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A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.

Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.

A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.

Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.

Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.

I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.

REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.

ivan

Sunday, February 9, 2014

10 Travel Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Life Posted by Caroline Morse on Tuesday, February 4, 2014



10 Travel Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Life

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10 Travel Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Life

Posted by Caroline Morse on Tuesday, February 4, 2014

(Photo: Hand on Mountain Ledge via Shutterstock)
From contracting parasites and bedbugs to illegally crossing a border or racking
 up exorbitant cellular fees, these 10 travel errors could have serious health or 
financial consequences that will haunt you long after your vacation is over.

(Photo: End of Border via Shutterstock)
Crossing the Wrong Border
In some places, it's easy to wander over an unmarked and unguarded border 
from one nation to another. While this might not be such a big deal if you're in,
 say, the European Union, it can mean big trouble in other parts of the world. 
Take the case of three Americans who were imprisoned from 2009 to 2011 for 
allegedly crossing into Iran while hiking near the border in Iraqi Kurdistan. The 
Iranian government accused the hikers of being spies and sentenced them to eight 
years in prison. (One of the hikers was released after 14 months, and the remaining 
two were let go after serving about two years and paying more than $465,000 
each in bail money.)

(Photo: Thinkstock/Digital Vision)
Contracting Parasites
You can't see them, and you might not know you have them until months or even 
years later, but parasites can ruin your health. Microscopic parasites can be contracted
 by drinking contaminated water, by eating undercooked meats or improperly washed 
fruits and vegetables, or through a bug bite.
One SmarterTravel staffer experienced the trauma of a parasite, and his story 
gives us chills: "I don't know where I contracted [leishmaniasis]. They think 
most likely when I was in Crete, since that timing seemed to fit and that was the 
only place I'd been where this disease occurs, although it's still pretty rare there. 
If it was Crete, the symptoms didn't appear until almost a year later. I was on and 
off sick for about four months until they figured out what it was. Went through lots 
of doctor's visits and tests. They were going to remove my spleen for diagnosis but found out what it 
was right before that."

(Photo: Bedbug via Shutterstock)
Getting Bedbugs
Contrary to their name, bedbugs can live almost anywhere—including in luggage, on
 clothing, or on furniture. All it takes is one bedbug hitchhiking from a fabric airline 
seat or hotel bed to infect your entire home. Getting rid of them once you have them 
can cost you more than your trip—think thousands of dollars in extermination fees, 
furniture replacement, and laundry bills.
Be sure to always check your hotel mattress for signs of bedbug infestation, wash
 your clothing immediately upon returning home, and consider using hard-sided
 luggage to keep bugs out.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)
Having Your Identity Stolen
Opportunities for identity theft are everywhere while traveling. Making a transaction 
with an unfamiliar ATM, using a public Wi-Fi connection, or being the victim of a 
pickpocketing—these are all ways in which your identity could be stolen. Identity 
thieves can open fraudulent accounts in your name and ruin your credit for years 
while the matter is straightened out.
Use secure Internet connections; consider using an RFID-blocking wallet; and check 
your credit card, bank, and credit-report statements carefully and frequently after
 traveling.

(Photo: Burglar via Shutterstock)
Having Your Home Burglarized
Being away from home for an extended period of time can make your house a prime 
target for burglars. Even something as innocuous as mentioning an upcoming vacation 
on Facebook can alert thieves that your house will be empty. Consider the case of 
New Hampshire robbery ring, which used Facebook postings to target victims while 
they were out of town.
Limit who you tell that you'll be gone (including out-of-office emails, voicemails, 
and social media postings) and freeze newspaper and mail deliveries so they don't
 pile up when you're gone.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)
Getting Locked Up Abroad
The television show Locked Up Abroad may be entertaining to watch, but it won't 
be so much fun if you have to live through it. Make sure you know the local laws 
wherever you're going. For example, did you know that in Singapore, officials can 
legally submit anyone(including tourists) to a drug test—which means that you could 
get in trouble for illegal substances consumed before you even traveled? It gets 
worse: Some narcotics offenses carry mandatory death penalties in Singapore. Or, 
in the less-obviously-illegal department, a British couple received a one-month 
prison sentence for kissing in public in Dubai.
Familiarize yourself with local laws before traveling!

(Photo: Kidnapped via Shutterstock)
Getting Kidnapped
Travelers, especially business travelers, can be easy targets for kidnappers looking 
for financial or political gain. Last year, an American tourist was kidnapped, robbed, 
and raped in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four kidnappings in Honduras have been reported 
to the U.S. embassy in the last two years, and in 2011 the Mexican government 
reported a more than 300 percentincrease in kidnappings since 2005.
Check the State Department's website for travel alerts and warnings for regions 
that you are planning to visit—it will have good information on whether or not kidnapping 
is a high risk and which areas should be avoided.

(Photo: Drunk Man Passed Out via Shutterstock)
Getting Too Drunk
Knowing your limits while drinking alcohol is important, especially while traveling. 
A drunken slip could mean lifelong consequences. Take the case of Joe Rickey 
Hundley, a former executive who lost his job after he got drunk and slapped a 
toddler on a plane. Be careful to always watch your surroundings while drinking 
as well—the State Department warns of reports out of Thailand of tourists being 
robbed after their food or drink was drugged with a sedative.
Drink alcohol in moderation while traveling (and remember that being tired, 
jet-lagged, or dehydrated can make you feel more drunk than you would under 
normal conditions), and never accept a drink from a stranger.

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)
Not Turning Off Cellular Data
Don't forget to turn off your cellular data (or set up an international plan) if you are 
bringing your phone with you on the road. Consumers have been hit with unexpected 
bills for exorbitant amounts (think $10,000) because they used their phones briefly while 
abroad or they forgot to turn off cellular data/roaming.
Consult our handy guide on using your smartphone abroad to avoid a surprise 
savings-ruining bill.

(Photo: Open Bottle via Shutterstock)
Consuming Counterfeit Products
Inadvertently buying a fake handbag in a foreign market may be annoying, but it's 
nothing compared to what could happen if you consume a fake product.
Multiple tourists have died in Indonesia after drinking methanol (a lethal substance) 
that was sold to them as regular alcohol in a money-scamming scheme.
Other travelers have experienced dire consequences from taking counterfeit medicines 
while abroad. The CDC, for example, warns against buying antimalarial drugs while 
abroad; many sold outside the United States are counterfeit and ineffective.
Stick to bottled beer in places where counterfeit alcohol is a known problem, and buy 
your medications before you go.
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This article was originally published by SmarterTravel under the title 10 Travel Mistakes That 
Will Ruin Your Life.
Follow Caroline Morse on Google+ or email him at editor@smartertravel.com.

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ivan