Travel Log

Travel Log- Saba and St. Maarten
Travel Log- Saba and St. Maarten 620 465 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to the Caribbean in December of 2014.

 

I spent the last week in the Caribbean, visiting French Sint Martin, Dutch St. Maarten, and the Island of Saba.  Saba was the place I was most excited about…primarily because most folks have never even heard of it.  It’s the smallest Caribbean island.  An extinct volcano sprouting from the sea, Saba is only about five square miles and has about 1500 residents.  It’s very quaint and known for its friendly population, mountainous hiking, and excellent diving.

 

There are no direct flights from the USA to Saba.  In fact, the only way to get there is by ferry or prop plane from St. Maarten.  Saba has the shortest commercial airstrip in the world and cannot accommodate jet planes.

 

The Saba airstrip as viewed from the prop plane's approach

The Saba airstrip as viewed from the prop plane’s approach

 

We flew into St. Maarten, rented a car and spent a couple days enjoying the French side of the island.  The people were amazingly friendly and the food was some of the best I’ve ever eaten.  It’s hard to beat fresh seafood and gourmet French cooking.

 

The driving was quite challenging.  Typical of third world travel, things are bound to be screwed up.  This trip was no exception.  I don’t normally rent cars in my third world travels.  Driving is usually very expensive and dangerous.  But this was St. Maarten.  It couldn’t be that bad!

 

With car rental prices averaging about $100 for an entire week, I figured it would be cheaper to drive rather than use public transportation.  Since all the car rental agencies were approximately the same price.  I decided to patronize a local company “EZ Car Rental” rather than one of the big American companies like Hertz or Budget.  I generally think that using the services of local companies provides a more positive impact to the local economy and I try to do so as much as possible.  I booked and prepaid for the car rental through Orbitz.com.

 

Using the local company was an incredible mistake in this case.  When we arrived at the airport, we went to the booths of rental car agencies in the arrivals hall.  There was no “EZ Rental Car” booth.  Other agencies told us that the company goes by another name and directed us to the correct booth.  Unfortunately, it was the only booth that was unoccupied.  No one had seen any of the agency’s employees all day.

 

I had to pull up the rental contract and ask around until someone loaned me a telephone to call the company.  I finally spoke to the agent on the phone and she unapologetic ally said that she hadn’t planned on working that day, but that since I had a reservation, she would send someone in a shuttle to pick us up from the airport and take us to the rental lot.  The shuttle arrived after 30 minutes and it took us to the waterfront slum where the rental agency was located.  We got a beat up Hyundai hatchback with a broken tail light.  I guess we were lucky to get a car at all.

 

Lesson one learned.  Never prepay for car rental.  And never trust third world companies to offer the same level of service that we are accustomed to here in the States.

 

Driving was quite a challenge.  Knowing that I couldn’t use Google maps on my phone because of the outrageous foreign data package charges, I downloaded and printed directions to our hotel.  The directions were completely wrong.  We followed them diligently (despite a lack of street signs) and ended up on a dirt road with nothing but an abandoned field where our hotel should have been.  Lesson two learned.  Don’t rely on Google maps outside of the USA.  We finally found our hotel after asking for directions numerous times and then randomly driving through the neighborhood where it was located until we spotted it.  Not much fun.

 

The driving itself was quite different than driving in the USA.  Traffic laws are generally more like “suggestions” than hard and fast rules.  Cars drive excessively fast or extremely slow.  Random stops are commonplace.  Drivers will stop in the middle of a two lane highway just to talk to friends for awhile.  No one cares that they are holding up all the traffic behind them.

 

Right of way isn’t determined by any other factor besides vehicle size.  Large buses and trucks didn’t yield for anyone.  The bus drivers knew that other cars wouldn’t hit them so they just pulled out in front of us on a regular basis, forcing me to slam on the brakes so we didn’t die.  Driving there was like playing a real life game of “Frogger.”  We saw one pretty bad accident where a bus struck a motorcycle.  The motorcycle driver was thrown from his bike and landed head first on the pavement.  He wasn’t wearing a helmet and looked pretty messed up.

 

Other than the driving difficulties, we enjoyed our stay in St. Maarten.  The beach was beautiful, weather was nice, and food was amazing.  What more could a person want?

Mt. Scenery on the Island of Saba

After a couple days of beach lounging we flew to Saba.  Saba was cool.  It was a very quaint and slow paced island.  We did some diving, snorkeling, and lots of walking up and down the mountain roads.  The underwater geography was first rate…a beautiful and healthy reef ecosystem that supported lots of cool marine life.  I saw several large sea turtles among the tropical fish.  Lauren spotted a couple sharks, a sting ray, a Moray eel, and a barracuda.

 

We spent three days in Saba and then flew back to St, Maarten where we spent two more days on the Dutch side of the island.  We had fun there too, but both of us liked the French side significantly more.

 

There isn’t much to report on the weapons/tactics/crime element to our trip.  We didn’t encounter any problems.  Saba has essentially zero violent crime.  They haven’t had a murder in 25 years.  Rapes and robberies are unheard of.  Residents all know each other and that fact completely deters all violent crime.  We weren’t even given a key to our guest house because no one locks their doors on the island.  The Saba residents I talked to said that guns were rare.  Residents could get permits for rifles and shotguns (after background check and shooting competency test) and there was some hunting on the island.

 

There are only nine cops assigned to the entire island.  They are brought in from the Netherlands or Bonaire for short rotations on Saba before going home.  The residents stated that the cops were extremely bored and spent most of the day napping.  We didn’t see a single officer during the three days we spent on the island.

 

In French Sint Martin, the cops were very well equipped.  The wore uniform BDUs in navy blue and had complete gunbelts containing a Sig Pro pistol in a Safariland SLS holster, extra magazines, flashlights, handcuffs, and Tasers.  It’s one of the few third world agencies I’ve seen that are equipped similarly to the cops here in the USA.

 

On the Dutch side the cops were a little more casual.  They only carried S&W M&P pistols in Safariland SLS holsters.  They didn’t carry any spare mags or less lethal weapons.  Their belts were bare except for gun and handcuffs.  Residents on both sides of the island said that the police were professional and wouldn’t take bribes.  That’s another third world rarity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Log- Antarctica and Chile
Travel Log- Antarctica and Chile 940 705 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to Chile and Antarctica in December of 2017.

 

Written by: Greg Ellifritz

 

I returned last week from an epic two-week trip to Antarctica (via Chile).  Why Antarctica?  Because it was on our continent bucket list.  Both Lauren and I have been to all of the other continents in the world.  Antarctica was the last one.  So we went.

 

The trip started with an 11-hour flight to Santiago.  I booked an extra day on either end of the trip in the event of a scheduling problem, so we had a couple of days to explore the city.  I had previously been to Santiago about 10 years ago.  I didn’t care for it at all.  It was cloudy, smog filled, and I didn’t find the people to be very friendly.

 

This trip was completely different.  I loved the city.  I think part of the reason I hated Santiago 10 years ago was that I went in the winter time.  It’s a completely different city in the summer (like now).  Weather was clear and 85-90 degrees with low humidity.  It was a nice antidote to our cold Ohio winter.

 

The people in Santiago are quite different from what you would see in the rest of South America.  Chileans are a bit wealthier and better educated than some of their Andean counterparts.  They are also far less traditional.  The women regularly wore short shorts, bare midriff and see through shirts, and funky styles.  I saw more skin on display than any other South American city besides Rio.  Both men and women sported lots of tattoos and all kinds of crazy dyed and shaved hairstyles.  The general style trends seemed to hearken back to the early 1980s punk rock scene in America and Europe.  It was a big departure from normally conservative South America.

 

Santiago from the tallest building in Latin America

 

We spent time in Santiago walking the city, eating tons of good food, and hanging out in their amazing city parks.  Unlike parks in America, Chilean parks allow alcohol, grilling food, music, and unleashed dogs.  People would actually go to the parks and relax because it was a fun atmosphere.  Chileans would revolt at the idea of an American park that banned alcohol, cooking food, and loud music.  What fun is that?  We Americans can learn a lot from our southern neighbors.

 

Tuna Tartar with avocado for Lauren and Blood sausage with pesto and goat cheese for me- Santiago

 

We also went on a walking tour of the coastal city of Valparaiso about an hour drive away from Santiago.  It was a colorful city filled with painted murals on all the neighborhood buildings.

 

Valparaiso, Chile

 

Valparaiso mural

 

Valparaiso

 

After a couple days in Santiago, we flew three hours south to the southern tip of the continent and spent a day in Punta Arenas while waiting for a flight to Antarctica.  Punta Arenas was a small coastal town and seemed to be far more relaxed than frantic Santiago.

 

We wandered around the town and ate at some great restaurants there.  Interestingly, the town of Punta Arenas had concrete vehicle barriers protecting all of their sidewalks and parks from vehicles.  Take a look at the photo below.  Those vehicle barriers were present in every single part of the town with high pedestrian traffic.

 

I find it intriguing that a sleepy little town on the southern tip of South America has solved the issue of terrorist vehicle attacks while we still fumble to protect our own citizens.

No vehicle run-down attacks in Punta Arenas

 

As for self protection and gun issues in Chile, there were none.  In our five days in Chile we did not see a single uniformed cop.  Not even in the airport!  I have no idea what equipment the Chilean cops use and we didn’t talk to any gun owners down there.  There was a stunning lack of violence or drama in the country.  Drivers didn’t even honk their horns.  It was all quite civilized and very different from most of the rest of the continent.

 

From Punta Arenas, we took a two hour flight to a Chilean Naval Base with a gravel runway on the Antarctic King George Island.  From there we boarded a 100-passenger cruise ship and boated around the Antarctic peninsula, stopping a couple times a day for land excursions.

 

We did lots of hiking, tried stand up paddling (with dry suits), and had extensive opportunities to check out the wildlife.  We saw thousands of penguins, three different types of seals, and three different types of whales.

 

I wasn’t quite prepared for the penguins.  The penguin colonies were literally covered in pink penguin poop.  Inches of it on every horizontal surface.  We had to walk through rivers of the stuff.  Most of the islands smelled like a chicken coop.  Not quite what I was expecting to see.

 

Penguins and their stinky pink and green poop

 

mmm…more penguin poop

 

Besides the nature, we visited the Antarctic museum and a couple wildlife viewing stations.  During the five days we were there, we visited territory claimed by Chile, Argentina, Russia, and England.

 

On the Russian Naval Station at King George Island

On British territory in the South Shetlands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of people asked me about carrying weapons in Antarctica.  I traveled light this trip.  The cruise ship forbade weapons of any type.  Interestingly, the entire continent of Antarctica is a gun free territory.  Firearms and shooting of any type is expressly forbidden as it is a wildlife refuge.  Killing animals or frightening them with loud noises is against the international treaty governing the territory.

 

The only weapon I carried was a Spyderco Ark neck knife.  It was small enough to be considered a tool and is made of the same salt water resistant steel as my favorite Salt folding knives.  With the constant environmental exposure, I wanted a blade that wouldn’t rust.  It’s not huge, but is fast to access and would do a fine job if I had to stab something.  In reality, why would I need a weapon?  It’s not like I was going to get jacked by a penguin.  Thankfully, I never had to deploy the blade and had no hazardous encounters with either people or marine animals.

 

 

Here are a few more pictures of the landscape.  I hope you get the chance to see it someday.

 

Minke Whale

 

Chillin’ with a seal

 

21 hours of daylight each day. This is the view from the boat deck at 2 am. This was as dark as it ever got.

 

 

African Counter-Ambush Tactics
African Counter-Ambush Tactics 620 413 Greg Ellifritz

In 2019, I went on a a two-week trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.  The primary focus of the trip was going on safari to see all the legendary animals that inhabit the African plains.  On the trip I did 12 different safari outings, either on foot, by safari truck, or by boat.

 

I spent a lot of time watching animals, both the hunters and the hunted.

 

The African animals adopted very specific tactics that keep them safe from predators and allow them to survive.

 

I couldn’t help associating the animals’ survival tactics with tactics we police officers need to use to avoid being ambushed.  After a couple days of animal watching, the associations became crystal clear.

 

For my cop friends, here is some counter-ambush advice from the African Savannah.  You’d be smart to pay attention to the predator and prey species struggling for existence.  You can learn a lot from the techniques they practice.

 

Wide Open Spaces

Why do you think this African Fish Eagle is all alone at the top of this dead tree?

 

Sure it gives him a good vantage point for hunting, but can you think of any other reasons the bird is so isolated?

 

The Fish Eagle is both predator and prey.  It’s high up so that it can better see the critters it wants to eat.  That, however, isn’t the point I’m trying to make.

 

Note how isolated he is.  Note the fact that any predator would have to cross a lot of open ground to prey upon the Fish Eagle.  The Fish Eagle is likely to see any approaching predators and fly away before they get too close.

 

As cops, we need to adopt a similar posture.  When you are in your police car either working traffic or writing a report, think about your vehicle positioning.  You should be in a location where anyone trying to ambush you would have to cross a lot of open ground to get to your car.

 

Maximize your advantage.  Don’t make it easy on the killer.  Park in the middle of a large, empty parking lot.  Keep all your lights on.  Turn on the audio button on your radar for an additional alert mechanism.

 

Make it difficult for anyone to approach you without being seen.

 

 

Post Guards/Lookouts

These three cheetahs just ran down and killed a baby impala.  They are enjoying their feast.  As I watched them eat their meal, I noticed something critically important.  Only two of the three cheetahs were ever eating at the same time.

 

There was always one cheetah looking around for potential danger.  I never once saw a moment where all three cheetahs were relaxed and eating at the same time.  One always stood guard.

 

That’s a good posture to adopt as cops.  If you are responding to a potentially volatile situation, don’t get too sucked into the scene.  Keep looking around for additional threats.  If you are an “extra” officer on scene, direct your attention outward where you can scan for additional threats while your co-workers handle the business of the call.

 

These cheetahs are masters of the concept of “contact and cover.”

 

 

Everyone Looking in a Different Direction

These impalas are preyed upon by all the large African cats.  They are also regularly eaten by wild dogs, hyenas, and jackals.  They are one of the most common prey species on the African plains.

 

Take note of their posture.

 

Note how every one of the impala is facing a different direction.  They are set up for 360 degree predator detection.

 

We cops should adopt a similar posture.  Instead of everyone on scene facing the suspect or the complainant, mix it up.  Some of you should be looking at the victim.  Some of you should be looking at the suspect.  Some of you should be looking out toward the crowd to perceive any oncoming danger.

 

Orient your bodies so that all the cops on scene are facing in a slightly different direction.  That will provide the most advance warning in the event that a predator is stalking.

 

Team Up

Something I learned about African prey species is that they often team up and graze together.  Here is a perfect example of zebras grazing with giraffes.  Their differing heights allow them to detect danger coming from different locations.

 

The giraffes can see predators approaching from a long way away and can warn the zebras before they get too close.  When the giraffe’s face is obscured by the tree it is eating, the zebras can see any close-in predators.  The two species mutually benefit from each other’s relative advantage.

 

Don’t be afraid to ask someone else to watch your back.

 

I remember one call I responded to where an armed murder suspect threatened his girlfriend with a handgun and then ran out of their apartment.  As I was trying to find the suspect outside, I noticed a roofing crew on top of the neighboring house.  I gave them the suspect’s description and told them to yell at me if they saw him approaching.

 

It worked symbiotically the same way these African animals use other species to help them detect danger.  Even though the roofers weren’t armed cops and couldn’t help me in a gunfight, they had the ability to detect a threat and communicate that threat’s location to me.

 

Don’t be afraid to utilize advantages like this.

 

Hunting Happens at the Fringe

Here’s a picture of a female lion hunting for a meal.  Although it looks like the lion is taking a nap, she is really trying to get some food for her cubs (hidden in the brush behind her).  Note the lion’s position.

 

The lion is hunting from a shady position on the border between an open area where prey animals forage and a brush-covered area with lots of cover.  You smart folks will identify this type of environment as a “transitional area.”  It’s a place where status changes between one condition and another.

 

We humans have “transitional areas” as well.  They are areas where we transition from one status or activity to another.  Just like this African lion, the transitional areas are where the predator hunts.  Thank about areas of transition in your daily routine.  Exercise more caution when you make those transitions.

 

The predator may be watching.

 

The world is filled with both predators and prey.  Your attitude and tactics determine which of the two you will be considered.

 

Embrace the lessons from our African friends.

 

 

One more Africa picture just for fun

 

 

 

 

Travel Log- El Salvador
Travel Log- El Salvador 620 465 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to El Salvador in December of 2016.

 

I spent last week vacationing in El Salvador.  Most of you are questioning my sanity right now.  Why go to El Salvador?  The country has the highest murder rate in the world when comparing countries not involved in a civil wars.  It doesn’t get a lot of tourism.

 

I went to El Salvador because it was the last Latin American country that I had not yet visited.  I’ve been to all of the other Latin countries in South and Central America.  I picked El Salvador solely to check it off my list.  I think it’s pretty cool to have visited all the countries in Latin America (except Venezuela.  That one is too dangerous, even for me).

 

El Salvador was surprisingly nice.  We landed there after a five-hour flight.  The airport was modern and clean.  We breezed through immigration and customs in only a few minutes and found our bags were already moving down the baggage claim conveyor belt on our arrival.

 

We pre-booked transportation to our hotel and found our driver waiting outside for us.  We drove about 45 minutes to a small surf town called El Tunco on the Pacific coast.  El Tunco is literally a two street town.  Everyone walks.  The only thing the town is known for is its excellent surf and nighttime party scene.  Most of the occupants of the town were surfers.  Rich Salvadorans filled up the few hotels on the weekends looking for a fun party/vacation spot.

 

We stayed in El Tunco for four days, relaxing on the black sand beach, swimming in the ocean, surfing, and eating lots of great local food.  El Salvador is known for its pupusas.  A pupusa is a soft corn tortilla stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables.  Think of them like thin corn Hot Pockets.  Everyone eats pupusas as their favorite snack food or as a dinner meal.  Street vendors sold three pupusas for a dollar.  The more upscale restaurants charged 75 cents to a dollar each.  We stuffed ourselves with pupusas daily and never spent more than $10 for two people (including drinks).  When we got sick of pupusas, we ate lots of great local fresh seafood.

 

One of our typical dinners. Pupusas and drinks for less than $10.

One of our typical dinners. Pupusas and drinks for less than $10.

 

After El Tunco, we spent two more days in the capital city of San Salvador.  We walked the city, visited some museums and handicrafts markets, and ate lots more cheap and awesome tasting local food.  One day we hired a local tour guide who gave us an all-day tour of the city as well as drove us to several national parks to climb volcanoes.  All in all, it was a great trip.

 

Volcanic crater lake outside of San Salvador.

Volcanic crater lake outside of San Salvador.

 

The “danger” of El Salvador is grossly overstated.  We had absolutely no problems at all.  Even though the murder rate there leads the world, I never felt a hint of trouble.  Subjectively, El Salvador felt much safer than many other countries I’ve visited.

 

Lunch at a local market. Seafood soup. Whole crab, shrimp, clams, and about 1/2 a pound of fish. $4.00

Lunch at a local market. Seafood soup. Whole crab, shrimp, clams, and about 1/2 a pound of fish. $4.00

 

The violence the country is experiencing is (like in America) primarily related to drug trafficking and gangs.  If you aren’t trying to score drugs or provoke the gangsters, the chance you will be victimized is relatively minimal.  I spoke to several locals about the issue.  They all told me that most tourists get a “pass” from the local gang members.  The gangsters know that tourists bring an infusion of cash into the poor country (average wage there is around $300 a month).   They also know that killing tourists will bring a heavy police crackdown.  As long as the tourist isn’t doing something incredibly stupid, or acting impaired by alcohol or drugs, the relative risk or robbery and assault are very low.

 

I would have absolutely no problem recommending El Salvador as a tourist destination for any experienced traveler.  It’s remarkably safe in comparison to many other Latin countries.  English isn’t widely spoken and there isn’t a huge tourist infrastructure.  Having a passing competency in Spanish and the willingness to interact with the locals will help immeasurably should you choose to visit.  We found the Salvadorans to be incredibly friendly.  Almost everyone we passed smiled and greeted us warmly.  The people were courteous and polite to a fault.

 

The cops down there consisted of National Police, local police, and tourist police.  They all wore sharp black BDU uniforms and nylon gunbelts.  Most cops carried third generation Smith and Wesson autopistols (model 5906) in Uncle Mikes “twist draw” level three security holsters.  A few cops carried CZ-75 pistols in generic nylon drop leg holsters.  The majority of cops had no spare magazines, Tasers, or pepper spray.  Most carried PR-24 batons and handcuffs.  Often, the tourist police officers carried only the baton.

 

Police station in El Tunco. The cops here work out of a cell with no air conditioning.

Police station in El Tunco. The cops here work out of a cell with no air conditioning.

 

I only saw a couple of cops carrying long guns.  We passed a truckload of gang suppression police riding in the back of a pickup truck, likely heading to a raid of some type in the city of La Libertad.  The cops all had their faces covered with balaclavas and had rifles (Galils and FALs).  Public transportation and national monuments were also patrolled by members of the Salvadoran military.  They wore camouflage BDUs and carried Beretta 92 pistols and M16 or CAR-15 rifles.  The general consensus among the locals was that the local police were rarely corrupt.  Most could not be bribed to get out of a traffic infraction.  The locals said that occasionally there would be stories of high ranking police officers working in concert with members of the drug gangs, but most folks said that the local street cops treated people fairly.

 

Soldiers patrolling a San Salvador bus stop,

Soldiers patrolling a San Salvador bus stop.

 

El Salvadoran citizens can own guns, but a relatively small number of “normal” residents actually own firearms.  The people I spoke with said that the high cost of guns (Glocks were reportedly about $900) was the main reason few people purchased them.  Not many folks will pay three months’ salary to buy a reliable handgun.  Locals also told us that there is also no history of a “gun culture” in the country like there is in the USA, leading to a lack of desire to be armed.

 

Citizens are limited to buying one gun every two years.  A permit is required to own a gun.  Residents stated that the permit process involved a background check, medical evaluation, and competency test.  The people we talked to said that the permit process to own a gun was fairly rigorous and expensive.  Getting a permit to carry the gun is even harder, with some type of demonstrated “need” for the gun required.  Reportedly only security guards and wealthy business owners get carry permits.

 

The security guard population was incredible.  Every single business, restaurant, hotel, and apartment complex had its own armed security guard.  About 75% of the guards carried slung pistol gripped pump shotguns (Remingtons and Winchesters).  Most had horrible muzzle awareness.  I think I was flagged by shotgun muzzles at least 50 times on the short trip.  Many of the shotguns were slung in such a manner that they would be impossible to quickly use.  I only saw one guard with spare ammo.  He had a bandoleer of low brass Federal #7 1/2 birdshot.

 

Guard carrying a slung pistol gripped shotgun outside of San Salvador restaurant.

Guard carrying a slung pistol gripped shotgun outside of San Salvador restaurant.

 

The other 25% of guards had handguns, mostly Smith and Wesson K-frame revolvers.  I also saw a couple of Beretta 92s and one 1911 (carried hammer down).  There were guns everywhere!  I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if many of El Salvador’s “murders” were actually negligent discharges!

 

Literally "riding shotgun" San Salvador

Literally “riding shotgun” San Salvador

 

That’s about it.  Nothing more to report.  We had a relaxing holiday in El Salvador and would definitely go back again.  If you are considering El Salvador as a tourist destination, please let me know.  I can get you the contact information for our amazing English speaking local tourist guide.

 

 

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Travel Log- Brazil
Travel Log- Brazil 480 640 Greg Ellifritz

A week ago I arrived home from an eight-day trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   As I’ve written extensively about Brazil in past articles, I’m not going to cover the normal tourist stuff.  Instead, I’m going to discuss travel during a worldwide pandemic and the different perspectives other populations have regarding Covid-19.

 

I love Brazil.  I first traveled there in 2007 and this was my seventh trip to the county.  I last visited in 2015 and was missing the atmosphere.  I didn’t have any real purpose for my trip other than getting some time on the beach and eating some good food.  I was also growing tired of the cold Ohio winter and the ridiculous curfews and Covid-19 restrictions my state has implemented.

 

A friend of mine had some time off work and had never visited Brazil.  She wanted to go and needed a tour guide.  We booked the trip on short notice hoping to enjoy the largest New Years celebration in the world on Copacabana Beach.  It didn’t hurt that at the time of the booking, Brazil was one of only five countries in the world accepting American tourists without Coronavirus testing or quarantine.  Since our trip, Brazil now requires a negative PCR Covid-19 test in order to enter the country.

 

The normal New Years celebration involves three million people on the beach.  It was cancelled this year because of the pandemic.  That was a disappointment, but we still had a good time.

 

Many of my friends questioned my travel during a global pandemic, especially to a nation like Brazil that is consistently rated among the top three countries in the world for coronavirus infections and deaths.

 

I think a little perspective is in order.  The United Sates leads the world in Covid-19 infections and deaths.  Going ANYWHERE ELSE in the world lessens my chance of infection as compared to staying home.  I’m certain the medical care in Brazil may not be as good as I would achieve at home.  That’s why I bought a travel insurance policy through Safety Wing to cover medical expenses related to Covid-19 and emergency evacuation back to the USA.

 

As of today, I’ve been home eight days and neither myself nor my travel companion have shown any symptoms of having acquired the virus.

 

Here are the stats as of today:

Total Coronavirus Cases

Brazil- 8,105,790

USA- 22,910,140

Total Covid-19 Deaths

Brazil- 203,140

USA- 383,242

 

Brazil has a population of 209 million people (roughly 2/3 of the population of the USA), yet has roughly 1/3 the number of infections as compared to the USA.  Death rates for both country are rated at three percent.  I don’t think it’s any riskier traveling to Brazil as it is staying in the USA.

 

In speaking with lots of local Brazilians, I learned that the Brazilian death rates are being exaggerated by the government.  My local friends told me that if a Brazilian citizen dies with Covid-19, the government would pay all his medical expenses as well as his funeral expenses.

 

In a poor country with minimal health insurance coverage, there is a huge incentive for doctors to categorize the death as having been related to Covid-19.  The family pays nothing for the health care or the funeral.  Hospital costs are all covered by the government.  My local friends state that anyone dying after having tested positive for the virus  is categorized as a Covid-19 fatality.  They say this makes Brazil look bad in comparison to other countries.

 

So what was it like to travel during the pandemic?

 

Not really much different than traveling at home.  In Brazil, masks are required in enclosed public spaces and on public transportation just like at home.  That proved a bit more difficult than one might expect.  Masks are also required in airports, airplanes, and cabs to and from the airport.  It’s one thing to wear a mask at the grocery store.  It’s a little different to wear it for 20+ straight hours.

 

We had to be at the airport two hours before the flight left (completely unnecessary as baggage check and security took us a timed 12 minutes from arrival).  We had a two-hour flight to Miami, a four-hour layover, a nine-hour overnight flight, and two more hours in baggage claim and a cab from the airport to our hotel in Ipanema.  Our flight home had an additional connecting flight in Sao Paulo which added another two hours to the process.  Twenty hours in a mask isn’t fun, but it’s the cost of doing business if you want to travel right now.

 

Modern air travel

 

Once we arrived in country, it was pretty much like at home without any lockdowns or curfews.  If anything, the Brazilians were doing more than the Americans to prevent viral transmission.  Use of hand sanitizer was mandatory when entering restaurants and large shops.  Many public locations took temperatures of each guest and denied entry to those who had a fever.

 

Signs like this were everywhere. I found it interesting that in Brazil, the “socially distant” space requirement was only 1.5 meters rather than the USA’s 2 meters. I don’t think anyone really knows the true distance one needs to keep away from others without risk of catching the disease.

 

The issue of wearing a mask has a cultural component that I had never really considered.  My Brazilian friends all mentioned that it was much more difficult for Brazilians to get used to the mask in public.  It’s a very appearance-driven culture.  Brazil is the plastic surgery capital of the world.  There are more than twice the number of plastic surgeries done in Brazil (by population) as compared to the United States.  The Brazilians tended to resent covering up their expensive facelifts, nose jobs, and lip implants with a mask.

 

The culture also prefers very close proxemics.  People stand close to each other when speaking and universally greet one another with hugs and kisses on the cheek.  The locals I spoke with said they had difficulty adjusting to public masks as it was so anathema to their normal everyday customs.  That’s something I hadn’t really considered before visiting.

 

I noticed a trend when I was down there.  The more affluent neighborhoods had much higher rates of mask usage for people just walking down the street.  In Ipanema (very wealthy), I would estimate that more than 80% of the people wore masks even when outside.  If you drop down a notch to Copacabana (still nice, but not as snooty), mask wearing rates were about 50%.  On our visit to a local favela (slum), I would guess that fewer than 25% of the population was wearing masks outside.

 

It’s hard to know why there was such an extreme variation in mask use between neighborhoods in the same city.  It might be that the affluent are more educated and have more resources to buy masks.  It might also just be a pandering status thing as well.  The well off suffer more from social shaming than the poor do.

 

One other interesting fact about masks I learned from one of our tour guides was that there was a cultural expectation that tourists wear masks at all times.  Since the virus did not originate in Brazil, it was brought there by travelers.  The locals think that it’s the travelers’ burden to wear a mask to help protect the locals from the “foreign” virus.  Locals were cut more slack with regard to mask enforcement than tourists.

 

It’s a fascinating perspective.  Why don’t Americans feel the same way?  The virus was brought here by tourists and business travelers.  Why don’t we have the same fear of strangers that the Brazilians have?  I’ll probably never figure it out, but I generally wore my mask as much as possible so as not to make waves with the people who live in the city I was visiting.

 

The concept of  “social distancing” wasn’t really a thing in Brazil, even though it is widely suggested by Brazilian health authorities.  No one seemed fearful of close physical contact like many people are in the USA.  There was no two meter separation in any lines.  Parts of the beach were absolutely packed with people.  On the beach, no one wore masks.  No one feared being in very close proximity with a bunch of strangers.  People were friendly and talkative.

 

As soon as people stepped off the beach and onto the street/sidewalk, the masks came on.  It seemed like a weird form of hypocrisy to me.  It’s not like people are immune to the virus only when standing on the sand.  Odd, but that’s what I saw.  It was almost like the Brazilians reluctantly accepted most public mask wearing, but drew the line when it came to masking up at their beloved beaches.

 

No “social distancing” at the Christ the Redeemer statue

 

The photo below the most famous spot (Posto 9) on Ipanema beach.  It’s where all the “pretty people” hang out.  You can see how crowded that section of the beach is, despite there being lots of room to spread out.  Brazilians were willing to sacrifice a lot, but they wanted their important beach recreation to be as “normal” as possible.

 

Kilometer post #9 on Ipanema beach from our hotel balcony.  It was completely packed without a mask in sight.

 

As my traveling partner had never been to Rio, we did a lot of the traditional tourist activities.  We spent a lot of time on the beach.  We walked all around Ipanema and Copacabana.  We took a guided tour of the Christ statue and the “Sugar Loaf” mountain.  We also did a half day favela walking tour.

 

If you need a tour guide in Brazil, I would highly recommend the services of Vicente Thomas.  He gave us an amazing tour of the city.  His website is Sunrise Turismo.  He can also be reached on Facebook and Instagram at Brazil Sunrise Turismo.  Vicente speaks excellent English and is very knowledgeable about both the history and the politics of his home country of Brazil.  Book him for a tour if your don’t want to explore on your own or desire a Brazilian perspective on current events.

 

Our guide Vicente introducing us to a fruit smoothie made from a jungle fruit I had never tasted before.

 

Besides the tourist attractions and beach, I really enjoy the food in Brazil.  If you are a meat lover, you will be in heaven.  There is a great “cafe culture” in Rio with almost all bars and restaurants having ample outdoor seating along the street and sidewalk.  It’s really enjoyable to have a great meal and a few drinks while people watching from a warm patio.  When we weren’t on the beach, we spent a lot of time relaxing on patios.  I think I could do that every day for the rest of my life and remain happy.

 

Smiling as I consume my first patio Caipirinha of the trip. This scene would be repeated daily for our entire trip.

 

This was a “meat platter” for two at a local restaurant. It had chicken, sausage, pulled brisket, and filet mignon. It probably would have fed four normal people. We made a good dent in it and then gave the leftovers to a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk on the way back to our hotel. This massive plate of meat cost $18.

 

One of the many reasons I enjoy Rio is the amazing beaches.  You can rent a chair and an umbrella from a local vendor for about $10 a day.  There is a constant parade of merchants selling every food and drink item imaginable on the beach.  Local beers on the beach were less than $2 each.  Vendors sold fruit, mixed drinks, grilled chicken and shrimp, empanadas, and acai bowls everywhere.

 

My favorite beach snack was the “quejo” stick below.  It is a block of cheese on a stick.  Sellers carry them down the beach in a cooler.  When you order them, they heat the cheese on a charcoal grill until warm and then dip the cheese block in oregano.  Going rate was three cheese sticks for five US dollars.  The walking vendors even took credit card payments via their smart phones.

 

Being cheesy on the beach

 

The cheese man warming the cheese blocks on his portable charcoal grill on the beach.

 

For what it’s worth, the beach culture in Rio is very different than in the USA.  No open container laws.  No cops in sight.  Rampant marijuana use.  Everyone brought loud music, grills, food, and their dogs.  It struck me that all these factors made going to the beach a blast in Rio, but all would be prohibited in a “free” country like the USA.

 

There was a section of Ipanema beach that had free concrete home made weights for use by anyone. It was packed with locals working out. Could you imagine being able to deadlift with a tropical drink in hand at a US beach?

 

There is a very favorable exchange rate between the Brazilian Real and the US Dollar right now.  It’s currently at about 5.2 Reis for each dollar.  To put this in perspective, on my first trip to Brazil, the Real was worth 1.7 US dollars.  Currently your US currency is worth three times more than what it was valued a decade ago.

 

The exchange rate meant that dinner at a really nice restaurant ran about $20-$30.  Fifteen minute Uber rides in the city cost around $3.00 each.  Beers were about $1.50 each and a good lunch at a local place cost somewhere between four and eight dollars.  Going to Brazil is a tremendous value right now.  The local guides say that the tourism industry has collapsed since Covid-19 arrived.

 

Guides told us that only Americans were traveling to Brazil right now.  Usually there are a lot of European and Australian tourists in the country, but the high rate of Covid infection has scared them off.  Americans recognize that infection rates are less in Brazil than their home country.  European nations can’t make the same claim, so they avoid visiting Brazil right now.

 

For what it’s worth, we only saw one other American tourist in the week we were in Rio.  Americans are the only people traveling there and we didn’t see any of them.  That tells you how bad the tourist industry is in Brazil right now.

 

Rio from the Christ statue

 

As for crime and police issues, we didn’t have any problems.  The beaches were considerably less crowded than when I last visited.  The roving gangs of child thieves from the favelas simply weren’t present on the beach anymore.

 

Almost everyone had smart phones at the beach.  That would have been unthinkable five years ago.  Back then, anything you took to the beach was likely to get stolen and no one brought valuables.  I’m happy to say that conditions have improved with regard to the rampant crime that once kept people away from Rio.

 

On the other hand, drug sales were much more prevalent.  Almost every beach vendor offered us weed or cocaine without fear.  That would have never occurred during my previous visits.

 

Cops were more noticeable and seemed to have more standardized uniforms and equipment.  All had external body armor carriers and packed either Taurus or Beretta pistols in a variety of cheap nylon duty or vest-mounted holsters.  I saw a few cops sporting six inch barreled chrome Taurus .357 magnum revolvers on patrol as well.  I hadn’t seen that before.

 

Cops riding in cruisers were generally paired up.  The passenger officer generally carried a FAL rifle with the muzzle poking out the window.  There’s no playing around down there.

 

Cop with FAL stuck out the window patrolling Ipanema

 

I had another great experience in Rio.  If you have any urge to travel there, now is a perfect time.  Flights and accommodations are incredibly cheap and there aren’t very many tourists visiting the country.  If you want a unique escape, Brazil awaits.

 

 

Sunset on Ipanema beach

Travel Log- Costa Rica
Travel Log- Costa Rica 620 477 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to the Guanacaste, Costa Rica in December of 2018.

 

I had been to Costa Rica twice before.  I did a family tour of the country way back in 2002.  I followed that up with some white water rafting and surfing on another trip down there in 2011.

 

In both of those trips, I went all over the country, but I never made it up to the northwest corner (Guanacaste).  It was time to remedy that problem.  We had a few days off and decided we wanted a relaxing beach trip without much stress.

 

Our most recent prior “vacations” involved living in the Peruvian rain forest and some desert camping in Nevada.  Fun, but not really relaxing.  We needed someplace chill for this trip.

 

I booked us a condo near the tiny town of Playas del Coco and we hopped on the plane.

View from our condo

 

We were only down there five days and quite honestly didn’t do too much.  It was perfect.  We laid around on the beach, went snorkeling, and took a sailboat ride.  We ate some amazing fresh seafood (the Restaurante Citron was my favorite) and I read six books.  It was a nice break.

 

Our beach

Knowing that you all like guns and tactics, I usually do a brief report on gun issues whenever I visit a new country.  I don’t have much to report on this trip.

 

Playas del Coco is a very sleepy little town full of friendly locals.  There is very little crime.  We had no altercations with criminals.  Despite the recent murder of an American citizen in the country, we didn’t see a even a hint of violence.  In fact, the cops we saw in town were unarmed, save one guy who had a huge riot club holstered across his back ninja sword style.

 

I saw one armed security guard (at the local grocery store) carrying a Smith and Wesson Sigma in a cheap nylon holster with the thumbreak cut off.  He had no spare magazines, handcuffs, or any less lethal options.

 

The cops at the Liberia airport were wearing what appeared to be Sig traditional double action automatics (maybe P226?) in Safariland ALS holsters.  I was happy to see that they weren’t using the Serpa as that seems to be a Latin American standard.

 

The cops had a nylon double spare mag pouches, but none of them were filled.  The airport cops generally wore the empty mag pouches either behind the gun or in the small of the back.  They had a handcuff case, but that’s the only gear they carried.

 

I didn’t see anyone carrying long guns.  Like I said, it’s a pretty chill place.  Costa Rica does not have a military and devotes the money it would normally spend on an army to education instead.  The country has a stunning 98% literacy rate.  Battling the sand flies on the beach was the most violent challenge we faced.

 

If you are interested, citizens and permanent residents in Costa Rica can get firearms ownership/carry permits.  The process involves taking a class, completing a psychological evaluation, and a criminal background check.  Carry permits require a short qualification course.  According to the locals I spoke with, citizens are barred from owning “military weapons” or “weapons of war” but I’m uncertain how that rule is actually enforced.

 

Interestingly enough, handguns are more common than long guns in the country.  That’s the opposite of many other Latin countries where citizens can own hunting firearms but not handguns.  Hunting is illegal in Costa Rica.  If you move down there, you won’t be able to justify your home defense pump shotgun or lever action rifle as a “hunting” gun like you can in other Latin American countries.

 

I found it amusing that when I was down there, my Facebook feed seemed to be filled with people posting their hotel “pocket dumps.”  This is my hardcore carry selection for when I went into town.

 

 

When I’m home my pocket dump looks like a lot of other folks’.  I carry a gun, spare mag, a couple knives, OC spray and a flashlight.   The picture above is what I rolled with down in Costa Rica.   There’s honestly not many problems I can’t solve with a blade, some OC spray, a flashlight and a bunch of cash.

 

Oh, and don’t forget a local beer. Not import (that implies you are too good for the locals), but the favorite local brew. Buying a few of those has gotten me out of way more trouble than my Glock ever has.

 

To be honest, my normal carry load out at home doesn’t teach me anything. I learn a lot more when I’m forced to interact in a strange and potentially dangerous environment relying on my charming personality and some cash instead of my gat.

 

It’s a practice I’ve found really valuable over the years.

 

For what it’s worth, I packed a Sabre Red stream pepper spray dispenser,  Fenix P35 flashlight and a Spyderco Ark neck knife.  I chose that one because its excellent resistance to salt water.  I could carry a decent weapon even when out in the ocean.

 

Honestly, the most dangerous condition you will likely face in C.R. is the horrible driving.  Other than the main highways, roads are in deplorable condition with massive potholes everywhere.  Narrow roads are shared by ATVs, bicycles, pedestrians, big trucks, motorcycles, and cars.  Often several of these are jockeying for position on the narrow roads at any given time.  The roads are dark and neither pedestrians or bicyclists use lights.

 

There are few street signs.  Addresses are difficult to find and the Ticos (what Costa Ricans call themselves) drive like crazy people.  You are risking life and limb every time you hop in a car in Cost Rica.

 

A lot of my friends who have never really traveled talk about retiring to Costa Rica.  While it’s certainly possible, the days of a truly cheap retirement down there are long gone.  It’s become one of the most expensive destinations in Latin America.

 

Property here is relatively pricey.  It isn’t California expensive, but probably on par with beachfront property in Florida.  A two bedroom 1200 square foot house on a cliff overlooking the ocean (no beach access) was $247,000 US.  A really nice house right on the beach in Guanacaste can easily run up to $700,000.

 

Cars are subject to a very large import tax and road conditions are really bad.  Food in restaurants is approximately 2/3 what you would pay in the USA.  Local produce and fruit is cheap.  Any imported electronic items are approximately 50% more expensive than in the USA.

 

The only thing cheap down there is manual labor.  Many expats have gardeners, maids, and cooks.  Talking to some of the locals, they say that manual laborers make the equivalent of about $2.00 US an hour.

 

It would be fairly easy to live there, but unless you want a huge bevy of servants, you probably won’t be saving a significant amount of money doing so.

 

We had a relaxing trip.  Back to normal programming tomorrow.

 

 

Costa Rican sunset from a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

 

 

Travel Log- Texas in the Pandemic
Travel Log- Texas in the Pandemic 640 480 Greg Ellifritz

I would like to be enjoying my police retirement and writing a lot more of these travel log articles, but Covid-19 has put a damper on my international travel adventures.  I tried to make up for it last week by exploring a bit of Texas instead.

 

I flew into Dallas to teach at the annual Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Roundup class.  As I no longer have a full time job, I was able to extend my stay and explore a bit of Texas that I hadn’t seen before.

 

I’ve long considered relocating to Texas in my retirement.  The weather is much better than in Ohio and the gun culture is strong (therefore good for my firearms training business).  My goal was to explore some of the territory down there and have some fun with friends in an environment with fewer Covid-19 restrictions than in Ohio.

A warm Dallas sunset from the hotel’s outdoor pool.

 

I had a direct flight from Columbus to Dallas on American Airlines.  The flight went smoothly.  In Columbus. I checked in (with three guns) and made it through TSA security in a timed seven minutes from walking into the terminal.  If you aren’t afraid of the Covid-19 virus, now is a really easy time to fly.  The only downsides are that many airport restaurants and shops are closed and drinks aren’t served on most flights.

 

My flight down to Dallas was about 3/4 full.  My flight home was only about 50% full.

 

After teaching my class in Dallas (and eating an amazing chicken fried steak with my friends at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House), I hit the road to Austin.  I had never visited the city before, but I’d heard good things about the area.

 

I got a room in the iconic downtown Holiday Inn- Austin Town Lake in the heart of downtown Austin.  The hotel rooms were a bit dated, but they were clean and very inexpensive.  The location was perfect and it was the only hotel in the downtown area to offer free parking.

 

Driving in, I was honestly surprised at the numbers of homeless people inhabiting the downtown area.  Every city park had its own tent city.  Even more people were camping under highway overpasses.  I’d heard there was a problem, but I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was.

 

As soon as I got in town, I walked to nearby Rainey Street for lunch.  All of the establishments were open, but business was a bit slow because of the pandemic.

 

I had dinner plans with a high school classmate who lived in the area.  She turned out to be Austin’s best ambassador and an amazing tour guide.  When we were talking, I told her I wanted to explore some of the suburbs (I’m not an inner city kind of person) and hopefully see some live music (difficult to find in Ohio where the bars stop serving alcohol at 10 pm).  She organized some perfect excursions for us.

 

We started off by exploring the southern and western areas outside the city.  They were a bit remote, but quite fun.  Dinner (“truck stop enchiladas”) was at the Hays City Store.  It was a great outdoor venue with live music and was completely packed on a Monday night.

 

A photo from the Hays City Store’s Facebook page showing the outdoor dining venue and a tasty desert.

 

 

W.C. Clark playing on the outdoor stage

 

After eating and catching up a bit, we adjourned to the Moontower Saloon.  It was another outdoor bar filled with picnic tables and comfy chairs surrounding a series of gas fire pits.  It was nice having a couple adult beverages outside around a modern campfire.

 

From Moontower Saloon’s Facebook page

 

I wish Ohio has some places like these two venues.  I suppose the cold winters probably would make outdoor dining a harder sell.

 

I woke up the next morning and went for a walk around Austin’s Lady Bird Lake, enjoying the sun and 75 degree temperatures.

 

I met my friend in the afternoon for a tour of some of the northern suburbs where she and her family lived.  We started out with lunch at the Red Horn Coffee and Brewery.

 

We then drove around some of the northern suburbs and visited her house nearby.  We picked up her family and some friends and ended up in downtown Georgetown at 600 Degrees Pizzeria for some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten.

 

I found Georgetown to be a fun, quaint, little town with a country feel.  The downtown area was filled with lighted up Live Oak trees.

 

Part of the downtown square in Georgetown.

 

The next day, I woke up with a hike around the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

The facility has formal gardens and several long hiking trails surrounded by native Texas plants.  My undergraduate degree is in natural resource management and I’m a bit of a plant and tree geek.  At home I can identify just about every plant and tree by sight.

 

I was at a bit of a loss in Texas.  On my hike, I only recognized two plants!  Texas has 53 different species of oak trees and none of them look like the oak leaves I see in Ohio.  If I move down here, I’m going to have to learn a bunch more plants.

 

A sign you won’t see in Ohio

 

After my hike, I headed back towards Dallas with a pit stop halfway in Waco to check out the Texas Ranger Museum.  It was a very cool piece of history that should be on every gun lover’s agenda.  It was a relatively small museum, but the exhibits were well done and fantastically illustrated the history of the Texas Rangers and some of the more legendary rangers themselves.

 

 

The .30-06 Colt Monitor machine gun that stopped Bonnie and Clyde along with the rifle Frank Hamer used in the shootout.

 

Once I got back into Dallas, I met Caleb Causey (of Lone Star Medics fame) along with his his wife and son for dinner at Mariano’s Hacienda Ranch, the home of the frozen margarita.  After a great meal and some fine conversation, I headed to the hotel to hit the bed in preparation for my early flight home.

 

At Mariano’s. Isn’t this what you are supposed to do in Texas? Having a pull from the whiskey bottle while sitting in a saddle.

 

Thank you to all my friends who showed me a wonderful time.  I really enjoyed Texas and will be back soon.  I have at least two and as many as five more classes scheduled down there (depending on the Covid-19 situation) next year.  I’m looking forward to returning.

 

Caleb, Lincoln, and I with a random stuffed bear.

 

Those of you who don’t want to travel outside the USA yet should consider a few days’ vacation in the Austin area.  It’s a guaranteed good time.

 

Gretchen, my amazing friend and tour guide

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Log- Compliance IS an Option
Travel Log- Compliance IS an Option 1024 731 Greg Ellifritz

As the taxi driver saw the roadblock and screeched to a halt, a man wearing a tattered uniform leaped out of the bushes and stuck his AK-47 through my open car window.  I remember noticing that the safety was off as he jabbed my cheek with the muzzle and said “Don’t move” in halting English.

 

What would you do if you were placed in that situation?  I’ll tell you what I did.  I complied with the disheveled African cop who was jamming the AK in my face.  I quickly ran through the options in my head.  I was in Tanzania and didn’t have a gun.  Do I draw my hidden knife?  Do I attempt a disarm?  Do I feign compliance and flee on foot?  All of those were the wrong answer.  I complied with the soldier’s demands and I’m still around to tell the story.

 

I’ve been reading quite a few articles and Facebook posts lately criticizing crime victims for complying in the face of an armed threat.  The writers talk about how compliance is cowardly and how resistance (preferably armed resistance) is the only “proper” course of action when one is attacked or threatened with a deadly weapon.

 

Making statements like that is both short-sighted and wrong.  While there are many situations that are best solved by armed resistance, there are some where compliance is a better option.  I know I’m going to lose a few readers who will instantly label me into the “He’s a cop.  Of course he’s going to tell you to comply” camp.  Those of you who know me and those of you have been reading my articles for a while should know that I’m the last person on Earth to criticize armed resistance….when it is appropriate.  If you don’t believe me, see my articles HERE and HERE.

 

We start having problems when we listen to “experts” who have never truly faced violence and have never had to make the comply/resist decision when their lives are  at stake.  It’s easy to talk about resisting an attacker armed with a gun from the safety of the computer keyboard in the writer’s cozy home.  It’s a bit different when there is a gun wielded by a crazy man stuck in your face late at night.

 

Let me tell you the rest of the story I started above.  It’s a story where I’m not the hero.  It’s a story about a time in my life where I chose to comply in the face of an armed threat rather than resist.  And it’s ultimately a story that has a positive ending.

 

In 2008, I decided to climb the highest mountain in Africa.  Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and stands 19,341 feet (5895 meters) above sea level.  For perspective, that’s more than a mile HIGHER than those big mountain peaks in Colorado.  The trek up the mountain takes between five and eight days (depending on route) and starts from the desert plain at roughly sea level.  It makes for a difficult hike, with not much time to acclimate.  I booked a trek with a licensed guide and made my travel plans.

 

While looking for airfare, I found that I could save over $2000 if I flew into Nairobi, Kenya rather than the closest airport to Kilimanjaro.  Nairobi is about an eight hour public bus trip away from the town in Tanzania where I was going to start my climb.  I elected to fly into Nairobi and take the public bus across the border rather than paying the extra money.

 

I scheduled a couple extra days in Nairobi and did some sight seeing at some nearby game parks.  On the morning I was scheduled to depart from Tanzania, I caught a cab to the bus station and hopped on my bus.  It left on time and we headed off across the African plains.  It was a “luxury bus” and a fairly comfortable ride.  After a few hours of watching the scenery, I put my Ipod headphones on and leaned up against the window to take a nap.  Shortly thereafter, I was awakened by a deafening crash and a huge jolt.  A dump truck hauling gravel for a road construction project had backed into our bus as it was traveling about 60mph down a remote highway.  The bus shuddered to a stop and the driver exited without ever even checking to see if any of his passengers were injured.

 

I looked around and saw that most of the passengers were stunned, but none had any obvious injuries.  Everyone was frantically speaking in Swahili.  I was the only foreigner on the bus and couldn’t understand what was going on.  A young college girl next to me spoke English and said to me “Get off the bus.  There’s going to be a fight.”

 

Just before the fight began....

Just before the fight began….

 

All of the passengers disembarked and watched as the driver of our bus and the dump truck operator screamed at each other.  They yelled, then began pushing each other, and then a full-on fight broke out.  All of us watched as the two drivers struggled and punched each other in the heat of the African plain.

 

The English-speaking college girl translated the fighters’ words for me.  She explained that neither driver had money to pay off the police if they were called.  Instead of paying bribes to the corrupt cops, the drivers were going to fight.  The loser would accept fault for the accident when they turned the damage in to their respective insurance companies.

 

The two men fought for about 20 minutes along the side of the road.  Neither landed a single good punch.  It was mostly just pushing and stand-up wrestling.  They suddenly stopped, shook hands and then separated.  The driver of our bus dug a crowbar out of the luggage compartment, pried the damaged quarter panel away from the bus’ rear tire and we were on our way again.  It was mind boggling, but you quickly learn to accept such events as commonplace when traveling through remote Africa.

 

Damage to the bus after the driver pried the sheet metal away from the tire

Damage to the bus after the driver pried the sheet metal away from the tire

 

The fight has some lasting consequences, however.  Because of the delay, I missed my connecting bus in a little border town in Tanzania.  It was 11 pm and I was stuck in a dodgy African border town with no accommodations.  No more buses were running.  I was about 100 miles from my hotel.  My choices were to either spend the night in the border town and wait for a bus in the morning or hire a taxi to get me to my destination.  I chose to go with the taxi.

 

I found a taxi driver who spoke relatively good English.  He quoted me a $30 fare for the 100 mile drive.  I readily accepted.  As I got in the unmarked cab, the driver suggested that I ride in the front seat with him.  He said that if people saw I was riding in back they would assume that I had money and would target us for a robbery.  By sitting up front, it just looked like I was the driver’s friend and it would attract less negative attention.  I took the driver’s advice and hopped in the front seat for the two hour journey.

 

It was after midnight and I was both tired and hot as we drove to my destination.  I had my window down because the cab didn’t have any air conditioning.  There were few cars on the road and we were making good time when we rounded a curve and saw something in the middle of the road.  The driver skidded to a stop when he noticed a kerosene lantern in the road sitting on top of several pieces of lumber with huge metal spikes driven through them.  The spikes were pointed up to flatten car tires.

 

As soon as we stopped, a Tanzanian cop jumped out of the bushes and jabbed me with the AK-47.  A thousand thoughts crossed my mind.  What should I do?  Even though I wanted to fight, my gut told me to comply until I had a better opportunity.  I didn’t know if the armed man was alone or if he had additional backup hiding in the bushes.  Even if I killed him or took his gun, I still might have to fight several of his buddies.  It didn’t seem like fighting would have a high likelihood of success.

 

He kept the AK-47 pointed at my head as he explained in poor English that I didn’t have a permit to be on the road we were traveling.  I knew that no such permit was necessary.  I also knew that the Tanzanian National Police make approximately $7 US dollars a day.  Any foreigner with enough money to hire a driver would likely have more money than the cop makes in a month as pocket change.

 

I evaluated my options and decided to play it cool.  I knew the cop could shoot both of us on this rural highway and have us buried before sunup.  I kept my hands in sight and told the corrupt policeman that I was sorry.  I asked him if I could pay the “fine” on the spot.  He lowered the gun and told me that the fine for my “offense” was 300 Tanzanian Shillings.  It was the US equivalent of  25 cents.  For a quarter, the dude was ready to shoot me in the head.

 

I paid my “fine”, the cop moved the roadblock and we were again on our way.  For the rest of the trip, I just kept replaying the incident over and over in my mind, wondering if I should have handled it differently.  I analyzed what prompted me to make the decision to comply in that situation.

 

While I admit the thought of him having possible friends hiding in the bushes was a big consideration, the main factor that kept me from fighting was simply a gut feeling.  The guy was dangerous, but seemed rational.  I had to think of his motivation.  If he wanted to kill me, he could have done so without uttering a word.  No, he wanted something else.  And I was willing to give that up in exchange for not having to go against a cop with a rifle using my Spyderco folding knife.

 

I can say without hesitation that I made the right decision.  But it wasn’t heroic.  It wasn’t badass.  It was just using my brain and my instincts to keep myself safe.

 

I would never presume to tell you what decision to make when you are facing the threat of lethal violence.  All I can tell you is that you should do what your gut tells you to do.  Every scenario is different.  You may make the wrong decision or you may get away without injury.  It’s hard to predict.

 

Compliance doesn’t always ensure your safety, but sometimes it’s the best option given a whole lot of bad choices.  If you make it through the encounter to live another day, I’d tell you that you made the right choice.  You are the only one who can truly make the decision to fight, flee, or comply in the face of danger.  Some internet experts may think that complying isn’t an option…but those guys probably haven’t been hit in the face with the barrel of an AK-47.

 

Despite the delays, the climb was a success...sunrise atop the highest mountain in Africa.

Despite the delays, the climb was a success…sunrise atop the highest mountain in Africa.

 

 

Travel Log- Peruvian Amazon
Travel Log- Peruvian Amazon 723 960 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to the Lima, Peru and the Peruvian Amazon in July of 2015.

 

Amazing fish ceviche lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Lima

Amazing fish ceviche lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Lima

 

I went down to Peru for two weeks.  I had visited Peru about 10 years ago and have already done all of the normal tourist activities like hiking the Inca trail, visiting Machu Picchu, and hanging out in Cusco and Lima.  This trip was a little different.

 

I started out with a couple days in Lima and then flew to Iquitos, where I boarded a boat for the jungle.  I stayed eight days in the Amazon jungle learning about traditional Amazonian plant medicine from a jungle “curandero” who has been practicing almost 50 years.  It was an amazing experience to cultivate the medicinal plants, blend them together, turn them into medicine, and see how they are used in traditional healing ceremonies.  The work I did down there will definitely enhance my teaching skills back here in the real world.

 

Unusual in most of South America, but in Iquitos, the "tuk-tuk" motor taxi was common. The town very much reminded me of Cambodia.

Unusual in most of South America, but in Iquitos, the “tuk-tuk” motor taxi was common. The town very much reminded me of Cambodia.

 

After my stay in the jungle, I flew back to Lima and spent a couple more days there (with air conditioning, warm showers, and all the incredible food available in that city).  As I usually do, I spoke to a lot of folks about what kind of crime dangers the locals and tourists face, how the police operate, and the gun situation for Peruvian citizens.

 

My jungle accommodations at the plant sanctuary

My jungle accommodations at the plant sanctuary

There are both local and National police forces in Peru.  Both are seriously underpaid.  The general consensus is that both groups do a fairly good job investigating and prosecuting (the rare) violent crimes, but virtually ignore property crimes.  There is so much petty theft that the police are completely overwhelmed.  If you want them to investigate a property crime, you’ll have to pay them some bribe money to do it.

 

Speaking of bribes, the going bribe for a traffic cop is 50 Peruvian Soles (about $15).  Taxi drivers were very adept at avoiding the cops on the take.  One driver explained that almost all cops working in pairs or as a team were extorting bribes.  It was rare that a single officer would be soliciting bribe money.  Thus the taxi drivers were very alert and instantly changed directions whenever they saw a pair of traffic cops working a roadblock.

 

The National Police wore Beretta 92 pistols in full flap belt holsters.  Most of the holsters were angled muzzle forward on the belt almost like the 1970’s era LAPD swivel holsters.  It was rare to see a National Police officer carrying anything other than a pistol on his belt.  Occasionally I would see a set of handcuffs or some type of short rubber truncheon, but none of them carried any other gear with them.  There was talk about an upcoming switch to the Beretta PX-4, but I didn’t see any of those pistols actually being carried.

 

The local cops carried the same Berettas, but often had nylon tactical rigs with extra magazines, external body armor, and assorted gear.  The motorcycle cops wore tactical vests and shoulder holsters.  I didn’t see any cops with long guns.

 

Security guards all carried .38 revolvers.  Most were 4″ K-Frame Smith and Wessons, but I saw a couple Taurus revolvers as well.  Interestingly to me, almost all the revolvers wore rubber Pachmayer grips.  Spare ammo was minimal and consisted of a couple of cartridges carried in open loops on the outside of the holster.  Most guards carried somewhere between two and five spare cartridges.  One other interesting thing I noted was that all the security guards had holsters with dual retention straps.  The holsters had the old school “suicide strap” over the hammer, but they also had an additional strap around the trigger guard on the revolver.  It’s important to note these types of things when traveling.  If you need a gun quickly, a security guard is a good place to look.  It’s best to figure out how to remove the gun quickly.

 

One of the biggest misconceptions I regularly hear is the erroneous notion that people who live outside of America can’t own guns at all.  I’ve visited more than 40 countries in the last ten years.  The vast majority allow their citizens to own guns of some type.  The restrictions are usually far greater than those in the United States, but most people in other countries CAN own guns if they jump through the correct hoops.

 

I spoke to a couple of Peruvian citizens who are gun owners.  There is a pretty straightforward process to get a gun permit in Peru.  It consists of:

– Background checks through three different government agencies

– A psychological test evaluating logic and basic hand eye coordination

– A psychiatric test to ensure that the gun owner is not mentally ill

– Passing a basic gun safety class taught by the National Police

– Handgun permits also require a shooting test.  The qualification is shot on a silhouette target at 50 feet.  Five shots are fired.  One hit anywhere on the silhouette (or paying the tester 20 Peruvian Soles…approximately $7 dollars) passes the test.  No shooting test is required for a long gun.

 

According to the folks I spoke with, the entire permit process takes about two days to complete and costs around $150.  That doesn’t seem bad based on our salaries, but the average Peruvian income is around $500 dollars a month.  Considering that a separate permit is required for each gun owned, the $150 price is a steep cost for the average Peruvian.

 

The interesting thing about the Peruvian permit process is that the ownership permit also doubles as an unlimited concealed carry permit.  Once you can legally own the gun, you can carry it anywhere.

 

The government limits the caliber of handgun that Peruvians can own.  Peruvian citizens are not allowed to own any “military caliber” weapons.  In handguns, .38 special/.380 acp are the largest calibers  private citizens can own.  The Peruvian folks I spoke to who actually know and understand guns carry high capacity .380 autos.  They think that 10+ rounds of .380 acp is a better choice than a five-shot .38 revolver.  The guns of choice for those in the know in Peru are the Glock 25 (.380 auto not available in the USA that is the same size of a Glock 19) or the Beretta Model 85 in .380 auto.  Both of these guns cost more than $1000 in Peru because of high import tariffs.  Even at that price, it’s rare to find those weapons in a Peruvian gun store.  Most folks can’t afford the Glock, so the vast majority of gun store stock consists of Taurus revolvers.

 

The rural folks who hunt generally use single shot shotguns.  Surprisingly, most are in 16 gauge rather than the more commonly seen 12 gauge in the USA.  Hunting licenses are required, but the law often goes unenforced with regard to subsistence level hunting by locals.

 

Peru is a beautiful country and well worth your time to visit.

 

From my 2005 trip to Peru. A much younger and skinnier Greg on the Inca Trail.

 

 

 

Travel Log- Mexico During a Pandemic
Travel Log- Mexico During a Pandemic 620 827 Greg Ellifritz

I’d been twitching for awhile.

 

I hadn’t been out of the country since February.

 

In a normal year, I travel outside the USA at least four times for a total of about six weeks.  This is the first year since 2006 that I haven’t already taken at least three international trips by this time of the year.

 

International travel makes me happy.  I wanted to celebrate my retirement.  My girlfriend hadn’t had a vacation in more than a year.  She wanted to go someplace to relax where she “didn’t have to think.”

 

Relaxing without thinking?  Mexico sounds perfect.  I booked the trip to Cancun.

 

Lots of people criticize Cancun as a destination, but I truly enjoy the city.  I’ve been to Mexico 21 times since 2002.  Most of those trips were to destinations in and around Cancun.  They have a very easy tourist infrastructure.  The people are happy and friendly.  Most tourist industry people speak English.  The beaches are some of the most beautiful on the planet.  It’s as close to a paradise destination as I have found anywhere in the world.

 

I booked a luxury all-inclusive at a five-star hotel.  Due to the pandemic, rates were $300 per night cheaper than the last time I stayed there.  I got first class airline tickets on Delta for $400 each.  Coach is usually a couple hundred dollars more than that fare.

 

When I started telling my friends about my trip, I got some strange responses.  Lots of folks questioned our desire to travel during a pandemic.  I didn’t get it.  I had flown to Arizona for a training class last month and everything went well.  At the time, Arizona had a far higher rate of Covid positive patients than Cancun.

 

Then I learned about the concept of “travel shaming.”  Some folks think it isn’t proper to travel during a pandemic and attempt to shame those who do so.  I’m generally immune to shaming efforts, so I don’t really care.  The concept baffles me.  If someone wants to perform an intelligent risk analysis and decides to travel, why would anyone care?  I guess sometimes I forget that we are in the age of “cancel culture” and anything that departs from the cultural norm is punished.

 

“Two-thirds of the nearly 4,000 Americans surveyed in June by Ketchum Travel, a public relations agency, said they would judge others for traveling before it’s considered “safe.” Half expected to censor their social media posts to avoid being “travel shamed” themselves. Compare that with last year, when about 80 percent of the 1,300 respondents in a Skift Research survey said they posted trip photos on social media.”

 

Having never been one who cared much for cultural norms, I booked the trip.

 

We had a wonderful time and I’ll share my travel narrative and pictures without fearing anyone who wants to target me with their “travel shaming” efforts.  Busybodies who “travel shame” need to get some new hobbies.  If you are worried about being shamed for traveling, you need to start hanging out with a higher class of people.  Travel shaming, like so many other modern indignities is absolutely ridiculous.

 

 

So what has changed in the world of travel as a response to the pandemic?  Quite a lot.

 

There are only a few countries and a couple of Caribbean islands that will accept travelers from the USA.  Most of the other countries are planning to stay in tourist lockdown until November at the earliest.  Don’t book a trip to a country that bans your entry!

 

Each airline has its own Covid procedures.  All of the airlines require you to wear a mask for the entire flight unless you are eating and drinking.  The catch is that most airlines have suspended meal and drink service during the pandemic.  If you don’t bring your own food and water, you won’t be allowed to take of your mask any time during the flight.

 

Traveling in masks was a strange experience.  At least now I can take a selfie without attempting a fake smile.

 

Speaking of food, the airports are like ghost towns with only about 25% of the passengers they had at this time last year.  Because of the light traffic, almost all the airport stores and most of the airport restaurants and bars are closed.  Bring your own food.  It may be a long day if you have tight connections and pass through airports with fewer open restaurants.

 

There were a couple positive changes in the flight procedures.  The first is that as you board the plane, the flight attendant hands you an individually wrapped Lysol disinfectant wipe.  Everyone used the wipes to sanitize their seats, seat belts, tray tables, and computer screens.  I actually advised doing that in my travel book published before all the Covid changes.  It’s a good practice and I hope it continues.

 

The airline I flew also altered boarding procedures.  In order to avoid a line at the gate and a traffic jam in the aisles of the plane, the flight attendant boarded just a few rows at a time, starting with the rear of the plane.  I have no idea why the airlines didn’t do that before.  It just seems incredibly more efficient and avoids keeping passengers jammed together in a close line while boarding.

 

The only other airline change was the fact that they handed out paper Covid-19 questionnaires on the plane.  The questions were the standard ones about feeling ill or having close contact with anyone testing positive for Covid-19.  The flight crew told us to fill the forms out and give them to immigration officers while landing.  No one ever asked for or looked at our forms.  These forms were required by the Mexican government, yet no one ever looked at them.  A stunning example of government inefficiency if I ever saw one.  Welcome to Latin America.

 

Speaking of forms, if you are planning a trip to Mexico, you can now do the immigration tourist card and the customs forms online before you leave for your trip.  That will save you time on the ground and speed up your entry into the country.  Highly recommended because airlines regularly run out of the forms and regularly don’t have enough to provide them to all the travelers on the plane.

 

Once we arrived in Mexico, disembarkation procedures changed as well.  The airlines funneled all arriving passengers through an automated temperature scanner.  Presumably, if you had a fever, you would be sent back home or placed into mandatory quarantine.  The dude monitoring the scanner was dressed in full PPE with a Tyvek suit, respirator, goggles, gloves, and a face shield.

 

Airport employees sprayed a sanitizing solution on all of the bags before they were put on the luggage conveyor belts.  Some of our fellow passengers’ bags were literally soaked in disinfectant.  If you pack valuable clothing, food, or electronics in your checked bag, you may want to put those items in a plastic bag inside your luggage to keep them from getting wet.  Our bags were also hosed down upon arrival at the hotel.  be prepared for a lot of liquid disinfectant spray covering all of your luggage.

 

In Cancun, the primary international arrivals/departures terminal was completely closed down due to the pandemic.  We flew in and out of what had normally been the domestic terminal.  The regular luggage X-ray machine and the “traffic light” customs inspections are no longer in place.  Once you get your checked bag, you are free to walk out without any customs inspections.

 

In general, the Mexicans seem to be doing more to prevent viral transmission that the Americans.  Like here, masks are required indoors in a public place.  They are not required on the beach, but it is mandatory to wear a face covering even while walking around outside in the city.  Everyone was wearing a mask, without exception.

 

All the hotels and most of the businesses had a pool of disinfectant solution that guests were required to walk through before entering  public establishments.  Each hotel, every restaurant in the hotel, and every business had a person with a thermometer gun standing at the entrance.  If your temperature was more than 37 degrees Celsius, you would be denied entry.  As hotel guests, we were forced to have our temperatures checked multiple times a day whenever we ate or entered the hotel from outside.  We were also forced to use hand sanitizer at every hotel, restaurant, or business entrance.

A screen shot of my travel temperature readings.

When checking in to the hotel, we were instructed to download the hotel app to our phones.  The hotel app allowed us to check in and out, see what events were happening, view restaurant hours and menus, book spa reservations, order room service, and report any problems.  That was really very handy and a unique way that the folks in Mexico are trying to remove almost every element of face to face interaction between employees and guests.

 

By law, the Mexican hotels can only book no more than 30% of their previously-allowed guest numbers.  The hotel had guests, but was far less busy than other times I had stayed there.  Take a look at the photo below.  That was the most crowded it ever became at our hotel’s pool and beach.  There was a very noticeable difference between this trip and my previous experiences at the hotel.  On this trip there were far more vacationing Mexicans than any other nationality.  Among the Americans staying at the resort, I would bet 50% of them were African American.  On previous visits, I seldom saw a black guest or a Mexican citizen at the resort.

 

My assumption is that when the hotel is priced at 40% of its usual rate and airfare is half price, it encourages more people to visit.  It makes me happy to see anyone traveling and having fun.  I’m glad that the cheap prices have allowed folks to enjoy an international luxury they may not have previously been able to afford.

 

View of the virtually deserted 5-star resort from our room’s balcony.

 

We had a very relaxing trip.  We spent most of our time enjoying good food, free margaritas, and a beautiful view.  It was a perfect mindless beach vacation.  We did book one excursion and had a blast.  We did a two hour speedboat rental and snorkeling trip through Jungle Tour Cancun.  The excursion allowed us to race speedboats on the lagoon side of the island before taking us out to an underwater national park for snorkeling.  It was a lot of fun for $50 a person.  The snorkeling was much better than I thought it would be.  We saw a sea turtle, a sting ray, a manta ray, and lots of colorful tropical fishes.  If you get a chance to go, I’d highly recommend a the trip.

 

It was her first time piloting a speed boat. I promise I’m not holding on for dear life.

 

Besides our boating/snorkeling excursion, the only other time we left the resort was to have dinner in my favorite Cancun restaurant, La Habichuela.  As usual, the food was amazing.  Unfortunately, we were the only guests dining there on what would have normally been a very busy Friday night.  The tourist industry in Mexico is having massive problems right now.  Lots of restaurants are closing.  Taxi drivers are finding new careers.  The tour industry has been completely decimated.

 

Near the restaurant, there is a large public park that is normally full of locals on every weekend night.  We walked down through the park after dinner.  I would guess that it was at 10% of normal capacity.  It was sad that there were so few people enjoying the nice weather on a summer night.  I’m not sure if the lack of people was caused by fear of the corona virus or the fact that local families didn’t have any money to spend because of the economic impact of the pandemic.

 

My favorite restaurant in Cancun. We were the only diners there during the prime time dinner rush on a Friday night.

 

Today marks the two week mark from the day that I left for Mexico.  I’ve been tracking my temperature daily,  No fever and no respiratory symptoms yet.  It appears that we made it to Cancun and back without getting the ‘Rona.

 

If you are called to travel, I urge you to do so.  Most of the destinations you choose will have a similar or lesser viral infection rate than your home state.  Travel is tremendously cheap right now.  Take advantage of that fact and support the local tourist economies that you enjoy.  They need all the help they can get.

 

 

 

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