Your luggage is always your responsibility, except when in the care of the airlines. you must never leave it unattended. You are responsible for making sure it is loaded on the motor coach each day and for carrying it through airports and to and from your hotel room.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Leave anything valuable or irreplaceable at home.
- Label all important belongings (bags, cameras, personal items that could be easily mistaken for someone else's) before departing on the program.
- Each morning when you check out of our accommodations, look around your room to ensure that you have everything. The motor coach will not return to pick up lost items. (Leaders do room checks when we check out of hotels just in case. ) :)
- Make your bag distinct by tying a colored ribbon or handkerchief around the handle, or by marking it with colored tape in a distinctive pattern. (We will have some identifying label of some kind once we get closer to our journey. It is nice if we can co-ordinate this with the other delegations traveling with us. It makes it a log easier to identify bags in the airports.)
- Compile a complete list of the suitcase's contents. Leave one copy at home and carry another in your carry-on bag. In the event that your luggage is lost, this list will help you file a claim with the airline or insurance company. You can also take pictures, much easier today with the advent of the digital cameras.
Lost Luggage
If your luggage is lost by the airline, alert your delegation leader immediately. The leader or a member of the program staff will help you file a lost luggage claim before leaving the customs area of the airport.
Lost luggage, while stressful, is not the end of the world. Regard it as simply another tale to tell when you get back from your adventure. It's a good way for friends to come together to help each other out, and for you to practice your ingenuity in making do while your bags catch up. At the worst, you may get to experience shopping in another country or region to replace some essentials. Is that so bad? (I hesitate to say this but with all the international travel I have done i have not had this happen to any of our ambassadors.) :)
For Your Well-Being
Weather or Not
Prepare to deal with varied temperatures and weather conditions. You will want to dress in layers and to be prepared for different weather conditions. You will want want to have along a light, waterproof jacket with a hood. Be prepared for rain.
Medicine
Keep your medicines in original conaintainers with the labels featuring the doctor's name and prescription information. Bring items you think you may need, such as cough drops, cold and allelrgy tablets, and a pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen or advil. You may also wish to bring items such as Kaopectate and Immodum AD, plus a few bandaids. (It always helps to have a health prfessional in our midst, Tracy, while traveling. She always has an emergency kit.) :)
Clothes Encounters
Keep your joacket handy; you may need it when you arrive. Wear your People to People polo shirt (provided prior to travel) and comfortable pants, such as khakis, on the plane. You'll be able to wear your shorts and other long slacks later.
Shoes
Well broken-in shoes or boots and socks are the key to happy feet. Yo will be doing a lot of walkng, so make sure those new shoes have a few miles on them before your get on the plane. They should provide ankle and arch support as well.
Protect Yourself
Smugglers sometimes try to use innocent victims to transport items. Never accept a package from a stranger, and never lealve your luggage or pure without someone you trust watching it. Also, for your safety, don't wear a lot of jewelry or other expensive items or flash cash around.
Drink to Your Health
Take a water bottle, as you may not be able to find a drinking fountain. Drink as much as you can to avoid dehydration. You will feel better for it.
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