Before visiting any country, look them up on Wikipedia. It helps a lot if you are supposed to be preparing something for the trip (i.e. a sermon) and you'd rather procrastinate. If you are going to some wild part of Africa, look up poisonous creatures to watch out for. If you're going to Europe, look up history (there's a lot wherever you go) in the region you're visiting. The more you dig, the more you know, the more prepared you'll be when you arrive.
The arrival is always the least sure, especially if you aren't traveling with a seasoned group of travelers. Just looking at Google Maps and checking online about subways and trains, and your hostel/hotel's location within a town can save you a lot of stress. You don't have to memorize it all, but having looked at it will help you have an idea of where you're going. Also, iPhones can take pictures of Google Maps. And of directions with Google Maps. In fact, pictures of your hostel's website saved to your phone is a good idea, along with tours and such.
Also look up phrases in the native language. This is important for countries with languages other than your own, but even for countries that speak the same language, there are always differences (British word for pants is trousers 'cause "pants" refers to undergarments). Hand gestures are also good to know, since the "peace sign" backwards is the British equivalent to giving the finger, and I, for one, had several occasions of counting to two offensively while in Ireland.
No comments:
Post a Comment