A chain letters is any e-mail that asks you to pass the letter to someone else, usually as many people as possible. Either delete the letter or pass it to your system administrator. See chain letters for more information. Be sure to visit Urban Legend Combat Kit by Patrick Crispen, which provides canned responses to help stop the spread of these types of hoaxes. Once you have e-mail it will be difficult to give it up when on holidays, although you probably should.
Public libraries are a good bet in many places.
Also check if there are cybercafes where you will be travelling. Unfortunately, the written word often comes across as harsh without the benefit of eye contact, voice inflection, and body language. Do not forward personal messages that you receive to others without the knowledge and permission of the original sender. Like all mail, the senders of e-mail have the right to expect that their correspondence with you is private. It is common courtesy that you would not break that trust without their consent.