Title and subtitle quotes by
krystie
I have been in places during and after disasters. Things get back to normal surprisingly quickly. And, there is generally at least some advice available that can help you decide how safe it is.
A couple of examples:
I was in Cuba during a tornado. I think it only restricted tourists for a day or 2. Then they could start driving around the country again.
I was in Taillinn, Estonia during the rioting a few years ago. It didnt restrict most things at all. Tourists sometimes had to wait a few hours if they wanted to get between the old town and the other part of the city, while the police apprehended the rioters. That lasted only a couple of night though.
Reply to this Here is a blog I wrote while I was in Estonia, that time.
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Reply to this Mell, thanks for starting this thread - I'm still a little bit worried about my trip to Chile in September - but I'm thinking all should be ok 😉
It would be a different experience travelling somewhere after a natural disaster - the reactions of the people; the unique scenary, and to witness the unity (and chaos) it can cause.
Reply to this September is a long time away. I would be seriously surprised if this earthquake would be still affecting tourism.
You might even encounter other disasters during your trip, that you couldnt predict. It is all part of the travel experience. If you do, you can come on to TravelBlog and fill us in with the details. 😉
..It would be a different experience travelling somewhere after a natural disaster - the reactions of the people;
You might be surprised at the complete lack of reaction about it at all. People tend to get on with their lives pretty soon afterwards. If disasters happen while you are there, there tends to be a quite a lot of reaction though. I generally stay inside and keep an eye on the news, for a while, until the worst of it is over.
After terrorist attacks there is often a lot more security, which slows you down just a little at airports and going into some places etc. That was the case for me, on both of my last 2 trips to India because of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Reply to this Now, I remebember another bigger disruption to my plans because of a natural disaster.
I had booked a flight to Ecuador. I had already flown from Dublin to Amsterdam, where I was to catch the flight to Quito, Ecuador. The airport people in Amsterdam told me the flights to Quito are cancelled indefinately because of a volcano errupting and wanted to give me a flight back to Ireland. I asked if they would instead give me a flight to anywhere in S. America. They said they could, but all flights were gone for the day, so I would have to go next day. I had a choice between Argentina, New York, Peru and a few others. I chose Peru, because it is closest to Ecuador. I hung around Amsterdam for the night and flew to Peru the next day. When I got there, I travelled overland from Lima, Peru to Ecuador. When I flew out of Ecuador a few weeks later they were still sweeping up at the airport after the volcano erruption, but all flights were going again.
Reply to this I would expect there to be lots of evidence in Chile of the earthquake for several years, in September some highways will probably still need repair, many buildings will stilll bear scars - but it shouldn't affect your trip too much.
To answer Mel's question - I travelled to Bali 2 days after a bombing in 2005 - some people were sadly killed but nothing like the scale of 2002 - but the atmosphere was terrible. People were scared, sad and worried about the threat of further attacks - tourists and locals alike.
I wouldn't recommend going to somewhere in the immediate aftermath of a disaster - unless you really can help.
When a place is recovering however supporting the economy with your visit is one small way you can help.
Reply to this To answer Mel's question -
Ah, that reminds me. I should have stated who the title and sub-title quotes came from. 😊
Reply to this I went to New York one month after 9/11. I wanted to visit Ground Zero because I felt it was such a huge thing to happen, even although it was bad, I wanted to be able to witness it. My partner wouldn't go, so I didn't either. I regret that now. The people of New York that I spoke to didn't really want to talk about it. I did buy a T-shirt from a street seller that had Osama Bin Laden on the front in a 'WANTED' style. I bought it because I thought it was very typical. I was shocked to find a book in the Empire State building of pictures showing the twin towers through the years and ending with the detailed photos of the disaster taking place, it just didn't seem right that they were so quick to start making money out of it so quickly. Other than that it was business as usual.
Reply to this I was in Iraq during the series of bombings 😊 It wasn't that dangerous as it seemed. I think the media exaggerates the news making travelers and foreigners become afraid of visiting the certain place.
Reply to this I am going to Thailand soon. It is not long after the riots that happened there. It seems to all have quietened down now, so I dont expect it to be any different there, than it was on my previous visits.
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