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When we started travelling we were blissfully ignorant of many of the day to day things that make travelling that little bit easier. Now ten months later, bruised but wiser it would have been cool to know then what we know now.

You most likely already know most of what we've learnt, but there might be one or two things below that are useful - or more likely you will find the thought of us "discovering" them highly amusing!

Our "learnings" are broken up into nine different sections. Scroll down to go through them top to bottom, or click on the topic below to go straight to that area. Enjoy - we are!

Things To Take	Money $$$$
Security	Photography
Health	Culture - How not to be a complete slob
Communication - Staying in touch	Food - Eating & Drinking
Miscellaneous Stuff

Things To Take [Back to top]

• Pegless clothes line & some small sachets of washing powder
• Torch for the inevitable power cuts and caving expeditions
• Travel chamois towel for the cheap scummy hostels which don't provide one
• Sleeping bag liner - easier than washing the whole sleeping bag, and great to separate you from the linen in questionable beds
• It's not necessary to carry a sleeping bag - all hostels have sheets / blankets, and when we've trekked there's heaps of places that will rent clean sleeping bags. Also, BYO sleeping bag hostels (which are rare and at the super cheap end) are more likely to be infected with lice / bedbugs. This is because the "infected" sleeping bags travel from one mattress to the next with the owner. Yum!
• Insect repellent - at least 80% DEET to be effective in deterring the blood sucking insects (unfortunately does not repel beggars / carpet salesmen)
• Broad rimmed hat - to keep the sun off and look like an Aussie
• Fly spray - to nuke the pesky sleep depriving mossies which always fly around hostel rooms
• Small padlocks and bike chain - see Security Section below
• Small alarm clock - essential for waking up to catch flights / buses after big nights. If you're paranoid, take two clocks for piece of mind in case one fails / runs out of batteries
• Combo longs which the legs unzip off to shorts are great! Light colours attract less bugs.
• Good quality waterproof boots - the tongue and all seams must be watertight. Stylish boots also double as going out shoes and lead to delusions that you're a world traveller.
• Don't buy Rockport - mine fell to pieces after five months and were hell to get replaced (shame you unfeeling unhelpful bastards!!)
• Take copies of receipts and warranties for all valuable items - ie shoes, watches, cameras. Makes it much easier to get broken things replaced - travel wreaks hell on your gear!
• A roll of electrical tape is really useful - great for taping shut bottles, patching bags, and other McGyverish necessities
• A good fleece is worth its weight in gold - to avoid paying this, check out www.sierratradingpost.com who sell North Face gear really cheaply online. A 200g fleece weight is good - not too light, but not as heavy and overwarm as the 300g.
• Personal taste and (for some reason??) highly controversial and emotional - an umbrella. I've been carrying a full sized one around with me for four months and it's been awesome. However, Nika reckons it's a Gay Lord accessory (could be something to do with the Renoir print on it....). It's great for keeping dry (not really Einstienaic that use!), but it's also really good when trekking - raincoats get wet and really sweaty / using the umbrella I can just wear a t-shirt and keep dry / sweat free. It's also a great walking stick, poker for nasty but irresistible things, and llama herder repeller. When not in use, just tucks onto the side of my pack.
• When trekking, one can never have enough plastic bags
• Carry a spare paperback book around - great to swap at opportunistic book exchanges in hostels (beats reading shampoo labels)
• Carry toothbrush and contract lens stuff in hand luggage in case your bags don't meet you at the other end of an airline flight

Money $$$$ [Back to top]

• Cirrus / VISA cards can withdraw cash from ATMs everywhere we've been. Exchange rates are often better than local cambios and banks.
• ATM cards MUST have a four digit PIN - a lot of overseas machines will not accept six digit pins
• Take TWO different ATM cards - insurance in case one is broken, lost, stolen or you forget the PIN (like I did! too much beer!). It is a massive headache to get an ATM card replaced overseas - it takes the bank a few weeks, and you must provide an address where you will be on that specified date to sign for it personally (they don't accept embassies / hotels)
• Carry small calculator - great for working out exchange rates, and scaring yourself with how much you've actually spent
• Regularly reconcile finances to keep track of how much we've spent - our memories fade after a few days
• Need to contact the bank at home? Our banks will not accept collect calls re questions about ordinary savings / cheque accounts. To get around this, call the banks Credit Card number collect - they will accept charges. Ask an irrelevant question about the credit card (ie "a (fictional) transaction got rejected here - why?"). Once they've answered ("no problems"), they will happily transfer you through to their regular telephone operators who will help with your ordinary accounts. Cool!
• Take the non-toll free home telephone numbers for all your bank / credit cards (ie for Sydney 02-99xx-xxxx etc). This is because it is almost impossible to collect call (or even direct dial) most "free" (1-800 etc) or "nationwide" (13---- etc) numbers from outside the home country!
• Always insist upon a receipt when paying money. Some hotel owners are "forgetful" and will forcefully ask to be paid again when you leave. If they won't give a receipt, physically take your money back
• Some banks, like Westpac, are offering internet banking - you can see balances, recent statements, transactions, transfer between accounts - neat! This must be set up either in person or over the phone (not by email)
• Only change money in banks, or if they're not open, large cambios. There's heaps of conterfeit currency in South America - some of the cambois showed me forgeries that had been rejected by the bank that were 99.99% identical (including a high quality watermark) - I couldn't tell even studying them!
• When changing money, ask for mostly small denomination notes, and get change in coins - most places don't have enough cash on hand to change large notes

Security [Back to top]

• Always lock all bags with small padlocks - in dodgy hotel rooms this stops over-inquisitive staff, and deters most pickpockets
• A bike security cable and strong padlock are really good for locking bags to something solid - ie when you leave bags in a hotel storage room, or seats when you take a nap
• Give your travelling partner a spare key to all your locks!
• Carry valuables in a body pouch worn around the waist UNDER all clothes - I just look as if I've had a few more beers than I actually have!
• When leaving valuables in a hotel "safe" - check that it is actually a lock up safe (& not just a drawer) and get a receipt for all items deposited
• Don't carry a wallet, even in the front pocket. Instead carry the day's cash scrunched up in the front pocket under a hanky.
• In dodgy places (ie markets) wear daypacks on your front
• Always put a leg through bag straps when sitting down
• Write down all important numbers - ie card numbers, travel insurance policy, passports and PINS. Naturally, use a code system to disguise the numbers incase someone else finds this record!
• Photocopy the details page of your passport. Very handy if you lose it, and a lot of places which insist you leave your passport upon entry will accept this as a substitute (ie government offices, prisons, etc).
• Carry $100 separate to main valuables stash - if you lose your main stash then you won't sleep on the streets until cards etc are replaced
• Obvious, but NEVER let your credit card out of your sight, fill everything out (including the "tip" box), check everything before signing and always get the yellow copy back
• In hotel / hostel rooms, check that the door locks, the windows are secure and there are no psychos under the bed.
• In dodgy places, don't wear an expensive watch - it's liable to get ripped off the wrist
• Don't walk home drunk & alone from pubs at night - we've heard several accounts of people who have been strangled and robbed. If you must go out alone - RUN!!! (added benefit : sober up quicker!)
• Don't accept drinks, food, cigarettes from strangers - again, we've met people who have been drugged and woken up hours later without their gear
• To deflect beggars / street people - acknowledge them with a shake of the head & a polite but firm "No". If you try to ignore them, they assume you haven't heard them and get further in your face. If walking, never break your stride.
• Treat anyone who claims to be "tourist amigo" as if they've got Black Plague

Photography [Back to top]

• A good Point & Shoot camera is fantastic - lots of photo ops are spontaneous.
• The flash must be able to be turned off - lots of muesums will not allow flash photography (it fades the "art").
• Also, this takes great night photos - the lens will stay open longer to compensate for no-flash, thus capturing distant night details. Click here for an example of this!
• We're using a 28-70mm zoom - the 28mm setting is close to what the eye actually sees
• A great setting that some cameras have is a "night flash" - in low light photos this leaves the lens open to capture all the dull background detail and then finishes with the flash to crisply capture all the forground detail. Click here for an example of this!
• Buy a small tripod which screws into the bottom of the camera. Ours is about 15cm high, has flexible legs and is fantastic for self-portraits and night shots (no blurs due to the wobbles). At night, use the timer so the camera doesn't shake when the button is pushed (don't forget to turn OFF the flash if you want a distant "landscape" shot).
• Use the flash in all close up & people photos - even in daylight - it lights up and shows the close subject against brighter backgrounds (ie the sky, lights)
• We´ve found ASA 200 speed film to be the best - ASA 100 tended to blur too much due to its slow shutter speed
• Take a spare camera battery!
• At X-ray machines insist all film and the camera are hand inspected. The effect of x-rays are cummulative. First World x-ray machines claim to be "safe" - we've heard horror stories about Third World ones.
• Keep all film in a special lead film bag for when they insist you put it through the x-ray machine - some people won't budge. These bags are surprisingly light and are a great way to keep all films together
• Never buy film that has been left in the sun (ie off street vendors) and always check expiry date. Keep exposed film away from heat.
• We are getting our films developed as we go and mailing the prints and negatives home separately (just in case one pack goes missing in the mail!).

Health [Back to top]

• Visit a travel doctor at least three months prior to departing - some shots (Hep A) need two boosters to be longterm effective
• Carry the complete "fix-it" kit in a hard plastic case, so the pills don't get squashed out of their blisters
• Don't eat rice that has been lying around cooked - it contains a bug that causes way nasty diarrhoea
• Before eating sauces, check that they don't need to be refridgerated - in a lot of places they're just left out on the tables to grow bacteria (especially mayonaise)
• Unless you know it's safe, don't drink the tap water - this also includes ice.
• If the water's dodgy, avoid salads and pre-peeled fruits
• Don't sleep under thatched roofs - there's a particularly nasty bug called the Assassin Bug who lives in a lot of thatch, bites you at night then shits in the wound. If this is not treated in a few days, then 'sleeping sickness´ develops in about 30 years and you die.
• Don't pat animals in Third World - some have rabies - again unless treated promptly it's 100% fatal. Nice doggie!
• Third World toilets - almost all of them can't handle loo paper. Put it in the bin beside the loo - sounds gross, but it's heaps better than an overflowing blocked toilet.
• Take glasses / contact lens scripts in case of replacements being required. Good contact lens solution has been available in almost all major towns.
• Suntan lotion is expensive in most other countries.

Culture - How not to be a complete slob [Back to top]

• Learn the basics in each new language (hello / thanks / beer please / etc). It works wonders, the locals will laugh and if they know English will speak up (particuraly effective in France)
• Most people agree - don't give money to kids begging - it reinforces a life of increasing dependance. Sad.
• Non Americans Only. Say where you're from in the first five sentences when you meet a non-English speaker - they automatically assume you're American and made of $$$ for the taking.
• Non Americans Only. Sew flags onto your backpack - for the same reason as above!
• Americans Only. We have met your countrymen claiming to be Canadians for the above reason.
• Don't kid yourself you'll be able to out party the Spanish
• Drinking lots helps to reduce boredom and makes dull places / people more interesting
• Sew patches of where you're from onto packs - great intro as to where you're from (and you're not a walking American ATM)

Communication - Staying in touch [Back to top]

• Set up a web email address before leaving home (HotMail or Yahoo - Yahoo is reputably a bit faster to access), and load everyone's email addresses into it
• There are Web cafes everywhere - even in treehouses in remote SW Turkey. Hardest place we've found to get on line is USA (probably because most people have them at home & proportionally not many travellers). Typical cost is $US2-5 per hour
• Before leaving home, email to your HotMail address copies of all documents / info you’ll need on the trip - ie document numbers, addresses to send postcards, resumes.
• If you want to set up a web page, Geocities who host this page are great (www.gecocities.com - play with it for a few weeks prior to leaving home), or contact me (my astronomical consultancy fees are negotiable - primarily due to my poor spelling and no online spellchecker)
• "Scratch off" code PIN phonecards are normally about three times cheaper than coins/chip phonecards. Credit card calls are brutally expensive.
• Call costs from Third World countries are horrific - typically a three minute call to Australia is equivalent to a night's accommodation
• Don't promise people you'll call at a specific time - inevitably you'll miss the call (due to no phones, no phone cards, hangover, aliens landing, etc) and the expectant recipients will start to unnecessarily freak out

Food - Eating & Drinking [Back to top]

Lots of restaurants serve a "plate of the day" or "tourist menu". These are normally really good and significantly cheaper than a la carte (but always check!)
• Don't order anything unless you know how much it's going to cost (especially in Turkey / Greece)
• Always check & re-add the bill - amazing how many places get it wrong (both higher and lower)
• When something is bought to your table that you didn't order, always ask "is this extra". Some countries load the bill this way - if you don't touch it then it's recycled for the next customer (God knows how many times some dishes are recirculated)
• Ian's Golden Rule Of Eating. Never eat at restaurants / cafes where the staff are dressed like the captain and crew from the Love Boat (TV show). Tuxs, bow ties, coloured vests are all really really bad signs - avoid at all costs unless you are about to chew your arm off
• Spend as little as possible for clean accommodation - this leaves more money for great eating out!
• In Italy / France it is often significantly cheaper to order and eat standing at the bar - sometimes half price!
• Avoid eating tapas that starts with the letter "m" - it's normally offal
• Key Learning. In Portugal, the slang name for a beer ("Imperial") is very close to the slang for a prostitute
• "Beer" is one of the truly universally understood words

Miscellaneous Stuff [Back to top]

• Instant washing machine - place dirty clothes and washing powder inside plastic bag. Put bag in sink, half fill with water and slosh vigorously. Avoids splashes that come from trying to use sink
• Carry a few plastic bags of all sizes - great for keeping stuff organised, stopping dirty clothes making everything stink, stopping bottles leaking everywhere, covering packs during bus travel (packs are magnets for dirt, dust, water, petrol, etc)
• A mini Backgammon set / cards are great for relieving the boredom of inevitable waits, and also keep the aggressive competitive spirit finely tuned
• Watch out for hidden charges when booking tickets etc - ie on changing the dates on some Delta airline tickets bought outside the USA, we were hit with a $US75 "rebooking" fee each. Ouch! (these were not part of the Star Alliance tickets)
• On Star Alliance tickets, if you change the routing then it's a $US75 ticket reissuing fee. Changing dates and time on these tickets is free. However, if the airline initiates the reissuing it's free (normally because they've changed their schedules etc). Net, if the airline changes a flight number or time, ask them to reissue the ticket, and add in any other routing changes you want without having to pay the reissue fee.
• Whenever checking in at the airline counter, ask "is my Frequent Flier number in the computer?"
• Departure Taxes - a lot of countries charge exorbitant exit taxes at the airport, payable in cash (ie Rio extorts $US36). No cash = no flight.
• Travel pages on the net are a lot faster way to find most flights than going to a Third World travel agent.
• Always reconfirm flights - most travel agents will do this for the price of the phone call. We found out two days before we were due to fly out of Lima that the airline had stopped flying there - would not have been cool (but highly amusing) to turn up at the airport.
• Making money from airlines - if time's not a problem, book onto the busiest flight possible (ie Sunday afternoon flying out of a vacation spot) and try and get bumped when they've overbooked the flight - when they call for volunteers to give up their seats, RUN to the counter (the airlines typically offer a 4-5 star hotel for the night, 2 meals and $US400 of flight vouchers - wayyy more if you're bumped from an international flight)
• A student / AISC card (with photo) is really valuable in Europe and particularly Greece & Turkey (not worth it for USA / South America). They get substantial discounts on travel, and free / greatly reduced entry into a lot of museums etc. We heard there's a booming business in making fake ones in Turkey (around US$5-10).
• When checking into a new hotel / hostel, pick up two business cards. Invaluable for telling tour bookers, taxi drivers, other travellers, etc where your staying - we stay in so many different places that often we don't actually remember the names ("it's, like, the place four streets down and two blocks over... you know it????" Doesn't work too well when we can't speak each others language!).
• Hotels - always ask to see a number of rooms before deciding on one - often they hold back their better rooms, trying to move their crappier ones first. Always ask "Is there a better room (for the same price)?"
• Develop a "Good cop / Bad cop" routine when negotiating a room rate - works awesomely well!
• After negotiating a room rate, get the receptionist to write it in their bookings book (in INK) - if they won't do this (because they don't want other guests to see how low you've got them down) then write it on one of their business cards in front of them and get them to initial. If they won't - walk. Many receptionists "forget" the rate they initially offered and get quite aggressive when you come to check out.
• When planning itinerary, consider starting in less developed countries - you meet heaps of really amazing people who you can go see when you hit the developed countries!
• Taxis - always agree the total fare (including "tolls", "entrance fees", "baggage", "gringo tax", "bugger it I just want to charge you more money" costs) before getting into the cab. If the English is not perfect, write it down and get the driver to agree
• Taxis - In most third world countries taxi prices are highly negotiable. Firstly ask around if there's a flat in-town rate (normally is). If not, negotiate hard - normally we got them for 30-50% of the original ask
• Taxis - learn the local language for "SLOW DOWN PLEASE! (You're going to kill us!!!!)"
• Dental floss is really useful to sew ripped bags, shoes and other tough stuff together
• In almost all bars in the USA we needed picture ID to get into bars (even when you're over 30!!)
• Buy lots of Duty Free alcohol - it helps with "readjustment" when you get home
• Most comfortable place on a bus is about 3-4 rows back from driver - not as rocky. Also, in most third world countries the font row is reserved for women travelling either by themselves or with kids

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