Take Care In Foreign Lands

An announcement by Tony Sarp of Everett that he has canceled all fishing trips to Kamchatka in Russia is another reminder that Americans are targets of terrorists and criminals in many countries of the world.

Sarp, who operates Kamchatka Fishing Adventures, as well as the popular Katmai Lodge on Alaska’s Alagnak River, said he has decided to cancel the Russian trips “due to the uncertainty of air service and the political unrest.”

“There is a lot of political tension between Russia and the United States,” he said. “There is also political unrest in Kamchatka. The situation at present is not good. The welfare and safety of our clients and staff is of utmost importance.

“With the current air service to Kamchatka, there is a very good possibility that we would need to fly Aeroflot. It would take two days to get there and back from Anchorage, with an overnight stay in Siberia.”

Numerous Inland Northwest fly fishers have fished Kamchatka rivers for steelhead and salmon the last nine years.

Unlike other American recreationists and adventurers, fly fishers have felt safe just about everywhere they go. Generally, after they fly to some exotic fly fishing destination, they’re taken immediately to a protected environment.

They’ve always known that there are criminals in every country ready to rip off tourists, but few of them have had problems.

What’s changed is the political atmosphere and an increase in crime against tourists, particularly Americans. Once liked and respected in most countries, Americans are now despised and hated in many countries.

My son, John, who has climbed mountains throughout the world for more than 30 years, said climbers quickly learn where the people are friendly and accommodating and where Americans are disliked.

For an American climber, he said, Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to visit. Many Pakistanis distrust Americans.

“There’s a standing joke among climbers who go through some countries,” he said. “Be sure to wear a Canadian flag on your pack and you’ll be safe.”

The Pakistanis, as well as people in many other countries, don’t target Canadians. Our neighbors to the north are considered good guys.

John and his climbing companions have had runins with Chinese, Pakistanis, East Indians, Tibetans and Russians. Usually, the arguments arose because the foreigners wanted him and friends to pay more money than they had agreed to take for their services.

Of course, there was no love lost between the climbers and the people who continually tried to blackmail the climbers and other Americans. And some climbers and trekkers have been targeted by terrorists.

A huge Tibetan border guard once tried to kill John with a rock after the Chinese liaison officer assigned to him and his climber friends told the guard not to let John and friends cross the border into Nepal unless the climbers paid a lot of money. The climbers felt certain that the Chinese officer, who had tried to shake the climbers down for an extra $200, promised the guard money if he closed the border to the Americans.

His fight with the Tibetan ended in a stalemate after John’s friend, Jim Wickwire of Seattle, entered the fray. Finally, the climbers got across the border without paying more money.

Some Indians in New Delhi once threw stones at John and his climbing friends.

Americans long have been targeted by thieves throughout the world. John was ripped off after climbing in Equador a few years ago. And someone stole a camera in Nepal during a trek he led last year.

Normally, as the result of experiences in India, Pakistan, Asia and South America, he’s much more careful than tourists when he’s in a foreign country. But he didn’t expect to lose his expensive Rolex wrist watch while he was driving a car in Quito, Equador.

He was driving in the old section of the city after a climb. The window was open and his left arm was on the door. When cars stopped, a thief suddenly appeared, tore the Rolex off his wrist and raced away. John jumped out and ran after him. Accomplices managed to get between John and the thief, and the thief vanished.

Before leaving their homes, American climbers and many other Americans who spend a lot of time in foreign countries get on the State Department’s “Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets” Web site and download information Americans should know about in countries they’ll visit. The web site is: http:/travel.state.gov/travel- warnings.html.

And when they’re in countries where Americans may be victims of thieves or American-hating groups, they try to make friends with the people. But they protect their passports by carrying them on a strong neckless-like string under their shirts, keep their money in money belts and never travel alone.

Even then, they know, they may not be able to avoid thieves and terrorists.