Matador Network

Terrorism and Travel
Terrorism and Travel 787 218 Greg Ellifritz

This link provides an important batch of resources for researching terrorism trends in other countries. I find much of the information provided by the US government to be fear mongering.

 

I don’t pay too much attention to the US State Department Travel Warnings. I find that similar warnings from the governments of Australia and Great Britain to be far more accurate.

 

“Terrorism kills more people than sharks, but it still doesn’t kill many: your odds are 1 in 25 million worldwide (in the US, it’s even less likely). When you travel, it’s far more likely (1 in 5,862 in the US) that you’ll die in a plane crash than you will in an act of terrorism.”

 

Everything you need to know about terrorism and travel

Don’t Use Airport USB Chargers
Don’t Use Airport USB Chargers 790 300 Greg Ellifritz

Don’t plug your phone into any random airport charging stations.  Several of my friends in high places working for three-letter federal agencies overseas have given me the same advice.  In addition to hackers, you also have to worry about your host country’s government spying on you and stealing your data/texts/emails.

 

Government spying via the use of fake charging outlets is incredibly common in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet countries.

 

Why airport USB charging stations are actually dangerous

Vegetarian and Vegan Travelers
Vegetarian and Vegan Travelers 1108 547 Greg Ellifritz

Twenty years ago, traveling with dietary restrictions was incredibly difficult.  Today, people in almost every country in the world understands the concepts of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free.  In many countries, diners with dietary restrictions are better accommodated than they would be at a restaurant at home.

 

My veggie/vegan readers will probably find the link below to be a valuable reference.  Knowing a few words in the local language to describe your dietary preferences will make travel so much easier.

How to order vegetarian and vegan in 20 common languages

 

 

 

What do psychics say about the future of travel?
What do psychics say about the future of travel? 541 402 Greg Ellifritz

Here’s an entertaining article the likes of which I’ve never seen before.  In it, five different psychics report their predictions for the future of travel.

 

Here’s What Travel Will Look Like in 2021, According to Psychics

 

If you don’t trust the psychics, you can see what a lot of travel experts are predicting in the article below.

 

No return to ‘normal’: Travel industry leaders weigh in on the future

 

I don’t think either group can possibly predict what will happen in the years to come.  I find it best not to get my hopes up.  I’ll just wait and see what happens, adjusting my travel plans as necessary.

 

 

Best and Worst Cities for Expats
Best and Worst Cities for Expats 1259 530 Greg Ellifritz

Wonder what cities you might want to live in if you move out of your home country?

 

“InterNations has released its ranking of the best and worst cities for expats to live in, based on surveys on 25 aspects of urban life, such as Leisure & Climate, Local Friendliness, Housing, Transportation, Job & Career, Finance, Health & Environment, Work-Life Balance, Safety & Politics, and more.”

 

Here is their list.

 

The best and worst cities in the world for expats in 2020

 

 

I’ve been to four of the top 10.  I think I could live in all four (even if Buenos Aires is a bit sketchy in places).

 

I’ve also been to four of the worst 10.  Of those four, there is only one (Santiago) that I would consider moving to.

 

I’ve stayed in 12 of the cities in the middle.  I could probably live in a couple of them, but none would be at the top of my list.

 

Check out the article and find your future residence.

Packing Hacks
Packing Hacks 640 360 Greg Ellifritz

There are some very innovative ideas in this article that will help most of you improve your packing skills.

 

28 incredibly useful packing hacks