What Could Go Wrong.

-Kangaroo/vehicle negative interaction
-Deep vein thrombosis
-Jet lag
-Mugging
-Airline loses luggage
-Fellow hosteler steals luggage
-Motion sickness
-Bed bugs get into luggage and on self
-Terrorist attack
-Malaria
-Forest fires
-Severe drought (Australia mostly)
-Existential angst (France)
-Monsoons
-Gastrointestinal chaos

-Jellyfish sting

I prepared this handy little list of potential calamities after noticing a sinister trend. It seems like something bad is happening in every place I want to visit. Let me give you an example: I planned to fly to Greece, land in Athens and travel by train to Olympia. Well, Olympia nearly burned to the ground so I had to change my flight. Now, things are back to normal. But I can't afford to change my flight again.

Let me give you another example : My travel friend suggested we head to Ravenna, a small Italian town on the eastern coast on the country nearish to Vienna. Lo and behold did Ravenna fall prey to a mosquito-borne virus called Chikungunya, a disease previously not found outside India, Africa and Asia.

It sounds quite pleasant according to the National Travel Health Network (bolded terms my own):

"Initial symptoms of CHIKV infection include a sudden onset of severe arthralgias and myalgias, accompanied by fever, headache and conjunctivitis. Joint involvement is usually symmetrical, affects the extremities and can result in swelling, pain, redness and limitation of movement. A maculopapular rash involving primarily the trunk can occur concurrently with defervescence. Illness usually resolves over three to five days. Most patients recover fully over a period of a few weeks, although 5 - 10% of patients will experience chronic joint pain, stiffness and swelling that can persist."

Despite protests from said travel companion, who also mentioned something about Ravenna's historical reputation as a town surrounded by malarial swamps, I have decided to skip the achy joints and conjunctivitis. I want my souvenirs of Italy to be postcards and expensive leather sandals.