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Cheap International Travel Secrets
What is the real secret to cheap international travel? It is the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more and do more. Of course, you can ignore this advice if...
Nip/Tuck & Travel
Looking for an extreme makeover or just a little Nip/Tuck?
Are you aware of the growing trend of medical tourism? If not, consider this, have the vacation adventure of a lifetime in an exotic country, with sun, sea and pristine white beaches. Your...
Travel to Turkey for the 2006 Total Solar Eclipse
Wednesday March 29th 2006 will be a very special day in Turkey. Shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon local time an eerie darkness will descend across the land. Birds will begin to roost and streetlights will flicker on as the sun slips behind...
Tricks For Traveling By Sea
Tricks That Can Make Traveling By Sea Easier
Motion sickness is common to almost everybody. It is usually
frequent to those who travel a lot, whether by land, air, or
sea. The different forms of motion sickness are based on the
kind of...
Ways To Use Backpacks - Travel In Comfort
Backpacks are commonly associated with kids carrying
books to and from school. However, there are many other
ways to use backpacks. Campers, hikers and
mountaineers have been using backpacks for decades. It
allows them to have their hands...
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Travel Saftey - Using Intuition
"We've been robbed," I told Ana. "All of it." I grabbed the
thief, who was no longer acting drunk at all. It was a lesson in
travel safety.
It started when both my wife and I had a strong feeling we
shouldn't get on that bus in Cuenca. Neither of us said
anything, because a taxi was two dollars, and the bus cost only
twenty-five cents. It seems a bit TOO frugal now.
Ana found a seat, but there was no seat for me. I was packed in
with the other commuters standing up. I noticed the drunk
pushing his way through the crowd, randomly going this way and
that, and I knew somethimg was up. I instinctively reached into
my pockets to check on my money. I had just visited the ATM. The
$170 in my pocket was the most cash we had carried during the
entire trip. Still there. The old guy pushed against me like he
was trying to find a place to stand comfortably. I checked my
again.
Five minutes later some space opened up near Ana, and I moved
over to her. When I reached into my pocket again, it was empty,
and the other pocket was empty too. I never felt a thing. I told
Ana, and saw that the old drunk was still on the bus.
We got off at the next stop, dragging the thief with us. An
officer appeared, and a crowd formed. The thief was sober now,
pulling his pockets out and insisting again that he was inocent.
Search him, he said, and I did, but I understood now that his
associate was long gone with the money, probably off the bus at
a previous stop. His role had just been to distract me and push
me into the right place on the bus.
He begged to be let go, and we knew we couldn't get
the money
back. Nonetheless, we had the officer take him to the police
station on his motorcycle while we followed in a taxi, paying
with a twenty from under the sole of my shoe. Filing a complaint
at least meant he would spend the night in jail, and though he
would be released in the morning for a lack of evidence, his
finger prints are on file now.
Travel Safety Lessons
Most likely, a money belt probably would have prevented the
robbery. Closing pockets help too, although I had a wallet
stolen from a zipered pocket once, and I didn't notice until
forty minutes later. Fortunately it was a decoy-wallet, put
there for just such an occasion - another little travel safety
trick.
Other travel safety tricks? Put your money in at least three
different places, like under the sole of your shoe, in a pocket
you pin inside your clothes, and in your shaving kit. Carry two
credit or debit cards in separate and secure places. Carry a
list of "lost or stolen" phone numbers in another place. In
areas with much crime, leave expensive watches and jewelry
behind.
Learn a few tricks and you can travel more safely. Our
experience also shows the importance of learning to trust your
intuition. That was our lesson in travel safety.
About the author:
Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and
Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom
he met in Ecuador. For more on travel safety,
plus travel stories, tips and a free e-book, visit:
http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com
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