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They say your wallet is really that all that divides the haves and havenots. When I lost my wallet while touring a small town out in the middle of no where in Peru, I was in serious trouble! SERIOUS TROUBLE!
If I had lost my wallet with all my cash and credit cards in a large city anywhere in the world, I could have returned to my hotel and got on the phone and called the credit card companies and relatives and had them wire me money and cancel my Credit CArds and overnight me new cards.
But I was in a small town- on a day trip- miles and miles from anyway without my return bus ticket home, any cash, or credit cards. (They were all in my lost wallet) I suspect I was pick pocked.
No one spoke English that I could find, there were no pay telephones and I could not check into a hotel and make the necessary phone calls to get some cash and credit, because I had no access to cash or credit.
Please don't tell me I was stupid to have everything in my wallet. Please instead tell me what you would do if you were in this situation. Remember, I am in a small Indian dominated town in Peru, with no cash or credit cards and I don't speak Spanish.
So how did you get out of Peru? Or did you find a magically internet connection using a tablet you made from some rocks and bark? Or is this another one looking for a novel idea on CD? That seems to be the thing lately.
I am a scatterbrain. I never even leave cash in my wallet. I only take a certain amount of spending cash with me when I leave the hotel room for the day, big bills in one of my front pockets and small bills in the other front pocket. I used to use a money belt I would also store big bills but rarely use that anymore. I also have three emergency stashes of cash I leave in random places in my luggage, not much but enough to survive for a few days in case of emergency. And I usually keep some extra money in the hotel safe as well. Plus like I said I am a scatterbrain, and I will often accidentally put money in my back pockets or the pockets in my shirt, have found money in those places plenty of times when I have been desperate for cash. I also never spend coin change so usually build up a massive collection I keep in my backpack.
One mistake I make quite frequently is leaving my ATM card in ATM machines. When this happens (happens quite a bit) I will usually get online and ask friends/family to book a hotel room for me online for a few nights. Also cancel the card and get another sent to me. I've never needed to get a western union, although i've borrowed money from friends who were in country on a couple occasions - I guess one of the benefits of going to the same places over and over again, usually have friends who are always around in the event of crisis.
I store quite of bit of cash, credit card and passport in a money belt and/or a neck pouch. I keep a little cash in my vest pocket that has a snap or velcro closing on my chest.
I suspect a good pickpocket could relieve me of my waist belt and neck pouch if very good at their trade but, so far, so good........
Now that "ImRetiredNow" I usually don't leave the country, but if I did, I would carry American Excess Travellers Cheques. Don't leave home without them!
I would not count on Travelers Cheques - even if Amex. I didn't bring them myself when traveling in 2008, but the common understanding I had when in S. America is banks don't accept them for fear of fraud and/or insufficient technology to verify the checks are valid (or at least technology that will be convenient enough to verify a check from halfway around the world...just not worth the bother...).
The general answer to the OP's question - don't put yourself in a situation where all your money is in one spot when 5000 miles away from home. I always kept half my cash and cards in the hotel/hostel and half on me...pretty much what others said...
I am shocked how few people really read and understood my orginal message, so here is some clarification.
Yes, I was stupid putting everything in my wallet. Though the mistake was made and I had to move beyond my stupidity and get back to the larger town where my wife and I were staying.
My wife was along but did not bring any money or credit cards thinking she did not want to be robbed!
This happened to me a week ago and I did manage to get back to my hotel 50 miles away by bus for only about $10.00 a piece.
I tried the pólice but no one could speak to me in English and sorry I did not speak Spanish.
I went into a number of businesses to ask if I could use their pone for a collect call to my travel insurance company and or credit cards to wire money to me somehow. Because of the language issues I got no where.
I went up and down the Street asking anyone if they spoke English and got no where.
Finally I decided I had to move to PLAB B so I found someone who bought my watch for an amount equal to $20 USD which gave me enough money for my wife and I to take the bus back to the larger town my hotel was in.
OK, this is what I did. What would you do if you made my mistakes and became standed without money and credit in a small village in the developing world 50 miles from a decent sized town?
I am shocked how few people really read and understood my orginal message, so here is some clarification.
Yes, I was stupid putting everything in my wallet. Though the mistake was made and I had to move beyond my stupidity and get back to the larger town where my wife and I were staying.
My wife was along but did not bring any money or credit cards thinking she did not want to be robbed!
This happened to me a week ago and I did manage to get back to my hotel 50 miles away by bus for only about $10.00 a piece.
I tried the pólice but no one could speak to me in English and sorry I did not speak Spanish.
I went into a number of businesses to ask if I could use their pone for a collect call to my travel insurance company and or credit cards to wire money to me somehow. Because of the language issues I got no where.
I went up and down the Street asking anyone if they spoke English and got no where.
Finally I decided I had to move to PLAB B so I found someone who bought my watch for an amount equal to $20 USD which gave me enough money for my wife and I to take the bus back to the larger town my hotel was in.
OK, this is what I did. What would you do if you made my mistakes and became standed without money and credit in a small village in the developing world 50 miles from a decent sized town?
Sorry, can't answer that because as an adult I would never be in such a situation.
I can see this maybe happening to a newbie kid backpacking around Peru but an adult who has travelled before...NO...I mean this isn't your first rodeo right?
And yet even with language barrier you were able to make a $20 transaction for your watch
BTW I do think most people understood your post but just by going on some of your past posts we are just scratching our heads here
I am shocked how few people really read and understood my orginal message, so here is some clarification.
Yes, I was stupid putting everything in my wallet. Though the mistake was made and I had to move beyond my stupidity and get back to the larger town where my wife and I were staying.
My wife was along but did not bring any money or credit cards thinking she did not want to be robbed!
This happened to me a week ago and I did manage to get back to my hotel 50 miles away by bus for only about $10.00 a piece.
I tried the pólice but no one could speak to me in English and sorry I did not speak Spanish.
I went into a number of businesses to ask if I could use their pone for a collect call to my travel insurance company and or credit cards to wire money to me somehow. Because of the language issues I got no where.
I went up and down the Street asking anyone if they spoke English and got no where.
Finally I decided I had to move to PLAB B so I found someone who bought my watch for an amount equal to $20 USD which gave me enough money for my wife and I to take the bus back to the larger town my hotel was in.
OK, this is what I did. What would you do if you made my mistakes and became standed without money and credit in a small village in the developing world 50 miles from a decent sized town?
You implied in your first post that you were alone; used first person singular and did not mention a "wife". OK, so now we have a bit more of the back story. So your wife brought nothing, out of fear she would be robbed, in this tiny village in the remote Indian area of Peru? Where did she leave her valuables--under a bench at the bus station?
I am shocked how few people really read and understood my orginal message, so here is some clarification.
Everyone understood your original message. We just couldn't play along with your game because we wouldn't have made the mistakes you made, therefore making it a completely unrealistic hypothetical.
I would certainly have never gone on a day trip to a remote area without at least a small Spanish/English dictionary or phrase book. Having that would have gone a long way towards getting out of your situation.
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