When You Travel, Chances Are You Will Encounter Time Shifts.

Sir Sanford Fleming, a Canadian railroad engineer and visionary, set out the basics of time zones around the world to help his trains keep schedules. Before Fleming’s invention, each train station in each town had its own time based on the overhead sun at noon. Railroad scheduling was next to impossible to decipher.

Fleming proposed every 15 degrees of longitude should all have the same standard time. All lines of longitude pass through the north and south poles. At the equator the 15 degrees covers approximately 1,000 miles. Since the earth’s equator is approximately 24,000 miles in circumference, there are 24 time zones each an hour apart.

Unfortunately the degrees of longitude (every 15 degrees) would bisect states and countries, provinces, states and even towns. One side of the imaginary line was an hour before or after the other side. So deviations had to occur to accommodate the actual ground situation. So time zones can wiggle around and go back and forth to follow borders etc.

Time zones are not simple and international datelines and earth rotation direction aside, they can be quite confusing.

Here are some web sites that may help you get a handle on time zones and changes around the world.

• Time.is has times around the world by location (7 million enough?). It also shows:
  • sunrise and sunset times
  • time zone details
  • latitude and longitude
  • details on holidays for the day
  • a Wikipedia link.
• Time Ticker indicates the current time when you click on the world map. Specific cities and towns appear in list boxes.
• Time Zone Check Hover your mouse over the world map and you are shown daylight saving time and standard time on two clocks. A third clock reads your computer’s time setting.
• Every Time Zone compares times around the world in a bar graph styles. It shows the date too. Very visual.
• 24 time zones has an interactive world map with yellow dot locations for time zones, shading for night and daylight and the date for each location.
• Daylight Map
  shows the dusk and dawn lines as daylight marches around the globe. Clocking locations around the world can be done. The google just the night-time city lights satellite image is there too as well as other features.
• World Time Zone gives an overall view of time zone borders around the globe.

Google Earth has time zone information too, but it’s a little more complicated to extract it. Of course Google Earth has so many other information resources for the traveller, the time zones are not its major thrust.

Less intuitive and therefore less useful are:

• Qlock shows times as you hover over a world map. It includes three styles of world view using a google maps base.
• Windows 7 also has the capacity to have several clock images on its interface and each can be programmed for a different time zone. You can keep tabs of the zones you are travelling to or have friends in, etc.

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When travelling in foreign lands you must respect the customs and traditions of your host country. Just as you would expect strangers to be respectful of your own community practices. Most Canadian travellers choose exotic or historically interesting places to broaden their understanding of our planet. The more differences you encounter, the more important it is to check ahead on the expected clothing restrictions you may need to abide by.

Getting naked at a nude beach is easy if you are so inclined. But other beaches require certain decorum in beach attire. These rules are certainly variable in the major vacation hot spots. There are many places where your skimpy sun loving clothing may be a no-no in public.

Bare Shoulders

When visiting religious attractions often shoulders must be covered. Take a long a light scarf to drape over bare shoulders. It can easily be removed in favour of T-shirt or sleeveless attire.

Bare Legs

Bare legs are disrespectful in many situations. Even in Canada there are “No Shirt, No Shorts, No Service” dining facilities. Often cottagers attend Canadian Churches in shorts and T-shirts. Traditionalists frown on it. My aunt would never think of attending church functions without dressing up and wearing a stylish hat. In Europe and other vacation spots, the church regularly deny entry if you have bare legs. Take along a pair of zip off legs for these occasions so you can easily return to cool and comfortable shorts. If you intend to tour a lot of religious attractions, it might be worthwhile wearing a comfortable, lightweight pair of slacks for the whole day.

Don’t be surprised if you get away from beach and fun attractions areas more traditional clothing will be required. Things are lightening up but bare skin is often a no-no to many traditionalists. It is their country and their rules. Be respectful.

A Few Specific Random Examples

• Antigua and Barbuda: scanty clothing or beachwear is a no-no in towns or villages. Dressing in camouflage clothing is an offence for anyone, even children.
• British Virgin Islands: Informal attire for most occasions. Formal requirement at some hotels. Beachwear is for the beach or pool side.
• Cuba: The men of Cuba rarely wear shorts other than on the beach. Visitors in shorts may receive the odd disapproving glance. Women should cover their legs and shoulders if visiting churches.
• Portugal: Casual wear is commonly accepted. Beachwear should not be worn in towns.
• Egypt: Clothing should be conservative. Women should not wear revealing Attire, especially when in religious buildings and in smaller towns

More information can be found at this location.
Select a country from the drop down menu at the top or click on a region on the map to see lists of countries to choose from. Look for Social Conventions for tips on dress codes and social expectations.

Click here to choose attractions and restaurant information from many vacation spots around the world.

Canadians Must Have Medical Insurance When Travelling to Cuba

Here is a summary of the new, as of May 1, 2010 requirements for Canadian travellers heading into and out of Cuba. Basically you must have medical insurance to get in and all medical bills must be paid before you are allowed to leave Cuba.

• Travellers must present proof of health insurance in order to enter the country
• Upon arrival, an insurance policy, insurance certificate, or medical assistance card must be presented
• No proof of insurance means you must obtain health insurance from a Cuban insurance company at the airport
• Temporary residents also have to hold valid health insurance policies
• Proof of Canadian provincial health insurance is sufficient to enter Cuba
  • Your provincial plan:
    • may cover only part of the costs Health Insurance
    • will not pay the bill up-front
    • Do not rely on your provincial health plan to cover all expenses, it may cover nothing or only a portion of the costs
• some private insurers also require the traveller to pay costs up-front and be reimbursed later
• Cuban authorities will not allow anyone with outstanding medical bills to leave the country
• All health insurance policies are recognized, except those issued by U.S. insurance companies
• Some credit cards offer health and travel insurance
  • Do not assume the card alone provides adequate coverage

Additional tips

• Carry details of your insurance
• Tell your travel agent, a friend or relative, and/or travelling companion how to contact your insurer
• Get a detailed invoice from the doctor or hospital before you return to Canada
• Submit original receipts for any medical services or prescriptions received, most insurance companies will not accept copies or faxes.
• Cancelling a scheduled trip abroad could cost you money. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. Consult with your insurance carrier and your travel agent to eliminate or minimize losses.

Supplementary travel insurance to top up provincial plans or credit card insurance coverage is always a good idea. Travel insurance policies cover much more than health risks, but the small investment in coverage may make a huge difference in your liability for personal injury. Usually the travel insurance provider, like RBC, will pay all covered risks up front and then sort out the province or credit card coverage for you.

Peace of mind when you travel… Don’t leave home without it.

Sources:

• Canadian Government
• Country Facts and Cultural Information – Cuba

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Of the 1.3 million Canadian visitors to Mexico last year, only 10.000 did not have visa. Most Canadian travellers cross U.S. air space so a passport has already been obtained for that reason. If however, you are one of the 10,000 you better allow time to get your passport in you want to travel to Mexico again.

We strongly recommend that Canadians carry a valid passport for all air travel to Mexico in order to ensure they may board their return flight to Canada. Canadian citizens should be aware that extra costs derived from being denied boarding in Mexico can be considerably high and must be assumed by the traveller.

This requirement will change on March 1, 2010. As of that date, Canadian citizens, including those with dual nationality, will be required to present a valid passport in order to enter Mexico. Canadians without a valid passport will be returned to Canada.

Canadians with a criminal record might be refused entry and returned to Canada on the next available flight. Canadians in this situation should contact the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa prior to making travel arrangements. Permanent residents and landed immigrants of Canada should check for specific entry requirements with Mexico’s immigration authorities (Instituto Nacional de Migración or INAMI) (information available in English).

Source Canadian Government

This article from the Canadian Government web site is worth the read. It was too important to just summarize. Here is the entire article.

Common types of scams

Although most Canadians are now aware of fraud attempts carried out by companies or individuals in foreign countries, especially in Africa, many Canadians are still victimized and cheated out of merchandise, services and money. Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Algeria, Guinea and Senegal are some of the countries where fraud is a popular and lucrative activity.

Certain types of commercial or professional scams have become very common, including:

• Emails in which a foreign company requires fees or merchandise in order to honour a contract with its government.
• Emails and calls offering to purchase merchandise such as crude oil or precious stones, and making business proposals on the condition that you travel to the country in question.
• Announcements offering to purchase exotic or domestic animals from foreign countries, with advance payment required.
• Emails promising to help secure a visa or guaranteeing a job abroad.
• Emails or calls offering to make a charitable donation to an organization, by asking for information on which bank account to use.
• Loan offers from shadow banks in foreign countries, in which personal information is required in order to open an account.
• Vacation home rental offers from fake agencies using false addresses and altered photos of the home to be rented.

Other types of personal scams are reported, including:

• Emails from fictitious foreign organizations promising an inheritance, prize or money won, and asking for payment for mailing costs or taxes.
• Emails promising financial compensation, in exchange for wiring money through a personal bank account.
• Calls where a con artist poses as a foreign doctor or healthcare professional and contacts the family and friends of a Canadian traveller, informing them that the traveller is in the hospital and that money is required for medical treatment.
• Falsified emails in which a con artist poses as a Canadian known by the target who is stuck in a foreign country after being the victim of theft, an accident or kidnapping, and claiming he needs money to pay for hotel or hospital bills, visas and/or airplane tickets.
• False Internet friendships in which a con artist claims to want to come to Canada and asks for financial assistance or help obtaining an entry visa.
• Marriage schemes as a result of Internet-based relationships. Thesecases may involve the victim being extorted by the in-laws living abroad, or being forced to sponsor a spouse who will abandon the victim upon arrival in Canada. These types of situations are especially common in Morocco, Algeria, Guinea and Senegal.
• Letters or announcements advertising the private adoption of a child. A foreign con artist poses as the mother of a child or as a lawyer in charge of finding an adoptive family, and describes a difficult situation, often providing fake photos of a child.
• Letters addressed to former victims of fraud from fictitious organizations that claim to have successfully caught the con artists, and promising compensation for losses incurred the first time.
• Death notices sent to the loved ones of a Canadian traveller by a fictitious foreign funeral home, asking them to send money to repatriate the body to Canada. Counterfeit pieces of identification are often used.

Not only can scams cause considerable financial losses, but many of them can also represent a serious threat to the personal safety of the victims. Many victims are convinced to travel to an African country to complete a business transaction, accept a job, get married or to try to recover money sent to the con artist. Some cases have resulted in violent situations, including kidnappings and forced imprisonment. Canadian consular officials are often limited in the assistance they can provide to the victims.

Warning: increasingly common and sophisticated scams

Every day, new cases are reported in which Canadians have requested consular assistance after having their safety compromised by a scam, and it is predicted that the number of victims will continue to rise. In many countries, con artists operate without consequences, because local authorities often do not have the physical or financial resources needed to combat Internet crimes.

Organized fraud networks are developing more and more innovative and sophisticated approaches to deceive their victims and to extort money, in both small and large amounts. The criminals conduct extensive searches to create credible documents: completeprofiles of fictitious businesses, medical reports, falsified export certificates, etc. The names and logos of reputable organizations, governments and government agencies are often used fraudulently. Websites that appear very authentic are also falsified.

How can you protect yourself?

Any unsolicited business proposal should be carefully examined before you send any money, provide a service or merchandise, or make travel arrangements.

• Verify your solicitor’s identity.
• Before completing a transaction, verify the authenticity of the proposed method of payment or demand full payment in advance.
• Be cautious of requests for signed and stamped blank letterhead or invoices.
• Be cautious of solicitors claiming that your name was provided by someone you do not know.
• Be cautious of professional messages written with poor grammar or written with an inappropriate level of language. The country’s official language should normally be used.
• Be cautious of job offers for which the conditions seem too good to be true (unrealistic salary, paid vacations, extended holidays) or job offers that require you to pay for initial travel or required documents.
• Never disclose banking information, even if the solicitor claims to need the information to deposit a signing bonus.
• Verify entry requirements (visas) and government immigration policies in the country you plan on visiting for business. No outside organization or agency should be involved in issuing travel documents. Letters addressed to immigration officers are not valid.

Exercise caution when travelling to meet individuals met on the Internet.

• Verify the identity of the person you plan on meeting abroad.
• Keep in mind that for a foreign spouse, marrying a Canadian citizen can represent a way to obtain an immigration visa. A number of Canadians have left their jobs and their homes, and have sold all of their belongings for a marriage abroad that ended up failing or that never took place.
• Find out in advance about the laws and customs regarding relationships and marriage in the destination country. 
• Travel to the destination country with a return ticket and enough money to stay in a hotel,and keep all of your travel documents in a safe location. Keep contact information for the nearest Canadian government office abroad, in case a problem arises.

It is strongly recommended that you stay informed of current types of scams by conducting regular Internet searches.

How can you get help?

Do not hesitate to contact the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to telephone our Emergency Operations Centre at 613‑996‑8885 (collect calls are possible from certain countries) if:

• You need assistance abroad after a fraud attempt.
• You need help to return to Canada.
• You feel you will be unfairly treated under a country’s laws.
• You have doubts about the legitimacy of request for assistance from someone you know who is allegedly experiencing difficulties abroad.

The Government of Canada cannot intervene in private legal affairs, and has no influence over another country’s legal proceedings. However, officials from the nearest Canadian government office abroad can provide you with a list of lawyers in the country in question. For more information on the services offered by Canadian consular officials, visit our About us page.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s anti-fraud call centre PhoneBusters can also provide information to help you.

Read the original article here.