Say hello to our friends Paul and Melanie, aka the Wayward Winos! They’ll be sharing travel tips that independent travelers may “waywardly” stumble upon here on the Sosauce Blog and we’re excited to welcome then. Enjoy their first article (written by Melanie) on travel hiccups they’ve encountered. Their tips might help you on your next trip.
I am by no means an old salty sailor as I’ve only been to a couple of continents on limited funding in the past few years, however a few near catastrophes have certainly found me while hopping from place to place. From losing my passport on my first big adventure, to having my wallet stolen (twice) while abroad, I’ve definitely grown a bit more internationally street savvy. I now welcome these travel blunders and dare them to find me as they always make the trip more of an adventure, and always a better story to share.
Without further ado, the travel blunder prevention list:
1. Use an attachable travel purse. To combat wandering documents, I highly recommend using a passport travel wallet that attaches to your body, either wrapping around your neck or waist. Stuff your passport, IDs and important docs in there while in transit. After losing my passport twice on the road, I can vouch that these little pouches are worth their weight in gold. (I’m also looking into creating one of those retractable badge lines to attach to the passport. They can swipe it, scan it, and examine it, but in the end, it will always bounce back to you, just like a boomerang.)
2. Inform your bank of your travel plans. They will make a note on your account so that funding will not be halted while paying your bill or trying to grab cash from the ATM. They will also feel more at ease about getting a new card to you if your wallet is stolen or card is lost.
3. Attach all valuables. If you plan to sleep in public, ensure your bag tied to you or all those important docs are in fact attached to your body. This may be obvious, but wallets seem to escape quite easily during mid-voyage snoozes.
4. Think ahead. Have a bottle large enough to relieve yourself in case bus bathrooms are locked or the driver will not stop for anything. Things can get pretty dicey when 2 hours into a 6-hour journey, the bus driver says we don’t stop. (Also, don’t drink anything!)
5. Lastly, just have a little faith. When it seems as though our tour operator is making an insane decision to sit on the side of the road as a mudslide is pouring down the mountain just 50 feet in front of the vehicle, rest at ease. Trust that they know what they are doing or at least fool yourself so that the time will pass quickly.
The last blunder prevention tactic can be applied at will to any travel mishap. Have a little faith that the little kinks always work themselves out and just remember why travel is awesome— it’s the adventure. And an adventure wouldn’t be an adventure without a few tosses and turns.
Wayward Winos is the nom de plume of Paul Cox III and Melanie McLean, a dynamic duo who have now been traveling (and working) together for about eight months. They recently landed in Jersey City after an extended South American jaunt.
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I find your ideas very interesting, and having traveled a tad myself and plan to travel more in the future if the creek don’t rise as they say, I will use these ideas for a smoother and more enjoyable journey!
thanky
L