How to Disconnect from Home on an International Journey

How to Disconnect from Home on an International Journey

By Susan Gerle

I recently spoke with a friend of mine who has done small group international tours for many years.  The last couple of years she has been running into an issue she has never had to deal with before.

First of all, many of her fellow travelers are in their 70s and 80s.  They have grown up without the benefit of iphones, ipads, pcs, laptops, or androids.  They learned to communicate face to face.  The only affordable technology at their fingertips was the telephone.  Privacy was often an issue though, with many people being on party lines, so they still met with friends over a cup of coffee.

Over the last 20 years internet cafes sprung up worldwide but in many countries they were still few and far between.  It wasn’t easy to stay in touch with friends and family back home.  The cost of making an international call was prohibitive and often very challenging with the language barriers.  They would just have to wait until they returned home to share their experiences.

All-Inclusive Resorts as a Holiday Option

All-Inclusive Resorts as a Holiday Option

By Susan Gerle

I am normally a budget traveler when in Mexico but recently I chose to stay at an all-inclusive 4 star hotel on a short, well-deserved holiday. I had lived in the city for a year previous to that trip and knew my way around. 

I thought staying at an all-inclusive meant a stress-free holiday but it turned out it wasn’t as relaxing as I thought it would be.  Simple things became challenges, which surprised me. The first one was getting to the hotel. I know the Puerto Vallarta airport well and I usually walked out the door and got on a city bus or grabbed a cab. This time the hotel supplied transportation. We were one of the first couples off the plane, so we had to wait for everyone else. An hour later we finally got to the hotel, normally a 10-minute ride from the airport. Then we lined up to check into our room, there was another ½ hour wait. But no problem, even though it was late in the evening, copious quantities of free drinks awaited us after settling in! Of course everyone else had the same idea so it was necessary to wait in line once again.

5 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling

5 Ways to Stay Healthy While Traveling
By Susan Gerle

One of the fears people have when they are traveling later in life is getting sick.  The "what ifs?" when they are halfway around the world is sometimes scary enough to keep them from traveling.

It's good to plan ahead.  So, what are some of the things you need to do to prepare?