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| Travel
light! Three changes of clothes is plenty. You |
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may
only carry 2 checked bags (each weighing no more than 70
pounds) on the plane and only one piece of carry-on other
than a handbag or camera bag. |
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1. Take only light casual clothes that do not require dry cleaning.
Hotels have good and quick laundry service. Men can wear
shorts although
few women
do. No
blue jeans for men or women should be worn when meeting with officials.
Ties are not necessary. Women should dress conservatively by wearing
long pants or dresses. Short skirts, shorts, and anything spandex,
sleeveless or low-cut would not be appropriate. Also, take an extra
pair of comfortable shoes with low heels.
2. Take your usual toiletries and a roll of toilet paper.
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| 3.
Electrical Items—You will need a power converter that
goes from 220 volts to 110 volts if you use any electrical items
(hair dryers, razors, battery chargers, etc.) Some hair |
| dryers
have a switch that allows them to be used with either voltage. Be
sure the switch is set properly before plugging the hair dryer into |
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| the wall.
You will also need an adapter to change our flat prongs to round
ones as used in Vietnam and China. These can be purchased at stores
such as Radio Shack. |
4. Medications—Take
pain relievers (Tylenol), stomach acid reducers (Pepcid), Sudafed
and saline nose spray for the dry air on the plane, Lomotil and/or
Doxycycline for diarrhea, hydrocortisone cream, antibiotic ointment,
and of course, band-aids.
5. Do not take food that will melt or squish such as fruits or vegetables.
Instant coffee packets are great.
6. Carry plenty of film for all those priceless pictures. |
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7. Bring a small AM/FM
or AM/FM/SW radio. You will be able to listen to English language
broadcasts!
8. Bring a small flashlight with batteries. The power goes
out often. |
| Again,
pack as lightly as possible!
Check one bag and the stroller, and have only one carry-on, preferably
a backpack which will serve as a diaper bag on the return trip.
Remember, you can buy most necessary items there, if you forget.
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| 1.
Diapers!—at
least 100 for small babies. Bring some pull ups for toddlers. |
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2. Wipes—put
these in a zip lock bag and leave the plastic container behind.
3. Clothes—simple, cotton, easy on. "Onesies" are great.
Stretch suits for sleeping. Take about seven outfits for day wear,
and seven sleepers. Don't forget how cold it will be on the plane,
so put a blanket in the bag. |
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4.
Shoes—buy some cheap ones there. |
5. Socks—
five pair, mostly cotton. Remember, bright colors will fade onto
other clothes when washed by the laundry service. They won't separate
colors from whites every time.
6. Sweater—lightweight cotton for summer or a fleecy
jacket with a hood for winter. The Vietnamese may tell you |
constantly that the babies are cold.
7. Toys!—chewable, jingly, easy to hold.
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8. Medications—infant
Tylenol, Dimetapp, Kaopectate, antibiotic (powder to mix with water),
Gaviscon drops, Orajel. The babies may have scabies. Elimite is
the best for this, you will need a prescription. Do not wait to
treat it until you get home. It will only spread and you will get
it too.
9. Bottles—for young babies take three eight-ounce disposable
bottles. That way, you will not have to worry about washing bottles
all the time. Take three extra nipples and a couple of boxes of
the bottle inserts and a nipple brush. You may need to make the
holes in the nipples larger as the babies are usually accustomed
to a larger hole.
10. Baby spoon and small bowl. |
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11.
Formula—take one can of powdered, soy based or milk based.
You can buy more there. Some of the babies are used to a sweeter
formula so you may need to try adding sugar. |
| 12. Munchies!—take
a zip locked bag of regular dry Cheerios for babies who are able
to sit alone—over 6 months. |
| 13.
Stroller—depending on the baby's weight, you may not be
able to handle a front pack. Get an umbrella stroller—cheap,
in case you lose it. You might want to buy this there. |
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14.
Miscellaneous—Take a small sealed container of liquid dish
soap to wash with. Baby nail clippers and a bulb syringe. Pacifiers
are optional.
Remember to give the baby a bottle when the plane takes off and
lands to avoid earache due to pressure changes. You can give your
baby Dimetapp (or equivalent) 30 minutes before boarding the plane.
This will help ease congestion and have the added benefit of making
the baby sleepy.
Several babies have developed a rash on their faces between the
time they left the orphanage and arrived home. We have discovered
that some of these babies had an allergic reaction to the detergent/fabric
softener in their new parents shirts, while others were simply not
used to being held so much, and the rubbing of their little faces
on Mom and Dad's shoulders irritated their skin. |
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