Ten Tips for Air Travel in 2006-7 (Domestic, economy class)

Air travel, you may have noticed, ain't what it used to be.
Therefore:

1. Check your large bag. Carry your make-up and computer bags
only. The airlines rarely lose luggage. Besides, you need to be
free to wander airports unburdened. No clothes are worth tying
you down, if you think about it. Also, no clothes are worth the
effort of stuffing a suitcase into the overhead bin next to four
others. The flight attendant pulls it out, turns it around and
shoves it back in again with a smile. But you feel the anger in
his back muscles.

2. Plan to spend as much time in airports as you do in the
air--or more. Big city airports have interesting art exhibits to
peruse while you're waiting for delayed flights. San Francisco
has famous paintings about the sea and its mythology along with
exhibits of all kinds of weird ocean creatures under glass. You
can ride the moving stairway back and forth to take it all in.
That's easier than going to a museum where you have to walk.

3. Expect flight cancellations, delays, gate changes and other
snafus. Choose to relax and enjoy each one. You have that
choice, you know. Some airplane, often yours, needs mechanical
work which takes three hours. They rarely tell you what kind of
mechanical work. There is no point in assuming it's major such
as wing failure when you can just as easily assume it is a
clogged sink.

4. Expect crying babies on every flight and /or kids kicking the
back of your seat repeatedly. Feel grateful that they are not
your kids, unless, of course, they are. Then you can feel
grateful that you don't have to put up with anyone else's kids.

5. Get on and off the airplane last or near last whenever
possible. Let the rest of the world be frantic. You have the
choice to be calm. Actually, you have the choice to be happy,
too. Simply say to yourself, "I guess I'll be happy for now. Why
not?"

6. While hanging around the airport, notice the frustrated
passengers pacing with their cell phones. Send them warm
thoughts. It will make you feel great. They may not hear you at
first, but if you keep it up, you'll be surprised. Eventually
you will give them some real peace of mind and you will be able
to see the change come over them.

7. Bring your own gourmet food to eat on the airplane and in
those airports that sell only fast food. You can use a
fashionable soft plastic carry-on cooler that fits easily into
the overhead bin.

8. Carry a disc player with headphones for soothing hypnotic
discs that put your brain waves on Alpha. Brain waves are
electrical vibrations that flow in waves and can be measured by
the number of pulsations per second.

Beta level is 14 to 20 pulsations per second--best for action.

Alpha level is 7 to 14 -- best for thinking.

Theta level is 4 to 7 -- sleep.

Delta level ½ to 4 -- deep sleep.

The Beta level is the conscious level; Alpha is the subconscious
where intuition works.

The most brilliant and successful people in history deliberately
slowed their minds to Alpha level daily.

With the right discs you can shut out simultaneous airport
announcements that cancel each other out. I can recommend
several.

9. Make sure you have easy access to pencil and paper to record
the great ideas you have while your brain is waving on Alpha
level.

10. Then, when you put away your disc player and return to the
Beta wave world of the airport, you'll feel refreshed. You find
the movement and noise around you fascinating. You smile at the
"Keep your Eye on Your Belongings" mantra, the offers from
oversold flights, the scents of nervous sweat, T-shirt
proclamations and cell phone conversations circling you.

You then read your book in peace and don't even notice that your
flight is seven hours late.

It's a wonderful way to fly economy class, or do anything else,
for that matter.

About the author:
© Evelyn Cole, MA, MFA, The Whole-mind Writer,
http://www.write-for-wealth.com evycole@hughes.net Cole's chief
aim in life is to convince everyone to understand the power of
the subconscious mind and synchronize it with goals of the
conscious mind.

Copyright 2006 Cole's Poetic License

Traveling with Pets

Author: Paul Nelson


Pets have special needs when they travel, so planning ahead is
essential. This advice can help you make sure your pet is
prepared to travel long distances locally.

Taking your pet on a holiday

Your pet should be wearing a collar with its name and your
contact number on it. In Australia we use the microchip system,
which is highly effective and recommended. Recently laws have
changed and it is illegal to have unchipped animals. If your dog
is returned to the rspca or to the local vet, they can scan the
microchip and find your contact details. This is really
important as your pet may become disorientated or panic and run
away or get lost.

Car Sickness

In particular if your pet is a kitten or a puppy they won't have
traveled in a car before so its a good idea to get them used to
the feeling. To do this take them for short rides. Use this
experience to familiarize them with where they sit in the car.
If your dog or cat is particularly anxious in the car bring
there bed or basket so that they can settle down in there own
space in the car. Some people prefer to use carriers for there
pets especially on long drives, put something of your pets
inside the carrier to reinforce that traveling is a postive
experience. Sometimes using a small treat to get them
comfortable in the carrier can be helpful.

Don't feed your pet right before leaving. Feed the night before
as this will mean your pets stomach is settled. If you travel
with your pet regularly and they have persistent carsickness
your vet might prescribe motion sickness medication. To combat
motion sickness and travel fatigue in your pet remember to give
them frequent stops at parks so they can walk around go to the
toilet. At these stops it is better to walk your pet on a lead
as they might be disorientated and run off.

If you are intending to take your pet on a long plane journey
and know it is very anxious then you may be able to speak to
your vet about having a tranquilizer prescribed.

Packing for your pets holiday

Before leaving home you need to pack some practical things like
a water dish, feed dish, plastic bags, a lead and your pets
favorite blanket or perhaps a favorite toy to make the journey a
lot more comfortable. If you pet requires any medication
remember to carry this. If your move is permanent you can
arrange to get a copy of your pets records from your vet so that
you can give these to the vet in your new area.

Search for pet friendly accommodation

If you are going on a long journey use the internet to search
for pet friendly hotels or camping along the way. This is also a
good reason to have your pets health documentation with you, as
campgrounds, hotels or kennels will need to see these before
they allow your pet to stay.

Traveling to another country Get a current health certificate
from your vet

Make sure your pet has all current vaccines, and up to date flea
and heartworm prevention

Check airline pet policies- most require a special pet ticket.
Some airlines will also give instructions where to deliver your
pet as they may not check in with your regular luggage.

Find out what the quarantine policy is for every country/state
you will be traveling through

Sites which provide information specifically on quarantine rules.

www.petsonthego.com USA, Canada, Mexico www.airpets.co.uk UK,
Europe www.pet.net.au Australia, New Zealand
www.quarantine.co.uk UK, Europe

About the author:
Paul Nelson loves to write articles for Animal lovers, and real
Issues facing day to day issues. http://www.vetstop.com

Five reasons the Baja we know and love will be gone in a decade --

By Serge Dedina


http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/article.cfm?id=2613

Summertime's coming and just about everyone who lives for the long
point
waves of Baja believes in the Pristine Myth -- the conviction that
Baja will
be empty, desolate and wild -- forever. This delusion is at erroneous
at
best and dangerous at worst. The Baja California that drives us to
live for
that frenzied first round-the-bend glimpse of a pumping swell at
a "secret"
point we've surfed for the past quarter century is going fast and
could
disappear in ten years.



Here are five reasons why the Baja you love, the Baja you dream of,
the
Baja that makes you feel like a primeval surf explorer will no longer
exist
in a decade -- unless you take action to save it:

Energy Development. In the past four years some of the world's biggest
energy companies -- Sempra, Shell, Chevron-Texaco, and Marathon Oil --
have
either built or proposed the construction of liquefied natural gas
(LNG)
terminals along Baja's Pacific coast. Sempra-Shell is already halfway
through a terminal that destroyed famed Harry's. Next on the list of
doomed
sites -- the Coronado Islands where Chevron-Texaco plans a massive
facility,
and Cabo Colonet, where a LNG terminal would also be housed to a
major new
port and industrial complex (see below).

Port Construction. The Port of Ensenada is planning a five billion
dollar
massive industrial, LNG and urban complex on one of the last pristine
stretches of coastline between Ensenada and San Quintin at Cabo
Colonet.
This new port will be larger than the Ports of Long Beach and Los
Angeles
combined. The city associated with the Port will eventually rival
Ensenada
and will envelop every surf spot around Cuatros.



Marinas and Mega-Resorts. In 2003, John McCarthy, Mexico's Chief of
Tourism
Development (FONATUR), announced plans to roll back a plan to build
marinas
at six point breaks on Baja's Pacific coast including Scorpion Bay
and Punta
Abreojos. Unfortunately, FONATUR recently announced plans for new
marinas at
Punta Abreojos and La Bocana. These projects are planned despite the
fact
that a similar marina at Santa Rosalillita is filed in with sand and
will
forever sit idle. Major resorts and marinas are also now on deck in
Bahia de
los Angeles, San Jose del Cabo, and Loreto.

The Baja Land Race. With the detonation of the second home market in
Baja
and the availability of once previously locked off coastal property
(due to
previous inability of ejidos or collective agrarian cooperatives to
sell
land), the race is on to buy up and develop every speck of coastal
Baja.
Even though under Mexican law coastal access is a right, after all of
this
development occurs, entry to the coast for visiting surfers and local
rippers will become almost impossible.

Coastal Pollution. Runoff from the Tijuana River has made Imperial
Beach,
Coronado some the most polluted surf breaks in California. Just north
of
Baja Malibu, a creek at San Antonio delivers about 12 million gallons
of
sewage to the coast every day, 365 days a year. Development around San
Miguel sends sewage right into the lineup after it rains. Cabo Pulmo
the
northernmost coral reef in North America, located in the heart of the
East
Cape, is severely threatened by septic tank related pollution. Expect
new
coastal development to pollute your favorite wave in Baja.



HOW YOU CAN HELP

Protect the Coast. You can protect the coastal property you own or
plan to
buy in Baja through a conservation easement -- a dedicated legally
valid
document that prohibits your land from ever being developed into a
mega-resort even after you sell it. Email Saul Alarcon at
saul@wildcoast.net
to learn more on how to protect your beachfront property in Baja and
get a
tax break in the process.

Save San Ignacio Lagoon. WiLDCOAST, Pronatura, NRDC, and the
International
Community Foundation, recently protected 140,000-acres along the
shoreline
of San Ignacio Lagoon (midway between Abreojos and Scorpion Bay), in a
project that also plans to conserve Punta Abreojos and the coast
north of
Scorpion Bay. You can help save one of Baja's great wilderness
surfbreak
areas for ten dollars an acre. Go to savethegraywhale.com and donate
now.

Save Punta Abreojos. WiLDCOAST and the Natural Resources Defense
Council
have joined the Environmental Law Center of Mexico and the Group of
100 in
challenging an inadequate environmental impact assessment for the
newly
planned Punta Abreojos marina, but we need your help. Please email the
following Mexican government officials and let them know
(respectfully) that
you are opposed to building the FONATUR marina at Punta Abreojos that
will
destroy one of Baja's most treasured waves and coastal ecosystems:
Biólogo
Juan Ricardo Juárez Palacios, Dirección General de Impacto y Riesgo
Ambiental (here) and Ing. José Luis Luege Tamargo, Secretaría de Medio
Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (here). Please cc all emails to
saul@wildcoast.net

Leave No Trace. Pack it in and pack it out. There are no suitable
landfills
anywhere in Baja at all. The accumulation of plastic from cities and
from
surf spots is a major source of ocean pollution. Every surfer who
visits
Baja can make a difference just by packing out trash. Go to
www.lnt.org and
learn about how to save your favorite Baja break from being overrun
with
garbage.

Clean up the Tijuana River. WiLDCOAST and our community partners on
both
sides of the border have launched an effort to clean up the Tijuana
River
(yes it can be done) and reduce beach closures in Playas de Tijuana,
Imperial Beach and Coronado. Email Benjamin@wildcoast.net to have
your surf
club or business endorse our Clean Water Action Plan.

Party at the Waterman's Weekend. For the Surf Industry, the annual
social
calendar is capped by this summertime gala that provides a serious
source of
funding for organizations working to save Baja's surf breaks. This
year the
event takes place on August 4th and 5th at the St. Regis Monarch Beach
Resort and Spa in Dana Point. Go to www.sima.com and buy your tickets
now.

So get a reality check. Get active. Just don't pretend that the spot
south
of the border you live for with its once endless supply of crystal
clean
water and righteous wave is going to wait for you forever. --Serge
Dedina


If you care about our surf spots, sign up for Surfline's new
EnviroAlert
Email List. We'll keep you informed about when a spot's in danger --
and
what you can do to help save it.

About the author:
The Executive Director of WiLDCOAST, Serge Dedina grew up a couple of
miles
from the U.S-Mexico border fence and took his first trip to Baja back
in
1972. He can be located at sdedina@wildcoast.net or surfing his home
break
of Imperial Beach -- when it's not polluted.


Posted by WiLDCOAST on May 12, 2006 04:21 PM

Mexico’s Health Care System

Mel Borins, MD

When you think of Mexico, do images of turista and Montezuma’s revenge make your intestines groan? Perhaps you have had many patients who got sick in Mexico, and you fear going there because you might get hepatitis or a parasite. Mexico, however, is actually quite advanced and not the backward, primitive place you might remember from the movies.



New hospital opening in Colima.



Dr Leon Golub, a geriatrician, works in Cuernavaca at Sanitorio Henri Dumant.



Medical care coverage

In this country of 90 million people, there is a huge gap between rich and poor, and the health care system reflects this contrast. There are four basic strata of delivery systems. For everyone who works, there is the IMMS. Both employer and employee pay into an insurance system very much like a health maintenance organization. There are clinics, hospitals, and doctors specifically set aside to provide care for everyone who is employed in the private sector.

If you work for the government, there is ISSSTE, a completely separate health care delivery system for government workers. If you are poor and unemployed, you can go to SSA hospitals and clinics set aside for public care. You are required to pay according to your financial capability. There are also hospitals for workers in the oil, telephone, and electrical industries.

Most importantly, especially for tourists, there is the private medical system. If you are not a government employee and do not work for a company but are self-employed, you would most likely have private health insurance. Also, certain executives in the oil, telephone, and electrical industries and in the government have special benefits to access the private medical system.

Hospitals

Dr Leon Golub, a geriatrician, works in a multidisciplinary medical centre in Cuernavaca, a large city south of Mexico City. In the clean, fully equipped small office building close to the hospital, many specialists work together in the private system to provide comprehensive care.

Dr Golub took me to the privately run Sanitorio Henri Dumant, a small 20-bed hospital close to his office. A private room was $90 per night, and a semiprivate room was about $59 per night (all rates in US dollars). This cost included only the room. Drugs, tests, and doctor’s fees were extra. This private facility provided more personal care than the huge public facility.

I also went to the Hospital Angeles in Mexico City. It was one of a big chain of hospitals all over Mexico providing luxury care to the rich. This 200-bed hospital was like a five-star hotel. The modern, fully equipped emergency department even had its own endoscopy and operating rooms. The state-of-the-art intensive care unit, the lithotripsy room, hyperbaric oxygen centre, and helicopter landing area were quite impressive. The hospital also had an eight-bed day surgery unit and a newborn nursery with 20 incubators; magnetic resonance imaging was available for $600.

The average cost of a room was $50 per day; however, if you were very wealthy you could stay in one of seven suites. The most elaborate room ($500 per day) had a living room, dining room, two washrooms, and an office for business executive patients who might need to work. The walls were covered with wallpaper and attractive art, and the floors were tiled in marble. All rooms were equipped with televisions and VCRs, safes for valuables, and sofa beds where relatives could sleep.

In the public hospitals, it is quite a different story. Dr Lindsey Horenblas is a Canada-trained doctor who works in San Miguel, a town of 140 000. He relates:

In the public hospital where I work, the fees to patients are prorated to their income so paying the hospital and the doctor is not the big issue. It is the supplies and drugs that are in short supply because the hospital can’t afford to stock them. For instance, if you have a broken femur, your family has to raise the money to buy the hardware, then they have to buy it, and when they bring it back to the hospital, then [physicians] will operate on you.
Medical schools

Mexico has both private and public medical schools. The main difference between the two is the class size and facilities. A private medical school might have 40 to 100 students in a class, whereas a public one might have 200 or more. Each doctor must go through 2 years of basic science and theory, 2 years of clinical work, a 1-year internship, and then provide 1 year of social service in a poor or underserviced area chosen by the government.

During this period of service, the government pays for doctors’ room and board. After this year of service, doctors can go into practice or go into specialist training. After specialists graduate, they have to spend 3 to 4 months in social service before going into practice. Specialists and general practitioners have a moral imperative to be recertified every 5 years.

Traditional healing

Native people or people in rural areas and villages still go to local shamans or folk healers. Most shamans combine spiritual beliefs with herbs and massage.

Wendy Lyons, a Canadian who has been visiting Mexico for many years, has been meeting with local folk healers and learning about their traditions and beliefs. She was most impressed by the humility, sincerity, and kindness of the folk healers. She believes most Mexicans are still quite spiritual in their daily lives and still believe in miracles.

Boil it, peel it, or forget it

The hotels that cater to tourists visiting Mexico appear to be completely hygienic. So people let their guard down and forget the “boil it, peel it, or forget it” rule that tropical disease specialists preach.

It is imperative that you buy complete insurance coverage when traveling to Mexico. Many hospitals accept direct payment from insurance companies, but most independent doctors do not. They will, however, provide receipts so tourists can be reimbursed when they get home. Make sure your policy has evacuation coverage that enables you to be flown home if you get too sick to be managed in Mexico.

Just remember: a milligram of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure.

Competing interest: Dr Borins was sponsored by the Mexican Tourist Board to travel to Mexico in February 2001.

Dr Borins practises family medicine in Toronto, Ont, and is author of the book Go Away Just For the Health of It.

Mexico Travel - Swap your greenbacks for pesos or you'll pay the

Author: James Truett


CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- If you feel safer using your
greenbacks to pay for your purchases in Mexico, you're paying a
hefty premium for your imagined security.

While many stores, restaurants and bars in all but the smallest
towns generally accept U.S. currency in payment, you can be sure
that little shopkeeper is smiling as you walk out his door!

You just gave him a bonus - as much as ten percent - just
because you paid in U.S. dollars.

The International Monetary Fund currency exchange rate between
the U.S. dollar (USD) and the Mexican Peso (MXN) is about 10.50
pesos to the dollar as of this writing, but that's not what you
get from that nice little shopkeeper, sexy waitress or friendly
barkeep.

Most establishments set their exchange rates 10% lower than the
bank's rate to accommodate natural fluctuations in international
currency markets. So, while the bank rate might be 10.50 pesos
to the dollar, it's not uncommon for local businesses to give
only 9.50 pesos to the dollar.

The result: you end up paying 10 percent more for your
purchases. If that doesn't sound like much, consider this. If
the average traveler to Mexico spends $2,000 USD during a
one-week visit, that visitor could be paying an extra $200 USD
if everything is paid in dollars.

For reference purposes, the average Mexican worker is lucky to
make $100 a week, so the extra $200 you paid would cover the
wages of a Mexican worker for two weeks!

The moral of this story? When in Mexico, ALWAYS pay in pesos,
and you'll get the cheapest price and save money.

To find out how to get the very best currency exchange rate, and
how to get your travel cash in a foreign currency before you
leave home, you'll want to check out the e-book, "50 Things You
Must Know Before You Travel to Mexico". The book contains vital
information for anyone planning to travel to, live in or retire
in Mexico.

For more information, go to:
http://truestarpublishing.com/ART101/

About the author:
James Truett, a former AP reporter, writes from his home in Cabo
San Lucas, Mexico. His href="http://truestarpublishing.com/ART101/">Mexico travel
book, "50 Things You Must Know Before You Travel to
Mexico," contains vital information for anyone traveling to
Mexico. For details, href="http://truestarpublishing.com/ART101/">Click Here!