Work Abroad

Let’s get real here. Imagine the worst nightmare you’ve ever had and then imagine that you never woke up. That’s pretty much how the thousands of foreign prisoners held on charges of drug smuggling feel.

The old adage of ‘If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime’ is what you want to bear in mind here. It’s not a coincidence that most drugs are grown in the poorer countries of the world where the phrase ‘human rights’ is currently awaiting translation – along with ‘fair trial’ and ‘abolition of torture’.

"Welcome to 20 years of hell! Mu ha ha ha!!" http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolasknab/

Prison sentences in countries like India, Thailand and Brazil have nothing to do with redemption. They do not expect you to come out a better person – you’re only meant to suffer for a very long time. The sentences are generally between 10-25 years and though capital punishment is a variable, there’s a good chance you may not come out alive.

Why?

Well, imagine being in a jail in India where there’s a riot and the guards come in shooting indiscriminately.

Or how about waking up in a Thai jail to the screaming of a fellow inmate in whose ear a cockroach decided to make its nest?

Or maybe you’d prefer a jail in Brazil where you must rent your bed and face being stabbed unless you become someone’s sex slave.

Either way you’ve got to admit there are better ways to spend your youth, even if it does mean working 9 to 5 for a while to save up some cash. If you’re even remotely considering smuggling drugs why not take a trip to visit someone who’s doing time in jail for just that?

After all, if you’re so certain you can handle the risks there’s no harm in looking them in the face, right? Be sure to take them along some fresh fruit and something to read – most likely they’ve had noting but moldy rice and last year’s newspapers since they went in. Some antiseptic for that festering wound might be good too.

If in Thailand you can go cheer up someone’s day here.

Want to meet other road junkies?
Come to the Road Junky Sahara Retreat Feb 6-11 2012 to hang out with 30 other travelers to meditate, make yoga, tell stories and dance under the full moon in the desert.

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