The World Health. Organization (W.H.O.) recommends that all travellers who visit any area of Egypt, should be vaccinated against.

1 DIPHTHERIA.

2 TETANUS.

3 MEASLES.

4 MUMPS.

5 RUBELLA.

6 POLIO.

7 HEPATITIS B.

The consequences of these diseases can be life threatening, and outbreaks do occur in the Middle East area.

So you have decided to visit Egypt this year. And because you do not want you or your family to fall ill on holiday. You have decided to get your vaccinations. But you do not know where to start. You want to know
WHY, WHERE, WHEN , HOW, and HOW MUCH will it all cost.

WHY. Because if you do not have a vaccination, you or one of your family could fall ill or even die.

WHERE. There are two different places you can get your jabs. One is a private medical centre that specialise in travel vaccinations. these specialist centres are very expensive. and unless you need your vaccination urgently or immediately,they should be avoided. because there are less expensive alternatives. Here is a price list of some of the vaccinations. from my nearest local private travel clinic.

Cholera (Dukoral, price for full course) ?59
Combined Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio ?31.50
Combined Hepatitis A + B ?65
Combined Hepatitis A + Typhoid ?84
Hepatitis A ?48.50
Hepatitis B ?40
Japanese Encephalitis ?47
Combined Junior Hepatitis A + B ?47
Junior Hepatitis B ?25.75
Meningitis ACWY ?55
Polio (inactivated) ?25
Rabies IM Route ?47
Tick Encephalitis ?63
Tick Encephalitis (Junior) ?63
Typhoid ?27.50
Yellow Fever ?53.50

Or you can book an appointment with your local G.P. Often he will delegate this task to a nurse.

Inform the doctor about the country that you wish to visit. The doctor then looks up what jabs you need, and then writes you out a prescription for the vaccinations you need.
Sometimes you will have to pick the medicine up yourself from the chemist, but some doctors will order them for you,and have them ready for you, when you arrive at the surgery. Then you just roll up your sleeve. Needle in. Hey presto, your done.
Afterwards my nurse gave me a small pocket booklet (which they recommend you keep with your passport) , which records what jabs you have had, the date you received them,and when you need your next jab or booster.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST, This all depends on your doctor. A friend of mine had all his travel jabs done for free.

I just had to pay the prescription charges. One charge for each vaccination, Although some vaccinations are combined.

WHEN. Give yourself plenty of time,four to six weeks at least,before your departure date. Do not leave it to the last minute to phone your doctor for an appointment. As your holiday jabs will be classed as none urgent.

Another fact to remember is that some smaller chemists may not stock every vaccination. And you will need to wait for all the prescriptions to arrive.

Once your chemist receives all of your vaccination shots. Collect them from the chemist. And dont forget to ask if they need to be stored in a fridge until your appointment.Then book your appointment.

    .

Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

First-time travelers to Oaxaca, as well as return visitors and snowbirds, can all help to improve the financial lot of many struggling residents, aside from simply visiting the city and spending. 

It’s a fact that tourism has indeed returned to the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca.  But as a result of the US economic crisis in 2008, so have many Oaxacans:   Oaxacan immigrants, documented and otherwise,  had previously been eking out a modest existence north of the border, often wiring money back to their motherland on a regular basis to help out parents, children and extended family members in need.  With fewer available jobs, the people flow has now been reversed.  Oaxacans are coming back to their native soil.  The economic implications are twofold: 

1)      There are now more Oaxacans vying for work which continues to be a scarce commodity.

2)      With fewer Oaxacans working in the US, less money is being sent home.  

Many hotel and B & B guests arrive with two suitcases … one filled with their clothes and toiletries, which fits snuggly inside a larger one.  The latter is used for the flight back home, to pack up purchases such as rugs and other textiles, black pottery and a variety of different ceramic pieces, alebrijes, and more traditional fine art. That larger suitcase need not be brought down empty.  Those who have already been sensitized to Oaxaca’s economic plight sometimes ask what they can bring to leave behind, filling their second piece of luggage with used clothing, pencils and pens, T – shirts and caps with logos of their local sports teams, and much more.  And then there are the travelers with young children who recognize that by the time the next summer arrives in their hometowns, the kids will have outgrown virtually everything they’ve brought down for them to wear.  Here in Oaxaca they find new homes for shoes, shorts, jeans, dresses and shirts.

Within less than an hour’s drive from downtown Oaxaca, townspeople in marginal communities subsist on tortillas, beans and rice, with meat and poultry reserved for only the most special of occasion.  Medical clinics and dental facilities are often stocked with inadequate equipment, instruments and supplies, and schools lack books.  Even the brightest students and those with the most drive and desire are denied the opportunity to complete their secondary education because the cost of transportation to attend high school in the larger centers is prohibitive relative to the means of their families.

Every visitor to the city of Oaxaca has the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic amelioration of residents of towns and villages in the central valleys, apart from buying handicrafts and art.

We all have much more clothing than we need.  Just look in your closet or in that chest of drawers in the basement.  You might even find your daughter’s old pair of eyeglasses from two prescriptions ago, useless to you but invaluable to a downtown optometrist with ties to villages with children whose parents have no money to buy glasses.  Dig out that gift from your mother-in-law — the sweater that’s far too gaudy, or the T – shirt she brought for you on her trip to Turkey three years ago, still in the plastic wrapper.  Do you really think that as you get older it’s realistic for you to actually start exercising as you did before, and that you’ll actually lose that paunch and fit into those size 32 jeans?  How long do you think it will take for those shirts with Saturday Night Fever collars to come back into style?  Here in Oaxaca they’ve never gone out of style.

The reluctance to personally distribute what you can no longer use is understandable.  Certainly filling up a couple of green garbage bags in the course of your annual spring cleaning and then taking them to the local clothing drop box is easier, and the anonymity which comes with it is somehow preferable.  It precludes any possibility of that feeling of discomfort that often results from directly confronting differences in economic status.  But for those Oaxacans in need, all contributions are welcomed and tremendously appreciated.

Bring whatever you can.  And if you’re not a packrat, there are other ways you can help:

1)      Ask your neighbors and relatives.  They’ll be happy to use the new-found closet space.

2)      If you’re a medical or dental professional, search the shelves in your storage cabinet for instruments that have become obsolete for your state-of-the-art practice.

3)      If you’re a manufacturer with over-runs, or wholesaler, jobber or retailer with stock that you just can’t move, consider packing up whatever will fit into that extra suitcase.

Not knowing what to do with it once you land in Oaxaca is certainly a legitimate, but not insurmountable concern.  Again, there are several options:

1)      The manager of your hotel or B & B might assist in distributing clothing to members of his cleaning staff who in all likelihood are of extremely modest means, or might suggest that some items be given to one of several local charities such as Estancia Fraternidad or Casa de La Mujer.

2)      If you plan to tour some of the craft villages, your tour guide or driver might be able to assist you, although residents of the more popular and consequently successful towns such as Teotitl?n del Valle and San Mart?n Tilcajete might not be the ones to whom your generosity should be directed.  Consider spending part of a day getting away from the more traditional tourist sights, perhaps venturing into the hills and tiny communities, the inhabitants of which are predominantly campesinos.  This affords an opportunity to see first hand the modest lifestyles of most Oaxacans and experience the “real” Mexico.  Your chauffeur should be happy to accommodate, and you can distribute goods as and to whom you wish.  

3)      Drop your donation by the Oaxaca Lending Library on Calle Pino Suarez.  Its volunteers are involved in a number of outreach projects.

4)      Contact me and I’d be honored to come by your accommodations, pick up whatever you have, and ensure that it goes to good use.

Regular visitors to the city and the numerous returning snowbirds are afforded an even better and easier opportunity to help.  Consider leaving your entire Oaxaca wardrobe and all your toiletries in Oaxaca, permanently.  Remember, you still have more than enough to wear at home, and already having bathroom items awaiting you upon your return to Oaxaca can be quite convenient, especially in light of airline restrictions regarding sprays and bottles.

Pack it all up in a few boxes, or better yet buy an inexpensive chest of drawers to store your belongings, like I did about a dozen years ago when I was a frequent visitor to the city.  Toss in a few bars of soap or pieces of cedar to keep it all fresh smelling.  Then impose upon one of your Oaxacan or expat friends to keep it for you in a closet, corner or storage room.  For your subsequent visits to the city all you’ll be bringing down will be two suitcases filled with treasures for those in need.  And remember, with all that Oaxaca has to offer shoppers, craft collectors and art aficionados, there’s never a risk that you’ll return north with empty luggage.

Everyone is familiar with the word Stay-cation, invented to describe staying home instead of traveling during vacation time from work. It’s all about mowing the lawn, feeding the cat, watching TV, ordering pizza…yawn…are we bored yet?

The genius who created this little hybrid word started a trend; one that is almost out of control today. New names are popping up like mushrooms for all kinds of specialized vacations. Allow me to bring you up to date.

For a male who occasionally gets the urge to bond with guy friends, a Man-cation might be just the ticket. Fueled by testosterone, this is a vacation with hair on it. It could be about golf, sport fishing, camping, some friendly wagering, good natured ribbing, a few pranks and other activities common to all-male gatherings.

Conversely, the ladies might be in the market for an all female getaway…a Fem-cation, if you will. These are probably estrogen driven outings of some kind…I wouldn’t know for sure….some things are still a total mystery to those of us burdened with the Y- chromosome.

How about a Nude-cation – a trip for the uninhibited, those who just can’t wait to take it all off…leaving their swim suits and modesty at home. Unfortunately, this too often includes people who just don’t look very good naked anymore. One thing is for certain; however, nude-cations are a bonanza for sun block vendors and mosquitoes.

A Space-cation – Just visualize the fun and excitement…the count down…blast off…weightlessness…vertigo…nausea…little globules of vomit floating around the command module.

Seriously, this could be something as simple as a space camp for kids; or, for adults, an official NASA sponsored astronaut training down at the Cape in Florida.

The apex of the space-cation experience? If you have the required six or seven figure budget at your disposal, it is a real, actual trip into the blackness of outer space. (Hmmmm…wonder if the standard 10% commission applies?)

Got clients with young children? How about a Kid-cation – something just for kids? Could be as simple as staying at a hotel or resort that caters to youngsters – indestructible wallpaper, Jell-O, mac & cheese, hamburgers and Cokes at every meal, etc. This is a great way to go for families…but best to avoid long drives in the mini-van, especially if you are allergic to the phrase “are we there yet?”

The ultimate kid-cation, of course, is a six day pass to Disney World…or a cruise of one of the Disney ships.

And, yes Virginia, there are Procreation Vacations – very popular with those who are ready to start a family. Part fertility clinic, part luxury resort, these destinations provide the perfect romantic environment… including couples massages, special diets, magic potions, specific exercises, ointments, pagan rituals…whatever it takes to guarantee that making whoopee will make a bay bee!

Then there is that getaway wildlypopular with Baby Boomers – Medical Travel – known today as Medi-cations. No doctor’s prescription is needed. These little junkets are all about traveling to other countries to seek treatment for whatever ails you…even if it is just an excess of wrinkles or worn body parts where looks and/or performance is just not up to par.

How about a Luxura-cation? A trip for lovers of luxury, pampering, spa treatments, total indulgence…trips for those who believe anything worth doing is worth over-doing. A topnotch luxura-cation provides endless opportunities for sensory overload.

Last but not least is the unbelievably popular category, Educational Vacations or Edu-cations. These are all about learning, attending lectures, studying or going to school while traveling. This segment is experiencing exponential growth…especially on cruise ships…so much so that a future article will be dedicated exclusively to this category. (Holland America pioneered this field. HAL ships now have dedicated on-board facilities that feature high interest offerings such as Culinary Arts taught by well known Master Chefs.)

In closing, I strongly urge you to familiarize yourself with these terms, because…to put it bluntly, simply asking clients if they are ready for a “vacation” is sooooo last century.

Why not demonstrate that you are in tune with the times by indulging in a little vacation name dropping? It won’t hurt and just might help business.

Here they are again for your edification and review:

– Stay-cation

– Man-cation

– Fem-cation

– Nude-cation

– Kid-cation

– Space-cation

– Medi-cation

– Procreation Vacation (see also – Pregna-cation)

– Luxura-cation

– Medi-cation (Medical Tourism – not to be confused with travel to the Mediterranean)

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am 26. I grew up in East Cornwall; my parents ran their own business. Their business sold fuel saving devices for cars that were highly magnetic- that’s the devices that were magnetic, not the cars obviously. Over time some of the distributors who indirectly worked for the company selling the products began to notice that the dodgy knees, bad hips and other complaints they had been carrying around for years seemed to be feeling a lot better when they had been carrying the devices around in their pockets. This prompted my father to do some research.

Magnetic therapy, or magnotherapy, was nothing new, in fact its roots can be traced back to ancient china, but this represented an important milestone in the development and increasing popularity of magnotherapy in this country. His research into and increased understanding of the complex biophysical interactions between living cells and magnetic fields led to him receiving the prestigious BT Award for Innovation, while his magnotherapy company appeared twice in the Sunday Times/Virgin list of Top 100 Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies. His original CRP magnet module became the world’s leading magnotherapy product and remains the only magnetic bracelet to complete a successful clinical trial under an approved medical protocol.

Though I heard many stories and examples of the products helping people and animals (including a male elephant at Whipsnade Safari Park who was not able to fulfil his duties as part of the park’s breeding program because of a bad back. After a jumbo sized magnetic strap was made, he was able to continue, much to the delight of the keepers and lady elephants) I never had any experiences of their benefits myself. That was until last year when I travelled to India.

I began my four month trip to India in the far north. I flew from Delhi to Leh, the largest town in the ancient former kingdom of Ladakh, a beautiful Buddhist region with its own unique culture nestled high in the Himalayas close to the Chinese border. It is in fact, the highest inhabited place in the world.

As you can imagine, flying directly from Delhi, averaging around 250 metres above sea level, to Leh, 3500 metres above sea level, is quite an adjustment for the body to handle, and most people suffer from altitude sickness to some degree when they arrive. I made three friends quite quickly when I arrived.

Of the three of us, I was the only one who did not have to put themselves to bed with a pounding headache, and I, of course, was wearing one of the magnetic bracelets sold by my father’s old company, which he had by now sold. One of my new friends was suffering so badly after during the first two days that after a glass of mint tea (supposedly good for the stomach) she was physically sick in the street. I lent her my magnetic bracelet, and in the morning she felt much better.

During a tough mountain trek a few days later, our entire party (besides our local guides) were suffering terrible from headaches and nausea after a very tough day’s trek. I however, whilst not without symptoms, was the only one who felt well enough to sit with our guides and eat dinner.

A new and improved design has now been produced, and represents a further development of the theories that made the earlier design so effective, successful and popular. It may not be the first thing that comes tom mind when you are deciding on equipment for your next adventure, but perhaps it should be on the list.

All cars or vans in this industry must post a sign visible in front and rear of the vehicle a sign with the letters SP (that is Servicio P?blico or public service). These vehicles comply with the latest directives and laws both in Spain and EU, regarding safety, insurance, comfort, and accountability.

Without entering into a lengthy moral sermon about why not use illegal cars, there are two important things for a traveller:

1.-“SP” cars or vans have unlimited insurance coverage in case of accident, others don’t.

2.-Since this type of piracy is increasing so are the police inspections at the airport, port or popular tourist attractions. If caught, the driver is not only fined but that transfer ends right there, so you will have to abandon the vehicle and you will have to continue your transfer or tour on your own means, together with your luggage if any, and forget about your money if you have paid anything up front.

So, how can such false cars be detected? Some advice:

By law, any vehicle carrying out this type of service in Spain, car rental with driver  (transfers, city tours, etc) must have the” Hoja de Ruta” (like a Manifest, with flight number, number of passengers, name of principal passenger, pick up point, drop off point, drivers name and company name, who contracted the service, etc.).This is a contract between you and the driver, filled out in official form. This contract goes to Court. If a driver doesn’t have it, they could still be legal, but sloppy and at the risk of  a hefty fine.

If you have contracted a transfer before your arrival, and meet up with your driver at the airport terminal, you are greeted and then walked off to the public toll parking lot, you can start suspecting. An “SP” vehicle has a reserved, free parking area at the airport. An “SP” vehicle may possibly park in the public parking area but not for free, probably as a courtesy to the passenger if it is raining, for example, but check if the “SP” plates are visible when you reach the car, and if still in doubt, ask for the “hoja de ruta”.

And the litmus test is asking for the “libro de reclamaciones” or complaint forms which are presented in a book form. This book must have the car’s license plate on the front cover, all SP vehicles,  hotels, restaurants, Tapas bars, hospitals, clinics, public offices, or anybody else who is selling a product or service to the final consumer, etc. must have it. Keep this in mind if you are ever upset with any type of service you receive.

It doesn’t happen often, fortunately, but if there is a traffic accident, and someone is injured and you are ridding in an illegal vehicle, it all depends on what your personal life and health insurance back in home says about this.

With the unfavourable EURO exchange rate for many currencies now, there is great pressure to bring down prices, and like everything else in life, there is limit.  Many travel agencies are innocent victims of this as they also have no way to control what vehicle is carrying out their services in some foreign country and after having their request for hire passing through three or four hands before reaching the driver, and you.

Always try to hire a car directly with the local drivers, many available over the internet. Ask for proof that they are legal, shy away from portals that sell you cars worldwide unless you know them well – after all, do they know who they are subcontracting?