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It is very easy to neglect health insurance policies when planning for a college career. Most students are in the mindset where health insurance is the final thing they think about. When you are in your 20’s you will usually tend to think that you will live forever so naturally you will not become sick.

Unfortunately, this is rarely accurate however well an individual may seem. An inexpensive medical insurance policy isn’t a great idea, it is a necessity.

Students who are included in a parent’s medical insurance are generally covered up to their twenty-third birthday. For students who do not have insurance cover via a family insurance, a crucial part in planning for going to college must be obtaining an appropriate medical insurance policy. What is important in a policy aimed at college students? What’s a deductible? It is a yearly payment made prior to any health benefits beginning, akin to a car insurance plan. For example, if your deductible is 500 dollars, you have to pay that sum prior to receiving any payment linked with your policy.

What is your co-pay? Once you have paid the deductible, most medical insurance policies require you to pay a portion of the cost of every doctor’s visit, medicine or operation. This is called a co-pay.

What will the health insurance policy cover? Nearly all policies are Health Maintenance Organization or PPA. Basically this means particular physicians might not be included in your “network” or not be covered on the medical insurance policy. A extensive list of participating health professionals are provided with most insurance plans, before you make your choice be sure to consider this thoroughly. Catastrophic coverage: There is often a limit on student health insurance plans as far as catastrophic illness, and for most medical insurance policies for students, it is normally significantly lower than any standard medical insurance plan. And what about the limitations? Limits are common in student medical insurance policies. Read over your policy to discover what your policy covers.

Keep all of your insurance papers in your wallet at all times. It is not only not possible to plan for an accident or an illness, they’re also likely to come about when it is least expected. Ensure you are familiar with the details of your college health insurance plan even if you are covered by your family policy.

The Grenadines are located in the Windward Islands at the lower end of the Caribbean chain and they are situated between Grenada 75 miles (120 km) to the south, St. Lucia 24 miles (43 km) to the north and Barbados 150 miles (160 km) to the east. They are comprised of seven islands and are a part of the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a member of the British Commonwealth.

English is the most used and also the official language of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For everyday use, however, most Vincentians speak a local dialect, called Vincentian English or “Vincy” English. The dialect can vary a little from island to island ranging from easily understood to incomprehensible. Most of the people are of African descent, with a small percentage of Amerindian/black, European, East Indian and Carib people.

Bequia (pronounced “beck-way”) is the northernmost of St. Vincent’s Grenadine islands. It’s also the largest (7 sq. miles) and most populated, with 5,000 people. Named the “island of the clouds” by the Caribs, the island is a delightful place, neat, quite hilly and well forested with a great variety of fruit and nut trees including lots of flowering bushes and some fine golden sand beaches. Bequia attracts quite a number of visitors, chiefly yachtsmen and also the smaller cruise ships and land-based (returning) visitors.

The main village is Port Elizabeth, which is located along the curve of Admiralty Bay. It is an appealing seaside community and the island’s commercial centre. Admiralty Bay offers a safe anchorage for yachts and small cruise ships. The island was once the region’s most important whaling station and there is also a strong boat-building tradition, however today the local boat-building manifests mostly in scale models. More than 90 percent of the boats pulling into beautiful Admiralty Bay are visiting yachts and in the height of the season the harbor is packed with yachts of all shapes and sizes.

A privately owned island, Mustique has been developed into an exclusive haven for the rich and famous. It is a beautiful island with fertile valleys, steep hills, an irregular coastline richly indented with bays and coves and 12 miles of white sandy beach. Lying 7 miles southeast of Bequia, the entire island with its beaches and surrounding waters are a conservation area. It has a population of about 800 people, most of whom work either directly or indirectly for those who vacation there. There are no towns and the island is not commercialized. Britannia Bay, at best a village, has a dock, 18 moorings for medium sized yachts, a general store and a handful of boutiques and the airport is about a mile northeast of the dock.

Canouan has dry scrubby hills and near-deserted beaches. It’s a quiet, peaceful, crescent-shaped island located 25 miles south of St. Vincent. The island extends 3.5 miles in length, but in places this anchor-shaped island is so narrow that it can be walked across in a few minutes. There are about 700 people and equally as many roaming goats. The main anchorage is in Grand Bay, where the jetty is located, while the airport is about a mile to the west. Canouan’s main attraction is its exceptional long, sandy beaches, several of which are reef-protected and good for swimming and snorkeling.

Mayreau, a small island 1.5 miles in length with a population of only 200, is most commonly visited by sailing cruises that travel through the cays and then sail into the deep V-shaped Saltwhistle Bay, at the island’s northern tip. Saltwhistle Bay is protected by a long narrow arm, which at its narrowest, is just a few yards wide. The bay is stunning, with clear waters, beautiful white sands, calm waters and a protected anchorage for visiting yachts. Parts of the island are within the Tobago Cays Marine Park. There are no roads from Saltwhistle Bay, however, a track leads south to the village (a five-minute uphill walk from the dock to the village centre). There is a sandy beach along Saline Bay and deserted beaches within easy walking distance on the east side of the island.

Union Island, located 40 miles from St. Vincent, is the southernmost port of entry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The island is about 3 miles in length and half that in width. It is high, rocky and dry, it’s largely covered in thorny scrubs and dotted with cacti and free roaming goats. It has two settlements, Ashton and Clifton, with a combined population of 1,900. Seventy five percent of the population live in Ashton however, 95% of the activities take place in the commercial centre of Clifton.

Clifton is the centre of Union Island’s thriving tour industry and includes a marina, airport, shops and restaurants. Most visitors use Union Island as a jumping-off point for cruising the uninhabited Tobago Cays and other nearby islands. There are a few nice deserted and remote beaches around the island. Union Island’s west side reaches 1,000 feet at Mount Tabor and Mount Olympus reaches 637 feet in the northwest. The island’s most substantial landmark is The Pinnacle, a 738-foot plug-shaped rock face that rises abruptly in the interior of the island between Clifton and Ashton.

Southeast of Union Island is Palm Island, a 10-minute boat ride away. It is a small whale-shaped island that is the domain of a privately owned luxury resort. The beach has long been a popular anchorage with yachters and is a stopover on many day tours between Union Island and the Tobago Cays. At the western side of the island, where boats dock, is the picture-perfect Casuarina Beach with sands composed of small bits of white shells and pink coral.

Referred to locally as PSV, is the southernmost and smallest of the inhabited islands that make up St. Vincent and the Grenadines (referred to as SVG). It’s a beautiful privately owned 133-acre island with a single resort, fringed by white-sand beaches, coral reefs and clear waters. There are lots of trees and flowers providing a peaceful atmosphere and you can see most of the southern Grenadines from any location on the island.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Tourism

www.winetastingtrips.com

wine,health benefits

What do the French know to help you heart?

Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe. Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. The compounds found in red wine that are responsible for its healing powers are antioxidants. Red wines contain several antioxidants beneficial to good health. Different antioxidants have different functions, but the key feature of all these antioxidants appears to be one of protection and prevention of disease.

Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease.

Here is something very interesting. The French seem to know something about the health benefits of red wine. In a study that compared French and German red wines, the French red wines delivered a greater health benefit due to their higher level of antioxidants. This may partially account for the “French paradox,” where studies show that in areas of France where the diet is high in fat those who drink red wine with meals have a lower incidence of heart attack than other parts of the world. Due to vast differences in diets, the evidence is inconclusive, but experts believe that red wine contains certain compounds that help protect the heart. This has opened the door for other researchers to study the components in red wine that may be responsible for its health benefits.

Interested on this subject? Try this link for more of the same

After a day of blogging, surfing and trawling the web, I find myself at Xiawu fandian (restaurant), the small eatery, barely a stone’s throw from the compound where teachers’ residences are located.

The warm spring breeze that nature mercifully blessed us with on Valentine’s Day is now gone. It’s been replaced by the chilly wind that blows in from different directions, but mostly the North.

I zip my jacket all the way up and snuggle in its feathery warmth as I wait for a table. The restaurant is full and I ask for a chair to brought out where I can sit and gaze at the passersby and, hopefully, share a smile and hello with some. I ask for a small helping of baijiu to keep me company and warm my body while I wait.

Huainan is not a firendly city. Hellos are hard to come by and smiles are a rarity. Sometimes, one’s very own students prefer to pass by without so much as a cursory glance or a greeting out of courtesy. Respect for teachers is a tradition in China. Imports are out of the ambit, I think, as I watch a student eye me, then try to look through me and then, on afterthought, cross the street to save herself the bother of a hello. I smile to myself to make up for a lost hello.

I sit, my back to the restaurant, facing the street. It’s wide enough and as dirty as some Indian streets. The sidewalk is mined. Tiles are coming loose and every time an unwary passerby steps on the wrong one, he is splashed with little jets of dirty, brown-black water onto the shoes and sometimes the ends of trousers. I walk gingery, carefully choosing the tiles on which to step. I have learnt through my share of the mines. Now, I am like a war-weary veteran!

After a day of blogging, surfing and trawling the web, I find myself at Xiawu fandian (restaurant), the small eatery, barely a stone’s throw from the compound where teachers’ residences are located.

The warm spring breeze that nature mercifully blessed us with on Valentine’s Day is now gone. It’s been replaced by the chilly wind that blows in from different directions, but mostly the North.

I zip my jacket all the way up and snuggle in its feathery warmth as I wait for a table. The restaurant is full and I ask for a chair to brought out where I can sit and gaze at the passersby and, hopefully, share a smile and hello with some. I ask for a small helping of baijiu to keep me company and warm my body while I wait.

Huainan is not a firendly city. Hellos are hard to come by and smiles are a rarity. Sometimes, one’s very own students prefer to pass by without so much as a cursory glance or a greeting out of courtesy. Respect for teachers is a tradition in China. Imports are out of the ambit, I think, as I watch a student eye me, then try to look through me and then, on afterthought, cross the street to save herself the bother of a hello. I smile to myself to make up for a lost hello.

I sit, my back to the restaurant, facing the street. It’s wide enough and as dirty as some Indian streets. The sidewalk is mined. Tiles are coming loose and every time an unwary passerby steps on the wrong one, he is splashed with little jets of dirty, brown-black water onto the shoes and sometimes the ends of trousers. I wonder if crafty businesses have a hand in that. I walk gingerly, carefully choosing the tiles on which to step. I have learnt through my share of the mines. Now, I am like a war-weary veteran!

Lily passes by, on her way back from a bath, looking very clean and fresh. Her husband follows a respectful step behind. Lily teaches at my university. She is young and pretty and a little fatter than she was a couple of years ago when I first saw her. Her husband works in Hefei. Like Lily and I, he is also a teacher, an English teacher. I am glad for their hellos and smiles. The Chinese bathe in the evening or night and rarely in the morning. I find that intriguing. Perhaps, they like to be fresh in bed and that’s a good enough reason.

More intriguing than the night-time bath is the place where they bathe. Most people bathe in bath-houses. I ask Lily why that is so. ‘It’s cold,’ she answers. I don’t ask how that’s different. I know. Most homes, in the past, did not have a bath. At best, they had dry lavatories, without running water. Residents would fill water in tubs and then splash some down after the deed was done. Many still live in such houses. Newly-built houses and apartments, however, are better equipped and come with all modern amenities, including hot-and-cold baths or showers.

Many bath houses serve a purpose other than just cleanse bodies. Or well, they cleanse bodies both on the outside and the inside. Many offer a massage – a genuine massage – and some offer a massage for pleasure, too! I don’t know if these services are exclusively for men or sometimes for women, too. There are pedestrian bath-houses for those on a budget and there are swanky five-star bath-houses, with lobbies and interiors done up in a style to put first-rate hotels to shame. Rates for a no-frills bath can vary from liang kuai (two yuan) to, well, who knows the upper limit! At least, I don’t.

My apartment has hot and cold shower facilities and I have never felt the need to use the public bath-houses. In any case, certainly not for a shower!

I turn to Lily to ask if she knows how bath-houses came to be more than just. But, Lily is turning white and I don’t want to embarrass her, not as she shivers in the chilly wind after a warm bath.

Rajesh Kanoi (Jack) is a published writer, now living and working in China. Many of his short-stories, poems and articles have been published, including a book of short-stories, ‘From China With Love’ (Lipstick Publishing).

http://www.writingup.com/oneinabillion/public_bath_houses_and_private_massage

http://o3.indiatimes.com/kjack/archive/2006/02/18/484326.aspx

Visit and check out this terrific website for how to strike college with a bowling scholarship ideas…

Determining help in financing a university degree can be troublesome and can take time. School scholarships differ from a student loan because they are a grant for education, and thus, do not have to be paid back. While exploring means of funding a further instruction, look into the many special choices, such as funding specially for left handed scholars. Lefty Scholarships

It may seem unusual to provide a bursary dependent on a predominant hand, however consider these facts: Bill Gates is a lefty, so is the president of the USA, Barack Obama. Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Paul McCartney and were also left handed. An estimated 11% of the population are left-handed. Unfortunately in the past lefthanders have gone through discrimination, nowadays they are frequently believed to be more intelligent and more artistic. Stigmatization is now a thing of the past, southpaws are no longer believed to be odd, and may have some qualities associated with the exceptional individuals mentioned previously. There are many scholarships available specifically for lefty individuals when you know where to look. The Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship for anything up to 1000 USD is currently available at Juniata College in Huntington, Pennsylvania. Awarded to students attending Juniata College and it was established in the late 1970’s, this unique scholarship aids many students obtain their college education. When you are searching for scholarships, be aware that some grants may have prerequisites or restrictions. These can be grade requirements and monetary needs. Do go for for as many school scholarships as feasible to step-up your chances of graduating with a minimal level of debt. Societies, hobby related groups and also local organisations can be a source of college scholarships. Left-handed grants are simply one case; money is obtainable in other circumstances such as to the scholars from military homes or if you have a disability. You may need to spend quite a bit of effort searching for college scholarships, of course the advantages may be sizable. When used with regular lending, they are effective at cutting back the student debt that a college education generates. Be sure to enquire into each scholarship. These grants are not the only alternative – put together a list of each option you can conceive of and make use of your imagination. Go for every scholarship you consider you are qualified for, you will keep any costs to a minimum, also you will look forward to better prospects after finishing school.

The pros and cons of hitchhiking? Pro: cheap. Con: dangerous. It’s convenient, but unpredictable. No car repair hassles, but the hassle of standing in the rain, waiting hours for a ride. I hitchiked 20,000 miles when I was young, sleeping under bridges and fighting off sexual predators from Canada to Mexico. I loved it, but I wouldn’t consider hitchhiking as a primary mode of travel ever again.

There are still times when I put out my thumb. The most recent was in the mountains of Ecuador. My wife and I were visiting Las Cajas National Park, hiking along ancient Incan rock walls. We missed the bus back to Cuenca. There may have been another one coming, but we didn’t want to wait until dark to find out. Out went the thumb.

To hitchhike is “Ir a dedo” in Ecuador; to “go by finger.” The third vehicle to pass, stopped for us. It was a meat delivery truck, and we were in Cuenca in an hour. When the driver refused to take any money, we left him with a large avacado.

If you ever consider hitchhiking in other countries, ask the locals about it. In Ecuador, for example, I’ve been told you can’t get a ride in the southern part of the country. Also, in some areas it’s customary to at least offer something for the ride.

Hitchiking In The United States

The pros and cons of hitchhiking are obvious, and the balance is on the side of the “cons.” It’s difficult to get a ride now. However, it’s still legal in most places in the U.S., except on freeways. The point on the entrance ramp where you cross the legal line is decided by the police officer that tickets you.

At sixteen, I was stuck for hours on a Montana highway. A nice old lady picked me up and explained why I couldn’t get a ride. On that same stretch of highway, a few years before, the police found a hitchhiker cooking a driver’s heart over a campfire.

Ten years later I caught an item on the news: They were releasing the canibal hitchhiker, now that he was sane. You can see why drivers may be hesitant to pick up hitchhikers. The lesson? Try not to look like a Psycho killer when you hitchhike.

One circumstance it may be useful to hitchhike, even if you never have, is when you need to return to your car after backpacking. Trails often come out of the wilderness in a different location than where they start. Since there probably won’t be taxis there, hitchhiking could be your only way back to your car.

This is relatively safe and easy, in these circumstances. National Parks like Yellowstone are almost the only places we’ve even seen hitchhikers lately, and drivers are comfortable picking up people that are obviously backpackers.

Hitchhiking Safely

Follow some basic safety guidelines. Be prepared for many possible circumstances. Have rainwear, in case you can’t get out of the rain. Have food and water, since you never know how long you’ll wait for a ride. Bring warm clothing if cold weather is possible. Also, always have a highway map with you.

Use intuition and common sense when hitchhiking, and don’t be afraid to say no to a ride. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken a ride with that cocaine-snorting guy in Idaho when I was sixteen. Then again, maybe my intuition wasn’t so bad. He turned out to be a decent guy, and brought me hundreds of miles closer to home.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

Holidays may come and go but some holidays, like Christmas, should never change. Most folks have a favorite holiday and for many it is Christmas. The festivities, shopping, and decorating get the best of all of us but Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Santa Claus stopping by for a quick visit to share the true meaning of Christmas, giving.

Although Christmas can be a busy time of year, we must not forget to go back to basics. Santa’s kind and giving spirit touches everyone and he is able to bring back the never-ending nostalgia of childhood for adults too. As adults, we try to keep Santa Claus alive for our children to keep the innocence of their youth as long as possible. The smiles we see on our children’s faces when they sit on Santa’s knee and the anticipation of Christmas day allow us to somehow live vicariously through the eyes of our children. We may be adults but we’re still a little kid at heart.

Our children are growing ever so fast and smarter by the minute. It seems that their innocence is lost so much sooner these days. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be entertained and sheltered in Santa’s comfort zone for a little while longer. Eventually your child will ask if Santa Claus really exists. Like most parents we will try to keep Santa’s spirit alive for as long as we can. In our efforts to keep the joyous mystery of Santa Claus alive, we sometimes recreate jolly old Saint Nick at home by dressing up as Santa Claus. Or you may even do the annual mall visit with Santa. This year you may need more than just a Santa Claus suit or visit to the local mall to impress your children. This year you could give them even more by sending a Letter From Santa.

As parents we know that Santa Claus is a representation of the real meaning of Christmas, the spirit of giving. Christmas is ultimately about being able to give from the heart and not just giving material things. Santa Claus history reveals the story of Saint Nicholas, a religious bishop, who was well known for his generosity towards children and poor. It is believed that Saint Nicholas entered homes through a window and left gifts for the children as they slept. During the Christmas season, we continue this self-less tradition of giving that Saint Nicholas began. By keeping the Santa Claus spirit alive our children learn the value of giving through special moments that make a lifetime of treasured memories.

© Yvonne Thompson, Assistance For You All rights reserved. Permission is granted to use this article, as long as the entire article is posted and the “About the Author Bio” section, including all links, remain intact.

About The Author

Yvonne Thompson owns and operates Assistance For You, a Virtual Assistant Support Service and the popular Letters From Santa web site, which creates holiday joy by mailing personalized Santa Letters to children. For more information visit the web site at http://sendasantaletter.com or send an email to Yvonne@Assistance-For-You.com

If you’re asking yourself “where can I stay in Rome?” I have a few ideas for you to consider. If you’re looking for low-cost accommodation there are plenty of cheap hotels in Rome , and it’s just a matter of finding out where they are.

Rome has a reputation for being expensive, and while that holds true for hotels situated in the city center it’s also true to say you can find some great bargains just by looking further afield. If you’re lucky enough to grab an out of season bargain you can book a hotel room for as little as $40, although generally speaking low cost accommodation starts at around $65 a night. The cheaper hotels tend to be located on the outskirts, but as long as you don’t mind commuting into the city you can save yourself a tidy sum. Another way to reduce your costs is by booking into a B&B or a hostel , with B&Bs starting at an incredible $22 a night and hostels from under $20. As you can see a vacation in Rome doesn’t have to cost the earth, and staying on the outskirts can be the ideal solution when you’re on a limited budget.

One benefit of spending less on your hotel room is you’ll have more money left over for sightseeing and visiting tourist attractions like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was quite surprised to read that in 2000 engineers were able to correct the tilt by pushing it back an incredible 16cm. In 1990 there were genuine fears for the safety of visitors and the tower was closed due to an alarming increase in the rate of incline. Following restoration work the tower was saved from collapse, and engineers predict it will remain safe for another 300 years.

For information about the Leaning Tower of Pisa and other well known visitor attractions why not have a look in an Italy Travel guide ? You can use the maps to find your way around the city, and you’ll also be able to check things like opening times and admission prices.

From standing on your head for 15 minutes a day to cutting some hair to make it grow it back thicker, there is never been a shortage of insights looking for a miracle remedy to baldness. So here’s the truth, much of it surprising, on what will probably really assist those looking for the answer to hair loss.

Does standing on your head actually make hair grow?

Myth. All this is a fantasy put forward in the basis that increased blood flow would combat hair loss. If merely it was that easy.

Smoking slows one’s hair growth.

Fact! Yes, this one is TRUE as smoking destroys hair follicles, interferes with blood & hormone circulation in the scalp and increases production of hair shrinking oestregen. Nonetheless other reason to give up!

Eating bread crusts puts hairs in the chest.

Fact! Yes, and not primarily your chest. The reason being that bread crusts enjoy eight times more antioxidants than the rest of its’ loaf. Groundwork shows that antioxidants are also a vital part of improving scalp circulation and creating melanin, the hormone that makes your hair thicker. Check out the latest hair loss treatments at Advanced Hair Studio.

The more sex one enjoy the less hair you lose.

Fantasy! You don’t have to think too hard to realise how this myth could have started and countless balding men have perpetuated. Variations of this myth include the rumour that chemicals brought out during sex will affect hair loss. Again, there is no scientific proof to this nevertheless there is no doubt that men with hair loss will often assure this fantasy is around for countless years to come.

Baldness shows how smart people are.

Fact! All this are not a fantasy put forward by balding scientists in white coats, however is actually true. The larger your levels of brain growth protein, the more possible it is for one’s hair to fall out. Further on this when those scientists decidedly finally get their brain cells firing.

One’s short hair cut makes one’s hair grow back thicker.

False! All the hair above skin level are in fact dead, hence cutting it short has no affect in the thickness & strength of hair growing back. The reason for this fantasy is that short, bristly hair can have the apperance of being thicker, but once it grows the TRUE state of affairs are revealed.

In the end, if one deeply want a full head of hair it is maybe very best to get a professional. One enterprise that has made a name for itself by using sports stars and celebrities to promote the fact that being bald is not cool is Advanced Hair Studio. With a long inventory of celebrity endorsements stretching back over 20 years Advanced Hair Studio has become one of the leading known hair restoration businesses in the world.

I went on my first holiday to the tropics recently. I was afraid of catching disease, so I did a bit of research, and took some precautions. Here are some tips I found useful.

1. Get your shots.

I spent a short time in areas relatively free of mosquito-borne disease. The key word is ‘relatively’. A two week holiday in an urban area is probably alright. If you’re staying for months, or in an area flagged as dangerous, get your shots well in advance. Don’t leave it until the last minute, as by then it’ll be too late! The drugs need some time to ‘kick in’, and your doctor may have to order them in advance.

2. Get an insect repellent.

I made one for mosquitoes by mixing citronella with olive oil. Citronella is an essential oil (an essence). I rubbed the mixture on all exposed areas morning and night, and after washing. Seemed to do the trick. I put too much oil in, I think, so it smelled a bit. Better that, than being bitten, I say!

3. Wear long sleeved shirts and trousers.

I also wore socks in bed. Give pests no purchase! Mosquitoes are just doing what comes naturally; they need your blood to live. It’s just unfortunate that they can pass on parasites when they bite. Deny them a meal, and the only things you’ll bring back from your holiday are a silly hat and some souvenir photos. To wear long sleeved garments in bed, you’ll need a room with a fan and air conditioning. No need to set them to freezing; just cool, with a slight breeze.

4. Air conditioning.

Air conditioning and fans are supposed to deflect mosquitoes, which is good. Avoid ‘going native’, and thinking you’re as hardy as the locals. They get malaria and dengue as well, be sure of that.

5. Use mosquito nets.

Do what you can to keep them at bay. Paranoia is good!

6. Avoid ice and salads

Ice can have faecal coliforms. It depends on what water it’s been made from. Salads can be prepared by low-paid workers who’ve forgotten to wash their hands. In Muslim countries, they often don’t use toilet paper, just a hose, so if the staff haven’t been scrupulous about their personal hygiene …

You may feel self-conscious about refusing. Would you like your holiday to be spoiled by a spell in hospital, in a Third-world country, just for the sake of avoiding embarrassment? People like people who are forthright, so stick to your guns.

7. Don’t drink the water.

A country can have a veneer of modernity, but what separates the men from the boys is the sewage system. The tap water may not be filtered properly. Drink bottled water, or water you’ve boiled yourself. Get a kettle, and boil it up every day, then put the water in your water bottle in the morning. Easy.

8. Drink plenty of water.

A few sips every so often, rather than a litre in one go. You’ll save on trips to the lavatory!

9. Stay out of the sun.

There’s a reason the locals are laid back; it’s too hot to run around like you do at home. Sun tanning is actually skin damage. Due to ozone layer depletion, you may be getting more than a golden tan. Who cares if you don’t come back home bronzed? Ladies especially will appreciate this in later years, when their sisters have leathery skin from roasting on the beach. Nothing less ‘cool’ than a white man with sunstroke, either.

When travelling in the tropics, it’s best to be paranoid. I hope you can still enjoy your holiday!

T. O’ Donnell http://www.tigertom.com/chat_rooms.htm is an internet entrepreneur in London, UK. His latest project is an ebook on mortgages in the UK, available at http://www.tigertom.com/mortgages-uk.shtml

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