Perhaps it's the word amusement that helps make amusement park accidents seem so devastating. The latest accident I heard about on the news tonight is too awful to imagine and is a reminder to go over safety lessons with teens over and over and over again.

As a parent of a teen, I know that the diatribe of safety lessons may not actually keep my daughter that much safer, but what else is a parent to do? Children get past the point where we hold their hands as they go from one ride to the next.

When they are little, we snap photos as they go in circles on rides that only go in a slow circle. Police cars, motorcycles, boats, fire engines--all with fake wheels and steering wheels that follow each other around and around. We wave at our children and they wave back, thrilled each time they come closer to us and then move further away until they stop and they are with us once more.

Then, the children who were once content to be at an amusement park with us--their parents, are chomping to go off on their own and we let them. We tell them the warnings. We tell them what not to do. We say, "Be careful."

Mostly they do.

But when they don't, it can become a nightmare.

Saturday a young man didn't heed the warnings and set off over fences of the restricted area of the Batman roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta to retrieve a baseball cap. That's one of the theories of what he was doing there where the ride could hit him.

The force was so great that he was decapitated. [see CBS News article.]

I have never told my daughter to not jump a fence at an amusement park. It's one more item for my list. Maybe it will do some good.

Here is a page from the Web Site Safer Parks that details risk factors for various types of rides to help you and yours be safer this summer if you are heading to an amusement park.

Also, here's a post Justin wrote in June last year about other ride accidents that points out the importance of safety.

The news of the recent ferry accident in the Philippines reminded me of the many ferries I've taken in my travels. The journey across the wide mouth of the Gambia River between Banjul, the capital, and Barra, on the side of The Gambia where I lived, comes to mind the most.

Sometimes I made the trip in a large open wooden boat called a pirogue that would have given my mother a heart attack if she had known what I was up to.

When traveling in countries where bridges are scarce, ferry crossings are necessary. If you want to get from here to there, you step on. Generally, thoughts of accidents and the lack of life preservers are fleeting. Instead, one enjoys the thrill of watching one shore grow further away as another comes closer.

In the Gambia, a ferry is filled with people, cars, trucks, animals, motorcycles--basically whatever can be crammed on. It's a mish mash of no order in particular. I always headed to the top deck to escape the crush.

Of all the crossings I've made in my life--and I'm not sure I could count them all, there's only one that I should have never tried. Once, in a hurry to get to Banjul and not willing to wait for calmer waters, I climbed into one of the large wooden boats as it rocked furiously on the churning river.

Food was once again on our minds here at Gadling. Actually, a lot was on our minds, but almost everyone had something to say about food.

• Grant wanted to know if you could eat what Andrew Zimmern eats on Bizarre Foods. Grant couldn't. I'm not particularly fond of intestines either.
• Matthew told us what foods to avoid in Japan.
• Erik told us how to not lose food because of motion-sickness.
• Iva told us how the Chinese are renaming their food so we don't get sick from the names.
• And, Kelsey reminded us to ask for the bill in a restaurant in Mexico so after you've eaten, you can pay.

Oh, and one more. If you're around Heather in the galley of an airplane, keep your hands out of those lemons!

Lots of people get motion sickness. It is rumored that Christopher Columbus even had trouble with sea sickness. Fortunately, you don't have to dread that ship, car or plane trip for fear of "un-packing your breakfast" in full public view. There are a number of effective treatments and preventions for those who suffer from motion sickness -- the goal is to keep trying until you find one that works, for you!

The basic problem with motion sickness is not in the stomach, but in the discoordination of the visual signals sent by the eyes, the inner ear (responsible for balance) and the brain. The Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual cited one study involving over 20,000 passengers crossing the English Channel and the North and Irish Seas. Their data showed that motion sickness was more common in females than males and the older you were, the less likely you were to be effected. Over one-third of the passengers in the study felt symptoms of motion sickness. For the lucky ones that have never felt motion sickness, the symptoms include cold sweats, nausea and weakness.

Where to sit and Where to look

Choose a seat with the smoothest ride, if possible. Over the wings of a plane, the front seat of a car, forward facing seats and laying flat on your back are all places to help minimize motion sickness. When the "feeling of yuck" starts to creep in, try to focus on a distant object (it will be moving the least) or close your eyes. Avoid reading or focusing on objects close by -- their motion is much more obvious.

One of our favorite shows here on Gadling is "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," and although we tease Zimmern once in a while, we love watching the show.

I think that part of the reason that many people watch the show is just to see what crazy food Zimmern is going to push down his throat each episode. Whether this is grasshopper pizza, pigs ears or chicken uterus, everyone wants to see Zimmern eat something disgusting and secretly wants him to retch. It's kind of like on Fear Factor when they're forced to eat cockroaches and worms. It's so so bad. But you just can't tear yourself away.

If you were in Andrew Zimmern's place though, could you handle being in a tough foreign country eating seriously questionable food? I know I couldn't. I have a hard enough time with scallops let alone braided intestines.

On one of my favorite new websites, GraphJam, submitter Ryan sums it up pretty well in this Venn Diagram: Places I would not go + Things I would not eat = "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern."

Which isn't to say I'm going to stop watching the show. I'll just be watching it from my sofa with a bowl of Easy Mac.

Travel health and the emerging specialty of "wilderness medicine" have obvious overlap. Dr. Paul Auerbach is one of the leaders in wilderness medicine: helping found the Wilderness Medical Society, co-author of A Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine and numerous journal articles and serving as faculty to the Stanford Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine.

His blog, Medicine for the Outdoors, is celebrating the two year anniversary. For those who haven't yet had a chance to visit, it is filled with practical information and advice for those exploring their environment and wanting to come back from the experience in good health. Travel and expedition medicine is the focus of my career and I find myself citing Dr. Auerbach's work and information, in my work. He is one of the pioneering physicians who helped elevate this field of medicine to a new and unique specialty.

A visit to his blog will allow the reader to learn about things from jellyfish stings and dislocated shoulders on the trail to malaria medications and outdoor recreation. This is truly an opportunity to read, first hand, the information from a leader in wilderness and expedition medicine. I highly recommend a visit to his blog, if you get a chance. Oh, and don't forget to congratulate him on his two-years of dispensing great advice!

Sorry to have missed last week's Take FIVE post, but I was off in Hocking Hills, Ohio without WiFi, something I didn't expect. In a few hours I'll be heading to Tennessee. Who knows what will happen when I leave the house? Therefore, here's this week's Take Five before I go.

With summer travel comes footwear choices. Abha, Iva and Heather all had something to say about shoes. Flip-flops, Crocs or stew shoes? Which ones are safer? What about fashion?

Along with thinking about footwear options, summer is a time you can learn new things. Matthew has some suggestions for singing karaoke with the best of them. And, Aaron passes along tips about a Turkish bath.

Since I missed last week, here are a few more summer tidbits. Erik offers up sunburn advice, Kent knows just how to savor a meal in Paris and Jeremy provides details about GPS and location services to help you get where you're going.

Happy Friday the 13th, Happy Father's Day, and enjoy the weekend. As for me, I have to pack.

It is unfortunate that what looks good, doesn't always feel good. I think this is no more apparent than with a pair of shoes. You have a killer pair of new shoes that you've been waiting to wear on your trip and that day is finally here! New shoes on your feet, you head out for a day of sightseeing in your new city. But this is a recipe for blisters -- nothing can slow down a day of hiking, shopping or sight seeing quicker than hotspots on your feet.

Understanding how blisters form and some basic treatments just might allow you to ambulate with less pain and save that pair of shoes, as well.

If you remember from the hazy days of high school biology, the skin is made of 2 layers: a thick, inner layer (dermis) and a thin, outer layer (epidermis). As heat, caused by friction and rubbing, forms a "hotspot" on the foot, the two layers of skin begin to separate and fluid fills in this space. Moisture from sweat or water acts as a lubricant between the sock and the foot as well as softening the skin. This increases friction potential and a greater chance for a blister. This concept is key for helping to understand blister prevention.

Blisters commonly occur in areas of softer skin, that are not used to being roughed up by shoes. The shoes you wear everyday have already toughened up your feet in the areas that that specific shoe rubs. However, the new pair of shoes or the shoes you do not commonly wear will rub your feet in new,potentially soft areas. Common sense dictates that you should not wear a pair of shoes new to your feet on a day that you have a lot of walking to do. If you have the time, try wearing your shoes around for a few hours at a time with thick and comfy socks. Even if you are just walking around your house, having the shoes on your feet help decreases the chances of future blisters. That's in a perfect world, however, and I don't know about you, but I rarely visit there.

Whenever a country is labeled "war-torn" or "conflict-stricken," you can bet that tourists will stay away from that country long after it is once again safe to visit. Just ask Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, or Cambodia, and they'll tell you that the "war-torn" description is a tough stink to wash off.

The folks over at ProTraveller realize this, and that's why they recently wrote about 6 Upcoming Countries Worth Visiting Now the Conflict Is Over. Despite their glaring omission of just about all of Central America, the article is well worth reading. Some of the highlights:

• Angola: "In 2002 a ceasefire was reached and the political situation began to stabilise. Angola is not yet a democratic nation but the internal warring appears to be done, at least for the time being. In recent years, Angola has topped the lists of post-conflict countries for making developments in the area of peace." [Pictured above, by the way, are Angola's impressive Calandula Waterfalls.]
  

• Northern Ireland: "The small province is blessed with some of the most spectacular coastal scenery you'll find anywhere in the world, with the Causeway Coast being the jewel in the crown. Elsewhere in the province, Belfast is in the midst of a remarkable transformation from being deeply depressed and introverted into a cosmopolitan and lively city with excellent hotels, restaurants, shopping and nightlife."

• Indonesia: "A recent string of bombings in Bali caused temporary concern. However, it is an increasingly safe location that is gaining in popularity with globetrotters. Islands such as Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa are great places for watersports such as surfing and windsurfing. The cost of living is cheap, the inland scenery spectacularly lush and the beaches tropical; there's certainly plenty to see and do!"

Read the whole thing here, why doncha.

[thanks to Andy Boyd for the tip]

You are finally there...the perfect beach, the perfect companion and the perfect drink in your hand. This is what you've been working and waiting for. You've left the mobile phone off and are dedicated to not letting anything ruin your trip. Besides the calls from work though, sunburn can ruin a holiday pretty quick.

Basics: Your Skin and the Sun's Rays

You may remember from hazy days in high school biology that the skin has two main layers: epidermis (thin, outer layer) and the dermis (thicker, inner layer). The skin has many functions and one of them is protection from the sun. The amount of melanin in the skin can effect the skin's ability to protect against sunburn and damage from ultraviolet light, as most light skinned people can tell you. Being very light skinned, I get a "light pink" just going outside to get my mail.

This sun's ultraviolet light has three main types, UVA, UVB and UVC. People are exposed to much, much more UVA light than UVB, but it is actually UVB that is responsible for most sunlight induced erythema (sunburns). The UVC light is largely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere. An interesting article that discusses the interplay of UVA and UVB and UVA's possible role in skin damage can be found here

Prevention

The best way to avoid getting a sunburn is to protect yourself and there are several ways to do this. Sunscreens, clothing, sunglasses and avoidance of peak sun hours (10 am to 3 pm) are all common tools in the war on sunburn. Glasses, contact lenses and sunglasses protect the eye from most UVB rays. For those of you that are "into shades" you can read a bit more about things like light transmission and distortion.