That's My Story

EMERGENCIES – Published Jan 2005 – Western Outdoor News

Watching all the disaster stuff going on around the planet from Asian tsunamis to California flooding, I’m reminded of 9/11. It’s a day that’ll be permanently etched in just about everyone’s brain, but for me, even moreso being in another country when all hell breaks loose.

I had a large group of divers and fishermen that had just spent the week with us in La Paz and I was sending them on their way to the airport that morning. They were all having breakfast in the hotel lobby and I took a walk out to the local dive shop to check on some equipment for the new group of anglers set to come in later that day. It was there at the rental shop that I saw those first images that would certainly change the world and had to go back to the restaurant and actually try to convince my clients that I wasn’t joking. I mean…how do you break such incredible news to folks who are still buzzing from last night’s margueritas and convince them that I wasn’t having post-fiesta problems myself. It wasn’t until I had a TV wheeled into the restaurant that faces and hearts dropped.

To make a long story short, the next few days were not only hellish, but amplified by the fact that we were not in the United States. Everyone wanted to be home and there was no way to get there. Several of the guys were military. Cell phones were not working very well. The only news of home were from the same repeated reports on CNN in their hotel rooms. There were no flights. There was a heightened sense of not being connected to anything. Try as I could to keep everyone chipper under the circumstance, it was understandable that no one felt like fishing or diving any longer. Both figuratively and literally, vacation was over. I spent the next week not only trying to keep them relatively entertained, but also trying to find flights; connect to families; find transportation; keep them in their rooms; loaning money…you name it! They were a good bunch, but obviously, I got them all home. Me included and it was never so nice to get back across the U.S. border.

However, several things occurred during those incredible post 9/11 days and I jotted notes promising to pass them on someday to be better prepared in the event either myself or others are stuck in another country when disaster hits or even a personal emergency.

First, make sure the folks back home have the number of the place you’re staying. Seems like common sense, but it’s amazing how often I get phone calls or e-mails from the families of clients who have no idea where their husband, brother, kids, etc. are located.

Second, everyone should have a secondary number to call such as a different family member where messages can be left just-in-case primary numbers aren’t working. If for no other reason than to say, “I’m alright” such a short message can alleviate a lot of problems.

Third, carry duplicates of your paperwork. Got your passport? Got your I.D.? Got your insurance paperwork? Got your tickets? Good. Now make copies and place the copies in a different spot than the originals. If the originals get lost, stolen, destroyed, you’ll have extra copies. Do the same for everyone in your group. Nothing like holding up the whole group because one person loses their passport.

Fourth, carry calling cards that allow you to call from outside the U.S. Many 800 numbers on calling cards don’t work outside the U.S. so check with your carrier. Same for cell phones. Currently in Baja, AT& T, and sometimes Verizon, Nextel and T-Mobile work (this differs from place to place). Make sure you have an inexpensive international calling plan. I pay about 5 bucks a month for my AT&T cell and it works better in Mexico than it sometimes works in the U.S.

Fifth , if you’re on medications, bring extra to allot for more days than your vaction schedule in case of travel delays or disaster. After 9/11 one of the group ran out of a critical heart medication and we spent days trying to get his doctor on the phone to OK a prescription and finally found the medication at $600 for a bottle. Another couple on the trip ran out of a special anti-biotics that took us awhile to track down as well.

Sixth, if you’ve got kids and one of the parents is not traveling, make sure you have a written notarized copy from the other parent allowing the traveling parent or adult to administer medical care if needed.

Finally, bring extra money in small denominations and forget about it. Put it somewhere in your luggage and don’t even consider it on your trip. This is not extra money for Pacificos, shopping or dog races. There should be enough for plane fare home and extras. I have traveled in a number of countries and no matter what folks might think of you or think of America, the one truth is that the world loves U.S. currency. Make sure it’s wherever YOU want to be, even moreso than plastic credit cards.

Heaven forbid anything ever happen to you on your travels, but a little planning goes a long way.

That’s my story…
Jonathan