I am always on the lookout for cool travel accessories.  Some of them are listed in my travel tips column.  I am huge believer in practicing security when I travel.  I have heard too many horror stories from other travelers who have had backpacks, purses or bags stolen right in front of their eyes.  So, I was particularly intrigued with this easy to use locking device called the “grab guard”

The Grab Guard in black

It is an easy to use two (2) number combination cable lock that is extremely lightweight and serves the purpose of temporarily delaying any thief that is trying to make a “quick getaway” with your stuff.  Usually all it takes is a slight deterrent to make a thief choose a different target.

I often travel with a 22 inch roll aboard suitcase and carry a small backpack.  The problem is when I am sitting in an airport waiting area and trying to keep both the suitcase and the backpack secure.  With the Grab-Guard, I simply put the cable lock through both pieces to keep them secured together. 

 I recently used it on a trip to New York and it eased a lot of my concerns with keeping my bags secured together.  I really liked using it.   My next trip was to Chicago, where I forgot and left the Grab-Guard at home.  On that trip,  I had much more anxiety about my bags when I wasn’t using the Grab Guard.

The grab guard in brown

 I wanted to get some other people’s opinions about Grab Guard.   I started out with my daughter who travels a lot.  Her comments were “Yeah! I can totally see this in the airport.  I am always afraid I am going to fall asleep and someone will walk off with my purse”  “Now, I can attach my purse to either me or the armrest while waiting for my flight.  This would be perfect for travel”!!

When I showed it to my wife, she said, “Wow that is a neat little gadget!  It’s cool! It’s small! I wish I would have had that this morning to have secured my purse in the restaurant when we were having breakfast”!

My friend Kim said, “I think it is perfect for securing my purse in the cart at the grocery store.”  “I see women all the time that are getting ready to have their purses stolen because they just set them in the grocery cart.”  ” I am going to have my husband get me one”!

I then interviewed some random 20-something(ages) young women at Starbucks.  Their comments were, “I would use it at the airport or in the grocery store”.  “It would be perfect”!  “I really like it.”   The most shocking comment I got from the younger girls was a shrug when asked if they would use in a restaurant.  Several of the younger ones said “I probably wouldn’t use it to secure my purse in a restaurant, because no one in this city would ever steal your purse off a chair” (???)  Famous last words of the uninitiated!

Grab guard secures purse to chair

Grab Guard used to secure backpack to chair

Do yourself a favor and check out their website for ordering info.   Plus you can see the video on the various uses of the product. www.grabguard.com

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about my travel tips here

Read about the rest of  my other world travels here

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in the meat market of San Pedro Sula.  I was prepared for anything.  I actually found it to be reasonably clean.  It was one booth after another.  All selling varying kinds of meat.

Hanging beef in the meat market of San Pedro Sula Honduras

Hanging beef and sausage in the meat market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Hanging beef in the meat market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Beef and sausage in the meat market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

I think these may be something like Pork rinds in San Pedro Sula, Honduras meat market

hanging meat in the market of San Pedro Sula Honduras

Fish in the market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

One of the meat stands in the meat market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Shopping for meat in the market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Again, like in the tortilla markets, the people were friendly and somewhat amused that I was taking photos.  I was the only “gringo” in the market.

Next-on to the produce market of San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read more of my travels click here

I thought I had planned well, but I had not checked the weather. 

There was a typhoon that had decided that it was going to strike a glancing blow at Taiwan.  The Pilot came on and said he would have to change the route, adding an hour to an already long 14 hour flight.  Total flight time-now 15 hours. 

For that long of a flight, I had to continue go to the back of the plane and do deep knee bends just to remain limber.  I was going to need all my strength and flexibility when I landed in Taipei. 

I arrived in Taipei on Saturday, 7 p.m. local time.    It was raining due to the tail end of the typhoon.

 Taipei Airport Immigration and Customs

Taipei Airport-inside the lobby

I had already researched the bus system and was ready to go when I hit the ground.  Within 15 minutes I was on the bus into Taipei.  After a one hour bus ride the bus driver let me out a couple of blocks from the Taipei Hilton where I would be staying.  I walked the last 3 blocks in the rain. 

I quickly checked in and showed my plans to the concierge.  He helped me out by writing instructions on a card in Chinese for each destination where I wanted to go. I could quickly hand them to any taxi driver and maximize use of my time.  Taxi drivers in Taipei generally don’t speak English. 

By this time it was 9 p.m. and the clock was ticking.  I was losing precious time. I better hurry.  I had to leave tomorrow!!

Steve Barrymore

Next-The race is on!

post your comments here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net

See all my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:

Travel tips:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/travel-tips/

Colombia:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/

Mexico:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/

Caribbean island of Barbuda:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/

San Juan  with a 5 hour layover:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/

Fly around the U.S. for the day:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/

 When I boarded the American Airlines 777 in San Jose, my seatmate was a Taiwanese woman who asked me how long I was planning to vacation in Taipei.  I told her “only one night”.  She didn’t believe me, so I called Carol on my cell phone and asked her to talk with the lady and tell her my plan.  Carol agreed(reluctantly) to speak with her on the phone.

 Here is my new  best friend from Taiwan-my seatmate

My new friend listened intently to what Carol was telling her.  She finally said “I think your husband must be crazy, but our mayor should give him the key to the city for doing this”.  Whereas Carol replied, “I think he must be crazy too, but just humor him on the 14 hour flight!”. 

After thinking about it for awhile, my new friend volunteered for her family to give me a ride from the airport into the city to my hotel.  I politely declined telling her I needed to master the airport bus system while I was there. 

I then buckled up for the flight.  It was only supposed to take 14 hours, but a typhoon was making its appearance!!  Add 1 hour.

Steve Barrymore

 Next-The flight over the water-

Post your comments here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net

See all my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:

Travel tips:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/travel-tips/

Colombia:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/

Mexico:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/

Caribbean island of Barbuda:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/

San Juan  with a 5 hour layover:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/

Fly around the U.S. for the day:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/

Here was the plan: ( Continued) 

I would leave Oklahoma City at 6:00 a.m. on Friday morning, fly to Dallas, then to San Jose, CA and on to Taipei across the international dateline, arriving there at 7 p.m. on Saturday and leaving on Sunday at 2 pm.   I would be back home by 7 p.m. Sunday (total trip time-61 hours) leaving only 19 hours on the ground to see the city!

 I purchased the ticket and for the next two weeks spent every evening laying out a plan to maximize my time in Taipei. 

Due to time restrictions, I decided to concentrate on just seeing everything possible in the Southwest quadrant of the city.  Every night I poured over the map doing my best to memorize the layout of the city.  I planned every minute of the 19 hours in quarter-hour segments. I was energized by the challenge.  

 I booked a room at the Taipei Hilton in the center of the SW quadrant across the street from the Taipei main subway station to maximize my time, and yet still be able to catch a few hours of sleep to avoid total exhaustion. 

I left Oklahoma City with $200, a Chinese phrase book, my rollaboard luggage, and a great sense of adventure!

Next-The 15 hour flight to Taipei

Post you comments here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Steve Barrymore

See all my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:

Travel tips:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/travel-tips/

Colombia:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/

Mexico:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/

Caribbean island of Barbuda:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/

San Juan  with a 5 hour layover:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/

Fly around the U.S. for the day:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/

I got to thinking about some of the BEST trips I have ever taken and thought I would do a few blogs on one that was not only a challenge, but REALLY fun as well!  So here it is:

A couple of years ago I was surfing the net looking for low air fares. I spotted a new route on AA from Oklahoma City to Taipei through San Jose, California. They were offering some incredible introductory fares for a limited time.  Plus, I could rack up a bunch of frequent flyer miles since they were paving the route with bonuses!  It would be the ultimate mileage run!!

I mentioned to my wife Carol, how much I had always wanted to see Taipei. She replied, “you’re not getting any younger, why don’t you just go”? She couldn’t get away, but didn’t want to prevent me from going.

The only problem was that the cheap fare remaining was for a flight in two weeks, on Mother’s Day weekend, leaving on a Friday and returning Sunday—just for a weekend! Carol said as long as I was home on Sunday, and bought her a Mother’s Day present in Taipei, she would be fine with me going to Taipei just for the weekend.

I would have only 61 hours total to fly across the Pacific to Taipei, see the city, and be home. What a great challenge and with only 2 weeks to plan the entire trip!! Was I up for it?  You bet!

Here was the plan: (to be continued)

Post your comments here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Steve Barrymore

Next-The plan is put into place

See all my other travel blogs on NewsOk.com:

Colombia:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/colombia/

Mexico:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/mexico/

Caribbean island of Barbuda:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/barbuda/

San Juan  with a 5 hour layover:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/san-juan-puerto-rico/

Fly around the U.S. for the day:

http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/category/day-trip/

Part 10:                                                                                                                                                                       Stacey recently updated her comments from above with the following:

“I still love my list, though here are some technological updates:”

1) I’ve moved from film cameras to digital with an underwater bag to a new waterproof digital camera – sweet!

2) I also pack a photo memory card reader so I can blog photos on a trip and leave the memory card instead of the camera when I have a CD made of my photos for backup.

3) I carry a small UV water purifier Steripen instead of a water purification pump system.

4) Instead of a clothesline with pins I braid small-gauge surgical tubing which makes a stretchy, easy to tie up clothesline that doesn’t require pins since you can just poke the corners of your clothes into the braid.

5) Instead of packing around guide books I razor out the pages and chapters I need and just pack those. I also make copies of guidebook maps and laminate them so they’re handy and hardy.

6) For travel to really hot areas I’ve grown fond of the neck coolers that have crystals in them that swell when soaked and stay really cool for hours; they’re reusable, but may be confiscated as “gel” if you try to take them in a carry-on or wear them on the way home (but they’re cheap, so no big deal).

Ok, that does it for travel tips.  Thanks to Stacey for her contribution. 

 Next stop is Taipei, Taiwan, across the Pacifc and back in 61 hours!  Can you do it?  It’s a fun blog to read.  Don’t miss it!!

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Here are some more of Stacey’s Travel Tips, all written by her:

“Email to yourself anything you might need including airline and hotel reservation numbers and contact information, emergency numbers, email and snail mail addresses, travel websites, and scans of your passports and traveler’s checque numbers in case you somehow lose everything you were carrying.

I’ve traveled “heavy” and now that I’ve experienced travel with only a carry-on, I can’t imagine what anyone would want to take that would be worth lugging around more. Here are 2 helpful websites about packing light, not specific to Latin America:

http://www.onebag.com/

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm

My own(Stacey’s) Central Am. packing list is #14 here:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=828622&tstart=0
Also, here is the preamble to the 2003 travelogue of our family’s trip to Belize, more philosophical.

~As Mason Williams would say, “Don’t go down to the ocean with a notion of what you will find”. In other words, expect your adventures to be wonderful but don’t expect them to be predictable;

~grab every opportunity to get to know the people as opposed to just seeing places and scenery. Hanging out in small villages and seeking out locals gave us many of our most special memories;

~take advantage of things that are every day experiences for locals, like beans and rice, bus rides and bike rides, and shopping for produce;

~remember the Peace Corp adage: “It’s not right or wrong, it’s just different”;

~stay as long as you can and adventure out from bases; we typically had 3-7 days in each location, and were glad for it;

~when traveling as a family, listen to the kids, plan to enjoy your together times and to spend times exploring on your own, as safety allows; our individual strengths and interests were woven together to make the trip more memorable for all of us;

~see a lot, but allow time to lay around in hammocks or sit and drink a coke with locals;

~read before and during your trip: guide books, identification books, the Belize Forum, and books set in Belize and written by Belizean authors, both fiction and non-fiction;

~pack a comprehensive medical kit that includes an antibiotic like cipro and a good quality water filter;

~take school supplies or books to donate along the way and gifts for kids and hosts (we took little rubber frog finger puppets and photo magnets showing a view of the wildflowers, mountains and Columbia River Gorge from our house);

~for bugs we preferred Sawyer’s Time Release Deet bug repellent, which worked wonderfully and allows less deet to be absorbed into your skin than most formulas. We took hefty doses of B vitamins and garlic pills starting weeks before we left in an effort to smell repugnant to those smallest of pests, and found that it worked perfectly in areas where there really weren’t any mosquitoes, but failed miserably where there were (hence, the Sawyer’s).

~other things we were glad we had: headlamps, plant and animal identification cards, copies of our lodging reservation and payment emails, sun hats, sunblock and aloe, sarongs (for the females) and bandanas, blank journals, a variety of cameras (including underwater ones) and lots of film, good quality waterproof binoculars, clothes line and pins, cable ties, our own fishing equipment, including a great collection of hand-tied flies, open minds, a desire for adventure, and our senses of humor.

Thanks to Stacey for those.

Stay tuned for “Part C” of Stacey’s travel tips–

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Here is what she has to say when she travels to Central America:

“Sometimes I travel alone, sometimes with one or more of my kids and/or my husband, sometimes with a group in tow.  I don’t feel overly paranoid but have never had a problem and would like to keep it that way.  Here are my concessions to safety when I travel in Central America:”
:: I avoid the big cities as much as possible
:: I don’t “party”
:: Where recommended I take specific transportation (Hedman Alas in Honduras, for example, or avoiding chicken buses on the mountain runs in Guatemala, taxis after dark)
:: I know where I am and where I’m headed
:: I don’t wear jewelry (not even my wedding band) and try not to flash camera equipment or money around
:: Some trips I carry a “throw down wallet” with an expired card or 2 and the day’s cash in it
:: I keep important documents and cash under my clothes (except what I need for shopping, buses, etc. for that time period)
:: I ask locals about safety in an area – evenings, hiking, etc.
:: I travel really light so I don’t feel vulnerable getting my bag off and on buses, shuttles, etc.
:: I continue to build skills in Spanish

Here is her trip report when she went to Honduras:  http://sidewalkmystic.com/CopanRuinas.htm#Stacey

And some links to some of her other blogs:

MY PHOTOS ON FLICKR:  http://flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections
LIVE AND LEARN IN HONDURAS:  http://liveandlearninca.blogspot.com/
LIVE AND LEARN IN GUATEMALA:  http://liveandlearninguatemala.blogspot.com/
BLOG FROM 3 WEEKS ON THE BAY ISLANDS LAST SUMMER:  http://holemansinhonduras.blogspot.com/

Next week-I will post some more of Stacey’s travel tips and philosophies–

If you have an travel tips, post a comment here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Here are some more travel tips I have learned:

31.  Hope you like my photos, you thief!-Those valuable photos are priceless-Cameras get stolen all the time and with them the photos.   Keep your memory cards in a separate place when possible or download them to a CD or flash drive whenever you can.  You spent too much money to lose the memories.

32.  Microfiber towels-You can buy these at Backwoods in Oklahoma City.  They take up very little space and can really come in handy. They are easy to fit in a backpack when you are at the beach.  Of course, if you are staying at the Four Seasons you can just call the desk and tell them you need another towel!!

33.  Some favorite products-here are a couple of products some people have told me about.  One woman really likes this travel purse with a steel cable in the strap:  www.daymakers.com. 

34.  Another lady told my wife she likes the skirts from www.macabiskirt.com/  My wife likes to buy travel clothes from www.travelsmith.com

35.  Stick it- Since most hotels have the plastic room cards now in lieu of keys, it means you have to remember your room number.  Just carry a supply of those colored stick-on dots with you and put one on your outside door handle or at the top of the outside of your hotel room door.  You can always find your room—unless your next door neighbor is doing the same!!  This also works well to help the kids remember your room. 

In my next couple of posts- I will share some travel tips from my friend Stacey.  She has traveled frequently to Central America and will share some good advice. 

If you have any tips you would like to share, you can add a comment here or e-mail me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

To read about my other travels click here or http://blog.newsok.com/thewanderer/mytravels/

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net