Travelling abroad

Subject: Travelling abroad Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:34 am

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of violent attacks reported against tourists, I feel thay too many people are going off backpacking in all parts of the world without first arming themselves with relevent information about those places, we tend look at what the climate is like, what type of clothes we should take, how strong should our sun screen be, what's the local currency, I just feel it also be benficial to checkout local crime rates and crime trends, ask if it's the sort of place that you will get your picket picked or are you more likely to get murdered for your gold watch, is there a high incidence of rape, are the local police going too put much effort into crimes against tourists or let it pass because you will going home soon and they dont want the paper work, you should ask if there is much of a police presence at al, some places are very poorly policed.

When travelling I think we should consider more severe dangers than just sunburn.

Alanl

Subject: Re: Travelling abroad Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:08 am

Hi Alan et al,
Absolutely salient food for thought and serious consideration/preparation. The dangers of traveling aboard, especially to certain places, are more pervasive than ever. Thanks for bringing this up buddy.

With that, I'm not saying (nor do I think Alan is either) to be paranoid about traveling, just be as sensible, informed, and prepared as possible.

Remember the first rule of self-protection/self-defense is to stay away from stupid people, stupid places, stupid things, and not be stupid yourself. This definitely applies to traveling.

Anyway, take care and always be aware...

Best Regards,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 52

Just came across this and thought I would add my two pennies.

I've travelled a lot in my day to both 1st and 3rd world countries and I've done ok after the first balls up in Brazil and coming into sites such as this.

Here are some of the precautions I now take in Brazil and the other places including Eastern Europe and North America. Just so you know when I travel I always stay in hostels because of my budget.

Before I go anywhere I go on independent sites and look for good hostels and read reviews on them. Even better ask friends who've gone before you and where they stayed. Also there are good books such as Lonely Planet that will give you good advice on where to stay and what to see.

I always dress down and never buy clothes specifically for a holiday. I might buy local clothes there but I tend to stay away from anything that makes me look like a tourist or well off.

In Brazil I never wore a backpack, I had a small sports sack and carried it upside down with the opening at my left hip and often rested my hand on it. This is something the locals do and where I got the idea from. The only people who carried packs on their backs were Travellers.

Pay attention to the people in the hostel when they tell you not to go somewhere. I didn't and got mugged off 5 teenagers in a bogs. If you're going anywhere the people in the hostel probably know a good way to get there and what buses to get onto, ask them. Its a good idea to be very friendly with the hostel workers, they're often travellers themselves and are often clued up on how to be foreign where every they are.

Listen to their advice but do not trust them and do not let them tell you what to do with your money. My first Brazil trip I followed some similar advice and kept money in my locker and it was stolen by the guy who told me that it was unsafe to put it in the safe and to keep in a locker.

You can normally tell who these guys are, the guy who did me was a pro but basically just don't tell anyone. If they're the only one making complaints then ask around, see if anyone else is having the same trouble...

In third world I never carry much money about, or wear a watch. I bought a cheap watch for travelling and kept in my pocket. I forget to take my watch off once and someone did make an attempt at it and was forced to fight him off, I was lucky he wasn't armed.

If I'm in the Third world I personally take only cash with me. I may take my credit card in case of emergency but because of low prices its often possible to take a lump sum of cash and last a few weeks on it.

This sounds unsafe but don't tell anyone you have it and hide it in several places and you should be ok. When I was in Brazil the second time I went a bit mad with this idea and hid my money in so many different places I found money I forgot about when I go home.

Some good places are books, toilet bag, locked locker, bag with several pockets, pillows and of course in the safe in the hostel/hotel if you're convinced its safe. In the likes of lockers and such I generally hide a small amount on the top and bigger notes below a book or passport or something.

For 1st world countries I generally take less cash and depend on my debit card more, because of the greater safety and access to cash machines. I never leave it lying about as its safer on my person rather than in some locker. Taking a fools wallet might be a good idea for some rougher inner city areas. Keep it semi apparent in a hip pocket or the like and with a small amount of cash in it to make it look convincing and your proper wallet in a more concealed place such as a jacket pocket or a pack or purchase a money belt and forgo the wallet altogether.

I always make sure I have enough emergency cash to contact home and to get home, if I lose all my money and want to change flights or something.

It sounds horrible but do not give anything to beggars, no matter their appearance. If you're staying somewhere with a lot of travellers then there will be beggars in droves and they will be very good at selling their sad plight. It sounds very nasty but be rude, if you're polite and even stop they will work on you.

If you're rude for two or three days they'll give up on you, if you don't you will be hounded every time you go to that area (and it may well be the area where you are staying). Also even if they don't want money be careful.

In Brazil a favourite trick was to ask for powdered milk for a infant relative, when in fact it was used to produce drugs. In Canada I often bought food for beggars or cups of coffee but I tend not to do this now.

Another trick in North America and the 1st world is to carry some voucher around saying they want accommodation and are raising money to get it. I can tell you now that there are homeless hostels aplenty in 1st world cities so this is also a lie, don't give them anything because its probably going on drink or drugs. Often the stories they tell you are very glib, ignore them is my advice.

In third world there are tricks aplenty. Women in Brazil would often grab your wrist wile asking for something. Offer free gifts for tourists (ribbons and the like) and then charge you afterwards. It may be a small amount but its the drop that starts the waterfall. Again it sounds horrible but be rude and abrupt and ignore them and then they'll see there are easier marks and go for them.

A very interesting trick in Brazil was to put peanuts on your table at a bar, you would assume they were on the house and then munch them, then they'd come back and charge you.

There probably some more things I can come up with but been sitting here too long Smile

Subject: Re: Travelling abroad Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:21 am

Hi Paul,
Thank you much for sharing all that great info. It's salient advice that all should heed. Whenever you're inspired to share more, please do...

Take Care,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 52

One bit of advice I can think of this morning is that it is perfectly legal to travel with a mag light or a large torch in your hold luggage. I took one over to California on my last trip and normally kept it under my pillow. That might seem overkill and it probably is but there you go. I can happily say I never had to use it Smile

I was thinking about this yesterday and realized I got some details wrong.... when I went to Brazil last time I left my Debt Card in England and took my credit Car in case of emergencies. I left all my bank account details with my parents.

The plan was that if I had my money stolen (again) my mother would have access to cash to wire money to me and I would have my credit card if it was really needed. In case that was somehow compromised my mother had enough details to cancel it immediately, everything was written down on paper.

If you have chosen your hostel or place to stay before hand then its a good idea to leave the address at home with someone trusted, they may well need to send you something. Also If you do fine ourself in the horrible position of having all your money taken then you can easily have money wired to a local bank, you'll need a passport for that.

A very good idea is to photocopy your passport before you go. This sometimes can be used instead of a passport but more importantly if your passport is stolen then the photocopy along with some ID and a police statement saying your passport being has been stolen will very likely allow you to access the money your relatives have just wired you.

Be very careful with wired money.... you can't keep any of it at the bank. If you have a large amount wired to you make sure you have somewhere safe to put it, reference my above post about hiding it away. It might be a good idea to have smaller chunks wired to you if you don't plan to cut your stay short, however I think this costs money and as I say if you're in a 3rd world country for just a few weeks its possible to keep a reasonable amount of cash SECRETLY AND IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

Admin Joined : 16 Aug 2007 Posts : 232

Great advice above.

One thing I would add is to create a travel dvd.

Burn your itinerary,
Scan in all your documents (visa's, passports,)
Create docs with your travel details, maps, contact numbers, e-mail addresses,
Store credit/debit card emergency numbers and bank contact details

password protect it and you have everything you need to keep chugging along should your valuables be taken. You can even burn numerous copies and store them in various places. Leave one with family/friends in the event that your copy is taken.

Just make sure you store any docs on a format like windows 98 and not the latest versions of operating systems as you may be faced with using any old rickety machine.

Subject: Re: Travelling abroad Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:06 am

Hi Chris,
Great advice too my friend! Thank you for sharing it.

This is a good thread. I'm picking up some good info from you guys. Keep 'em coming. I'm sure I'm not the only one benefiting...

Take Care,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Admin Joined : 16 Aug 2007 Posts : 232

Some additional thoughts.

Research the area you are visiting. Find out what the fashions are, the customs, the good and bad areas. Google for all you are worth and make sure you don't stand out from the crowd.

Keep your clothes and luggage low key and practical. Nothing that stands out as being expensive or flashy. Nothing that marks you are a tourist and nothing that may indicate you are carrying expensive kit (camera's, laptops, phones etc.)

Purchase a good quality travel wallet and protective capsules for any PDA's, mobile phones etc.

Pack your gear in three sections. 24 hour (keep on your body) 72 hour (carry on bag) week or more in a suitcase.

Joined : 30 Aug 2007 Posts : 47

Interesting thread.

I live in the outskirts of Barcelona. It´s an amazingly safe city for people who live here, but loads of tourists get mugged in the centre.

For example, a young American had a heart attack and died the other day when a thug pulled a knife on him near a museum.

Why is it safe for residents (including foreign residents), but dangerous for tourists?

You see the residents walking round, minding their own business, keeping an eye on what´s going on. And then you see the tourists...

The stag and hen parties wander round in big groups, completely drunk out of their heads, all in comedy hats. They practically wear signs round their necks asking to get ripped off. Bar owners, taxi drivers, drug dealers and people who work in strip clubs love them. They get charged stupid prices and given counterfeight money in change.

The older tourists all wear shorts, even in mid-winter, carry huge cameras and in many cases seem to have no awareness that a museum might be in a relatively dodgy area. Many of the Americans make absolutely no attempt to be discrete or quiet or blend in with their surroundings. The weird thing is that they´d never go anywhere remotely dodgy in their own cities.

The businessmen who go to conferences rarely change out of their suits in the evening. Many of them even wear their conference badges round their necks when they´re out and about. It´s very easy to take a wrong turn in the old town and find yourself in a dark and seedy street...

Rupert

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 52

Funny you should mention that....

On my first trip to Brazil I had to go downtown to the main business area of Salvador to the Embassy to get my stolen passport sorted out. I got some directions but my Portuguese at the time was even worse than it is now. I of course got lost.

I few days before I had been standing on a very like plaza looking over the city and the guy told me 'See that area down there? Never go there, very dangerous.'

Well I was lost and happened to glance up, and to my horror saw the place I'd been staniding when hearing that advice. I nearly passed out with fright. I wondered if it was worth continuing (on the premise that I might have been half way through by then) or if I should turn back. I decided to continue but soon changed my mind when I saw I'd barely scratched the surface.

I managed to get out, at one point being laughed at by a bunch of locals who pegged me for a lost tourist. I managed to find my way downtown. Just to mention it was broad daylight.

Always ask about where to go and where not to. Its a miracle I survived. Once I got on a bus with a girl and when we got off it was a slum area in which I was the only white face, lots of people standing around but it was dark. I'm not racist but I stood out like a sore thumb. I have no idea how safe I was.

On the plus side I had an excellent evening in one of those little huts watching telly and visiting friends of the Girl. The next day I watched Brazil win the 2002 world cup and because it was in Portuguese I had no idea it was even the final.

These days I always ask someone in the hostel about areas to go to and areas to avoid. They often have maps there and can mark out interesting points on them. If an area looks dodgy I just turn around and walk out.

One of the rules of thumb I used in Brazil was looking at the people and how they acted. I reasoned I was reasonably safe on a busy street through the day, though obviously I had to watch for pick pockets and the like.

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 52

Cash machines are a funny one. I covered this before... cash machines in North America work great and you can access your money fine. I honestly never tried in Brazil as I was reluctant to carry plastic around with me.

For the plastic I locked in my locker and basically told no one it was there. In my locker was a book, a bit of money under the book, some leaflets, then under them my passport and the larger part of my money and my plane ticket and other valuables, including my credit card, in case of emergencies.

I brought my own pad lock, just in case I couldn't trust the hostel staff, and kept the key on my at all times. I had fashioned a key ring by attaching it to my watch, which was kept in my pocked in Brazil.

At home my mother had all my details written down, bank details and credit card details and where I was staying. If anyone had gotten into the locker I would have contacted her immediately and had them cancelled them. I also gave her my debt card and the pin in a envelope in case she had to access my bank to get money to wire to me.

As it turns out I was fine that holiday, except for getting mugged in those bogs.

I disregarded advice not to go to a certain bar. It was foolish of me but I had visited it on my first trip and thought the incident I had heard of was isolated. I must amit I was hoping to run onto a girl I had met there on my first trip as well.

I had taken my stupid pills that night and made a B line for the toilets. As I walked in a little guy was taking a slash and as soon as he saw me he ran out. I thought this strange as I approached a toilet and I was about to commence business when my spider sense tingled. I was basically aware that something was up and span about.

Behind me there was a young lad, I'm not sure how old perhaps in his teens, and he reached towards my pocket. I put my hand out to catch him and send him on his way as I had a great size advantage and wasn't worried. Then 4 or 5 of his mates joined him and I basically became worried.

Despite stupidity getting me there in the first place I tell myself I handled the next bit better, though if I had any sense I wouldn't have been there in the fist place.

My first thought was to fight my way through. I probably outweighed any two of them. I considered though that they might have knives, Brazil having a drastic knife culture. I had very little money on me (less than a British tenner) and so decided to let them have it and be ready for more.

They took the money and my watch (a couple of them reached into my pockets as I stood hands raised, thinking sign language of 'ok you can have my' cash would be better understood than English) They took it and left as quickly as they came. I exited quickly.

The next bit pissed me off slightly. They had without checking emptied my pockets and took the cheap watch I carried there, they were welcome to that but irritatingly it had all my bloody keys on it. I had a front door key to the hostel and my locker key on it, as I wasn't willing to leave it close to my locker.

I had to bang on the door to get in, helped myself to a beer and tell the hostel owner I needed some bolt cutters for my locker. I had the foresight to bring have a spare padlock however but had no access to my locker for the next morning.

The daftest thing was some rather rude girl came up to me and asked what happened. I told her and her first words were:

'I thought you did martial arts.'

I sighed...

Anyway back to cash machines... the cash machines in Brazil come in their own little glass boxes, you go in there alone. I never used one but I know people who did.

In North America I thought it safer to just carry my card, making sure that my family had adequate means to send me money if anything should happen. Also I had a emergency stash of travellers cheques.

I had cash machines I used and ones I didn't use. I always go into the bank if I can, and used ones in highly commercial areas with a lot of people who were obviouly tourists and therefore well off (not wanting to mug me).

I always looked both ways before using one and very rarely took more than I needed for a few days out. When possible I used cards to pay for things also. I never let it leave my sight.

Interestingly I visited a guy Clare Voyant and was saything I should keep a close eye on my passport. He had me so nervous I used to get into bef, take my trousers off in the bed, roll them about the pocket with my wallet and passport in (my passport never left my person) and then more of less use them for a pillow every night.