Traveling Abroad

[Will Learn]

I'm headed to the Yucatan Peninsula in a week for a anthropology trip/course and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the area or any tips on traveling abroad in general. Packing a sidearm will not be an option and neither will bringing any kind of other self defense tools i.e.. knife or kubaton due to flight rules. I hope I'm not being overly paranoid but I'm going down there with a group that consists of mainly girls and a couple of older fellows. Anything you learned while traveling abroad (money belts, pickpocket protection, etc.) that you could pass on to me would really be helpful. thanks a lot in advance and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[roscoe]

A money belt is essential. I used two:

for cash and:

for documents and passport.

The main thing is to be observant and patient. If you feel you need protection, hire a local. They will know what to do and what to avoid. If you feel like you need a weapon, buy a local machete and tell anyone it is NOT for protection.

Have a photocopy of your passport, credit cards, license, air tickets, etc., far from where you keep your passport.

But, if it is part of a course, the organizers will have all this figured out. Folks say not to drink the water, and they are right, but be prepared for the turistas anyway. You can get it from most anything.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Good luck, relax, and have fun.

 

[V-fib]

Will,

Don’t take anything with you that you really value and cannot replace easily. I carry only one charge card, my passport, and driver’s license. These are kept in a concealed belly wallet and an over the neck wallet that I can pull out when going through the airports. I carry a “dummy” wallet with some cash. Many hotels have in room safes that you can use. I also lock my suitcases at the hotel. If you’re looking for a weapon a pair of 4-5” scissors are good to carry in your checked luggage. Then when you arrive at your destination you can carry these in your pocket. Gripped in your hand between the middle and fourth finger it would be a decent stabbing tool and you can cut things with it too! I usually cut a small piece of plastic tubing to place over the end of the scissors to protect my pocket. Basically listen to the locals and your hosts at the hotel about areas that you should be cautious when entering. Basic situational awareness applies. Make sure you are up on your vaccinations. In Mexico you may want to prophylactically use pepto bismol tablets, 2 tablets, four times per day to ward off travelers diarrhea that is very common in that country. Pepto used that often will turn the back of your tongue and stool black so don’t freak out its normal. Some restaurants have purified water but it is better to buy and drink bottled refreshments and avoid ice except where purified ice is used. Fresh salads and fruits washed with unpurified water can cause problems too.

If you do a search on traveling to (enter your destination) you can pick up some more tips. Have a good trip. I’m headed to Belize in February.

 

[tinygnat219]

Simple stuff to avoid being a target:

Have everyone in the group have a buddy.
Don't take any jewelry.
Keep photocopies of your passport with your luggage.
Have a "throwaway wallet" with some cash, cut up sample credit cards, and such in case there is a mugging.
Keep different amounts of cash on the body, and use the security wallet.

 

[Sharpdogs]

Excellent advice so far, especially about the dummy wallet and photocopies of passport, credit cards, ID, etc. Definitely pack some Ammodium AD and Peptobismul. I would also add carrying a good flashlight that uses common batteries like AA's. Just don't buy something expensive in case it walks off.

 

[X-Rap]

I spent 6wks in Israel about 12yrs ago. I agree on the wallet around the neck and a dummy. Also if you are working out of a base hotel as we were bring travelers checks adequate for your stay plus some contingency. I kept the funds in the hotel safety dep. box and doled out funds to my men as needed. Check and see if the hotel has a bank or exchange capabilities on site. We had little trouble traveling around the country but there were usually 3 or 4 of us and we were of decent size, it seemed that we had a height advantage over most of the natives. I carried a Gerber Frisco Shiv the whole time and never had a problem. I liked the knife since it has a kydex type sheath with a clip on it and the Israelis had no problem with knives. If I was to go today I would take a E2 Defender and carry a spares container and at least one refil in my bagage. The capabilities of this light are great and very inconspicuous. Also Maps and a good GPS would be along. Preprogram as many sites as you can that could help in an emergency ie. police, embassy, hotel, hospital, work place, friendly contacts etc. if the cord. are not available punch in as you travel around. Check local and state laws prior to leaving or you might loose some equipment. I had a friend that was in Mongolia by way of China and had to do some fast talking to keep his GPS.

 

[Will Learn]

Thanks for the help everyone, are knives able to be in checked luggage?

 

[LightningJoe]

Not an expert, but I've been in more than one armed robbery situation while abroad and unarmed. In my case, attackers always came in groups and armed with knives. There was really very little opportunity to do any fighting without a gun. Perhaps Chuck Norris. Not I.

An American with no gun in a foreign country stuffed with people who can't find jobs and who would work for peanuts if they could is just a two-legged ATM machine. I would recommend not going to backward countries (Central and South America--forget about it). For one thing, my experience with the foreign cops is that they're not worth anything, but I suspect they would happily bust you if you crossed some line by arming yourself.

I've heard, though, that carrying a cane might be legal (for airline travel and incountry). Versus a knife, I'd rather have a cane than a knife. But don't expect to have single opponents. Groups are more likely and no weapon other than a gun will serve.

If you're externally similar to the natives, you might just try to blend in. Don't look like an American abroad.

 

[Will Learn]

The cane is a good idea, I think I will bring along my metal monopod (for camera). The notion of corrupt police is one I hadn't considered but I will be traveling with a group (with a driver) so I don't think i will be the one who would have to deal with that. I'm leaving Sunday and will be back after 10 days. Thanks everyone for the help and I will post any lessons learned after my experience.

 

[jeepmor]

Take extra 20's

And keep it them separate from your main stash, like pocket money that you can pull out one bill at a time. My wife's cousin was in Mexico and got pulled over and extorted $20 simply for being three gringos in a jeep. No violations were happening, they were just "rich white tourists" simply for being white and in a rental jeep.

jeepmor

 

[CWL]

Money belt is good, throwaway wallet is good. I've never used a bellyband wallet, but it seems like a good idea if it isn't too hot.

I'd stay away from those neck wallets because they always bulge thru your clothing like a "Rob Me" sign, letting thieves know where all your goodies are stashed. Having this attached to your neck when someone wants to snatch it or cut it isn't a good thing.

Separate your money and important items into your front pockets. Wear khakis with hidden pockets or cargo pants/cargo shorts with secure dump pockets -this is where I usually keep my passport & docs when I travel (I've lived on 3 Continents & have visited exactly 30 countries so far). Take advantage of hotel safes & carry only photocopies where you can.

You can always buy knives when you land, just don't pretend to be Rambo. Hiking sticks are good to carry and nobody pays attention to them. Hiking in the Yucatan? There should be plenty of machetes & Bolo knives available -just remember that the locals know how to use them better than you ever will.

Sounds like you are a student, then look like one: ie. "I'm poor".

 

[obiwan1]

Think about an ankle pouch as well as a money belt. Also realize that if you have a reasonably (not jumbo with your whole life inside) sized wallet that it will fit very nicely in your SmartCarry/Thunderwear.

 

[gezzer]

Smartest move DON"T GO

 

[GRIZ22]

Money belts, hotel safes, throwaway wallets, etc are all good advice. There are a few I can add:

1. Stay in the "tourist" areas. Mexicans know if the tourists are being robbed, raped, and pillaged they will not come. They try to keep the tourist areas fairly safe. If you want to go exploring off the beaten track that w`ould be asking for trobule.

2. If you do find a need to drive somewhere have your hotel get you a car and an english speaking driver. Less likely to have anything go wrong and you have someone to complain to, the hotel. Ask your driver's opinion about going to some other than tourist area. Most likely the hotel has used him before and has had no problems with him. If the driver doesn't think it good to go there it certainly won't be the place for you.

3. Traveler's checks, traveler's checks, traveler's checks. If credit cards are lost or stolen it takes some time to replace. Be sure you sign them and have the numbers in another place with you. I have a friend who lost his American Express checks in Mazatlan (sp?) in the morning, called American Express Express, went to luinch and had his checks by 2 PM. No credit card can give you that service. It will also make conversions easy as merchants will tell you how many checks something is. I've used traveler's checks to buy stuff at street markets in different places in the world (both civilized and uncivilized) where no one took credit cards but they would take traveler's checks. Don't leave home without them.

4. Get a phone card that you can use in Mexico. Hotels are notorious for charging exorbitant fees for long distance calls. Some cards can be used from the hotel phone and some from a phone booth. I've used AT&T in various places including Mexico with no problems. You call a toll free number, ask for an english speaking operator (surprisingly rare that they have to get another operator) and make your call. In some countries it's all automated and you don't even talk to an operator.

 

[Will Learn]

Thank you all, I will report back in 10 days and if not watch the news for me.

 

[tellner]

If you're not back we'll send the search and rescue chihuahuas after you.

 

[HankB]

. . . a sidearm will not be an option and neither will bringing any kind of other self defense tools i.e.. knife or kubaton due to flight rules.

Mag-Lites are sturdy, and don't scream "WEAPON" especially if in one of the fancier colors . . . after all, it's just a flashlight, right, even if it WILL crack some miscreant's noggin?

Sometimes in tourist areas, groups of kids will swarm you and snatch at anything you may have . . . and the local authorities will take a dim view of a tourista kicking some delinquent's teeth in.

My cousins made the mistake of visiting Jamaica some years back, and after a talk with hotel staff, hired a "guide" for a pretty cheap rate that carried a walking stick and kept the juvies away . . . they knew not to mess with a local.

As for myself, I stay away from turd world stinkholes . . . especially places like Mexico, which is no friend to the USA.

 

[justashooter]

taxis can be fun. see if you can get one at the door of your hotel. hotels with courtyards usually limit access to specific taxis. when you get in, conspicuously step to the rear of the car and write down the plate number in your notebook.

passports are neat things. they get you back into the USA. be sure to scan the passport face page of all in the group, and store on a memory stick in a safe place, and in your e-mail box "saved documents" section. if one gets lifted, you can get a replacement with a printed photo image of the face page. if you don't have this, you are required to provide same docs as in original application. lost mine in beijing, but had a scan copy.