

Things I wish I'd known before I started traveling  - dwynings
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/13/28-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-traveling/

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Jun8
Some of these are very good advice (e.g. the local police is not always your
friend), some are debatable (the health care in Costa Rica is better than the
US, it may be _cheaper_ , of course) and some are ludicrous (dollar is not teh
world's currency, his link says a few small conversion shops in Amsterdam
refused it).

I would add the following: 1) Don't wear flashy clothes and flaunt your
expensive photo equipment. Your multi thousand camera is an invitation.

2) Try to blend in visually, don't go around continuously checking a map or
photographing everything.

3) If you are a woman, you should especially be careful. Lots of cultures have
different expectations of proper behavior from women. Wearing ultra-mini
shorts, as American college girls generally do overseas, can get you quite a
bit of unwelcome attention, and not just in "backwards" countries either: I've
seen many a girl harassed in Italy.

4) Try to go around with a local friend, if possible. They'll know the trouble
areas much better than a guide. Many cities have such local welcome citizen
programs.

