Advice of trip

As far as possible, I shall to try to share my experience, or some knacks, with you, which can be quite useful in the course of your travels. If you go on a package tour, not too much worries (except the management of time for your pictures!!!), but if you leave solo or with a group of friends, in complete self-government, you could always use some of those knacks. Of course, most of them are quite obvious and great travellers will quickly run through this rubric.

Concerning the trip itself. Do not forget (apart from having your ID card/passport on you at all times) to have a photocopy of your ID card, and/or passport, in your suitcase, as well as one of your plane tickets (you may even leave a copy at home to have them sent, in case of emergency). It can be really useful, in case of theft. If staying at a hotel, photocopies in the suitcase are safe (but don’t leave them in an obvious place). If it is not case, try to keep a copy in inner pockets, less subject to theft. When visiting a market or a souk, carry your backpacks...on your belly, thus it is harder to cut them open with a blade. And beware of rushes, sudden gatherings or when you are surrounded, even by children, it is often the opportune moment...!

The same goes for money, try to divide it to put it in several places, without leaving everything in the same place. At least, in case of problem, you will always have something left !!!

Always carry a document with the address of the embassy, according to the place you go to.

Think of your vaccines, and take a good first-aid kit. (And tablets against paludism, adapted to the zones of type 1, 2, or 3 according to where you are. Consult your doctor). Be careful, people do not always react in the same way, depending on what they take: the lariam, of the savarine or others. Do consult your doctor.

Concerning food, go easy on it. Do not attack, on the day after your arrival, all the dishes your eyes meet. Allow yourself a couple of days to get used to the new country (climatic change, humidity, time difference, etc...) Those things won’t have you bedridden....... no, no, let’s say toiletridden!!! Always think of having some water, in hot countries, and some salt. You may not realize the dehydration when a hot wind blows sometimes. Remember to drink regularly, even if you’re not thirsty.... In Burkina Faso, I used to drink 2 litres of water a day (on average) without needing to do anything to eliminate it. I didn’t feel sweaty, the hot wind would evaporate everything very quickly. (Alright, I was in the bush, not the city, to be fair)

As for water, if you order some in cafés, at a terrace or a table, always have the bottle opened in front of you. Guarantee of security. Depending on the place you go to, the water (in the bottle) may be tap water...... The same goes for raw vegetables, be careful, it is washed with water and not with the bottled one, therefore.... if you know provenance, no danger.

Always respect the people and places you come across, as well as the people whom you photograph. Ask for permission before taking any picture (imagine someone coming to the countryside to take pictures of you and your garden without asking you for permission....). Be careful too, for some people, to take a picture is to steal someone’s soul (religious matter). Reactions can be rather various: really funny (the person runs out of sight. I saw that in Morocco, when I asked an old woman’s husband if I could make his portrait. He said yes, but she disappeared in the depths of their home at the sight of the camera, she never came out) or quite strong... not as funny.