Besides obtaining visas, getting vaccinations, and researching
electricity adapters, preparing for an extended trip takes a lot of planning and paying attention to details. For example, malaria is a problem in India and Westerners are usually not immune to the bug. Anti-malaria drugs are available, but they are not recommended to be taken for long periods of time. So we opted for industrial strength
mosquito repellent and
patches instead. After doing some research, we settled on repellents with
lemon eucalyptus oil (the alternative would have been using a product with
DEET). Getting our finances together for a long trip also took a lot of planning. All our bills are now either paid automatically or being managed with ebills at our Bank of America online banking account. We've decided to carry very little cash with us. Instead, we've opted to carry two Capital One credit cards with zero balances because they don't charge any international transaction fees. We also have two debit cards to use at ATM machines. Lastly, I decided to splurge on a new backpack and I opted for this
Osprey model with wheels plus a
matching day pack. But the find of the day was this very comfortable
inflatable travel pillow designed for long flights in economy class.
