What if you are lost in a new country and you don’t know where to go, how to ask for help (different languages), whom to ask for help? What if the modes of transport are not easy and quick to find?
- The rule of thumb is do not lose your calm. Do not panic. This will only invite more troubles and confusions. Calm down and try to figure out how you reached here in first place. If possible, retrace your journey.
- If you do not speak the language, do not worry. Try to ask for help with gestures. First step is to figure out who could be of help. You do not want to get into more trouble by asking a wrong person for help. Use facial expressions and body language to communicate. If you remember the name of your hotel or your host’s house street name or anything that could be of any help, try communicating about it.
- Ask for help from store owners or restaurants personnel if you are unsure about asking people walking on the road.
- If you carrying a map, refer to it. Try to stay patient and calm, and try to read it. It will help you find nearest bus stations, metro stations and famous landmarks. Remembering the landmarks near your place of stay comes useful when you are lost. You just have to find your way to this landmark (which a local person will easily be able to guide you to).
- If possible, find a tourist center. They usually speak English and a few other international languages. You could ask for directions to your place as well as how to reach there. They usually have pretty visual city maps which would be useful for you to remember where you are staying (in case you don’t remember your hotel name).
- Dial the local emergency number if you could not find any help and you sense some danger.
- If you do not have a smartphone (or have one with discharged battery or do not have data plan for international destinations), you can find an internet cafe and try to contact your friends or family telling them you are lost. Moral support and help from loved ones always brings confidence in such situations.
- Refer to your pocket dictionary (One must carry a pocket dictionary with your language and the destination country’s language) and ask for help referring to the dictionary to formulate sentences.
