subject: Keeping Safe Whilst Travelling [print this page] When exploring Central America, it is vital that you keep your wits about you. When you volunteer in Guatemala, you have to be wary that you will be entering a country where the unpredictable is your daily norm.
With there being so many stories about robbery, rape and murder, it is easy for any traveller to be scared out of their mind, but remember, that you can avoid anything by always keeping your head on you at all times. The most frequent of issues is highway robberies that can occur on long stretches of abandoned roads at night. Always do your research online to find out which areas have been targeted the most and when travelling around, try and avoid going on buses overnight, and if so, always go on firs class buses as they often avoid toll stops and minor roads. If anything, some have even suggested that chicken-buses are the most risk-free way of travelling around. It is often the ethos by travellers that if they travel across cities by night, they save a lot of time on their itineraries, and whilst this may be true for cosmopolitan cities in Europe and Asia, it is always better being safe than sorry in Central America. Either way however, dont let the horror stories online scare you as most of them are just imaginative or exaggerated.
Another common crime is petty theft, especially on walking trails or near ATM machines. When in crowded areas such as bus or train stations, always keep hold tight of your bags, whilst only carry on your person what you will need such as an emergency credit card and your ID. Everything else should be locked away in a safe back at your accommodation. Always remember, if you dont think you will use it, why keep it on you. Money-wise, always carry your daily worth on you. Travellers often have to find the balance between not using ATM machines too much, due to overseas costs, and not taking too much out which will make them a victim of theft. During your travels, this should be a skill that you will adopt over time.
So when choosing to volunteer in Costa Rica or Mexico, keep safety a priority. It may just save you an arm and a leg, literally
by: Peter Mosby
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