Travel Advisory!
I didn’t get the memo!
Published in
3 min readNov 28, 2017
Every time I go to a foreign country I look to see if there is a travel advisory for that country. Maybe they are expecting some civil unrest, maybe they are expecting some extreme weather, or maybe just a swarm of locusts! I just find it best to know of any risks before I leave my home soil.In the spring of 2016 my fiancee and I went to Costa Rica. Typical travel advisories for most of Latin America. Chance of pick pocketing, petty crime, drunken belligerence, all of the usual shenanigans.
Well, maybe it's just me, but I felt safer there, (roads and driving not withstanding), than I’ve felt in almost 20 countries I have visited. The country doesn’t have an army and I’m sure I saw not one police officer. Costa Ricans are some of the happiest people I’ve met anywhere.
Maybe it's because I see so much U.S. based news here in Canada but I can’t help but wonder why there is no travel advisory to the U.S.A?
I understand that most of these violent crimes would not involve or victimize a tourist, but I for one have a hard time believing that the U.S.A is safer than a country like Costa Rica with their “Pura Vida” lifestyle.
According to reference.com the U.S averages approximately 16,000 murders and non-negligent manslaughters a year, which is around 44 murders a day. Let’s not even talk about what happened to Chicago’s murder rate in 2016. What the hell?
So with all the gun play, mass murders, drive-by shootings, and various other types of violent crimes, how is it that the U.S.A evades having a more accurate travel advisory bestowed upon them?
Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed some extensive travel in the U.S. and the vast majority of American people are genuine, sincere, and kind; however I would be lying if I told you I didn’t feel a kind of “tension” in the air whenever I am on the other side of our border.
As my soapbox begins to melt I will just say that there are many countries that should be on the travel advisory list that deserve to be, some that are on the list that don’t deserve to be, and still others that should be on the list that are not.
But alas…I digress…
As a final note, I’ve found this interesting and somewhat amusing list of 25 Unusual Foreign Travel Warnings for Visiting the U.S.
Until next time!
Happy Travels!
