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I have a confession to make. My best, most optimistic guess is that we will be traveling sometime in August, two months from now, and I already have the packing bug. I’ve so far resisted the urge to pull out my mega-suitcases — who wants to trip over those for two months? But I’m already working on my lists. Last night very late I jumped out of a perfectly comfortable bed so that I could run add another item to my list.
Here are some items on my growing list, in no particular order.
Pepto tablets
Years ago on a China-adoptive-parent list I read about the Pepto Bismol tummy treatment. Lots of people traveling to 3rd world countries end up with stomach upset. Supposedly if you take a half-dose of Pepto Bismol every morning, you’ll avoided the dreaded traveler’s bug. I have done this on every international trip, and (so far) I have not ever been sick. I prefer the Pepto chewable tablets because they are more convenient than liquid when you are on the go.
Washcloths
Neither of the places I stayed had washcloths, so you’ll probably want to pack your own. I like to carry a traveler’s packet of wet wipes or a packet of Kleenex, as well as a bottle of Purell for hand washing when there’s no water handy.
Sunscreen
Because the weather in Ethiopia is so mild, it is easy to forget that Ethiopia is almost right on the equator. You’ll get sunburned really quickly, so don’t forget the sunscreen. Use it on your kids too. Black skin does burn, as I discovered on my second day as the mother of an Ethiopian. I was wondering what the rash all over her face was, and was shocked to learn that I’d gotten her sunburned in all our walking outdoors that day!
Neat Sheet
My brainstorm the other evening? I was remembering the exhaustion-filled hours we spent in the airports in London and Germany, trying to kill six or seven hours when we couldn’t find a clean place to lie down. Next time I’m bringing a Neat Sheet just in case. It rolls up light and compact, and is big enough that at least a couple of kids could stretch out. That and a couple rolled-up sweatshirts for pillows would be just the thing to turn a quiet corner of an airport waiting room into a decent place to rest awhile.
This time I’ll even have my husband with me so we can take turns keeping an eye on kids while the other rests. We may look a little odd camping out in the corner, but on a trip like that, I’ll choose a 40 minute nap over prim and proper (and nodding off while bolt-upright) any day!
How about you? If you’ve traveled to Ethiopia, what did you bring that you found especially useful?
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The thing that was MOST valuable was my homeopathic travel kit. Included anti-strep med, stomach med (supposedly for salmonella & ecoli), and some other stuff. Saved us! Also, you cannot bring enough snacks or wet wipes/purell. The Kleenex Splash-n-Go’s are great wipes because they don’t have any %rap in them that would cause breakouts etc. I could wash my face with them when needed. Last but not least, I highly recommend taking several of the Charmin travel toilet paper rolls and toilet seat covers. They fit in your purse or pocket and are lifesavers!!!
~Beth (www.taleof2@blogspot.com)