappy with this meal.  It breaks a lot of “The Rules.”

 

Lets start with the salad.  Everyone knows that it’s unsafe to eat salads in foreign countries.  The cooks wash the lettuce with local water which may be contaminated with bacteria and viruses.  Except in the high end restaurants that cater to tourists.  Those folks know to wash the produce with purified water instead of tap water so that all their guests don’t get sick.

 

Would I eat raw unwashed produce straight from a market in Bolivia?  Probably not.  But at the high end Mexican resort where I’m staying this week, it’s likely fine.  If you have any doubts, ask your waiter.

 

The next taboo is eating any dairy or cheese.  My salad had both cheese and a creamy dressing.  That’s supposed to be bad.  It is bad if it is stored un-refrigerated on an island without electricity in Nicaragua.  At a nice restaurant?  You are going to be fine.

 

Finally, we get to the ceviche.  It’s uncooked (but essentially “cooked” in citrus juice) fish, shrimp, and octopus.  Raw meat and seafood breaks all the rules.  Again, context matters.  I’ve eaten raw sushi all over the world.  I wouldn’t choose the sushi in a land-locked country without reliable electricity, but in a coastal town, that fish is far more fresh than most of the fish in your home supermarket.

 

Take a look at the photo above.  That’s kudu carpaccio that I ate in Zimbabwe.  Yes, it’s raw antelope meat.  Yes, I’m in a country that has been undergoing a complete financial and societal collapse for the last 20 years.  The hamburgers on the street there are cut with sawdust to make the patties bulkier.  I wouldn’t eat those.

 

Why did I eat the raw antelope?  Because it was in the country’s best restaurant and it likely had good safety practices.  Kudu in Zimbabwe is like fish in coastal Mexico.  It’s likely to be very extremely fresh and some of the safest food I could eat.

 

Sometimes you can relax the commonly touted “food rules” for international travel.  Sometimes doing that can cause horrible issues.  You have to be smart enough to know the difference.

 

Excuse me, it’s time for me to get a second helping of that ceviche.

Playing Around in Downtown Atlanta
Playing Around in Downtown Atlanta 470 640 Greg Ellifritz

With Covid ravaging the world and international travel being considerably more difficult than it once was, I’ve been spending more time checking out travel locations inside the USA.  While not as exciting as some of my past travels in unique locations, I’m enjoying myself traveling within our country in conjunction with the classes I teach for work.

 

Last month I taught a couple of classes outside of rural Dahlonega, Georgia.  After I finished the class, I booked a couple nights in downtown Atlanta to do some exploration and meet some friends.  I booked my stay at the beautiful Hilton Downtown Atlanta.  The hotel was great, the neighborhood, not so much.

 

When I wasn’t hanging out with my friends, I took a few walks around the neighborhood.  There was an outdoor folk art park near the hotel that I wanted to explore.  It was a nice sunny afternoon and I decided to check it out.

 

The art was kind of cool, but nothing stunning.  It wasn’t quite as awesome as the local guidebooks made it out to be.  Check out a few of the photos below to see the art and learn a bit about the history of the exhibits.

 

 

 

I enjoyed the art, but I was shocked at the amount of homeless people living within the art exhibit.  Take a look at the photo below.  There were a couple homeless people living in a tent directly inside the art display.

homeless tent camp within the art installment

 

As I was walking around, I was aggressively approached by three different homeless men.  That’s a bit unusual in my experience.  I’m a big dude.  I don’t look very friendly when I’m walking around a potentially dangerous area.  Most homeless folks see my aura and decide not to approach.  Not true in downtown Atlanta.

 

Even though I look big and angry.  Even though I’m armed with a full sized gun, a blade, a sap, and pepper spray.  Even though I was intentionally giving off the “don’t fuck with me” vibe.  I still got accosted by predatory homeless folks.

 

The first confrontation involved a slick talking homeless dude who smiled and tried to engage me in conversation.  I kept moving, but was intentionally curt and non-engaging.  The dude didn’t get the message.  He continued his approach and stuck his hand out to shake.

 

I replied “Sorry dude.  We’re in the middle of a pandemic.  I don’t shake hands with people I don’t know.”

 

That excuse has previously worked pretty well for me.  It didn’t here.  the homeless dude got mad and started screaming at me.  He said “Motherfucker, I don’t even drink Corona.  I sure don’t have the virus.”

 

When my smile turned to a scowl and I didn’t respond, he decided to back off and find another mark.

 

About two minutes later, I was approached by another homeless man.  I told him “I can’t help you, man.” and kept walking.  He didn’t push the engagement any further.

 

The final interaction with the homeless involved a man who was obviously mentally ill.  He was walking towards me on the sidewalk laughing and screaming to a non-existent audience only he could see.

 

This guy looked even crazier than the first two.  I pulled the POM pepper spray container out of my pocket and readied it for use.  The man immediately picked up on my action.  He looked at the pepper spray in my hand and said “Fuck you” before crossing to the other side of the street.

 

POM pepper spray. My go-to travel defense option.

 

I have lots of experience moving around in crowded urban locations.   I’ve spent most of my career life dealing with homeless folks.  I was truly surprised at the aggressiveness of the homeless men I encountered in Atlanta.  It was challenging for me, and I know what I’m doing.  I can’t imagine being an inexperienced female half my size handling the same problems.

 

I really can’t recommend that any of my readers walk around downtown Atlanta, even in the daytime.  If you decide to go sight seeing there, I would recommend that you stay armed and move in groups as often as possible.

 

I’ve written a lot about assessing relative neighborhood safety when traveling.  I have a whole chapter on the topic in my travel safety book.  I’ve also written website articles on the topic.

As I was walking around downtown Atlanta, I became aware of another potential indication of danger that I had not yet mentioned.

 

If you see metal gates or wooden board blocking the door to retail establishments, you should understand that those store and restaurants have experienced a lot of break-ins over the years.  When you see those security measures, you should be extra alert.  You are no longer in a safe area.

 

The photos below show some retail locations within a half mile of my ritzy hotel.  Note the security measures.  That should be a clue that you might be traversing a dangerous neighborhood.

 

Note vehicle blocking bollards and additional plywood security on the main door.

 

This bar was open. You had to knock on the window to get inside. That should be a clue.

 

While I didn’t have great experiences on my walks around the hotel, I did enjoy one amazing sushi meal.  I visited the Pacific Rim Bistro because it was close to my hotel.  I wasn’t disappointed.

 

 

I got a unique sushi roll where the roll wasn’t served in a traditional cylindrical shape.  The sections were cut flat and laid face up on the plate.  The toppings were ten spread over the top of the rice rolls,  It was almost like a sushi casserole.  Very tasty.  I highly recommend the Pacific Bistro if you do have to visit downtown Atlanta.

 

 

 

Overall, I’m glad I spent an extra day in Atlanta hanging with my friends.  But as a solo travel destination, I can’t recommend it.  If you do visit, make sure you are armed and that you are verbally adept enough to dissuade the extremely aggressive homeless folks you will most certainly encounter.

 

Driving in Central America
Driving in Central America 637 418 Greg Ellifritz

Good information from a guy who spent six months driving with his wife through eight Central American countries.  Unsurprisingly, the two had no issues.  Following some very simple safety rules (listed in the article) kept them from having any problems at all on their journey.

 

I’ve now been to every country in Central America, even spending a week in El Salvador (the most dangerous country in the world that isn’t in the midst of a civil war) and spending a couple nights in the city with the highest murder rate in the world (La Cieba, Honduras).  I am also still alive.

 

Break out of your shell.  Live a little.  The world isn’t nearly as dangerous as the media wants us to think it is.

 

Don’t Drive through Mexico or Central America: You Will Be Kidnapped, Killed, or Worse!

 

Traveling in Egypt
Traveling in Egypt 789 395 Greg Ellifritz

All of my readers who are contemplating a trip to Egypt should watch this video.

 

Egypt Travel Nightmare!! Why I’ll Never Go Back!!

 

 

I enjoyed my trip to Egypt 15 years ago.  I wouldn’t be excited about the prospect of traveling there right now.  Lots of folks are reporting similar hassles and significant security concerns.  I agree with the producer of these videos.  Don’t go to Egypt right now.

 

 

 

Travel Safety Video
Travel Safety Video 734 354 Greg Ellifritz

In the video embedded below, my friend Mickey from Carry Trainer interviews an executive protection agent who specializes in foreign travel.

There’s a lot of good information here.  I disagree with him about the issue of carrying passports.  I think you should carry a copy of your passport and keep the real document locked up in your luggage at your hotel or AirBnB.

I’ve never known anyone who has had their passport stolen from a hotel.  I’ve known quite a few people who lost passports or had them stolen while carrying them around.  The only time I carry my passport is if I’m in an area that is so unstable that I may need to flee the country without going back to my hotel.

Most of you probably shouldn’t even consider those places for your travel destinations.  Don’t carry your passport on your person in a foreign country.