TravelTips

Lessons Learned about Domestic Travel

• Always make sure you have a spare tire, tire iron, jack, etc. (i.e., a complete kit for changing a flat tire). More often than not, I have had a major automotive calamity when traveling to and from field sites in Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, and the majority of these involved flat or damaged tires.
• Similarly, always travel with drinking water and snacks. I spent 9 hot hours on the Hal Rogers Parkway when I broke down on my way to Letcher County one summer, and I was fortunate to have packed such sustenance for my journey. I also had a couple of sweet guardian angels (a grandmother, mom, and kids) who lived nearby stop and brought me some drinks and nabs at one point.
• Collect and stockpile disposable paper products like napkins, paper towels, facial tissue! You never know when you'll be in need, and they'll prove themselves handy and lifesaving repeatedly. I actually learned this during my summer of international travel (below), but it has also been a reliable routine to maintain throughout my domestic fieldwork as well.

Lessons Learned about International Travel Summer 2013

• Don’t frakking forget (or choose not) to take a camera! Visual anthropologists have an affinity for visual technology and documentation… be one; use it. (Disposable cameras were available in Sucre, Bolivia but nowhere to be found in Lima, Peru.) Also remember to take and use the audio recorder when video is unavailable or unfeasible.
• Saving money by scheduling multiple individual flights yourself can be risky. Especially watch out when scheduling connecting flights after international flights to ensure sufficient time for getting through customs (and to allow a cushion if the flight does not leave on time).
• Overnights in airports really, really suck. Overnights in hostels can also suck, but they suck less. Ask the hostel to call a secure cab for you.
• Checking in luggage is free in South America, and small planes offer free valet check-in on the jetway. When possible, combine the contents of a smaller purse/bag into the backpack to meet the one carry-on/one personal item requirement.
• No visas are required for Peru or England, but U.S. citizens must pay $135 for a visa to enter Bolivia as well as a $25 exit fee. Bolivia also charges modest airport taxes on luggage after check-in. The good news is that a Bolivian visa is good for 5 years.
• Don’t use money exchange machines in British airports; the exchange rate is inflated and the commission fee is high. Using the debit card would be a more reliable, less expensive, and less messy solution than dealing with much cash. The opposite is true in Peru and Bolivia; there are fewer options for using a bank card, and street money changers offer a fair rate (usually in your favor) and seemingly without (much) commission. The MiBanco ATM in Lima proved to offer screen selections in English and US Dollars. One bank in Sucre offered the same, but I was also charged $1.00 ATM transaction fees for two additional and unsuccessful attempts to make a withdrawal at another nearby ATM. Exchanging foreign money back in the U.S. is also expensive, so it is best to either spend or give away any leftover cash or exchange substantial surplus prior to departing.
• Universal adapters on laptops and phone work fine in Peru, Bolivia, and Britain. Electrical outlets are also universal in Peru and Bolivia with holes fitting both flat and round prong plugs. The individual plug adapters that come with a conversion unit also work in both South America and the United Kingdom without using the full unit.
• GoogleVoice rocks out the no-cost calls to the U.S. Connection strength and computer multi-tasking can definitely affect the quality of the call. Calls would also be more audible from both ends if made with a telephone headset.
• Water, water, WATER! It seems impossible to drink enough water, so it takes at least one 2-liter a day to stay hydrated.
• Drink more coca tea in high altitudes… it not only helps with soroche (altitude sickness) but also increases stamina to stay up for late-night suppers and conversations.
• Hair product is very important in both highly humid (e.g., Lima) and highly arid (e.g., Sucre) climates. Luckily my hair was long enough to wear in a ponytail, but otherwise, I should have simply gotten my favorite low-maintenance wedge haircut at the beginning of the summer.