The Careful Traveler

I’d like to share some travel tips I’ve picked up in the last 30 years:

* Make copies of your passport, plane tickets and other travel documents. Put one copy in each of your bags, and keep a copy with you.

* Carry at least one week’s supply of your medications in a fanny pack or other bag.

* Go to the purser’s office on the ship or the concierge at your hotel and have that person write down your location. This is especially important in large ports like Piraeus in Greece, where ships look similar.

* Carry a compass. In many places streets curve, and it’s easy to lose your sense of direction. If you’re really lost in a foreign country, find a teenager. They are more likely to speak English.

* Put some money in various pockets so that if one pocket is picked, you won’t lose it all. I use a zippered pouch that ties onto my belt and goes inside my pants.

* Treat people with kindness and respect. Smile, and they will usually help you.

BARRY J. BRANAGAN

Thousand Oaks