This
is Part TWO in a four-part series on belly dance travel and tourism. Even with
the social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, many dancers are
eager to travel to research, study and immerse themselves in
Oriental Dance. If you're armed with some knowledge about the
places you'll be visiting and know what to expect before and
during your trip, you'll have a much better time.
In
this series, I'll cover everything from keeping healthy and staying safe
abroad to buying costumes; from cultural and social differences to
breezing through security at airports; from communicating
socially to haggling for a bargain.
I
learned all this stuff the hard way… but you won’t have to!
Jet Lag
Jet lag is inevitable when you are traveling through
multiple time zones, but it doesn’t need to stop you from enjoying your trip!
Get adequate sleep every night for at least
a week before you depart, and of course, try to sleep on the plane. This isn’t
always easy, due to the confines of airline seats, plus your own anticipation
at the beginning of your journey. Bringing a travel pillow, earplugs and a
sleep mask may help you to rest…flights to the Middle East and North Africa are
long and tedious, so try to get at least a little sleep! Stays well hydrated on the plane, drinking at
least a full glass of water every couple of hours if not more. Walk around and
stretch every so often, too.
When you arrive
at your destination, try to acclimate yourself to the local time. If you arrive
mid-day, expose yourself to sunlight and try to get on a regular sleeping and
meal schedule as soon as possible. It’s better not to take a nap, even if you are very tired. Stay
awake until the evening, and then get a good night’s sleep. Since you will undoubtedly be running
around seeing the sights and attending dance classes, make an effort to get at
least seven hours of sleep every night, which is not always easy with
jet-lag…or the later hours kept in exciting places like Cairo or Istanbul! To
help yourself fall asleep, try Melatonin, herbal tea, or an over-the-counter or
prescription sleep aid.
Cash And
Plastic
Almost everywhere in the world you go, you’ll be able to use
your ATM card or credit cards at banks and major hotels. This way, you won’t
have to worry about carrying a lot of cash. Check on the fees; some are exorbitant.
Be careful
of ATM machines in small villages, remote or rural areas. Many of
these machines run out of money on a frequent basis, or are privately owned and
tack on hefty fees. Some may not have the keypad letters and numerals and/or
directions printed in a language you can understand, and others will literally eat
your cards. Even in far-flung areas, there
will be hotels or money changing bureaus that have currency.
Though most
hotels and hostels take credit cards, many smaller shops and restaurants do
not. The larger Five Star hotels generally
take travelers checks, or will change them for cash, but you may have to go a
bank or special office. The cashless commerce concept is now worldwide,
and increasingly, traveler’s
checks are becoming out-dated.
Personally, I don’t even bother with them anymore.
If you don’t
have a safe in your hotel room, you may be able to use the safe at the front
desk, though I really wouldn’t advise
this in anything less that a Four Star hotel. Do not leave any money (or
valuables in general) lying around your room. And no matter what you have in
it, always lock your suitcase when you leave your hotel room.
Food And Drink
One of the great joys of traveling is enjoying the
local cuisine, but many travelers also have stomach or intestinal problems that
stem from sampling unfamiliar meals. This can be due to a number of reasons,
including consuming food that is undercooked or on the verge of spoiling from being
improperly stored. No matter what, it’s seriously not fun. This is where your
Imodium and probiotic supplements come in!
Whether you’re
staying at a private home or Five Star hotel, I would advise against drinking water straight from the tap. Not to sound
like a colonialist, but the water in many countries is not the water you are used to at home. It can run be
infested with bacteria and parasites or way over chlorinated- either of which
could make you seriously ill, or just wind up upsetting your stomach. You can’t be too careful.
I
recommend that you even brush your teeth with bottled water!
The “beware of water” rule also applies to the ice in a soda
or cocktail. You may think you are safe drinking a Coke or a Gin and Tonic
since it’s not tap water, but the ice may be! Better to go without ice unless you are absolutely sure the water
from which the ice was made is clean and filtered.
And as far as
booze goes, if you are a drinker and are traveling to a Muslim country, take
advantage of the Duty Free wine or spirits at the airport, because any sort of
alcohol will be awfully tough to find! Though it is available at major hotels
and some restaurants, drinks are pricey and there’s pretty much no such
thing as liquor stores.
Fresh fruits
and vegetables are abundant, and Western-style salads have also become popular
and are available in most places.
Be wary of eating un-cooked vegetables outside of major hotels or
tourist spots. Again, there is risk of bacterial infection, parasites, or the
produce may have the residue of strong pesticides, which also could make you
seriously ill. If you have any doubts about your fruits and veggies, good rule of thumb is to only eat cooked vegetables, and to only
eat fruit with a tough skin that needs to be removed like citrus fruits,
bananas or melons. If you are
concerned about not getting enough greens or fiber, bring supplements with you.
In larger cities, many restaurants now cater to a Western
tourist clientele and offer vegetarian dishes; if you are a vegetarian or
vegan, you’ll also find many traditional foods to eat at your destination.
Some typical
foods that are veggie-friendly- though not always vegan-friendly are:
Falafel: Also
called tamiyya in Egypt, these
are deep-fried, seasoned garbanzo bean patties, served on their own as well as
in pita bread.
Tabbouleh: A salad
made of fresh parsley, wheat bulgur, tomatoes and onions, with a dressing of
olive oil and lemon juice
Baba Ghanouj
/Muttabal: Roasted mashed eggplant salad or dip
Hummus: A chickpea
and sesame paste served as a salad or dip
Dolma,
Dolmades, Yapraak Dolmasi, Wara Enab:
Rice-stuffed, cooked grape leaves
*Sometimes the leaves are stuffed with meat and rice, so if you are a strict veggie, check on
this before digging in
Lebni,
Laban Zabadi: Thick, rich Arabic yoghurt- a
fantastic source of probiotics
Fool
Muhmaddas: An Egyptian favorite, this is a savory bean stew, often
eaten for breakfast with various toppings, including fried eggs.
Koshary: Practically the national dish of Egypt,
Koshary is a hot dish made of
pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with lentils and fried onions- it’s delicious!
Bread comes in many varieties throughout North Africa,
Central Asia and the Middle East, and is usually freshly baked and delicious. Butter and cheese of all types are also
common.
If you
have any serious food allergies, copy this phrase down:
“I am allergic to ______ and will become very sick, and
possibly die if I eat it. Does this food contain _____?”
Include your food
allergies and type the phrase into Google Translator
http://translate.google.com/# which
will translate it into Arabic, Turkish, Greek, or basically whatever language
you need.
Keep the
paper with this phrase in your wallet and show it to waiters any time you have
any doubts about what the food contains… If you are not sure what is in the
food, it’s best to skip it entirely.
Tipping:
In many foreign
countries, a service charge or gratuity is already added to your bill when you
dine at a restaurant or order from room service in a hotel. However, there are
plenty of other times when you will need to
tip. Always tip luggage handlers at airports, bellhops, and cab
drivers. If you are on a guided tour, you should tip your guide, and tip the
driver as well. Some dance tours
include these gratuities in their pricing, but others do not. When a doorman hails a cab or arranges
for a car, is customary to tip him. I also leave money for the maid or room
cleaner in hotels as well. Going on a camel ride, sailing in a felucca
down the Nile or having a jaunt in a hantour carriage? You guessed it, leave a tip!
Often, on the
street, especially in a larger city, if you are lost someone will assist you
and possibly even walk you to the address you are looking for. In this case,
it’s polite to offer a tip- often it won’t be accepted, but you certainly won’t
offend anybody by doing this.
Pretty much, if
you want any sort of special service, however trivial, you ought to provide a tip. Always carry change and
small bills with you for baksheesh,
or tips.
Bargaining
Price haggling
is normal in most Middle Eastern or North African countries, but it’s not
proper to bargain everywhere. The shop owners in the bazaars and souks are fine
to bargain with, as are street vendors selling souvenirs, it’s expected. Don’t expect bargaining at department
stores, grocery stores, large shops or the souvenir shops in the hotels.
When haggling
in the bazaars, go 50% - 70% lower than
the price quoted to you, and work up from there. Most of the vendors have fixed
prices in mind, but will always go in for some bargaining, it’s a tradition! If
an item seems too pricey and the merchant won’t budge, simply thank him and
walk away- usually, as if by magic, the price will come down!
When you are shopping, bear in mind that even inquiring about the price of an item may signal to the
merchant that you are interested enough to buy it…there’s not really any such
thing as “comparison shopping” at a souk! If you are about to purchase
something, be prepared for a lengthy
bargaining process. The way this usually goes is that the merchant will bring
you into the store, sit you down and order out for complimentary tea, coffee,
soda or water. You’ll be shown many versions of whatever you were bargaining
for before you decide upon a mutually agreeable price. Sometimes this is a
welcome break from the relentless heat of sightseeing, other times it seems
like an awful lot of work just to buy something! Don’t be persuaded to purchase
anything you do not want.
If you are not
seriously interested in an item, say so immediately so you don’t waste your
time or the merchant’s.
Mobile Phones, Computers And Internet Access
If you are
bringing electronic items with you (battery chargers for cameras, your cell
phone, iPad, etc.) you’ll need an electronic plug adapter or converter. Make
sure you know what sort of outlets are used in the country or countries you
will be visiting. Ask for assistance with this at any store where you can buy
electronics or travel items.
For email,
instead of bringing your laptop or iPad, consider using the hotel’s business
office or an Internet cafe and buying time on a card. Trust me, there will NOT
be time for the endless social networking you may be used to back home…plus, in
arid desert climates computers can be damaged by sand kernels or during
travel…and they’re also easy to steal from hotel rooms!
If you own a smart phone, these usually work just fine all
over the world, though again, rural and remote areas may have spotty coverage.
Check your phone plan ahead of time to make sure that you can even make calls from overseas, and that you understand the
charges involved. Overseas telephone calls from your room can be extremely
expensive. If you think you’ll be making a lot of calls, you ought to be able
to purchase an inexpensive
mobile phone at your destination for about USD $30.00-$50.00 and buy
pay-as-you-go cards. This may be much less expensive than using your own USA cell phone or hand-held…. but
be advised: on the phones, error messages as well as the keypad may be in
Arabic!
As far as memory cards, film for non-digital cameras,
batteries, and chargers- make sure you bring some extra along. These items are
available universally, but, like any tourist destination, they will be
expensive. Make sure to remember them; the ones available in the place you are
visiting may not match your electronic equipment.
Put an automatic vacation message on your email or notify
your friends and family about dates when you will be gone, let them know that
you will check in, but may not be able to do so every day.
Appliances
As far as modern conveniences in many foreign hotel rooms or
in the cabins on Nile cruises go, don’t expect the type of amenities you are
used to in the USA or Europe. Many
hotels now have in-room televisions, blow dryers or steam irons- but some do
not. If you think you absolutely can’t
live without your blow dryer, then by all means bring it along. However, if you are touring the
Mediterranean on a large commercial cruise line, you will probably be sailing
in the lap of luxury.
Reading
Depending on
the country you are in, magazines and books printed in English or European
languages can be tough to find, even at upscale hotels. If you are a big
reader, plan ahead by bringing a couple of magazines or paperbacks with you…
but trust me…you probably will not have
time for much reading when you are traveling- I can’t tell you how many books I
have taken along and never even looked at!
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