In more than a half century, one is bound to have some scary travel moments. The good news is, despite visits to some 60 countries, I have never had a true near-death experience (nor witnessed one). But I’ve had my share of accidents, sickness, and frightening tales. This is a recount of a dozen that come to mind. Some of these might seem tame (I’m not an adrenaline-seeking adventurist), but we all have things that give us a scare. So, here goes.
Stopped by military with machine guns outside Acapulco, Mexico
It was in the mid 1970s that I had the bright idea to drive from Acapulco to Mexico City. It was only a few inches on the map, right? We would travel the back roads (the only choice back then) and make the trip in two days, with an overnight stop in Taxco. Off we went in a rented VW bug. I thought dodging cattle on narrow roads might deliver the most excitement. Wrong.
Just an hour outside Acapulco on a remote winding road we were suddenly stopped by several men in military uniforms waving machine guns at us. Forcing us out the car, they searched everything from the tiny trunk to the tinier glove compartment, all while conversing in Spanish. Sometime later (ok, maybe a few minutes), they waved us on to continue the journey. It was only later I would find out that the mayor of Acapulco had supposedly gone missing, and soldiers were combing the countryside looking for him. We reached Taxco safely, which should be the end of the story. Wrong.
The entire city of Taxco was without electricity, something I was told was a common occurrence. Managing a hotel room in the dark was a nuisance, but the greater concern was the nearly empty gas tank, and gas pumps need electricity to work. We were stranded! Ok, the electricity went back on the next morning, and we were alive for the next adventure.
Smacked rental car into redwood truck on Northern California backroad
While on the subject of rental cars and remote country roads, I’m reminded of another story. The year was 1974, probably this Midwest guy’s first trip through California. I rented a nice red Ford Pinto and marveled at the lush scenery on winding Route 116 between Healdsburg and Jenner, my destination on the coast. I never made it. Whipping around a curve in the rain on the narrow road, I smacked into a truck hauling an enormous redwood tree. The truck won. No one was hurt, but it was still a scary moment. Ironically, the Ford Pinto model was called Redwood.
Moved boulder on rainy PCH through Big Sur just before closure
One last California highway story. Even on a clear day driving the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur can be a little nerve-racking. This day was pouring rain, with some resulting landslides and falling rocks. Of course, midway there really is no alternate route and no turning back. Suddenly, a large boulder broke loose from the hillside and blocked the road right in front of us. I was able to stop the car. Now what? No choice but to fight the rain and try to move the boulder just enough to squeeze by, the car hugging the cliffside. We made it to Carmel Highlands as the last vehicle, with Highway Patrol closing the PCH behind us.
Stranded by both blizzard of the century and 26 inches of rain in one day
I just realized that weather was the culprit in a number of scary travel moments for me. I was used to navigating huge snowstorms from living in Michigan for 11 years. A trip from Lansing to Newark, New Jersey would be little problem, with just a change of planes in Cleveland. I hadn’t counted on the “blizzard of the century,” aka the “Cleveland superbomb,” that stranded us for more than two days in a tiny Ohio motel, without food. Scary, but at least there was shelter.
For years, I skipped around the Caribbean, sometimes sailing, sometimes flying between islands. I finally decided to visit Puerto Rico, and arrived in San Juan at night as it started raining hard. It never stopped. 26 inches fell the next day. Yes, 26 inches. No one was allowed to leave the hotel, but again it was shelter. I have watched tornadoes go by, dealt with white-out snowstorms and freezing rain that made driving a thrill ride. Mother Nature always wins.
Watched airplane engine spew fire just before takeoff
Speaking of the Caribbean, another moment that could have been scarier, happened as I waited for takeoff on a twin engine aircraft. The plane was packed, and we sat on the tarmac for a long time. Passengers were getting cranky. I remember a lady yelling, “Why aren’t we going?” As I turned back to look at her, I saw the reason why. Huge flames were shooting out of one of the engines. Probably a good idea that we hadn’t taken off. Evacuating while still on the ground works for me.
Survived strong super typhoon traveling the Philippines
The Philippines are no stranger to typhoons, averaging about 20 per year. Super typhoons are another story, with winds reaching 150 miles per hour, torrential rains, flooding, and landslides. It was October, 2016. We were a group of 10 travel writers given the opportunity to experience the sunny island from north to south. Late in the week, as our minibus rambled toward Vigan, the weather changed dramatically. That night the category 5 typhoon Haima (Lawin) crashed our coastal route.
In the morning we had to take a vote: try to continue on MacArthur Highway and see if we can make it to Manila or stay in Vigan until roads were deemed safe. I voted with the majority to venture on. What followed was flooding too high for cars, downed power poles from 140 mph winds (see photo above), and a harrowing ride that turned from 6 hours into 12. The 10 of us still stay in touch, with the tourism bureau saying we earned the name “typhoon busters.”
Near collision with moose in Quebec
What is it with me and weather conditions? This time I was sound asleep lying on the bed in the back of my VW bus. It was late at night as we drove on a snow-covered highway in rural Quebec. Suddenly, I awoke to the sensation of the vehicle spinning in circles, with its headlights flashing to the landscape, the road, and back again. Then we were stopped in a snowbank just on the road’s edge, somehow facing in the right direction. A giant moose had wandered onto the road, and all the spinning meant we had just missed him. (photo above by kariahlers)
Nearly drown while deep-water snorkeling off Cozumel, Mexico
A lot of scary travel moments result from personal fears. One of mine is drowning, since I am a poor swimmer. For some reason, I signed up for a snorkeling cruise in Cozumel. I didn’t realize the boat would head well out to sea, where we would be dumped overboard, sans life jackets. Worse, the crew would abandon us to do their own deep-sea diving. There I was, staring down through a hundred feet of clear water, when vertigo began to set in. As I decided to swim back to the boat, the current seemed to be taking me further away from it. Fortunately, someone in the group noticed my flailing and helped me return to the ship’s ladder. I scrambled aboard. I have not snorkeled more than 20 feet from shore since.
Went flying into the ocean from a banana boat in the Bahamas
Ok, don’t deep-water snorkel. Having just missed Hurricane Frances, I would stay on the safety of a banana boat in the tranquil waters of Disney’s own island, Castaway Cay. Unfortunately, my position, perched on the back of the boat, was precarious. Once out to sea, the driver decided speed and curves would be a nice mix. The result sent me flying off the back into the ocean as the boat sped away. At least Disney requires life jackets, so the scare was only momentary, as I would be fished out for the adventure to resume.
Sailed without engine into towering swells in Newport Beach jetty
You would think with a fear of drowning that sailing wouldn’t be a hobby I would indulge in. Still, I became a certified sailboat skipper, routinely departing the busy Newport Beach harbor for the Pacific Ocean with only the tricky wind to power the 32-foot boat. Quick turns are challenging. One time the swells were so great that at the bottom of the swell I couldn’t see anything in front of me. The oncoming boats in the narrow jetty who might think they have right of way? Suddenly out of sight as I stare at a wall of water. They appear again, then gone. The experience stays with me to this day as a scary travel moment.
Cable car power out, stopped high above ground in the Swiss Alps
Another personal fear concerns heights. I am fine looking out the window of a tall building. I even piloted a plane over Maui, landing on Moloka’i. Cable cars are another story. I feel neither safe nor in control. That hasn’t stopped me from taking cable cars, particularly in Switzerland. They are the Swiss, after all. What could go wrong? I was to find out when our car suddenly stopped high above the Swiss Alps. There we swayed in the high winds, while the operator communicated by radio with someone in German. What seemed an eternity was probably more like 15 minutes, when the power was restored, and we made it safely to terra firma.
Serious food poisoning in rural Myanmar
Most world travelers have had plenty of cases of sickness to write about. I’ve suffered illness in Kenya and food poisoning from bad fish in Tahiti (with a plane to catch). Visits to more than a few emergency rooms have revealed exactly what shellfish I am deathly allergic to. One of the most memorable experiences occurred in rural Myanmar. My guide and I had taken a longtail wooden boat across Inle Lake. From there we would be transported by motorized cart to a remote village’s food market. It was eye-opening to watch a lady with a string of fish barter with a betel-smoking woman who had some kind of raw meat to offer. And so many foods I had never seen. I had to try some of that black stuff that looked like licorice and some of that pink stuff wrapped in a leaf. Just a few hours later, of course, this western stomach developed painful food poisoning. Worse yet, I had to immediately deal with another boat ride, a taxi ride, and a cross-country plane trip from Mandalay to Yangon. And here I am, alive enough to offer more tips and advice: if you can’t identify the food, consider not eating it.
Do you have any stories of your own scary travel moments? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post.
