InsideOut Travel—Traveling in Unsafe Countries

by Jessica P. Hayden

I remember sitting in front of the television with my father, eyes glued to the screen, when the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989. I watched with great intent as young, jubilant Germans climbed on top of the wall, destroying the cold, hard cement and rejoicing as the structure, and communism, crumbled. While I was thousands of miles away in the safety of my rural Pennsylvanian home, I couldn't help but feel I was taking part in history.

I've always wondered what it would have been like to be a tourist in Berlin when history made its mark. Or, to have taken that once-in-a-lifetime trip to China when the tanks rolled through Tiananmen Square. The political junkie in me wishes I was standing right there, walking in step with history. The risk-averse part of me is happy to let CNN and BBC update me on what's going on as I enjoy my traveling in more tranquil parts of the world.

	DESTINATION: UNSTABLE COUNTRIES
	Risky Business; Traveling in Unsafe Countries
	by Jessica P. Hayden I remember sitting in front of the television with my father, eyes glued to the screen, when the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989. I watched with great intent as young, jubilant Germans climbed on top of the wall, destroying the cold, hard cement and rejoicing as the structure, and communism, crumbled. While I was thousands of miles away in the safety of my rural Pennsylvanian home, I couldn't help but feel I was taking part in history. I've always wondered what it would have been like to be a tourist in Berlin when history made its mark. Or, to have taken that once-in-a-lifetime trip to China when the tanks rolled through Tiananmen Square. The political junkie in me wishes I was standing right there, walking in step with history. The risk-averse part of me is happy to let CNN and BBC update me on what's going on as I enjoy my traveling in more tranquil parts of the world.				As the world shrinks and borders open, travel has becomes more accessible. Likewise, travelers often find themselves in locations more exotic than London, Paris or Rome. Today, travelers on a budget know they can get better deals and more unique experiences on roads less traveled; corners of the world that don't grace the cover of Conde Nast's Traveler. Yet, it is these very places where corrupt governments often thrive, the rule of law is rarely upheld and poverty runs rampant – the kind of formula that often breeds instability. "'The shooting was over quickly and the president was exiled to a village deep in the jungle.'” As adventurous travelers, we often accept a certain amount of risk when visiting these far flung destinations. You may expect that the Costa Rican bus you're traveling in won't have seatbelts or that you might get "Delhi Belly" while traveling through India, but what happens when you end up visiting a country where the government falls apart? When I moved to the former Soviet Union two years ago, I had no idea that during my time here the region would experience three "colorful revolutions"–Georgia, the Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan have all experienced popular uprisings in the past 18 months. more >> << home << discuss article >>
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DESTINATION: UNSTABLE COUNTRIES

Risky Business; Traveling in Unsafe Countries

by Jessica P. Hayden