Zika Virus and Other Travel Warnings

I'm sure that people who love to travel are wondering where it is safe to travel to now. With all of the warnings about the Zika virus and the terrorist activities, it seems like the options are narrowing - now even Miami might be seen as a risky place to go to, and areas of Chicago (for another reason).

Before the Olympics started, some health officials suggested that it might be a good idea to move the games to a safer place, because they were worried about Zika.  As of last Friday, the WHO (World Health Organization) had said that there have been no reports of anybody who attended the Olympics getting the virus. People in Brazil had tried to explain the the mosquitoes were not a problem in winter, based on historical data of people who contracted dengue fever in the winter, since the same mosquito is also responsible for causing that disease. But I don't think most people paid any attention to that. And I think there were more murders and violent crime in several U.S. cities than there was in Rio.

I'm seeing ads for companies promoting travel to Iran, Turkey and other places like that. Gee, I don't know about going some place where I might have to worry about getting blown up by a suicide bomber.

Even if you can't travel to Brazil in the winter, there are still plenty of safe places to go to in South America all year round.

• Chile and Argentina are safe
• the highlands of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador are safe
• the Galapagos Islands are safe
• our operator at Iguassu Falls doesn't know of anyone who has gotten zika when going there
• and there's no mosquitoes or terrorists in Antarctica!

So come on down!