Surviving your Holiday - 1001 Tips for World Travellers
Category:
Travel
Price: $12.00 (eBook)
Tips to travel better, cheaper, safer everywhere in this beautiful world
"Blurb"
How do you protect your life and your possessions abroad? What to do in case of abductions, hotel fires, catastrophes on planes or ships? How to make your hotel room burglar-proof? How to behave in dangerous situations abroad, if corrupt or false policemen become importunate. How to find the safest seat in a plane, a bus, in the subway. Survival techniques in the jungle of big cities. The latest tricks of the international gangsters, bag-snatchers with razors, robbers, pickpockets in airports, trains, hotels, in the street, at ATMs? Safe hiding places for the war chest? Travel for women on their own, for senior citizens, for the disabled, with children, with pets, with your own vehicle. To all these questions and many more, this no-nonsense advisor gives an answer. A lot of knowledge for the whole beautiful wide world in one book!
Media reviews for the original German edition
"...all about travelling...warmly recommended..." (Radio Hessen)
"...good to read, amusing, informative, entertaining..." (Radio Süddeutschland)
"...lots of good advice...amusing and well written" (Südwest Press)
"...the ultimate book of tips" (taz)
"...indispensable...invaluable...worth it’s weight in gold..." (Funk Uhr)
"...the tips are priceless...like detective stories... " (Radio Hundert)
"...tested advice...presented in an amusing way..." (Spiegel Spezial)
"...essential travel advice... good fun to read... (Dates)
"...the author has experienced the most unbelievable adventures... the book gives tips unknown to the rest of the world..." (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
"...Ex-banker Muller has written an amusing book, not just for tourists, but also for hesitant non-travellers. His dramatic experiences are enough to satisfy even those who sadly ask: "Isn’t it dangerous to travel?" They needn’t worry! When they’ve read this book, they won’t ask any more... (Die Zeit)
Excerpt
Safe swimming
It is startling, how many swimmers drown year after year. They careless overrate their own ability and swim out too far. At first its fun against the waves, when you dive under them and progress quickly. On the way back to shore, the waves now suddenly come from behind and occasionally catch out the inattentive swimmer, when he has just exhaled. Now, water and spray from a big breaking wave steamrollers him in the moment of cramped breathing in. Suddenly mouth, throat and lungs are full of water – panic, maybe shock, at worst one more in the death statistics. I have learned that interviewing swimmers, that we drew from the surf. It seems to be one of the main problems.
Always observe the waves – maybe swimming on your back when returning to shore. If backstroke isn’t your cup of tea, look around again and again, regulate your respiration in accordance with the rhythm of the waves (inhale, before the wave comes!) and try to stay before the wave as long as you can, since you are thus carried to the shore. If you can, use the waves for body surfing. It is one of the most beautiful sports. Australians are masters at it. Shortly before the wave reaches you, crawl wildly in the direction of the beach to pick up speed. Hold up your legs and extend both you hands, bent upward in order to attain additional buoyancy and to protect your head, should the wave push you towards the ground. In this “banana position”, the wave carries you along and you shoot ideally a few dozen meters over the water in only a few seconds.
If you are not a very confident swimmer, consider attaching a whistle around your neck in unknown waters. The sound carries for some distance and can bring you attention and help in case of problems (cramp, drifting off, fatigue, panic).
Since it is difficult to distinguish the swinging to and fro of a high-stretched arm from a merry waving, we divers have declared the lateral hitting of the flat hand on the water-surface as the international sign for an emergency. While you wait for help or generally, if you do not want to waste energy for a while, keep on the surface in the cross position (“dead man”): floating on your back, head not frantically stretched out of the water but half-dunked floating on the surface by itself, arms stretched out sideways, holding the air in the lungs as long as possible, exhaling only shortly and inhaling immediately again in order to keep as much buoyancy as possible. You can thus lie on the water for hours without expending any energy. Try it out, so that you know the feeling of securely floating on the water in case of need.
Aloe Vera
I know only one good remedy, that removes an even quite intensive sunburn reliably: Tschamba-Fie, the watery Austrian mountaineer product. If you can’t find it before your departure or forget it, a plant can help: Aloe Vera, a sort of agave, that gives out a gelatinous juice when cut open. This heals a sunburn, when applied to the skin several times. The miraculous plant, which is also used for cosmetics, was first mentioned in an Egyptian papyrus from the 16th century BC. As is known from the application to Hiroshima A-bomb victims, Aloe slices put on wounds make them heal faster. Tests in specialised US clinics have shown that Aloe Vera heals burns about 40% faster than the usually applied silver nitrates and silver sulphur diazines. I have the impression that it also has an itch moderating effect with insect bites.
Snakes & Co.
Should you be bitten, try to kill the snake so that its species can be determined and the right antidote can be given. If this is not possible, memorise its colour, design, size. Bites from venomous snakes show two characteristic tooth marks. Keep calm! The danger of most snakebites is the shock of the bitten person and the fear of death, that can cause heart problems.
Formerly, doctors recommended to cut a cross into the skin, to suck out the venom and tying a tourniquet to stop circulation. The younger doctors have changed their minds. They recommend merely a bandage for the wound to immobilise the limb. Then, you should head for a hospital as quickly as possible.
Scorpion-stings are usually not life-threatening, but extremely painful. Search places in the desert and look under stones before you sit down. Chase scorpions away by flicking sand towards them with your finger or shoe tips. They don’t like that. Never sleep in desert sand when scorpions are around, or at least pour out some diesel fuel in a closed circle around you. Always use a mosquito net and shake out clothing, particularly shoes, before putting them on. A tip from the Sahara: When a Tuareg is stung, he crushes one or several scorpions, then squeezes out the viscous, fat paste to use as a cream. Keep clothing in a plastic bag over night, particularly if there are horn vipers or sand vipers, the bite of which leaves you only a few seconds for your testament. In desert nights, a circle of small-cut onions gives some protection against the black bugs and vermin that is otherwise lured by the heat and the camel-smell of the blankets.
Keep a reasonable distance from camels at night. They often give powerful kicks whilst asleep. Incidentally, it is part of the etiquette of the desert to dismount from your camel when going through villages. It is considered impolite to look down from the height of the camel onto the flat roofs or into habitations. In some Muslim areas, it is even dangerous to risk a gaze into the kingdom of the women. Harem means “forbidden”. Muezzins, who called from the height of their minarets, used to be blind men.
Cockroaches
You will have to live with vermin in many places of the world. Cockroaches, the terror of New York and many places in all other continents, are unappetising, but harmless. You can – to overcome your aversion – develop a scientific interest in this astonishing animal with 3.500 subspecies. It has populated the earth for 350 million years, can lay 33.000 eggs – per day, mind you! – laid in the evening, slipped in the morning. It survives several days frozen in ice cubes, three months without food. Reflexes immediately pass in a twentieth of a second directly into the muscles of the legs without detour via the brain. In other words: The bug runs away, before it even knows about it. All foods are tested before consumption by two thousand feeling hairs at the tentacles – each poison is recognised by them. We would have to explode the whole planet in order to destroy this species, which will be – according to some scientists – the only one to survive the third world war. If you cannot endure the animals: A sure method to fight them, is a diabolic mixture of yeast or baking soda with honey or jam. That makes them explode. But such “chemical warfare” is a bit inhuman, isn’t it? Some connoisseurs like Angelina Jolie eat them – grilled. Enjoy!
Haemorrhoids
Let me mention a not very appetising medical topic, because it frequently torments travellers and because I can pass on the good advice of a proctologist: Haemorrhoids, a typical civilisation illness, that nowadays attacks almost everybody, particularly in older age. The knots similar to varicose veins can make long hikes and also extensive sitting in transportations almost unbearable. Try – instead of an operation – the tip of a proctologist: Pull your anus strongly inside for 6-8 seconds, relax just as long then, repeat the whole exercise for a few minutes daily. If you continue this training for the muscles and the blood circulation several weeks consistently, you can probably forget your ailment for a few years.
Pickpockets
Someone says behind you in the street: "You have lost your purse!" You feel in your pocket. "No, I still have it." Good for you! But now your enemies, the pickpockets, know where they can find the good piece.
Such clever tricks are faster than one can even think. You must know them in advance. For example from the new e-book: "Surviving your Holidays - 1001 tips for world travellers". See the first two entries on google.
Theft in a sidewalk café
A tourist is sitting in a side-walk café in Paris. His mobile phone is lying in front of him on the table – literally under his nose. A youngster places a piece of paper on the table on top of the mobile, indicates with his finger the middle of the text attempting to get the tourist to read and upon leaving takes along the mobile under the paper. It's faster than one can think because of the misdirection. Better don't place any object of value (specially the keys of your car) on the table.
What was that French song? “Ça c'est Paris, avec ses femmes ...
Dangerous airport trick
Arriving at your airport, you see a man holding a placard bearing your name and hotel. He explains that he is a driver of your hotel.
You didn’t expect that, but think he must be genuine because he knows your name and your hotel. He does that, because he got the info over the phone from an airport employee who handled the immigration card you filled in. What happens next can be a meandering, expensive journey to your hotel, a rape, a kidnap, an attack, or worse if he takes you to his friends waiting in a dark corner with a nice collection of knives. In such a case, call your hotel for confirmation before you enter the car.
Airport trick 2
Some criminal imagination has produced the latest airport trick: In the departure hall, you put your luggage on the conveyor-belt of the x-ray installation and want to stride through the metal detector. Now a man jumps the queue, making his way through the detector before you. He has all sorts of metal odds and ends in different pockets and must thus pass several times. When he is finally ready and you get through, an accomplice has long gone and taken your bag from the belt on the other side of the x-ray installation and vanished in the crowd. If possible, don’t put your stuff on the conveyor before you can follow. If you are travelling with someone else, let him or her go first to the other end and then put both of your luggage on the belt.
And do not put valuables into the boxes on the belt. Some courts have decided that there was not enough evidence that a precious chain with the family Hope diamond or that priceless platinum cigarette case was put in the box at all, if another passenger or even someone of the airport security team took it. Better put that $40,000 Cartier watch into your hand luggage or ask someone to witness where you placed it.
Danger when dismounting a bus
Tourists were told in the bus near Agra that for the Taj Mahal they have to get out here. It was in the middle of nowhere. Other passengers asked on the bus about this did not answer. They were either afraid or did not speak English. Fortunately, the experienced globetrotters had followed the route on a map. Since they had not yet crossed the railway line drawn there they remained seated for caution. Who knows what was waiting outside?
In Latin America the call: "Last Stop - you have to get out here!" is a popular trick. To help the taxi driver waiting for customers or worse. Good scams travel quickly in the world of crooks, even between continents!
Danger in Hotels
Be on your guard, if the “health team” knocks at the door of your hotel room. “I am Dr. Eisenbart, this is nurse Julia. An infection broke out in this hotel. Nothing very dangerous! But please take this pill to be on the safe side, lets get a glass of water from your bathroom for the purpose.” Hotel guests who let the couple enter, woke up hours later from deep sleep with wallet, purse, golden watch etc. missing. They were lucky that nothing worse happened to them.
Bra as hiding place
The “double bra” is a rather safe hiding place for women: Buy two identical bras. Cut out the cups of one and sow them on the ones of the other. Leave an opening of one fifth of the circumference. Here you can deposit banknotes, jewellery and bigger objects as long as you don’t wear a very tight top. You can of course also cut an opening into a double bra. This trick was discovered, when a spy with a tight tried to smuggle a film.
Unsafe safes
Safes in the rooms of hotels are not always safe. Often a screwdriver is sufficient to break the door open or lever the whole container off the wall. To say nothing of double keys. Even the bigger and more solid type with electronic locks can be opened. If a thin layer of wax has been sprayed or some dust has been deposited on the keyboard, a thief can later on see which numbers were used for the new code. The sequence can then be found out quickly. Better clean the keyboard with a towel before hitting the keys or touch some other keys at the same time.
Station platforms
On platforms, most thefts and even gang raids occur in the confusion as the train (or bus) draws into the station, or immediately after. Everybody is preoccupied with queuing to get on, looking for a compartment with free seats, stowing away baggage. The miscreants know that hardly anyone will notice them and, in any case, the risk of redress is minimal because the train is about to leave.
Be on your guard at these strategic moments, pay attention to both your luggage and yourself! In the famous ‘jostling’ scenario, you will find yourself in the middle of an instant crowd as you are getting onto the train, subway or bus. The gang surrounds you, pushes you – and robs you. Razor-slashers often have a great time then, too. So rather than plunge bravely into the turmoil when the connection arrives, and risk torn-off buttons and worse, you will do better to walk along the platform away from the doors and ask someone sitting inside the train or bus to reserve a seat for you. Possibly pass a newspaper, a hat or coat to the person in order to mark your claim.
Night trains
In countries like India, the names of the passengers and the numbers of their reserved beds are posted on the outside of the sleepers. That shows thieves, where they can find rich prey, and they expect you already in the wagon. Be on your guard! Maybe you could try to reserve under a local name.
Street trick
A street vendor is loudly accusing a woman of stealing. The young woman starts to take off her clothes to prove her innocence. “Here, look, nothing stolen!” A crowd jostles and pushes to get a better view. Accomplices go through the crowd and pick pockets. With two women stripping, their partners have twice as much time to work.
Clever idea
A young Italian spending some time in dangerous cities put spots of paint and dirt on his clothing and carried an empty pot of paint. Nobody will attack or steal from the “local craftsman”. And in the pot he can keep his camera, guide book, purse with small coins and other paraphernalia handy.
Clever ATM trick
From France comes a very clever trick to get your Maestro bank card number and PIN to loot your account by cash withdrawals and purchases: While you whisper your wish into the ear of a cash machine, a friendly young man on your left offers you a $5 note. “You have dropped this bill.” While you thank the kind fellow full of emotion and are misdirected towards the left side, an accomplice on your right takes your card from the machine unnoticed and disappears with it. Of course, you wait in vain for the return of the card from the machine. But here your new friend advises: “This machine sometimes does not eject the card. That has happened to me, too. You only have to type in your PIN again.” If you do this now before the eyes of the confidence inspiring young man, he can – at your expense – successfully serve himself from the ATMs of the city and the surrounding area. Your bank will be pleased with the high turnover on your account. – Misdirection is the name of the game!
False police officers, bank employees and others have allegedly inquired as to your PIN “in order to identify” the owner. YOU know of course that you should never give away your PIN, not even to your priest during confession.
Even in the loo ...
Can you feel safe in the loo any more? Imagine, what has happened recently to a friend in Lima: He used one of these toilets with dividers open above and below. During his deep meditation, a coin rolled beside his feet. He bent forward, to view it with interest and pushed it back afterwards. In these very seconds somebody must have fished his jacket from the hook together with a well-filled wallet, because it had vanished without a trace. Therefore one better keeps his jacket on during the entire performance and considers unexpectedly appearing riches as an alarm signal. When he gave information at the police-station and had a chat with the officer, he was told another current toilet trick: If you stretch out your feet too far in the cabin, they can be seized from next door or from outside and contorted, until you throw your wallet on the ground, from where it is picked up by the gangster.
How quickly that sort of invention of the crooks travels half way around the world, is illustrated by the recent theft of a lady’s handbag from the hook of a London toilet – this time without distraction using a coin, but with a disappearance as fast as lightning from the perpetrator, while the robbed lady was still busy getting dressed.
A cabaret performer taught me, how one can lose one’s ticket in a train-toilet: “I had no ticket. Therefore I knocked loudly at thedoor of an engaged toilet and called: ‘Control of tickets. Push your ticket under the door!’ Now I had a ticket.”
Valet parking
It always looks very chic in films: The blond hero, always accompanied by a ravishing beauty, drives his luxury roadster up in front of a hotel, restaurant or casino, throws the keys to the doorman in a cool way or even leaves them in the ignition, and the good soul – mostly black and noble – swings himself behind the wheel and parks the exquisite vehicle in the parking lot or in the subterranean garage – valet parking. This pleasant service which saves us wearisome manoeuvring, getting scratches or even worse ending up in a dark garage, has become quite popular in some countries. Often the good soul is not black, sometimes not even noble as in the film, but supplies the vehicle directly to the Mafia.
Sometimes he is not dressed up as a doorman but as a mechanic with overalls. He waits for you in front of the parking lot or garage and asks you for the keys of your car because it has to be displaced, serviced or repaired. He promises to take care of it as soon as possible. And he does! Always ask the receptionist, if the helpful mechanic is a helpful mechanic or a con-man.
Luggage in danger
A thief can easily steal your luggage without going to the trouble of breaking open your car and without attracting attention. He drives his car close to yours, back to back. Then he opens the valve of one of your front wheels and waits for you. Of course you take your baggage out of your trunk in order to get to the spare wheel. With this, the thief might even help you in a most touching way. While you lift and change wheels, he puts your suitcases in his trunk and drives away.
The Ming vase
On the London Portobello Market, I once knocked over a big copper-bowl, that fell to the ground with a giant racket. I apologised startled and embarrassed. But the man at the stall only murmured: “That makes the thing older!” Do not count on such nonchalance in some tourist shark shops. There, porcelain objects are piled up in such delicate balance, that – with the lightest touch – they thunder to the ground and shatter. The salesperson then asks for payment for the precious Ming treasure, which you destroyed. Caution! Con-men! You can say that you will ask the police for help (hopefully she is not in the game with a provision ;-).)
Nobel prize for a scam?
An – incidentally enchanting – French student told me her story in La Paz. When she arrived at the bus station and shouldered her backpack, another traveller asked her. “Tourist? Me too. From where? I am from Argentina.” At that very moment a well dressed man stands suddenly in front of them and shows a police identification. “I am inquiring about counterfeit money. What is your nationality?” “Argentinian, officer.” – “French.” – “Can I please see your passports?” The Argentinian hands over his passport respectfully. The French girl follows. The passports are pocketed. “Do you have US dollars with you?” “Yes, officer, I have $600,” answers the Argentinian. “Can I see them?” “Yes, of course, officer.” The police officer leafs through the banknotes and says: “These are possibly falsified. Bring them to-morrow at 10 am to the police-presidency, room 38, for an examination. I shall be there. Meanwhile I will put them into this envelope, glue it and sign it over the flap. In this way they cannot be exchanged. You may keep the envelope until to-morrow. Do not open it meanwhile! You will have your passport back when you come.” He does all that and hands over the envelope to the Argentinian, who replies: “Thank you, officer. I shall be in the presidency tomorrow at 10 o’clock.” The police officer turns to the French student: “How many dollars do you have with you?” – “$320.” – “Can I see them?” – “Yes“. Same dialogue and action with another envelope. On her protest with tears in her eyes, the policeman obligingly gives her passport back, because she needs it for the hotel check-in.
We think, we discuss, we open the envelope. It is a “paquete Chileno”, as it is called in South America, filled with strips of newspaper. The psychological influence through the other, alleged tourist was well thought out. Each magician can show you, how the exchange of the envelope is done, unless he is a member of the Magic Circle and thus not allowed to disclose his secrets to the uninitiated.
A few weeks later in Copacabana, a young man asked me for the tourist-office. “Also foreigner? From where? I am from Venezuela.” Then a tall man with a big moustache stood suddenly in front of us and showed us an identification: “Policia Federal, I investigate because of drug abuse. Can I see your passports?” I tapped on his shoulder, and said: “I know the trick, my friend,” and continued on my way. The two looked at me somewhat amazed. Unfortunately, I saw no real police officer in the proximity to get them arrested. Moral: Talk to other travellers! You can learn much from the exchange of experience.
You now know, what it means, that recently many foreigners are approached in Moscow, Budapest and Prague when leaving exchange-offices: “Police. We are investigating counterfeit money.” The real police of these cities have recently complained, that it is difficult to control all the numerous exchange-counter areas. These are also at all times popular places for hold-ups because they promise cash.
Oldie but goldie
Look past the head of an adversary, nod encouragingly and say something like “Fine, Max. Hit him!” Only cold-blooded gangsters will refrain from turning around then. Your chance!
Deposit at reception
The African Safari Club in Kenya uses a clever, safe and time saving system. Your papers, coins and notes are put in an envelope. The flap is then closed and you sign on the flap. Next, an adhesive tape is stuck over your signature, sealing both flap and envelope at the same time. You are then given a receipt. If the tape is removed in your absence, in order to open the envelope, your signature is automatically damaged. So when you ask for the envelope back in return for your receipt (which is usable again and again), you can see immediately if a trespasser has been playing with it. You can use this idea exactly the same way whenever and wherever you want with any hotel reception.
Just walk away!
Of course you should not allow people to extort from you all the time. There is the snake-charmer, who puts a python around your neck and will only take it away against “ransom”. The taxidrivers, porters, camel-drivers, who are “offended” and refuse to accept the price previously agreed as too low and even refuse to let you force it on them. The power-seller, who presses an object that you do not want at all, into your hand and refuses categorically to take it back. To your displeasure, particularly the snake-fellow ridicules you in front of the bystanders. What do you think, how quickly the laughers are on your side, the boys run after you to free you, if you simply ... walk away?
Money changing scam
A particularly clever trick is sometimes performed by two Asian money-changers in the street. “Change, change, 160?” – “No. 170?”, asks the tourist. “OK. Please count!” is the answer. The packet contains only 150 units. “It is only 150, 20 are missing.” The changer recounts himself and says: “Oh, sorry.” He advises his partner, who is standing behind the tourist to give out 20 units. While the tourist’s attention is misdirected towards the partner, the changer no. 1 pockets 50, 60 or 70 units before handing the packet. I have seen it done as a one-man-show. I knew exactly at what moment IT was happening, but couldn’t see anything. An artist! The bad luck for him was, that I advised my changing lady-friend to count again, which was not planned in the screen play. The changer whispered “Police, police!”, caught the packet and was gone. The trick has travelled quick and fast and is now tried in Africa and America as well.
You can avoid some of these tricks by never changing on the street, but with your hotel-porter, waiter, or in a shop, where you can return and complain later.
Black market operations are rarely worth the complications, the danger of deceit and the always possible trouble with the police, particularly if the rate is but a few percent better than the official one. Another added danger is: If you receive counterfeit money in the process, you can possibly be punished through unknowing possession. A court has recently ruled, that a tourist, who exchanged on the black market, must be mentally prepared to be dealt counterfeit money, and condemned as an immigrant of a third-world country because of ownership of dodgy money, the face value of $1,600, although she insisted plausibly, that she thought the money authentic.
All black market operations are unlawful. Therefore I condemn them vehemently. I have dealt with them only as the duty of the chronicler in order to enrich the general knowledge of the reader and – of course – to denounce them with contempt
Thieve's trick
A thief may slide an empty, bottomless suitcase-dummy over your promising case and walk away in all tranquillity. If your piece of luggage mysteriously vanishes from one moment to the other without a trace and someone with a bigger suitcase goes away, you should quickly check, whether his suitcase has a bottom or not.
Thieves' trick 2
A few years ago, I had an instructive experience in Cuzco, the sacred city of the Incas in Peru. Under an arcade, a crowd suddenly gathered around me. A few teenagers squeezed me, somebody held onto me from the back, a small woman dodged at my side. After 6-8 seconds, the whole crowd dissolved. It was clear to me that I had been robbed. Money? – still there. Passport? – still there. Day-wallet? – still there. The camera, used twenty minutes ago for the last time and put in the side zipper pocket of my wind-breaker under a Peru-guidebook, was missing. I ran back 20 steps in the hope to see somebody walking away with my camera. But the team was obviously too professional for that. I ran 30 steps to the opposite opening and saw the man, who had passed me during the melee vanishing behind a bus. I caught up with him, pulled up his long sweater-sleeve in order to have a better grip on his wrist. He protested: “What’s the matter? I have done nothing!” I drew him over the street into a square in the direction of a police station.
Suddenly, the small woman came along, apparently to take instructions. I had obviously caught the Kazike, the chief of the gang. Three minutes later, a few teenagers approached us from the back. I gripped the wrist more solidly. Finally, the small woman came from the side, waving my camera: “Does this belong to you? The children were playing with it”. I took it and released his wrist from my grip. One day I thought with pride, that I did that very nicely, but then another traveller told me that I had more luck than judgement, because the man hadn’t jammed a knife into my belly. This was probably right. Think before you find yourself in such a situation, whether you want to play the hero or stay alive!
Dangerous negligence
A nasty trick causing panic to your loved ones at home and that can also cost a lot of money to them and to you was invented in Central America: In an alleged interview by the government, a university, an airline, a travel publisher or whatever, tourists are questioned about their journey, their impressions of the country, their satisfaction with services, etc., and finally about their name, address and phone number at home (so they can be informed about their gains in the lottery which is part of the interview). Then the telephone rings at home and your family is told that you have suffered a major accident, assault or have been arrested for possession of drugs. The caller, supposedly a lawyer, an official of a ministry, police officer, employee of a tourism authority or a hotel manager asks for a wire transfer of a large sum of money via Western Union so you can be assisted quickly. Just think whether this can be arranged on the basis of your registration in the hotel, documents kept in your luggage, open-heartedness in social networks, statements from bank, credit card or insurance accounts that you have thrown away carelessly instead of tearing them into 100 pieces or burning them, plusthe international telephone information or the Internet. Decide before leaving home, that never ever shall a transfer be made without making telephone contact with you, your friends on the spot, your consulate, a tourist office or a reputable hotel and make arrangements for the use of the above-mentioned password.
In one case there was even a call on the mobile: “This is the telephone company speaking. We have technical problems and would like to sort them out. Please switch off your phone for the rest of the day.” Thus the family could not reach the traveller to check about the alleged “problem”.
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