Packing for a long term trip around the world can be a challenge. The contents of your backpack should get you through a variety of climates, sustain you economically, be culturally sensitive, and should support a variety of physical activities without weighing you down.

Here are some items I’ve found to be indispensable during my travels.

1. Fleece and Jacket

A fleece and a wind/waterproof shell worn together or separately give you versatile options which provide protection from a variety of weather.

2. Bank Card

ATMs are becoming more available globally, making it easier than ever to get money in local currency while on the road. Try to have a couple cards for different bank accounts (in case one doesn’t work).

Be sure to investigate how much you will be charged by your bank for international withdrawals.

3. Rain Poncho

A compact yet sturdy rain poncho not only keeps you dry, but can also protect your day pack from moisture. It makes a useful tarp or waterproof mat for sitting on wet surfaces.

4. Hat/Cap

A soft sun hat made from foldable fabric protects you from the sun and is easy to store. The Horizon Mosquito Cap below includes a concealable mosquito net.

5. Flip flops

Wear them in grungy hotel showers or during tropical rainstorms when the streets are flooded. Use them as beach wear or for killing bugs. Flip flops work indoors when you are visiting countries where people remove outdoor shoes before entering homes.

6. Sleeping Bag Liner or Sheet Sack

Even if you don’t carry a sleeping bag, bring a liner. This can be a light-weight silk sleeping bag liner or an old bed sheet, folded and sewn into a sack. Use as a blanket on cold bus rides, a layer between your body and beds of dubious cleanliness, or for its original purpose (since it is easier to clean than a sleeping bag.)

7. Headscarf or Large Bandanna

Choose a bandanna made of sturdy lightweight material. For women, this may be necessary when visiting places like mosques, Russian Orthodox churches, and more conservative Middle Eastern countries. It also can be used as a bag (tie the corners together), a neck scarf, a way to keep hair out of your face, protection from sand and dust (wrapped around nose and mouth), a window shade (for sunny car rides), and as a halter top.

8. Waterproof Bags

Useful for protecting important documents that you are not carrying on your person. They can also protect electronic equipment, keep small pieces of clothing dry, or keep potentially leaky items (shampoo, lotion) from getting all over your luggage.

9. Digital Camera

If you’re traveling around the world, chances are you want to document your travels. Be sure to pack extra memory, and a memory reader so you can occasionally burn photos onto CD/DVD and send an extra copy back home (or upload to online storage space such as Flickr). You can also use a digital camera to store information, such as maps, documents, and other files.

10. Elastic Clothesline with Hooks

An elastic clothesline makes it easy to hang up and dry laundry anywhere. It is also useful for strapping or tying objects together. Some lines come with suction cups which don’t work as well so make sure you get one with hooks or loops.

11. Small Flashlight

I carry a Maglite in my day pack because one never knows when the electricity will go out or you’ll find yourself walking down a dark, potholed street.

Editor’s Note - An alternative to flashlights are headlamps which serve the same purpose while freeing up your hands.

12. Day Pack

You are going to be carrying a day pack with you most of the time so make sure it has plenty of pockets (both internal and external), is strong, and provides comfortable straps. Consider getting one that can be folded up and stuffed into your regular backpack.

13. The Keeper (for women only)

Definitely not for everyone but this little cup will minimize the amount of pads you need. Great in countries where access to tampons is a lot more difficult. It reduces the amount of trash you generate, the weight in your bag, money spent on feminine products, and emergency runs to the store.

14. Swiss Army Knife

The Spartan model includes 2 knives, a pair of scissors, a can opener, a bottle opener, toothpick, tweezers, awl, and corkscrew - sufficient tools while traveling.

15. Money Belt

A money belt keeps cash, cards, and passports safely concealed. You may want a second storage belt such as a neck pouch to keep smaller amounts of cash for daily purchases.

16. Thermal Underwear

Long thermal underwear provides much needed warmth when traveling in colder climates. I use a combination of black midweight bottoms and a midweight top. The bottoms double as comfortable leggings for lounging around, stockings underneath a skirt, and pajama bottoms. The top can be used as a sweatshirt as well.

17. Sewing Supplies

Sure you can buy these anywhere but sewing supplies are good to have on hand. Make sure your pack includes needles, thread, and some dental floss. Repair heavier items (leather, backpacks) with dental floss. A needle can be used to remove splinters, as well.

18. Sarong or Travel Towel

On my round-the-world trip, I took a regular towel and deeply regret it. An absorbent, fast drying travel towel will suit your needs. A sarong has the advantage of drying quickly while doubling up as clothing.

Choose quality items that will last your whole trip and don’t underestimate the importance of light-weight items. Backpacks get heavier as you travel so you will be happy that you spent a little extra upfront investing in lightweight, multipurpose gear.

If you have any suggestions, we always welcome them!

Ms Travellious

This is the last post I’m writing before embarking on an adventure to places known and unknown.

Starting next week, I’ll no longer have an apartment, or a couch; my mail will only go to my PO Box and my cat Greysey will certainly be rough-housing with my best friend’s cat, (crazy) Bobby. I will bid Fairfax, CA adieu for at least a couple of months, if not longer.

My planned road trip around the US is hardly a plan at all.

I know I’ll be staying with friends in Seattle first, and I have a house-sitting gig in Santa Cruz until the middle of the month. Then, I simply have hope that my car, which has 166,000 miles on it (but hey, it’s a Honda!) will stay strong as I make my way to wherever it is that I find myself going.

Why am I doing this? Today, I asked myself that question for the first real time. Most of my trips are planned pretty well in advance, and are mostly set in stone. Set minus the mishaps that always happen, which mostly end up amusing if you have a safety net. I don’t have much of a safety net this time, but I realized that may be part of the point.

I’m banking on the universe protecting me.

So here, without further mumbo jumbo, are six reasons to travel without a plan.

1. Challenge fear.

The fear crept up on me big-time tonight. Everything that had been keeping my mind busy - gotta pack this, take that to Goodwill, file papers, fill prescriptions - came tumbling down as I related my mom’s worries to a friend.

Her biggest concern is the car, and the possibility of me being stranded, to which I have said over and over, “Of all times in history to be traveling alone around the US, this has got to be the most safe and carefree possible. We have cell coverage in almost every last square inch of this country, and roadside assistance responds day and night.”

But of course, there is the possibility of my timing belt breaking. Or my clutch giving out. Or a million other things that could happen down the street from my house but seem much more scary when alone and far from home.

I realize the car is simply a central point for my (and my mother’s) fear to land. So fear, bring it on. Come on up and out of me, so I can take my soul’s next step.

2. Believe that if you trust in your path, it will reward you in the ways you need most.

For many years, I wasn’t sure I had a path. Now, I understand that everyone does, whether or not they know what it is (and the reality is none of us know exactly what it is). Sometimes, I get scared that I’m veering off course, that what I’m doing doesn’t make any kind of logical sense.

But then I remember that anything that has made me happy in life hasn’t been logical.

But then I remember that anything that has made me happy in life hasn’t been logical. Writing for money is illogical. Dancing (not the table-top variety) for payment is illogical. These were things I wouldn’t have thought possible to do for a living five years ago, even though they have been a part of me my whole life. It was only once I began to trust in the illogical that things began to unfold.

Same goes for traveling. Being illogical means experiencing things beyond your current capacity of knowing. And we all want to go beyond our current capacity, right?

3. Too much restriction can hinder inspiration.

Trip plans are helpful. They are touchstones, a way to get from a. to b., and they fulfill our little pea-brain’s never-ending shouts for stability. But sometimes, making plans creates this need to well…stick to them. Stick to them no matter what.

And when we stick to them no matter what, we can stifle the very part of ourselves that told us to get a move on in the first place. You can forget your purpose, other than to check off that you saw the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China or a live sex show in Amsterdam.

Yes, those live sex shows can be inspirational, but really not for longer than a few minutes.

4. Too much restriction can hinder the spirit.

Contrary to popular belief, our souls lead us through this life. Believe me. That’s why heartbreak happens, we lose jobs, we fight with loved ones - they are all opportunities to learn lessons and become stronger people.

When we attempt to confine our experiences, or to “be safe,” our soul can take offense. There it was, just trying to be in the flow, and we muck it up with our agenda. Then it decides it’s time to show us who is boss.

As my friend Theresa and I say all the time, don’t mess with the Trickster. You will be sorry. Instead, be open to the good and the bad in both life and traveling, and I promise the bad won’t seem well, as bad.

5. “If you want God to laugh, tell her your plans.”

Yeah, many of us love to work out every last angle of a trip, where we’ll be at a certain time, what we’ll cover each day. Don’t forget the card with all important numbers and passwords hidden in your underwear is case of the big emergency (not sure where in your underwear, though).

Funny thing is, how often do your plans turn out the way you planned? I feel like the older I get, the more my plans decide to run off and have their own little planning party without me. So that by the time I get to the place I thought I was going, there is usually not even a semblance of what I originally thought I wanted.

Luckily, it is almost always so much better. In other words, you can plan, just don’t get attached.

6. Why not?

This one doesn’t seem to need an explanation. Ok, if you really need one: why not travel without a plan just so you can experience life without plans?

What are some other reasons to travel without a plan? Share your thoughts below

Ever chuckled at the poor dude getting on and off boats and buses with a pack AND a guitar? Well they’re not as dumb as they look. Their time comes.

Because, if they can find a campfire, they’ll be in their element. And, if they can play just a handful of the following songs below, they won’t be going back to their Thai beach hut alone.

Some are oldies, some are new. Some are cheesy. Some are cool. Some weren’t cool but magically are again. With a beer in your hand and with the sun setting - guitar dude suddenly becomes the coolest guy in the world.

If you can’t play, then download them. No self-respecting, blissed-out beach bar will turn your Ipod away.

Here are The 50 Greatest Campfire Songs Of All Time (in their coolest versions to download).

1. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
2. Let It Be - The Beatles
3. Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
4. Time of your Life - Green Day
5. Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan
6. Our House - Crosby, Still Nash & Young
7. Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House
8. Something Inside so Strong - Labi Siffre
9. Love Song - The Cure
10. True Colours - Cyndi Lauper
11. Hotel California -The Eagles
12. In the Ghetto - Elvis Presley
13. Leaving On A Jet Plane - Frank Sinatra
14. Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) - Harry Belafonte
15. Fire and Rain - James Taylor
16. Hallelujah - John Cale
17. Working Class Hero - John Lennon
18. Take me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
19. Wandering Star - Lee Marvin
20. California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas
21.Redemption Song - Joe Strummer & Johnny Cash
22. Talkin’ About a Revolution - Tracy Chapman
23. Daydream Believer - The Monkees
24. Down in Albion - Baby Shambles
25. Forever In Blue Jeans - Neil Diamond
26. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Neil Young
27. Come As You Are - Nirvana
28. (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
29. Baby, I Love your Way - Peter Frampton
30. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
31. Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
32. King of the Road - The Proclaimers
33. Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.
34. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
35. Vincent - Don McLean
36. Handbags and Gladrags - Rod Stewart
37. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams
38. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - Sacha Distel
39. New Slang - The Shins
40. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
41. There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
42. Grazed Knees - Snow Patrol
43. Lost In Hollywood - System of a Down
44. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations
45. Africa - Toto
46. Handle with Care - Traveling Wilburys
47. All I Want Is You - U2
48. Island in the Sun. - Weezer
49. She’s Not There - The Zombies
50. There She Goes - The Las

Care to dispute the list? Can you attest to the power of the campfire song?

Top expat destinations are a matter of taste. Some seek the bustle and anonymity of a metropolis; others prefer a quiet life near the beach or in the mountains. Here are a few top picks for a range of international lifestyles.

Best Small City: Ljubljana, Slovenia

The days have passed when tiny Slovenia was the best value in Central Europe.

Slovenes have now exchanged the Tolar for the mighty Euro. But for expats looking for work, that also means wages are paid in the world’s dominant currency.

According to Carys Owen, veteran ESL teacher and 10-year Ljubljana resident, 15 Euros is now the average cost for an hour-long English lesson. The polyglot Slovenes have a ravenous appetite for language acquisition, so a native English speaker can still make a decent living while enjoying Ljubljana’s high quality of life.

Sometimes referred to as little Prague, Ljubljana boasts a striking integration of traditional and modernist architecture.

The old town winds around both banks of the Ljubljanica River, where sidewalk cafés are always crowded on a sunny day. The marketplace along the river has excellent local produce and artisan products.

The expat bars, loaded with EasyJet tourists on Friday and Saturday nights, provide quiet refuge during the week to meet up with the other teachers and contractors living and working in town.

If the city isn’t enough of a draw in its own right, its location at the foot of the Julian Alps and an hour and a half drive from the Adriatic Sea means you can go skiing in the morning and sailing in the afternoon.

Best Surf and Sand: Dahab, Egypt

Dahab’s days as the sleepy fishing village of backpacker lore may be numbered as the growth of resort tourism on the Red Sea shores continues. For expats looking to stay awhile, however, this is not all bad news.

The resorts have brought increased demand for experienced scuba instructors to work some of the most spectacular dive sites in the world. But Dahab is not a resort town.

Cheap accommodation is still plentiful along the turquoise waterfront, and the slow pace of Bedouin life pervades. If the pace gets too slow, the Sinai is well positioned for excursions to Mt. Sinai, the wonders of ancient Egypt, and the rose city of Petra in Jordan.

Best Hot New City: Shanghai, China

Where to experience the next great expat city?

Those with an eye to the future might consider Shanghai. With the inexorable rise of the Chinese economy, Shanghai is a good bet to become the financial capital of the 21st century.

Shanghai’s dynamism can be seen in the layering of the futuristic skyline, colonial facades, and the teeming, gritty street life. This energy is percolating down to Moganshan Road’s gallery and warehouse studio scene, regarded as the epicenter of contemporary Chinese art.

The only mainland Chinese city to crack the top 100 of the Mercer livable cities index, Shanghai already provides a good mixture of affordability, opportunity, nightlife, and culture.

Unlike Buenos Aires, work is not difficult to come by in Shanghai. ESL teachers are in demand, and entrepreneurial spirits can take advantage of Shanghai’s ranking as the best place to do business in China.

Perhaps in time, Shanghai’s tapestry of contrast will inspire the next great expat novel.

Best Adrenaline High: San Gil, Colombia

Just a few years ago, travel through Colombia’s guerilla plagued countryside to remote San Gil would have been an adventure in its own right.

With the government now firmly in control of the surrounding region, adventure seekers can seek out more conventional forms of adrenaline highs.

Fortunately, San Gil has a little of everything: three whitewater rivers for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing, rappelling, caving, bungee jumping, paragliding, and horse back riding. When time comes to slow the pace, the verdant hills around San Gil offer weeks of excellent hiking.

What distinguishes San Gil from other adventure destinations is that when people find they want to stay awhile, they do. The region is not just a draw for thrill seekers. Immaculate colonial towns nearby provide refuge for writers and painters from around the world.

Best Big City: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Choosing a great expat metropolis is a matter of timing.

We’ve all heard about the glories of 1920s Paris and 1930s Berlin, in large part due to the nexus of expatriate artists and writers active in those flourishing scenes.

Buenos Aires, the reigning expat metropolis, is very much the right place at the right time.

Long one of the most sophisticated and charming cities of the world, hordes of Europeans and Americans are now capitalizing on the peso collapse that has made the Argentine capital a tremendous value.

You only need to bring the essentials: a willingness to get your hands dirty and a desire to help your neighbor. Among the hundreds of incredible volunteer opportunities worldwide, here are 10 of the best:

Voluntario Global Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina

“Every corner of Buenos Aires has a pulse…a pulse that is worth listening to.” While partnering with Voluntario Global you’ll be aiding locals with small business administration, or providing street children with a safe place to gather and play at the local recreation center.

Only have a day in the region? Voluntario Global provides a 4 hour tour of shanty towns designed to spread awareness of living conditions, and give an ear to residents’ concerns. Weekends can be spent taking regional trips to visit Mar del Plata, Iguazu falls, and other nearby trips in Argentina and Uruguay.

Unity Charitable Trust
Tamil Nadu, India

Teach young girls computer skills, help them get jobs and become self sufficient on the weekdays, and let your weekends take you to local shrines and temples.

Dynamic Hands Youth International
Ho, Ghana

Got organizational skills? This endeavor is in the process of formally organizing. Dynamic Hands needs help in setting up its training and living assistance programs. Opportunities are child and youth oriented, and some include a healthy living component for those who are health conscious. Once settled in Ho, you’ll be unable to take your eyes off nearby Mount Adaklu. Ask a local to help you get to nearby tourist destinations such as the Vakpho Cave system or the Mole National Park to see wild elephants.

Volunteer Action for Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Good at brainstorming? Looking to hone your leadership skills? VAC is looking for “new impulses and fresh ideas.” Designed primarily for recent college grads and current students, VAC offers volunteer opportunities in the areas of human rights, legal rights, and humanitarian issues.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to get in on the founding and establishment of a new direction, this is your opportunity. Of course, visitors can check out the gorgeous architecture of the Royal Palace, plus local temples and pagodas, along with the crush and excitement that comes from being in a populous urban center.

Volunteer for Community Development
Kathmandu, Nepal

You’ll know when you’ve arrived to Kathmandu; the crowded cityscape against the serene mountains is unmistakable. You’ll be welcomed by colorfully adorned shrines, fresh marketplace products and the melodic Nepali language in your ears. VCD Nepal is currently focusing its volunteer efforts on teaching English within the schools, but opportunities to work inside monasteries or on sanitation and health care projects are also available. Use your time off to venture out of Kathmandu into rural mountain communities or the nearby Chitwan wildlife sanctuary.

Navti Foundation
Bamenda, Cameroon

Enjoy a cool African city that is highly engaged in local artisan crafts and coffee trading. Work on fund-raising, AIDS education or agricultural development. The Navti Foundation offers to individually match your skill set and interests to an appropriate project. Nearby farming communities harvest tea and coffee, and the area is perfect for those looking for a quiet hike.

Fundatia COTE
Iasi, Romania

Use the UK Social Services System’s “PathWay Aproach” to aid institutionalized teens in making the leap to independent living in Romania. While you’re there, you’ll have a chance to visit medieval Transylvania and all the best that Eastern Europe has to offer.

Creative Corners Global Arts Project CIC
La Paz, Bolivia

Help sustain a newspaper started and sold on the streets by children. Writers and photographers are needed to keep the project going after approximately 9 issues. After work, immerse yourself in this South American urban center.

Relief and Friendship
Chisinau, Moldova

Visit the banks of the Bac River in the largest city in Moldova, and put your efforts into helping the women of the area to promote programs that teach about gender equality and women’s rights. If you visit during October, celebrate with the locals during the annual Wine Festival, or, for more solitary travelers, enjoy the lush hills and sunflower-filled fields.

Green Camel Bell
Lanzhou, China

Help out the local economy and environment by volunteering with this Chinese authority on sustainability and environmental education. Here in the ancient city of Lanzhou you can explore the Yellow River.

Flavours and Aromas

Rose, lychee, peach, grapefruit, fruit salad; also mineral, earth, pepper, citrus.

Intensity Highly aromatic, assertive.

Texture Medium-light to full-bodied, lively.

Sweetness Dry to semi-sweet.

Style

Gewürztraminer is one of our most popular varietals, and for good reason; its intense, exotic aromas and flavours seem ideally suited to spicy cuisines from China to Thailand to India, and it stands up equally well to the fruitiest salsas and smokiest grilled and barbecued flavors of contemporary North American cuisine.

The Basics

Spicy fish and shellfish dishes, chicken, turkey, pork, ham, sausages, cured and smoked foods of all kinds (proscuitto and melon is a classic).

The Ingredients

Ginger, honey-garlic, green, pink, black, white, and Szechwan pepper, caraway, fennel, sage, cilantro, coconut, tropical fruits, fruit-onion salsas and curries.

PINOT BLANC

Flavours and Aromas

Apple, lemon, pear, banana, fig, straw, sometimes slightly earthy or herbaceous; if barrel-fermented and/or oak-aged, butter, butterscotch, toast, vanilla, nutmeg.

Intensity Subtle to moderate.

Texture Firm and crisp if stainless-steel fermented; if oak-treated round and medium to full-bodied.

Sweetness Dry.

Style

Although sometimes called the poor man’s (or woman’s) Chardonnay, well-made Pinot Blanc can show remarkable strength of character. It is a chameleon of a wine, providing a rich, subtle background for whatever dish it accompanies.

The Basics

Salmon, crab, prawns, halibut, clams, oysters, chicken, turkey, pork, veal.

The Ingredients

Chives, leek, onion, mushroom, garlic, nutmeg, lemon, thyme, oregano, parsley, nuts.

PINOT GRIS

Flavours and Aromas

Peach, pear, dried apricot, vanilla, almond, spice, clover honey.

Intensity

Assertive.

Texture

Medium to full-bodied, firm, mouth-filling.

Sweetness

Dry to off-dry.

Style

Early-ripening Pinot Gris is a natural for BC, producing ripe mouth-filling wines with plenty of flavour. Very adaptable with the structure to stand up to Asian, Oriental and Latin flavours. A perfect anytime choice.

The Basics

Fresh and smoked salmon or trout, halibut, crab, prawns, scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, squid, chicken, turkey, pork, veal, quail, pheasant.

The Ingredients

Ginger, garlic, chili, cilantro, French accents such as tarragon, thyme, saffron, mustard; Italian flavours such as tomato, garlic, onion, basil, fennel, orange; contemporary North American cuisine with the accent on grilled foods and light cream sauces.

RIESLING

Flavours and Aromas

Apricot, peach, pear, apple; herbal, floral, citrus, mineral and even sometimes petrol. (English tasters say ‘lemon petrol’).

Intensity Restrained to assertive.

Texture Light to medium-bodied, crisp.

Sweetness Dry to sweet.

Style

No matter what the style, Riesling maintains an attractive balance of fruit and acidity, making it an exciting match with dishes incorporating sweet and tart elements. The most fruit-driven examples take well to barbecued or smoked foods and a wide variety of fruity and subtle spicy flavours. Rieslings can also handle chili heat.

The Basics

Crab, fresh and smoked salmon, scallop, halibut, chicken, turkey, pork, ham, mild sausages (choucroute is a classic), cured meats such as proscuitto.

The Ingredients

Sage, onion, caraway, orange, peach, ginger, fruit salsas, mild teriyaki; with drier, leaner styles, also chives, capers, lemon, lime, grapefruit, dill.

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Flavours and Aromas

Grassy, herbal, gooseberry, green apple, blackcurrant, melon, green pepper, sometimes jalapeno.

Intensity Moderate to assertive, distinctive aromatics.

Texture Light to medium-bodied, usually crisp.

Sweetness Dry.

Style

Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing, high-acid wine for summer sipping, on its own, or as an aperitif. It is excellent with shellfish or light, subtle dishes or, in its oak-aged versions, with richer fare.

The Basics

Salads, hors d’oeuvres (antipasto), oysters, quiche, ginger or lemongrass- influenced Thai dishes, almost all fish (with or without sauces). BC goat’s cheese is a classic.

The Ingredients

Lemon grass, ginger, baby onions, gooseberries, sharp white cheeses, parsley, baby greens, cilantro, goat cheese.

CHARDONNAY

Flavours and Aromas

Apple, baked apple, pear, lemon-lime, pineapple, tropical fruit. If barrel fermented and/or oak-aged, also butter, butterscotch, toast, fig, vanilla, hazelnut, nutmeg, clove.

Intensity Restrained to assertive.

Texture Firm and crisp if stainless-steel fermented; round, full-bodied if oak-treated.

Sweetness Dry.

Style

Chardonnay’s rich elegance finds its match in foods that are equally stylish. Bolder examples show especially well with strongly herbed dishes, while more restrained versions shine in the company of luxurious cream and butter sauces and mellow, earthy flavours such as mustard and mushrooms.

The Basics

Lobster, Dungeness crab, prawns, scallops, salmon, halibut, sablefish, chicken, turkey, pheasant, pork veal.

The Ingredients

Marjoram, tarragon, thyme, sage, rosemary, saffron, garlic, mustard, mushrooms, fig, lemon, pear, apple, nutmeg, ginger, orange, mango, walnuts, hazelnuts

Tourism officials in Mexico told CDNN the resorts are so sure you won’t get the flu there, they will give you three free trips if you do.

“The ‘Flu Free Guarantee’ represents our certainty that Mexico is a safe and healthy destination,” spokesman Alex Zozaya told CDNN.

Resorts that offer the Flu Free Guarantee include Azul Hotels by Karisma, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels by Karisma, and Real Resorts.

The H1N1 flu scare has also brought dramatic price discounts on airfares and resort packages.

“What we’re finding is not just that fares are low, but that they’re low for travel through next winter with no jacking up of prices for peak season, and that many routes now have no advance purchase requirement,” said George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com.

“Airlines are bending over backward for those making decisions at the last minute, as well as for those wishing to travel over the winter. They’re doing this for obvious reasons — fill up those seats.”

Frank Galan, Vice President, U.S. Division, AeroMexico, said, “We`re now working actively with the Mexico Tourism Board and our hotel, resort destination, car rental and other travel partners to spread the word that it`s time once again to enjoy all that Mexico offers.”

In addition to Canada, the U.S. and the UK, seven other countries have ended their travel warnings for Mexico.

by Carmen Sanchez @ CDNN