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Why Do We Take Risks Abroad that We Wouldn't at Home?

4/23/2014

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By John Roberts

After a bit of haggling, I negotiated a nice group discount with the tour operator to get our pack of 12 out to the caves for a tubing adventure in Belize. So, we happily piled into the driver's van to set off for a great day enjoying a popular activity in this wonderful sun-splashed Central American country.

Colleen, my wife, had to sit on my lap, other wives and girlfriends did the same with their men, and there were nowhere near enough seatbelts for everyone. None of this fazed us as we set off on our ride. The cave tubing and hiking was a blast.

Our return trip, though, got a little too hairy. A tire on the van blew, and we swerved all over the road. I can still feel the wobbling of the unsteady van and see in my mind how close we came to the edge of the drop-off in the road, just certain in that moment in 2009 that we would be rolling over in the van and down a slight embankment, yet uncertain whether we would be living to tell this tale. The driver straightened the van at the last instant and came to a safe stop to change the tire, and everything ended up fine.  

Whenever we talk about that day, we laugh a bit, but Colleen says she was sure we were going to die. We also wonder why we ever would get into a vehicle that was so overcrowded and without the proper safety equipment.

Do you see yourself piling in for a ride? Maybe you've already done this a few times.
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Why do we do this? As an American, I wouldn't be likely to get into these types of transportation back home without making some sort of fuss or simply refusing. In a foreign land, we give a huge amount of leeway because of the "Well, that's just how they do it over here. We'll be fine, I suppose . . ." factor. (How often have you held your breath and gritted your teeth hoping for the best?)

We also realize that we have traveled a long way to get to our desired location, and our day of sightseeing or other excursion is at hand. We either climb aboard that bus or "we have come all this way for nothing."

These rationalizations or some version of them might play a part in our decisions. As travelers, we are forced to place a lot of trust into people in governments. We also understand that we are rolling the dice occasionally. I know major commercial airlines and cruise lines don't typically fit this bill, but these highly publicized incidents led me to the topic overall.

I mean, we never really know the qualifications of the person driving that ferry, boat or taxi or tuk tuk. Are there any regulations? Gut instinct often rules the day. 


There is just no way I get onboard this train.
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I got to thinking about this again in recent days in light of yet another tragic public transportation story.

They still are pulling young bodies out of a capsized South Korean ferry. In addition, the search continues for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, and we can't ever forget the Costa Concordia sinking that killed 32 people off the coast of an Italian island in January 2012. 

A number of other tragedies dot history, and countless near-misses likely have gone unreported. I'm sure you might have a story to tell in your travels of that crammed chicken bus with overworn tires that you clambered aboard or a leaky boat with an outboard motor spewing oil you hopped into without a thought while exploring a remote river. 

Ferries around the world are regularly packed tightly. Any rules in place? 
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The best we can do, I believe . . .

  • Research your destination as thoroughly as possible well before you arrive. 

  • Know your travel arrangements, and have a backup plan, if possible.

  • If your instinct tells you something is not right, don't get in. 

  • Don't be bullied or forced to travel in a way you don't want to. 

Please comment below to explain how you deal with these types of transportation challenges in your travels. Let's help each other be safe as possible. 



Travel happy and travel safe!

JR
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Back to Belize. I Didn't Buy an Engagement Ring This Time.

3/1/2014

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There it is -- the Diamonds International where we picked out the engagement ring back in 2004.
Though I had been just once before last month, Belize had always held a very, very special place in my heart. Why, you ask?

Well, it happens to be the place where I bought the engagement ring for Colleen. She was there to pick it out herself, actually. This was on our second cruise. We sailed on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas with a bunch of friends to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of our cruisemates. It seems like so long ago. It has been nine years or more, as I recall. The memories of our stop came rushing back a few weeks ago when I cruised to the Central American nation again -- this time on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas.

This time, it was for a freelance writing assignment. And this time, my brother Bart joined. This marks our first cruise together.

This time, I cave tubed again.

But this time, the vehicle didn't blow a tire and risk flipping over in a ditch.

Yeah, that happened to CMac and me on that first visit to Belize -- after our tubing outing. Perhaps that's why we decided to buy the ring right after that harrowing experience -- realizing just how short life can be.

Ha! I'm kidding. No I'm not.

It was all a blur. We stopped into Diamonds International at the pier. I can remember picking out the ring, making the purchase, celebrating with a couple beers the salespeople brought to us (it was a nice touch, indeed), then watching tender after tender head back to the ship while the jeweler tried and failed to get the setting right (it was very crooked). Well, with the last tender ready to leave, we told them we had to grab the ring and go. We planned to get the setting fixed at our next port in Costa Maya, which also has a Diamonds International (it came out fine, probably because the jeweler wasn't so rushed).

Anyways, Bart and I also enjoyed some cave tubing as well as zip-lining and much more as part of my assignment in Belize.

Here are the highlights of our day spent with the Caribbean excursion company Chukka . . .  

We arrived, we zipped, we tubed (slide show below).

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National Symbol: We started our day on a bus, being driven to the national park area where the zip-lining and cave tubing facility is located. On the way, we were told of the importance of the mahogany tree. The national tree of Belize is highly valued for its importance to the nation's commerce since the 17th century, when British settlers began sending logs back to the United Kingdom. In the early 1900s, it was noted that the forests were nearing exhaustion after more than a century of exploitation. Conservation measures were put into place, and today, the country designates protected areas for mahogany trees and implements sustainable logging practices. This traffic circle is home to a sculpture depicting the gold mahogany leaf. 

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We arrived at the park and got set up for our flurry of active adventures. On the hike in to zipline and cave tube in the Crystal Caves, we noted plenty of interesting sights in the rain forest. The facility had a nice seating area where we would have our lunch (tasty rice and chicken) and get to enjoy a wine tasting, too. Belizeans apparently like to make wines out almost anything. The flavors we tried we very strong. I did not care for any of them. The bottles lined up in the gallery below include: cashew, blackberry, grapefruit, pineapple, sorrel, tamarind and soursop. (Pucker face!)

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Flavor to Savor: Once again guest hosting this regular segment is Bart. My brother came through with Belikin Beer to help quench our thirsts and wash down our meals. We enjoyed this classic continental European-style lager. The "Beer of Belize" has been brewed since 1969 and is exported to the United States if you want to give it a try.  

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A Great Trip With My Brother on a Royal Caribbean Cruise

2/18/2014

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By John Roberts


We had a blast. It was even more fun than I would have imagined. Bart and I live in separate states and have for quite a while. So, we don't get together as often as we'd like. I was happy when he was able to get a week off at a moment's notice and join me on a work trip.
That's right, I was working, and Bart was playing. Boy, did he ever.
I couldn't have asked for a better wing man to help me mix and mingle with all the new journalist friends we met while checking out the newly refurbished Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas as we sailed out of Galveston, Texas, to the Caribbean ports of Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Let's relive some of the food and fun and physical acts that we enjoyed during our weeklong getaway.

The Food ...   

The Fun ...   
As always, thanks so much for reading. 
Travel happy,
JR
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