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Wallet Tricks To Protect Against Pickpockets And Muggers

by Anil Polat | Sep 21, 2023 | Money, Security | 0

Depending on where you are, you might not have to think much about getting mugged or pick-pocketed but in some places, it’s unfortunately a common reality. There are however some preparatory steps you can take to prevent being pick-pocketed by a predator and they begin before you leave home.

A Valuable Equation

First thing first: if someone pulls a gun, knife, or is violent with you in a robbery, give up your things. Your life shouldn’t be a valuable in this equation, but your belongings, those we can work with. When it comes to your valuables it’s a good idea to carry some decoys, depending where you’re traveling, and the general crime levels. Your wallet is a good place to start. To begin with, don’t carry all of your bank and credit cards and cash with you at all times.

Also, never keep your wallet in your back pocket.

Only bring the amount of cash you’ll need during your time out. Going out to dinner? Bring what the cash you need for a meal out and some extra. If you’re going out for $5 tacos, you don’t need to have $500 on you. Have, say, $50 with you. Now, instead of one massive bill, break it into a some tens, fives, and ones. You can keep a little in one pocket, your sock, and some in a wallet. The idea is to have your money spread out so you have something to hand over to a potential crook but without losing all of your money.

Fast Action

A lot of times during a mugging just throwing a money clip or wallet on the ground is enough to quickly end the situation. This is where a decoy wallet comes into play. Another thing to add to your decoy wallet are old, expired credit cards just to be a bit more convincing. You can even order some decoy cards and expired ones work too but keep in mind they reveal your name. Your ID, you want to keep that separate if possible and not attached to your money in a clip or in your wallet. This way you can slip out your wallet or decoy without having to give up your ID as well.

Passport Control

In most foreign countries, a photocopy of your passport or ID card will work just as well as the physical one and leave it less vulnerable to getting lost or stolen. It’s important to know the local rules but where possible, stick to the copy. Older phones you’ve long since replaced also make great decoys and in some places, I would even go so far as to have an old Nokia or burner as my daily driver and leave the more expensive smartphone behind.

This might all seem like a lot of effort but it’s pretty straightforward – keep your valuables distributed, some cash or cards here, some there, and have decoys which can help against pickpockets as a passive security measure that helps protect the majority of your most valuable items. Keep your decoys on the outside, the easiest places to access, both for you and a potential thief.

Is Guyana Safe?

by Anil Polat | Sep 14, 2023 | Green, Security | 0

Summarizing the security situation of an entire country is a broad question that requires a nuanced answer and Guyana is no different. It is however true that Guyana has a bad safety reputation and for a long time didn’t see many tourists. With the current boom in oil, discovered just a few years ago, Guyana is seeing many more visitors than ever, perhaps including you.

Here’s a look at how safe Guyana is and what it’s like traveling there from a security perspective.

Let’s Talk Cities

Most tourists to Guyana are going to be flying in through the capital city Georgetown. A sleepy city that can be tough to navigate if you’re on your own. The strong year round sun makes wandering an obstacle not to mention the few touristic sites that are in the city aren’t very close to one another. A car is going to be your primary mode of transportation but the taxis (most of which don’t have meters) are their own type of adventure.

It’s much easier to get transportation as well as spend a few days in Guyana being shown around by a local guide when you are in Georgetown. The capital is a 1 to 3 day stop that will satiate most travelers and a guide (roughly $60 a day but you will have to negotiate) will be able to maximize your time there.

Georgetown has a fairly high crime rate but using a guide helps reduce your chances of being a target. You’ll be able to visit some of the markets, popular food places, and use your phone and camera with an extra set of eyes who knows the territory.

Jungle And Beyond

Leaving Georgetown and the other larger cities in Guyana, which is mostly rain forest, is another but calmer story. In places like Kaieteur Falls, which is just a 45 minute small plan ride toward the interior, there’s fewer people and much less crime. In the Amazon, the sun, heat, and dehydration are your biggest dangers but nothing a prepared traveler can’t handle.

In the jungle the common dangers of the city, robbery, mugging, and pick-pocketing, are not considered major threats.

Adjusting Your Style

Back to the cities, some solid advice is not to wear jewelry, flash any valuables (a good guide will let you when you can break out the fancy camera), and know where you’re going. Avoid wandering down streets or areas you are not familiar with and always check with your plans and route with your hotel or accommodation.

There is a lot of see in Guyana – especially in the Amazon – but seeing parts of Georgetown with a bit of help is not as daunting as the statistics might suggest.

Where To Find Istanbul’s Best Non-Touristy Photo Spots

by Anil Polat | Aug 24, 2023 | Advice, Culture, Pictures and Video | 0

Istanbul is one of the world’s most photogenic cities but because it’s hard to find a bad angle, many people end up shooting from the same one. You see a lot of pictures from the same rooftop restaurant in Sultanahmet (seagulls optional), Galata Bridge, and in front of the Blue Mosque. Not that these are bad pictures but if you want to explore Turkey’s largest city like a local while photographing its lesser seen sides, here are three places to head to.

You can see all the spots shown below, with directions on getting to them, in the video here.

1. Parking Roof in Besiktas (Best At Night)

I’m not going to spoil this one but here’s a day time look from this parking lot next to an apartment between Taksim Square and Besiktas. Around a 10-15 minute walk from the square, at night you’ll get some of the best photos of the Bosporus Bridges lit up.

2. Boat Dock Near Ortakoy Mosque

A lot of people get obstructed views from this vantage point because the cafes, mosque, and people create limited shooting angles. You’ll get a better picture from the small docks for tour and ferry boats a few minutes walk down (through a easy-to-miss) pedestrian tunnel.

3. Turn Right Here

Find this mosque (directions in the video above) and look right where you can see an unobstructed, close view of Galata Tower, with enough perspective to capture the seagulls circling above. I’m not spoiling you though – I want to see the pictures you get. Feel free to link them in the comments below.

4. Walk Down Uskudar

Considering how easy Uskudar is to reach with one of Istanbul’s famous ferries and how many amazing views it gives you of the European side of the city, not as many people as you would expect ever make it out here. Maiden’s Tower at sunset makes for iconic photos and all along the coast there are fantastic shots of Istanbul’s famous skyline.

All of these spots and the best photos you’ll take (I’m not showing you mine because the surprises are worth the wait) are walk-able with a ferry or two included. You can though take a taxi in Istanbul if that’s easier but by foot, you’ll get many more unique photo opportunities along the way.

How To Spend 3 Days In Guyana

by Anil Polat | Aug 17, 2023 | Advice, Green, Lodging | 0

Located in the north part of South America, Guyana is a country that isn’t the easiest place to plan. There isn’t a lot of current information online, things change on the ground rapidly, and tourism is barely an industry here. You might be interested in visiting the rain forest, 85% of Guyana is blessed by it, wanting to travel to unique destinations, or coming on a business trip as part of the ongoing oil boom.

No matter what your objectives, here is your introduction to Guyana.

Accommodation Expectation

Lodging in Guyana is relatively expensive, especially in the capital city of Georgetown. Rates hover around $100, often regardless of the quality, though there are good places to stay if you book early. In general, the few big chains in Guyana, like Marriott, overcharge obscenely. Your better off looking at local accommodation like the El Dorado, which has large rooms, classic design, and is centrally located. Also in Georgetown is Fireside Suites, more of an apartment style rental, with some of the best staff and service you’ll find anywhere.

Outside of Georgetown, accommodation in the jungle is less prevalent but there are good options at reasonable rates with more being built in expectation of more tourists.

Starting In Georgetown

Small but bustling Georgetown is a city you can efficiently get a feel for in a couple of days. Start by eating at Shanta’s Puri Shop for the classic any-time-of-the-day snack, roti. That flattened and fried lentil patty filled with curried chickpeas and optional meats is a Guyanese classic and Shanta’s is considered one of the best places to enjoy local dishes. You can then head to the Bourda Market (a guide is recommended) to catch a flavor of daily life, then grab a meal at Bettencourt. Known for its creole home foods, Bettencourt is an excellent spot for a large lunch of cookup – flavored rice with meat or fish, washed down with a coconut water.

Additionally you can head to the National Park and hand feed wild manatees (free) and visit Aagman for some of the best Indian food in the Americas. Oasis is an option for breakfast as well if you’re in the mood for a more European vibe but if you’re heading to Guyana, don’t get stuck in the cities.

Kaieteur Falls

A short 45 minute small plane ride from Georgetown, Kaieteur Falls are the world’s single largest waterfall drop. The journey will take you over the rain forest, where the pilot will take a few strategic turns to get you aerial views before you land. Once on the ground you’ll be taken by a guide to hike through the jungle (about 2 hours total) and learn about the plants, medicines, and nature of the area. Along the way you’ll stop at several lookout points and get amazing views of Kaieteur Falls as you hear about the local legends that give them their name.

Guyana is a country full of things to eat, see, and do but not the most porous when it comes to travel information. This guide is just a start to your trip that can take you to many places, often unplanned.

Rosetta Stone Is A Good Supplement But Not Primary Way To Learn A New Language

by Anil Polat | Aug 10, 2023 | Tech | 0

Rosetta Stone is kind of the lumbering dinosaur of online language learning. It’s been around since 1992 and in a lot of ways hasn’t changed much although the interface is a bit clunky, moving slow when comes to language learning, can be effective.

Back To Basics

Rosetta Stone has been used by the US Army, Air Force, State Department, and several universities to provide intensive 16 week language courses. Rosetta Stone covers a number of popular languages and you can sign up for a single language for a 11.99 monthly subscription which is billed once every 3 months, or get access to all of Rosetta Stone’s languages for one lifetime payment of $299.

Once you sign up, Rosetta will ask you your current level – whether you’re a novice, intermediate, or advanced user but one feature I wish were available here is a test to gauge your abilities. We all know what a complete beginner is but maybe you know a few words or phrases, or have had previous exposure, a comprehension test to place you exactly where you need to be would be great.

Language lessons are broken down into 6 week courses, with a planned 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week. Each daily class is broken down further into 5 and 10 minute reading, speaking, and comprehension lessons. And if you don’t have time to do a full 30 minutes, you can take things at a slower pace, maybe just getting in one 10 minute lesson when you’re busier.

Language Lesson Crafting

There is a lot of repetition, which slows the pace but personally I find helps me to remember what I’m learning even though I sometimes want to speed though some of the lessons I feel are a bit easier. For example, you’re read a word, you match the picture, then Rosetta Stone repeats back the correct response. Both the frequent repetition and the images are useful in creating associations in your brain.

Whereas comparing this to Duolingo, those are shorter lessons without visual cues so you really need to maintain a high frequency of lessons to make sure you can remember the vocabulary. With Duolingo you’re exposed to a lot of words in a short time, whereas Rosetta is very focused on making sure you learn the fundamentals before moving on.

Getting Scored

There’s also no offline mode although there are some language companions, like simple stories and vocabulary you can download separately, a fully fledged offline mode would be a great feature for long flights or subway commutes. Now, when you finish a lesson, you’re given a score and can go back for shoot for 100% or continue on to the next day’s lesson. There’s no reminders or notifications, Rosetta Stone is like a college class that doesn’t grade on attendance, how much time you decide to dedicate is up to you.

Although Rosetta Stone is not pretty, and the apps aren’t great, and it won’t reminder you to sign on or give you a streak to beat, if you’re a visual learner, it’s a good tool for vocabulary learning and fundamental grammar. Rosetta Stone uses images to guide you through learning a language without using English – which is a good thing – but it requires a lot of self motivation.

Also, being more of a classroom A then B then C structure might not appeal to everyone. I think though if you’re just starting out with a language and want to learn the basics, then Rosetta Stone lays a very good foundation, one that you’ll retain for longer, and can build upon. You’re also forced to speak and evaluated on pronunciation, giving it an interactive edge. A 3 month subscription will give you just enough time to complete two entire lesson plans, which in theory will get you to some intermediate concepts. There’s no doom-scrolling but rather a set goal post you can aim for in your language lessons.

The Fluentalk T1 Mini Translator May Solve All Your Language Problems When Traveling

by Anil Polat | Jul 27, 2023 | Culture, Tech | 0

We all dream of a future shown Star Trek where a tiny device called a universal translator helps alien species all communicate with one another. You speak in your language, they hear in their and vice versa. The T1 Mini isn’t quite that but a solid step in the right direction.

Pocket-Sized

The T1 Mini Translator is a small, rectangular device that comes in white measuring 91 × 55 × 13 mm and weighing 86 grams. Powering the internals are a gigabyte of ram with 8GB of storage and a QuadCore ARM 1.28 Ghz chip. Around the back there’s a 5 megapixel camera used for translating text on things like menus, plus a few buttons for power, volume, and a single translate button. The hardware layout is simple and straightforward and while the software experience isn’t quite as smooth, it works well once you get past the short learning curve.

Fluentalk by Timekettle, T1 Mini Translator Device No WiFi...

The specs aren’t anything that will blow you away but you’re not using this screen to watch videos and boot up time is almost painfully slow. Once it does fire up though the T1 Mini has a singular focus, and that is to translate.

Talking Translations

Downloaded on to the device for offline use are 13 languages pairs, including English to Chinese, French, and Spanish. You can download a few more languages like Korean, Japanese, and German for additional offline use.

When the T1 mini is connected to WiFi however, that gives you access to 36 languages with 88 dialects, from Bulgarian to Turkish to Swedish. Embedded in the T1 mini is also a non-removable SIM card and when you buy one of these, you get a year’s worth of free mobile data to support translating, meaning across 84 countries, the T1 Mini will work with build-in cellular connection. When that connection period ends, you can top off for another year through Timekettle for about $45 dollars a year or simply use the device with WiFi only.

Push Of A Button

Setting your two languages, say, English and Spanish, the T1 Mini will automatically detect the language being spoken when you push the translate button. You speak in English and it will spit out Spanish. The other person speaks in Spanish and you get English. The T1 mini does a good job of translating too and from English, which is one of it’s “core” languages. I’m going to guess it’s good translating to and from Chinese as well, between French, Japanese, and German, one of these 13 language pairs it stores offline.

But when it comes to translating two non-core languages, like Swedish to Turkish, it falters fairly often. It seems to have trouble translating between Arabic and say, Korean, in my testing, so there is work to be done there.

When it comes to translating languages with the camera, it’s pretty good, even across less common fonts, the kind you’ll find on menus, and cafe signs. The translation is pretty quick, almost always less than a second, both with the visual and written text, so the experience is a smooth one, even if the translation isn’t always perfect.

Alternatives To The T1

You could use your phone and download languages offline using Google Translate or a similar app, but this translator is a lot less expensive than your phone which you might not want to take out everywhere. In a office setup where you’re traveling for business the T1 Mini could come in handy or if your in-laws are visiting from another country, for example. It’s a device you could leave in a room without having to commit your physical smartphone.

Overall, the T1 Mini is a useful tool if you’re traveling somewhere and don’t know the local lingo, so this device can help you bridge the language gap, in some languages better than others. It’s definitely a big jump forward in translating hardware and software which will only get better from here.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More