When we first travelled with our friend Susan we would say something like “oh I need a band-aid” or “does anyone have a wet wipe” and out of Susan’s magic backpack would emerge the desired item. After while it felt like being on the old “Let’s Make a Deal” when Monty Hall would ask if anyone had a raw egg. Susan did her research on what to pack (always including chocolate and peanut butter) on her own but some companies are trying to make this easier for travelers. So eBags for instance offers the Air Travel Essentials:

Air Travel Essentials If you are going on a trip by plane, you are going to want to have some necessary supplies for where you’re headed. The “Air Travel Essentials Kit” comes packaged in a thick clear slide-closing vinyl bag.

• 1 Survivor Industries® - Travel Safe First Aid Kit
• 1 Purell® Hand Sanitizer with Aloe
• 2 Shout® Wipes Stain Treater Towelette
• 1 Charmin To Go® Toilet Seat Covers
• 1 Charmin To Go® Bathroom Tissue
• 1 Jaraze® Sewing Kit
• 1 Kleenex® Tissues Pocket Pack
• 1 Gearaid® Mini Rolls Duct Tape (2 rolls)
• 1 BioZide® Disinfectant/Deodorant Pump Spray
• 2 Dramamine® Chewable Formula
• 1 Generic Poncho
• 1 Generic Small Flashlight

Raw egg not included.

Popularity: 50% [?]

We were riding down the escalator in the Paris Metro when someone in front of us bent down to pick up something and started backing up against us. My situational awareness told me something was wrong. “Check your wallet” I quickly said to a friend traveling with us. “I still have it” he said but about 50 feet later he realized that he was missing cash from another pocket. We had only been in Paris for a matter of minutes but the friend who we had talked into coming had been robbed.

You don’t have to talk to very many travelers to hear similar stories of being targeted with property crime in foreign locations. As in my story, the travelers are usually not at risk but their purse or wallet is. Pickpockets target travelers because they are less aware and more vulnerable. The vast majority of these stories would end differently if travelers would take simple precautions like using a money belt. My valuables were safely in a travel pouch (like a money belt but warn around the neck) so I was not worried that I was going to be robbed.

Another friend told us the story of his father who put his money in a money belt but left his credit card in his wallet in his back pocket and lost that to pickpockets in Prague. So he had all the right equipment but he has to lose points for execution of the plan as he lost the wallet.

For more safety tips check out this list at Travelhacker: 40+ Safety Tips for Solo Travelers.

Popularity: 22% [?]

If you are going to San Francisco for MacWorld this week and actually get weather that does not include rain, try and get out and see that beautiful city. A while back I recorded a soundseeing walking tour of San Francisco that starts from Union Square (near Moscone Center and the Apple Store).

• Soundseeing self-guided walking tour of San Francisco - Part 1 - including Union Square, China Town, Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral, Cable Car barn/museum, North Beach, Lombard Street.
• Soundseeing self-guided walking tour of San Francisco - Part 2 - including Pier 39, Street Musicians, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and a ride on a cable car.

And, of course, if you are going to MacWorld you are probably bringing your trusty iPhone with you. You can bring along this handy Google Map of the San Francisco Walking Tour which includes pictures .

If you are are in town I hope to meet you. I am planning on attending the 2008 Mac Podcaster Meetup at Macworld at Jillian’s @ Metreon on Thursday night.

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Popularity: 100% [?]

Saturday, July 8th
Time to say hello to Vieques again after a nine year absence. We drove from San Juan to the Fajardo ferry terminal and parked in the long term parking ($40 for a week). We bought our tickets ($2 each) and waited for the ferry to arrive. Prior to boarding everyone lines up in a fairly disorganized queue at a metal gate. When the gate opens it’s everyone for themselves and a rush to board. However, I’d expected this and told my kids this short term discomfort would soon be forgotten. If you expect the ferry to be like this you’ll deal with it OK. If you like airport style comfort, just pay the extra and fly. Once on the ferry everything is fine, it’s fairly new and well air-conditioned to the point of being actually quite cold. The ferry ride takes around an hour and then you disembark much the way you embarked. After the ferry docked Penny from the Seagate picked us up at the harbor & took us to the hotel. We stayed at the Seagate (787 741 4661) on our last trip and had a fabulous time and when we decided to return to Vieques the Seagate was our only option. It’s a nice perk that they’ll pick you up from the terminal so that you don’t have to deal with renting a taxi for what is only a pretty short ride to the hotel in Isabel Segunda. It’s set high up on the hill behind the Fort (El Fortin Conde de Mirasol) and offers 6 apartment style accommodations plus some additional houses & properties on the ground. It’s very down to earth and you feel at home the moment you arrive. The grounds are lush with tropical vegetation and you almost feel like you’re in El Yunque. Note - this is not your 5 star bells & whistle sterile casino style spa resort. If you like that try the Martineau and good luck to you. If you are less pretentious, like discovering the real island feel and like more down to earth surroundings the Seagate is for you. We love it and will not stay anywhere else.
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Popularity: 30% [?]

In Kuwait there is no such thing a a fender bender, every wreck is spectacular. I have seen all kinds of traffic in my travels but nothing compares to the drivers in Kuwait. Every highway is a NASCAR experience. The posted speed limit is 120km/h but that, like the lanes painted on the roads are merely a suggestion. In our daily travels we always saw wild accidents and just plain crazy things like a camel in the back of a small pickup truck. One night we came upon a five car wreck that was blocking all lanes of the five lane highway. The Kuwait police did not let traffic stop, they just simply cut a wide gap into the fence and directed all of the traffic out into the desert. We were in out Pajaro driving cross country between a Jaguar and a Benz.

Kuwait City International Airport is another place that is very different than what you might expect. There are three coffee shops (two are Starbucks), a very good cigar store a Fuddruckers and a Harley Davidson dealership all in the terminal. If you like people watching at an airport in the United States you would be fascinated with it at KCIA. Looking at the people coming through customs and trying to figure out if where they have come from or if they have ever been to Kuwait before. On one of our trips to meet someone at KCIA we witnesses the return of the Kuwait National Football (Soccer)team returning from a major victory in some other country and it really looked like a wild production for an American Baseball team returning from the playoffs. There we TV cameras and people cheering. It was witnessing things like this that showed us that the Kuwait people are not much different than us. Sure you cannot get a bacon cheeseburger at the local McDonald’s or Burger King but everyone I talked to was friendly and helpful.Â

Oh and I recommend the Yum Yum Tree restaurant in the airport. Good food and much cheaper than the American chain restaurants that are there. Â

Popularity: 30% [?]