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Saturday 28 December 2013

Things to Avoid While Travelling No. 143 - Wallets (and No. 158., Airport Food)

I'm writing this while trying to consume the inconsumable. An 8 euro Airport panini, here in Amsterdam Airport, that must have been sitting there for weeks. So there's the lesson of the day - avoid overpriced and generally poor airport food, even if you are hungry.

But back to the main point....When I was packing for my current trip (to Ecuador), I thought to myself - why do i have all these wallets and never use them? So, like a beaten husband who keeps coming back for more to his abusive wife, I blocked out the why's/why nots, and went back to old habits, put my cash into one and off I went, completely forgetting why I never use a wallet (and I recommend you don't either)

And then, last night I remembered. Last time i took a wallet out with me, I got pickpocketed (in Jaco, Costa Rica) And yes, everything, cash, bank cards etc etc were all in there.

So last night, between walking the 100 metres from the taxi to the Casino Holland, with about 200 Euros cash in my wallet (and little else, thank God) I got to the casino with no wallet. They're pretty amazing. A completely inconsequential brush on a busy street, and hey presto its gone without you even noticing.

Anyway, my conclusion? A wallet in a busy street, (especially in Europe, thank you dear gypsies) by and large means a loss. Maybe not now, maybe not the second time, but I dont know, I can't seem to last a week with one these days, they're worse than umbrellas...

...which I dont think i'll bother with in the lovely warm rain of the equator, where i'll be (slightly poorer) in 14 hours time. I'll write about that soon, til then, hope you all had a merry christmas.