My first time traveling to Peru could have easily been my last. My first impression of Peru was the beachside resort village of Mancora. Mancora embodies everything that is horrible about over-touristed travel destinations, including the worst hostel ever!

Mancora is well located on the coast of northern Peru. The beach is actually quite nice, has great surf and predictable afternoon breezes that

photo: Theodore Scott on flickr

So, why do I think Mancora is so horrible, and what about this hideous hostel experience? First, the beach in Mancora isn’t open and accessible without going through either a hotel or a restaurant, it’s like trying to get out of a casino.

And the hostel…so, here’s the deal: I had made the mistake of booking a Loki hostel ahead of my arrival in Mancora. Booking ahead meant that the money was already spent…always a risk, I know, but the pictures looked nice, so I went for it. Loki hostels are a chain operating in Bolivia and Peru. They’re foreign owned, operate in a handful of already over-touristed destinations and add to the ugliness of tourism.

Upon checking in, I was immediately adorned with a wrist band that I would need to get in and out of the gate. Now, I can understand that maybe management thinks that this practice is in my best interest – you know, keeping the “bad” people out, but in reality, the wrist bands are about branding for Loki. This presents two problems. 1) I can be immediately identified by thieves and other ne’er do wells as a patron of Loki and marked as someone who must be an absolute sucker. 2) I’m forced now to be a walking advertisement for what amounts to be a corporate franchise. A bit ironic, methinks.

So, having been marked with the Loki brand, I was now free to roam the dusty streets of Mancora. I like beer. I like to drink beer poolside. Loki has a pool but their beer selection is limited and the prices are hyper-inflated. I did what any logical person would do and purchased some beer at the bodega outside the gate. I wasn’t allowed to take the beer back inside the hallowed Loki grounds.

The folks at Loki claim:

We are a group of backpackers
who met in Lima, Peru and over a
number of nights out decided to build
a hostel

I wonder if they, as a “group of backpackers” would like to be treated the way they treat their customers?

While traveling the globe and relating my stories to people unfamiliar with travel, some form of this question almost always comes up. Aren’t you scared? Won’t you get robbed?

It’s a common travel question and I certainly understand why people ask it, but at the same time, it’s doesn’t seem very well thought out to me. Seriously, I was traveling in New Zealand and was asked this question by a local: “Aren’t you scared?” In New Zealand of all places? I was stymied.

Where Does This Mentality Come From?

I can’t say for sure, but I think a few different factors feed in to the thinking that travel is somehow inherently dangerous.

• Media Sensationalism

Imagine if the mainstream media reported on every traveler who didn’t get mugged or robbed. That wouldn’t make for very good headlines, but the fact is, plenty of people travel the world without incident and the incidents we hear are few and far between when compared to the shear number of people who travel.

• State Department Warnings

Nobody reports their experiences with not getting robbed, mugged or scammed to their embassy. If nothing awful happens to a traveler, the embassy probably doesn’t even know they exist. State Department advisories and warnings have their place, and I’ll get to that later.

• Unfamiliarity

There’s a good chance that you could be robbed, mugged or scammed while in your home country or hometown. But it probably doesn’t happen because you know how things work there. You know which areas to avoid. You understand what situations to avoid. You hang out with familiar people who you know and trust.

Are You Saying Travel is Completely Safe Then?

No, of course not. There are many factors that make a place more or less dangerous than another. Local laws and law enforcement (or the lack of) will shape what kinds of crime exist and what sort of risks criminals will take. For instance, in Romania, violent crime is dealt with very harshly, while pick-pocketing is not, so of course, pickpocketing is very common but in the case of Romania, you’re not going to be targeted simply because you are a traveler. Criminals there are equal opportunists.

Local economics also play a huge role in the types of crimes and scams that might be common in the area. If people are poor, hungry, desperate and have no hope of earning an honest living they may very well resort to scams or crime. It isn’t personal but as a traveler, you could be targeted specifically because you are seen to have more.

All of that said, let’s not lose sight of the one common denominator here: People. People, no matter where you go in the world, want to live a peaceful existence. They want to raise their families. They want the same basic things that you or I want. People aren’t evil by nature, no matter where they live.

How to Minimize Your Risk

I’ve been to some dodgy places. Kashmir comes to mind. Everybody there had a gun but me. I’ve been in parts of Mexico at the beginning of an uprising. I’ve been in some extremely safe places that are relatively crime-free. In Taiwan, for example, I once left my iPhone in a taxi cab. I actually got it back. I’m not sure that would have happened anywhere else in the world. I’ve only ever had something stolen once, and while that was a bummer, I think that considering the amount of time I’ve put in traveling, it’s pretty good odds.

Here are some handy tips for minimizing your risk:
• Common Sense

I know what “they” say. Common sense ain’t so common and that is evidenced by the fact that many people become victims by taking risks that they shouldn’t have.

1. Moderation in Drinking

The temptation to get caught up in having a good time with fellow travelers is strong. Go ahead, have a good time but don’t overdo it. You should know your own limits and you should stick to them. If you’re incapacitated by drinking your judgement will become diminished, your reaction time will be slowed. You will become more likely to make mistakes.

2. Avoid areas that aren’t well lit.

Especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area.

3. Try not to be alone

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t travel solo, but if you are alone, try to stick to areas where there are other people.

4. Be aware

I call this “paying attention to my spidey-senses”. Be vigilant, pay attention to your surroundings. Listen to your own intuition, and if something doesn’t feel right, get out.

5. Know the risks

Having knowledge of what kinds of crimes are common in the area where you are traveling will help you spot a scam or a dangerous situation. That’s where State Department travel information comes in handy. Some scams or diversion tactics have the same elements worldwide, some are more regional or local. Know what you’re likely to encounter so that you can recognize it for what it is early.

So my answer to “Isn’t it dangerous?” is no, not really, at least not so much that I’m going to let that notion keep me from exploring the world around me.

I’ve written before about my hatred for the TSA, and they just seem to continue giving me fodder.

The news isn’t even two-weeks old yet about this travel nightmare: A 95-year-old woman was forced to remove her adult diaper during airport screening:

While going through the airport’s security checkpoint, a TSA officer performed a pat down on Weber’s mother, Weber told CNN. After an officer felt something “suspicious” on her leg, Weber’s mother was taken into a private room for further inspection. The officer then told Weber that her mother’s Depend undergarment was soiled and prevented a complete pat down from being done. The officer asked for it to be removed, which Weber did in a restroom.

“It’s something I couldn’t imagine happening on American soil,” Weber told the Panama City News-Herald Friday. “Here is my mother, 95 years old, 105 pounds, barely able to stand, and then this.”

And now these bumbling morons have allowed a Nigerian man to board a plane in New York with a forged boarding pass and somebody else’s I.D. Apparently the man was held for questioning after he landed in Los Angeles, but was released. He was later arrested after attempting to board a plan in Los Angeles, again with a forged boarding pass. The man was allegedly in possession of no less than 10 other boarding passes in the names of other people.

For all of the invasive searches and humiliation we should probably feel much safer than we do for it.

As oil prices skyrocketed over the past several months we all heard airlines pleading poverty. Consumers were told that flight schedules would be cut and airfares would rise. When booking air travel people were charged for fuel costs, when checking in, passengers were charged fees for checking luggage. First fees were added to check a second bag, then many airlines started charging for a first checked bag. There are valid arguments on both sides of this issue. Many people feel that the carriers should simply roll the fee into the base price for a ticket so that you know how much the trip will cost upon purchase. I happen to understand that it would be a bad business decision to be the first airline to charge more for a certain route…potential customers would flock to the lower priced competitors. I also believe that because more weight requires more fuel it’s only fair that the people who two huge suitcases pay more than someone who travels light. Ever travel to Europe? Baggage fees are commonplace there. People travel with less, and restrictions on liquids, especially hygiene products, don’t seem to bother Europeans much.

Here’s some food for thought on the airline industry. I’m pretty sure they’re screwing us. The obvious thing, staring us right in the face, is that now, as fuel prices take a nose dive (unlikely to last..I know) we haven’t heard of any of the major carriers easing fuel surcharges, baggage fees, or any of the other fees that were instituted during the price run up on oil. Something else to consider: business groups in many destination locales often subsidize seats on flights. The point is that airlines aren’t going broke due to a lack of revenue, they lose money due to poor management tactics.

In the U.S. Southwest Airlines turns a profit. They do it without charging fuel surcharges, checked bag fees or selling snacks. They do it because their management is interested in turning a profit for the company and creating value for the stockholder. Same goes for Ryanair in Europe – though they do charge baggage fees, they are a no frills carrier and often sell tickets for little more than the taxes.

Fuel costs are a big buzzkill for us all, but somehow we make it. We change our priorities and manage our lives differently. We figure it out. The airlines could to if not for the greed of the management.

American Airlines and presumably its competitors are re-structuring the miles required for rewards flights. October 1, 2008 American’s new rewards structure will take effect. Travelers wishing to book award tickets at the current miles per award rate need to book prior to September 30, 2008. The current rewards scheme will apply even for travel after the 30th of September, provided it is booked before then.

None of American’s lower level awards are affected directly. All MileSAAver(SM) awards remain at their current levels (25,000 miles for a U.S. domestic flight – etc) but with the future of the carrier in question, it’s probably safe to assume that fewer of these awards will be available. Then again, with the state of airlines as it is today and the government’s recent unwillingness to bail bankrupt airlines out, your frequent flier miles may be worthless soon anyhow.

My advice: use your frequent flier miles or lose ‘em and if booking any air travel, make sure to pay for it on credit.