Malaria be Aware

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Title – Malaria be Aware
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 31st March 2008

I have travelled to many of the parts of the world where the blight of Malaria has a crippling grip on local populations. That 300 million people a year are affected by this debilitating disease and well over a million die, can not leave anyone in any doubt that it is one of the world’s most disgraceful truths, that a curable and preventable disease still has such a grip over so many.

On my travels to these countries I still (and increasingly) come across travellers who ignore the readily available facts about this disease and most annoyingly not only put their own health in severe danger, but preach to others with bravado that travel without the use of Malaria prophylactics is somehow a sign of a hardened traveller.

These people are not just ignorant and a danger to themselves, but irresponsible and arrogant beyond belief. The very fact that they question the cost of the pills while still being able to travel round the world is both selfish and naïve. Malaria is not necessarily a life threatening disease if you are lucky enough to have access to first class medical care and UK travellers might know they have the protection of the NHS should they contract Malaria. But be in no doubt, Malaria is no fun to have, while it rarely kills UK citizens, it can; it will ruin your trip and your year, you will be more ill then at almost any other time in your life; some strains of the disease can also reoccur, so while you may think that a few months off work at this point in your life is an acceptable risk, after the second or third occurrence, you will start to regret the relatively low expense and ‘inconvenience’ of taking a few pills on your trip.

I seem to have the same argument with the people I meet on my travels who tell everyone they meet what a hero they are for not taking prophylactic drugs. I present the facts and dispel the myths; that they don’t get bitten; that they have a josstick that protects them against bites; that they drink lots of G&T or eat marmite sandwiches. I thought that the internet and better education had stopped this uneducated approach to medical myth, but apparently not.

Can you tell how much these ignorant people grate on me yet? It’s not them, but those they try and influence that concern me, in my less tolerant moods I wish the NHS would charge them the thousands of pounds of tax payers money that is ‘wasted’ on the large proportion of the 2000 British citizens that contract Malaria while abroad each year because they don’t take adequate and wholly available preventative measures.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop presents the real facts. Not just how to protect yourself from Malaria by visiting your doctor or travel clinic before you travel, but the equally important measures you should be taking to prevent yourself being bitten in the first place. We are in the business of presenting the facts and dispelling all those myths that do the rounds of hostels and guest houses, throughout the Malaria belt and beyond.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Mystery of lad, 20 who vanished on gap year in Africa

Title – Mystery of lad, 20 who vanished on gap year in Africa
Source – London Lite
Date – 27th March 2008

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, their son or daughter travels to a part of the world they only ever learned about in geography lessons alongside stories of great explorers and then out of the blue their child falls off the radar. This case of Ayden Savaskan is about as frightening as they come, away in a country that many people have never even heard of, on a continent that is well known for political unrest, lawlessness and violence, including kidnappings. With today’s access to mass media and the horror stories that seem to appear on a daily basis, many people will assume the worst.

The world is truly open these days and very few countries are totally out of bounds to the intrepid traveller, but that doesn’t mean that they are all safe or that the things we take for granted are available in these countries. Travellers regularly change plans, they meet fellow travellers in a hostel, meet local people who offer them an opportunity to do something a little different or recommend a different way to the one they had planned and they follow that course. This in itself is one of the exciting things about travel and often leads to experiences otherwise missed, that often end up being the most memorable. But they can also lead to travellers getting wrapped up in the moment and forgetting basic safety measures and the concerns of those that they leave behind at home.

Communication with home and making others aware of your plans even when they change at the last moment, provides a vital safety line when something goes wrong. It gives others who want to help you a starting point to work from, but possibly even more importantly it gives your friends and family peace of mind.

Travelling 15 years ago, before the internet and before widespread use of the mobile phones, communication was much more difficult and people were expected to be out of contact often for long periods of time. Letters would be sent to deposits at predefined post offices and travellers would make every effort to get there within the specified time frames to receive news from home. This didn’t mean that people worried less, but just that they understood when a month went by without word; these days that is no longer the case. Here in the UK, if you are due to meet someone and you are running a little late, it is expected of you to send a text update; the pace of life today is truly much faster.

But many countries have vast areas without access to the internet or mobile phone signal. Wrapped up in the moment, travellers jump at opportunities presented to them and only later consider the implications when they find themselves without a means of communication. If they feel completely safe in what they are doing somehow they feel that others should not be worried, younger adults may simply not appreciate that their parent have been worrying about them all their lives and when they are so far away from home the level of concern is vastly exaggerated.

Fortunately this concern is often short lived as suddenly travellers come across an internet café or suddenly come into an area with a mobile phone signal in the most unexpected places and manage to send a quick message. However occasionally this ‘black-out’ goes on for weeks and even months; parents, friends and other relatives start to ask questions and alert authorities and unfortunately sometimes their worst fear are realised. Aydan fortunately turned up shortly after this article was published, unusually in the custody of the French police in Paris. Despite this situation in itself that would usually frighten most parents, his parents are relieved that they have the opportunity to help unravel the situation in France where due process can be followed and where they at least understand the processes rather than Benin which is so alien to them..

Staying in touch is easier these days then it has ever been, but this in itself means that those you leave behind are more prone to worry about you if they don’t hear from you then ever. Setting up and outlining the way you are going to communicate and the frequency with which you will stay in touch is more important than ever. When you change your plans, tell someone; it will stop those you love and who love you worrying and will make your journey safer.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop examines the issues surrounding staying in touch while you are away and the effect your travels have on those you leave behind. It is certainly not a sign of weakness to update every one of your plans and to provide yourself with a safety net for when you may be at your most vulnerable.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Finn held over Easter Island ear

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Title – Finn held over Easter Island ear
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th March 2008

When we travel to other countries we have a responsibility to act and behave in a way that shows respect for the people, the culture and the history of that country. Travel can be a way of bringing valuable income to local people, more openness to countries that are isolated and to share cultures between hosts and visitors. But the key is to remember as travellers we are visitors and we are privileged to visit the countries we do. It is in no way our right to visit them and we always have to remember that we should firstly only visit places where we will be welcomed and to not abuse the generosity and friendliness of the communities that do open their doors to us.

Unfortunately there are too many trophy hunters around, people that think it is acceptable to help themselves to artefacts and trinkets that sometimes are hundreds if not thousands of years old. It is a trait that colonising countries like the UK have a history of doing. When we the British first explored the world trophies were currency of exploration, treasures from other kingdoms were stolen and presented to the kings and queens of the day or sold on for profit.

But those days are long behind us, with the advent of the camera and now the even more accessible digital camera on everything from an ipod to mobile phones, we can travel and retain all our memories without the need to plunder. Simple courtesy, politeness and common decency tell us that when we are invited somewhere we don’t help ourselves when we arrive. When you go for dinner at a friend’s house you don’t help yourself to the family silver!
This Finnish tourist acted in a manner so despicable that many will agree he should spend the whole seven years in gaol, but in the end he got away with a fine and a 3 year ban from Easter Island; let’s hope that when he gets home he gets what he really deserves and is vilified by the Finnish press and his friends. We have to send out the strongest message to everyone who travels that this sort of behaviour is not only despicable, but jeopardises not just the historic statues he chose to vandalise, but all our open invitations to visit these fascinating places. It sets a precedent that either others will follow or that will result in the local authorities restricting access to these world heritage sights.

Responsible and Ethical travel is a buzzword in the travel industry at the moment and operators are being expected to take stronger stances on environmental policies and local policies towards local communities. The pressure is starting to have a little effect and some travel operators are taking steps in the right direction, but it is equally, if not more important, that travellers themselves take steps to conduct themselves in a suitable manner. Learning about the local culture, understanding the heritage of the country and learn as much as you can when you are in-country.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop examines the aspects of cultural awareness to allow you to start the process of understanding how your travels can reduce the impact you will have on your host, how your travels can benefit the local communities you visit and how you will benefit from a more responsible and ethical approach.

It should be remembered that as abhorrent the actions of this Finnish man may have been, the courage of the fellow tourist to report him to the local authorities should be applauded as a perfect example of responsible tourism.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

‘Manners Police’ hit Japan metros

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Title – ‘Manners Police’ hit Japan metros
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 25th March 2008

Let’s set the scene; you are on the London Underground, grappling with one of the free papers thrust upon you as you try and avoid being swept along in the crowd onto the wrong platform. Fighting for a seat does not even cross you mind, after all when was the last time you actually managed to sit down on the tube?

Standing next to you on the platform, on one side is a young lady obviously several months pregnant, on the other is an old man who has braved the underground with the assistance of his trusty walking stick and just in front of you is a city worker, lost in his FT, desperate to get to his destination if only to regain his mobile phone signal. The tube stops in front of all four of you and remarkably there is one free seat. Who do you think is going to get it?

Survival of the fittest does sometimes seem to take precedent to respect in our society here in the UK. Anyone who takes the tube on a regular basis in London will be familiar with the feeling of surprise when someone does actually get up and offer their seat to another passenger, most hide behind a free newspaper or laptop and pretend they don’t notice anyone else. Many will have witnessed people who clearly need a seat being left standing and struggling in the crowd. Some will have witnessed the abhorrence of an offered seat being taken by someone else rather than the person it was originally offered to.

But we should never confuse what is ‘acceptable behaviour’ at home with what is acceptable when we visit new countries. What many people in the UK will frown on as rude behaviour other cultures will see as unacceptable, disrespectful and inexcusable.

Japan and the Japanese people have long been known for their respectful culture, by most they have been admired for it and visitors to Japan should familiarise themselves with the culture in order to avoid causing offence in their behaviour. By its very nature the respect they have means that they will often not demonstrate outwardly their displeasure at the actions of short sighted visitors who act in a manner they find distasteful, but at the same time those individuals will be frozen out and will not be afforded the protection that respect carries.

Japan is a very safe country, levels of crime are low and very few visitors face anything more than language problems. Visitors that gain an understanding of the Japanese culture will find the effort made by their hosts to make them feel welcome, easily compensates for the lack of common language and this alone enables a level of communication without the need for a common language.

Sadly even Japan is changing and the ‘Manners Police’ have their work cut out, requiring bodyguards to protect them in extreme cases, but these are unlikely to be what we expect by bodyguards and an outburst of violence against a respected older gentleman in Japan is about as likely as you being offered a seat on a busy tube train in London. Imagine if the Japanese ‘Manners Police’ were deployed on the London Underground…..

Gaining a Cultural Awareness of your destination should be a vital step of your travel planning. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you to gain this knowledge and avoid you being subject to ‘harassment’ from the ‘Manners Police’ on your arrival

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Fire Safety Advice for Travellers

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Title – Fire Safety Advice for Travellers
Source – The Travel Magazine
Date – 23rd March 2008

Fire safety is often overlooked amongst the list of subjects you need to consider when planning your travels; after all you probably have enough on your plate already and may feel a like you are being paranoid, but are you?

We tend to protect ourselves from the risks that we know about and although we are all very aware of the risk of fire, it is something we do have a tendency to take for granted in the UK. The laws on fire safety under the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 (Fire Safety) and associated Building Control laws set strict guidelines for public buildings in the UK, both in the way they are constructed and the way they are operated. Every premises has to perform regular Fire Risk Assessments and Fire Safety Training such as that provided by Beyond The Blue.

But just as this provides a degree of safety for us at home it can lead us to be complacent when we visit countries where regulation is not enforced and the awareness of fire safety is much lower. There have over the years been a number of tragedies including the Hostel fire in Chile in February 2007 and the Arson Hostel Fire in Australia in June 2000; but there are many many more close escapes that go unreported in all corners of the world.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the risks are confined to cheap hostels, those building constructed of combustible materials and to countries we consider to be part of the ‘developing world’; fire can strike anywhere and at any time, it’s your ability to detect it and escape safely that is most important. I was only recently staying in a relatively expensive hotel in Manila when I came down to the lobby to ask for directions, only to find part of the lobby on fire and 3 fire engines tackling the blaze. The alarm was sounding in the lobby but not on the 5th floor where my room was. I have stayed in a ‘hostel’ in Mongolia which was in the upper floors of an old soviet style apartment block, where at night they padlocked the gates in the stairwells for ‘safety’; I dread to think what would have happened had a fire broken out. I have also been in too many bars and nightclubs all round the world, where maximum capacities were ignored and fire escape routes were obscured or locked.

Fire safety does not mean being paranoid and it doesn’t need to ruin your trip or your enjoyment, even taking 5 minutes to familiarise yourself with your environment will give you a better idea than most. Most travellers will check a room before agreeing to book into a guest house or hotel, many will object or ask for a new room if cleanliness is not up to standard or the room is unpleasant. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop (GYITSA) we provide you with the basic knowledge you will need to perform dynamic risk assessments of not just the unexpected everyday risks you face on your travels but also on those that are predictable, such as the fire safety. Before you fret at the mere mention of ‘Risk Assessment’, don’t worry, we are not going to make you fill in any long forms or turn you into a bore; Dynamic Risk Assessment is just about a logical systematic way of evaluating the situations you find yourself in, to allow you to make decisions based on sound judgements.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Dalai Lama attacks ‘cultural genocide’

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Title – Dalai Lama attacks ‘cultural genocide’
Source – The Independent
Date – 17th March 2008

Tibet is closed to the world once again, when it will reopen is anyone’s guess but with the Olympics 5 months away it could be some time and independent travellers should probably not make any plans in the short term. Even if it does reopen before the games extreme caution should be exercised and serious consideration given to changing plans and visiting other parts of the region or the world. However other countries in the region have their own difficulties; Nepal has faced its fair share of problem in the last few years and even the peaceful tiny country of Bhutan is starting to experience small scale disturbances as it transfers from an absolute monarchy to a form of democracy.

It is very likely that even if Tibet reopens its doors, it will remain highly militarised and further violent confrontation will remain a very real possibility, if not a probability. Foreigners should note that the problems in Tibet are very deep-seated and getting involved or joining protest in Tibet itself is very ill-advised. The Chinese crackdown will pay little or no attention to the nationality of those involved, if reports even by the government, of live gunfire being used to quell the protest are as many believe under-reported, then it is a fair assumption that the numbers of dead can already be counted in the hundred plus region; joining a protest in Tibet itself is very different to standing outside the Chinese embassy in London with a free Tibet flag. I am not saying that people should not protest, in fact I urge people to visit sites like www.freetibet.org, but do so here in the UK where you have the freedom to influence in safety and don’t think that the myths of Tibet and the spiritual homeland of the Dalai Lama will give you any immunity, it will not. That spirit is being quashed by the Chinese army and they will crush anything along with it, including those unwelcome visitors.

What the Chinese don’t seem to be able to realise is that their actions are destroying the very fabric of a country. Tibet without the Tibetans, Tibet without the Buddhist monks, Tibet without the Buddhist monasteries and Tibet without their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, is a country (or province if you happen to be in the Chinese government) without a soul. The one thing they can not remove is the Himalayas, the spectacular mountains crowned by Everest itself. But they must soon realise that the mountains alone are not what drives people to save for years to visit Tibet, they alone do not make the experience. The experience is in the history of the people who live on top of the world, who have made it spiritually almost unparalleled on the planet and who draw people from every part of the world just to get a glimpse at this most interesting of cultures, that compliments its environment and can teach us all about the best way to save the rest of the planet.

In 2007 8% of the Chinese economy was as a direct result of the ‘fake’ trade, fake Nike trainers, fake Rolex watches, fake Hot Tuna t-shirts, fake antiques, fake medicines, fake anything… including fake chicken eggs... In fact the Chinese seem to be able to take anything and replicate it more cheaply, of a less good quality and often at great detriment to those who purchase the fakes. Estimates put the death toll from fake medicines in China alone at over 200,000 already; but the trade in all fakes continues unabated and while it accounts for such a large part of the overall economy, don’t expect it to change any time soon.

Travellers love the fakes they can pick up, they love how cheaply they can obtain products in places like China that cost ten times as much or more at home, but be warned, there is a reason they are so cheap and it is not all down to corporate greed. Fakes are always poor quality, they break, shrink and harm users, it the worst case scenario they can be life threatening. Temptation is a terrible thing, but this is one area where avoiding temptation will not only save you money, it may well save you and will certainly help convince governments like the Chinese that they need to rein in this trade and eliminate it.

The one thing they can’t fake in China, despite trying everything within their power; they can’t fake that which makes Tibet so special, they can’t fake the spirituality, they can’t fake the culture and they can’t force the integration they have been seeking for nearly 50 years. Travellers have a duty to ensure that the Tibetan people are supported, that their real culture is supported and that the Chinese (whatever their future role may be in Tibet) are not allowed to ‘fake’ and sell Tibet. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop helps those attending to travel safely and to understand the real culture of their destination and how their visit can be a force of positive change rather than a capitulation in favour of oppressive governments.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Climbers banned from Everest as China seeks to stop protests on summit

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Title – Climbers banned from Everest as China seeks to stop protests on summit
Source – The Independent
Date – 17th March 2008

For years now the Chinese government has been seeking to ingratiate itself with the rest of the world and the rest of the world has been happy to turn a blind eye to their appalling human rights record and promote all that is good in China; massive economic growth, economic growth prospects that other governments ignore at their peril (after all they we want a cut of the action to come), development at a pace not seen since the industrial revolution and what seemed to be a process of opening up a country that for decades was closed to the rest of the world and marginalised. But no longer; China is no shrinking violet and I have yet to find anyone to contradict the view that China is well on it’s way to becoming the ‘third super-power’. So should we be worried and what can we do?

Well realistically there is nothing much we can do, China is well on the way to being one of the world’s economic super powers and is using this new wealth to build its military power, no one is really in any doubt that its intentions are to become a force to be reckoned with in the world.

What should concern us is not that China is growing, because to a degree that it great for the Chinese people themselves, what should concern us is how it is achieving this massive growth and at what cost? For a few years now the Chinese PR machine has been pumping out good news stories, ever since the Tiananmen square massacre, there have not really been too many headline bad news stories about China and governments are terrified to criticise or highlight those that do come out for fear of China ‘cutting them off’. So the world has not had to deal with its conscience too much, because we have managed to conveniently ignore the millions that have been forcible removed for controversial 3 rivers dam project and the millions that have been forcibly been moved to make way for expanding cities and the million that have been forcibly moved for the Olympics...

The latter however is starting to catch up with the Chinese and questions are staring to be asked about what measures the Chinese government are willing to take to ensure the success of the Games and what measures the opponents to the Chinese government are willing to take to highlight their causes while the worlds media spotlight is firmly pointed in their direction. The first big move in this chess game to really catch the world’s attention is Tibet and the continued struggle that has been playing out there for nearly 50 years since the Chinese annexation of that country. For anyone who thought the Chinese government had changed in that time and anyone who thought that they had liberalised, their action will come as a shock; for those who believe that the communist era was coming to an end and a pseudo dictatorship being established in its place, their actions will be less of a shock.

At the first sign of trouble, in go the troops, out come the guns, out go the cameras and media and out go the outside world’s eyes. As for the Tibetans, they face the full force of the Chinese military that has been slowly building in strength thanks to their new economic power. If the Tibetans faced the horror of their actions in the 80’s now they face an even stronger opponent, an opponent unwilling to change and opponent unwilling to enter into dialogue.

Travellers should take heed, especially this year. The Chinese authorities make no concessions to their own, let alone the outside world; the next 5 or 6 months in the lead up to the Olympics will be ‘interesting’ and unpredictable. For now Tibet has been closed, mount Everest has been all but closed and although China purports to be welcoming visitors in unprecedented numbers this summer, they and they alone will decide where those visitors go and what they do. Travel to China has always been tough, it may yet get tougher and travellers attending our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop are urged to plan travel with their own personal safety in mind, but also to examine the need for responsible and ethical travel as well. Travel can be a force for good in some countries, but only where there is an understanding of the problems in the countries you visit and an understanding of how to travel in a manner whereby you make a positive difference not a negative one.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

How Moko the dolphin gave humans a master class in saving stranded whales

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Title – How Moko the dolphin gave humans a master class in saving stranded whales
Source – The Times
Date – 13th March 2008

So you might justifiably ask the question, what has this story got to do with Gap Year and Independent Travel and well the link is a tentative one… it took place in New Zealand, somewhere very popular on the backpackers trail… I think that really is the best I could come up with, but I make no apology for including it.

In this blog I look mostly at news stories that may affect travellers to all parts of the world or have a message that we can learn from, by their nature these stories are often sad or bad news, so every so often we have to remind ourselves the world is still an amazing place, with amazing stories and still in many ways a complete mystery to even the brightest minds.

We know about so much in the world, we can identify the individual DNA of every individual on the planet from every other individual’s, we can manipulate nature for constructive and destructive purposes, but we still have a long long way to go. Take the biggest animal on the planet, the blue whale, still we know very little about this animal, it’s habits and breeding cycle and where they actually go for long periods of their lives when they disappear from our radar; still we discover new species and not just tiny insects, but even mammals in Borneo (cat), Papua(frogs, birds, plants, butterflies and much more) and Mongolia (long-eared jerboa); still we learn more about the incredible adaptations nature has managed through evolution, to allow species to survive where really they should have given up millions of years ago.

We should not forget that evolution is not something that happened, it is something that is happening, so we have many more delights to look forward to, things change, sometime for the worse but also sometimes for the better. Countries that were closed open and countries that were open close. Anyone who travels will have heard the story that starts “I went there some years ago before the tourists were going…” the stories which suggest that you have missed the boat by leaving it so long to go. I have to admit to starting many a story the same way, but I try and convince people that different is not bad, different can be good and sometimes different is just different. When I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia, that country had only recently opened its doors and mass tourism had not really kicked in. Talking to someone who visited in 2007, it sounds like it is more like a scene from Tiananmen Square in Beijing on the weekend than Indiana Jones as I remember it. So what did they think? They were blown away and their stories made me want to go back all over again. Was my experience better than theirs? No just different, both of us know exactly how lucky we were to get a chance to see this truly magnificent construction.

So back to Moko… myths and fairytales abound about dolphin rescue and they must be on the top ten list of everyone’s favourite animals, but this story is for me as amazing as they come. Travel is about new discovery; about new experiences; about learning from others; and about learning from ourselves. If anyone thinks they know it all then explain this to me, when the travel bore tells you they know everything ask them to explain this story. Maybe most importantly remember that is makes life more interesting when some things remain unexplained and with an air of mystery and the world is full of unexplained cultures and experiences to discover.

If we can take one thing from this story, one parallel, it is that communication is relative. Can Dolphins and Whales communicate? Nothing we know suggests they can, but do they need to 'talk' to communicate? I spent 2 weeks riding through the Mongolian Steppe a few years ago with just a Mongolian guide for company. He spoke no English and my Mongolian even now stretches to 5 words, of which many are commands for a horse (go, stop, greeting, thank you and bear…), But when I tell stories of that trip, I recount all the conversations we had and the many things I learned from my guide, so language is clearly not the solution to communication, certainly you can do without language, what you can’t do without is tolerance, appreciation of others and respect.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Foreign women must be more careful, Goa chief says after ‘murder’

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Title – Foreign women must be more careful, Goa chief says after ‘murder’
Source – The Times
Date – 5th March 2008

Whatever the rights or wrongs of this tragedy we have to accept that risk and danger comes in many forms and understanding it, goes some way to making travel safer and reducing culture shock. It simply can not be totally safe and it is clear that 15 old Scarlett was the victim of an unforgivable violent crime and that the local police tried to cover up, for reasons that we may never know. But it would not be the first time no justice or justice that seems a little too swift for comfort, is passed in order to try and avoid negative publicity for the country or resort whose economies rely heavily on the tourist dollar.

Scarlett’s mother had to go to unacceptable lengths to simply get the truth acknowledged, a situation which for us in the UK seems wholly unacceptable and one that should lead to a national outcry. But this is Goa in India, not the UK. Ask the average Indian if they are surprised by the police actions and you will get a very different point of view expressed.

India has had to deal with a number of high profile similar cases over the past few years that should lead us to believe that this is far from an isolated case. Children missing from Indian families living in the slums and body parts turning up in the property of a wealthy and connected businessman being covered up, poor Indians being bullied into accepting small compensation rather than justice or simply being ignored, seem to be all too common place.

So what has this got to do with culture shock? Well culture shock is more than understanding local traditions, local religions and local customs. Culture shock at its very core is understanding, accepting and living in the local way of life, good and bad. Culture shock is the feeling you get when you step off the plane in Marrakesh walk out of the airport door and are hit by the heat wave and are surrounded by hundreds of willing cab drivers and porters offering to help you out of kindness, culture shock is realising that when you are walking down the beach in your bikini in the remoter parts of Thailand and the local fishermen point at you and laugh; culture shock is when you walk through Tiananmen Square in Beijing China and the kids ask to have their picture taken with you and laugh and call ‘big nose’; culture shock is when you travel through any part of Madagascar and on entering a town by road are expected to pay a bribe to the gendarmerie, police or army and when you leave that same town via a different route and have to pay another bribe to whichever of the aforementioned agencies has negotiated the road block at that point.

Unfortunately culture shock in its worst form is the difference in priorities some law enforcement authorities have and what they believe they can get away with and culture shock can be getting to terms with local crime and other dangers that you may be unfamiliar with at home.

Understanding the culture and local dangers is a good starting point is to making your journey safer. It can not prevent tragedy and violent crime is an unfortunate factor in some of the areas we choose to travel to, but it can reduce the risks. What we must do is understand the realities of the places we visit and not believe in the myths. Goa has a reputation as an old ‘hippie’ hang-out, beautiful beaches, relaxed atmosphere, placid friendly people and to some it still feels like a great place to go and relive the sixties drug culture. This leaves some people with the impression that it is all safe and is a throwback to the days when children walked to school and played freely on the streets, where it is safe to leave your doors unlocked and not to question people’s intentions and integrity. Unfortunately this is not the case. Scarlett was the victim of a violent crime, a crime that has devastated a family. Sometimes no amount of understanding will protect us, but other times having a better understanding of the places we visit will reduce the risks we face. But when it does go wrong, we can with a little help and support and by learning from Scarlett’s mothers courage, challenge the status quo and seek justice where sometimes there seems to be none.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Guatemala bus crash kills dozens

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Title – Guatemala bus crash kills dozens
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd March 2008

Transport options in-country are sometimes limited and local options are sometime the only ones available and can be a great way to see the country from a new perspective, to meet new people and a to experience a way of life so alien from that we are used to at home.

But these experiences do unfortunately carry additional risk and in many ‘developing countries’ tragedies like this one in Guatemala are not altogether rare occurrences, more alarmingly when accidents do happen they often end in a great loss of life or serious injuries.

It is a risk of travel that we sometimes have, to a degree, to accept or avoid altogether. Emerging economies and poorer countries inevitably can not always manage the costs involved with the tight regulation we have in our transport networks, that have made them progressively safer. Without this regulation and yet having to supply these services to a poor population, means that in some countries quality tends to win over quality.

However we must remember that in many countries bus and boat journeys are the only way people can get about effectively and allows them to move from rural areas to urban ones to work and trade and to move between countries for the same reasons.

The risks need therefore to be put into some perspective. Is a bus journey in Guatemala less safe than one in the UK? Almost without doubt. Does that make a bus journey in Guatemala inherently dangerous? No, it means there is added risk as there is in almost anything we undertake, but it can be managed.

Understanding some simple signs to look for, asking some simple questions, collecting local information and getting local recommendation will all enable you to reduce the risks this or any type of travel involves. Having the courage to change your plans when certain answers you get to your questions suggest you should or when you see something you are uncomfortable with sounds easy, but can be remarkably difficult to make when you are put on the spot.

Consider the consequences before you make your choice, it’s not always simple to do and many travellers have opted instead to take the chance and hope for the best… it’s never worth it when put into context.

Our workshops will help you to put things into context, help you see beyond the obvious and help you to stop things happening out of the blue, as they rarely do if you know what to look for; we can help you see beyond the blue.

Please visit our website at

www.safegapyear.com