#220 – Travel Safety, Essential Gear, and Hidden Pouches for Expats in Latin America

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now as I wonder My thoughts ever straight Hi everybody I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files Living in Latin America the show that tells you what it's really like to live work play and or retire in Latin America I tell it just like it is so let's get started Okay, you know I get emails all the time from people asking me how I travel What do I take with me to make sure I'm safe secure and comfortable and you know after 21 years of traveling and over? 150 stamps on my passport or was it 250 who's counting anyway?

[00:50] I should actually say passports because I've had three years at four already like I said who's counting anyway after Traveling 21 years around the world and getting ripped off a few times in the early years Having a few things heisted at airports in hotels parking lots and trains I can honestly say that I've got packing and protecting myself down to kind of an art and a very lightweight and Streamlined art I must say and because over the years. I've gotten so many requests from people asking me What kind of belt what kind of fanny pack? What kind of hidden pouch? What do I do with my camera and my phone and my runables and my soakables when I want to take a swim on a beach? What do I do when I have to pop out of my hotel for a couple of hours? You always run into a situation where you have to leave some valuables behind in your room

[01:37] Or maybe you don't leave behind any valuables at all, but that's not likely believe me I get those kind of questions all the time Basically, what do I take with me when I'm going on a short or a long trip? Well in this show I'm gonna tell you exactly what I take along with me So you can get an idea how you can really streamline your life and not being Uptight everywhere you go and worry about being a victim and that's regardless of what kind of trash the US State Department Says about the country that you happen to be in and since I've had so many requests what I'm thinking of doing is Putting up on our website expat wisdom calm a little kit containing all the essential items that you'd have to order off the internet Or search around to find yourself basically Johnny's essential expat travel kit

[02:23] So you can look for that in the upcoming months on expat wisdom comm but for now I'm gonna use this show to give you the complete rundown on what I take with me when I'm going on a short or a long Trip and let me make a disclaimer right now. I'm not making a cent off of this stuff So just take it from me the stuff I'm recommending is very useful and time-tested by yours truly and you know I run into a lot of backpackers Backpackers who've been all over the world and a lot of these well-traveled guys think they've got the safety and security thing down pat Well, I'm here to tell you very very few of them have got the kind of system that I've got believe me And you know these backpackers who stay in these five and ten dollar a night fleabag hostels and stuff all of them Who've been doing it for a while?

[03:09] Have got stories of being robbed and assaulted and every time I hear a story like that from one of those guys I just shake my head cuz I know how they could have prevented it But generally I don't say much or give them any advice because a lot of them are know-it-all blockheads who wouldn't take anyone's advice Anyway, no matter how good and practical it is So now's the time to talk about what I do and what I carry around with me And I can't tell you how many times this stuff has saved me in a pinch And you realize you can collect Three-quarters of this stuff in your local town at your grocery store and your hardware store and stuff So just pay attention. We're definitely not gonna break the bank and remember like my five flags audio course that you find on expatwissom.com Too you don't have to have all the five flags to have a nice system in place

[03:56] Just like you don't have to have every single one of the items that I have that I'm gonna talk about now Just pick and choose which ones you think are good for you But like I said, even if you have every one of them, you're not gonna break the bank I can't see how all of them together would cost you more than a hundred fifty bucks Now I'm gonna start out by saying I went over water filters enough in the last few shows So we won't talk about that just refer back to the last couple shows and that and your Swiss Army knife are gonna be the two Most expensive items I'm gonna talk about here Those two items will run about half of the monetary allotment for your whole package of items about 75 bucks So let me start by talking about walking shoes and I'm not talking about mountain hiking shoes or specific shoes for a specific purpose

[04:44] I'm talking about all-round shoes that you can use everywhere throughout Latin America Including probably walking up mountains if you choose to do so I'm talking an all-purpose shoe for everything really and I know everybody's got their personal favorites And I know a lot of cheapskate backpackers and mountain hikers Really splurge when it comes to shoes and hiking boots and they'll spend two three hundred even four hundred bucks on a pair And why not if they feel fantastic and last a long long time? But let me tell you what I and so many expats have found out There's this company called flexi out of Mexico but don't let that scare you because believe me it's a Terrifically made product and they've got thousands of flexi shoe stores throughout Latin America in generally the medium and high-end malls

[05:30] But you will not find these stores in the United States. That's why no one up there knows about them Now it might surprise and even bother a lot of youth when you find out that half or more of the shoes that flexi offers Are totally or partially made out of leather and it's really some of the best grade of leather I've ever seen and get this at least a quarter of their shoe products have some pigskin leather in them, too Yet another big problem for animal rights people, but hell That's what real baseballs footballs and soccer balls are made out of now, aren't they? And if you don't like it, don't be a hypocrite and watch professional baseball and football then Okay, and by the way, like expat Eddie always says it's not the leather shoe or the leather jacket industry That's responsible for the raising and killing of cows and pigs

[06:17] It's the food industry that drives that and once the cows and the pigs are slaughtered The hides are actually a byproduct In fact only one out of 30 hides is ever sold to the leather clothing or furniture industry since these days about 98% of clothes and shoes and furniture are made out of synthetic materials So what about these flexi brand shoes that you can't get up in the States? And let me tell you this might sound like a cliche But these shoes feel like you're walking on a cloud even 10 years after you buy them And that's just when I discovered these shoes about 10 years ago when my rock ports or whatever the hell else I had fell apart Back then I bought two pairs of these flexis in Panama a casual suede walking shoe and another great casual shoe from their line

[07:04] That I thought was leather But I didn't find out till years later that I was actually Pig skin and I tell you the truth if I'd have known that back 10 years ago when I bought him I probably would have said yeah, but now I realize it's one of the best footwear choices I ever made in my life, and I don't mean to sound like a foot fetishist or anything like that But you asked you sent me emails on this and guess what I'm wearing right now as I talk those same shoes 10 years old I've never had them resold though I do get them polished regularly because the little shoeshine boys down here only charge about 25 cents a shine And you know I've never had them resold even after 10 years of almost constant use And it's not like they sit in the closet, and I switch between three or four other pairs

[07:51] No way when guys find a pair of really comfortable shoes that work Well they become your permanent wardrobe and women well, that's a completely different story anyway ladies That's why when guys find something to wear that they really love because it's so comfortable We wear it till it rots and falls apart unless we have wives or girlfriends Then they'll end up in the dumpster years before what we would consider their expiration date But don't get me wrong. That's not the case with these shoes. They hold up like nothing I've ever seen and comfortable well. They don't call them flexi for nothing anyway for 10 years now I've been rotating back and forth between my two pairs of flexis, and they're both almost as good as new Oh, yeah, and I did replace the shoelaces on both of them twice already

[08:37] But that's it Because listen to this I'm looking at their website right now in English and when you search you just put in Flexi shoes FLEXI and the particular shoes I'm wearing right now are called simply brandy like the female has-been singer and the booze and the product number is six eight nine Oh one if you're interested and my other pair my suede ones Which I found out to are also pigskin are called flexi country That is if you're interested in what just might be the best all-round walking shoe for the money in the whole world At least in our part of the world and by the way for both men and women They've got about 50 different styles and do have a look at their website though It's in Spanish, but have a look anyway. You'll be impressed. They're definitely not construction worker type cloth hoppers

[09:27] They're just very nice regular all-round casual shoes to kick around in or used to dress up It doesn't matter now if you go on the internet and can even find them in the United States You're gonna pay about 250 bucks plus shipping. Why not if they're real leather or pigskin you're gonna pay, right? So now you're thinking oh, this is high-end stuff. What's Johnny getting me into? Well, guess what you just come down here to Latin America any country in Central or South America And you're sure to find one of these flexi shoe stores in any medium to high-end mall and you'll find the very same shoes I'm using the brandy and my suede shoes for between 50 to 60 dollars and I guarantee you They'll last at least 10 years and they really grip I'm talking about the rocks the asphalt the broken concrete the dirt the mud the cobblestone roads and whatever else Latin America throws

[10:17] At you you can't do any better than flexi brand shoes, and I'm sure you never heard of them But that's why we have the expat files, right? So what's next? Well, I have my famous hidden compartment zipper belt that I wear all the time I actually have three of them in three different colors and styles and I did not buy them off the internet because they're Ugly and made out of nylon and basically just cheap looking uncomfortable and crappy looking I've never ever seen a hidden compartment zipper belt on the internet that looked like a regular high quality normal Inconspicuous leather belt on the internet They sell nothing like what I have and I defy anyone who's looking at one of these to know that there's a big zipper on

[11:02] The inside back that can hold at least a thousand US dollars and hundred dollar bills So if you can't buy a nice inconspicuous leather belt that looks like every other nice leather belt on the internet Where do you get it? Well, I actually got mine down in Guatemala in a little town called Panachella where the street vendors have racks and racks of leather goods and hundreds if not Thousands of different kinds of belts and if you ask a vendor at one of those little tiendas if they have a zipper belt Most of them don't know what you're talking about because ninety nine point nine percent of all Latin's have never seen or used one Why would they they're not savers? They've got no money in the bank and they've got no money to stash But luckily enough and this should make sense to you an old German leather crafter

[11:47] Taught some of the local indigenous people how to incorporate a zipper into any one of their belts So when you ask someone for a zipper belt You won't actually get the satisfaction of looking at one and handling one for yourself and trying it on not in that moment that would be rare, but Occasionally one of the guys who runs one of those tienas will say come back tomorrow at noon And I'll have one in three colors in other words He wants to sail so he's having a couple of them made up that night And I don't have to tell you guys that it's a very good thing that these little guys in these tienas selling these belts Don't know what the hell you're talking about when you mentioned zipper belt because that also means the average Latin thief on the street Doesn't know they exist either So he's not gonna go for your belt if you happen to be in a compromising position

[12:35] What thieves down here like is number one a camera hanging around your neck or a smartphone in your hand or pocket number two? Your fanny pack and number three your backpack one by the way at my expat wisdom seminar that comes up in a couple weeks I'm gonna be passing around a lot of these little items. I'm talking about today except the shoes So these guys will see for themselves exactly what I'm talking about and what I use daily So anyway, what are these really fine handcrafted leather belts with zippers in them cost? Well that really nice black one that I bought about a year ago The price tag set about 17 dollars and remember these are all handmade and beautifully done And by the way as for me and so many expats we don't want our belts to be show pieces We don't need tooled leather and little bangles and rivets on them and all that cowboy stuff

[13:22] We like a nice slick plain looking belt that doesn't draw attention and looks like it's just there holding up your pants And that's all I mean let's face it if your belt looks too nice and has too much detail in it hell It just might catch a latin crooks eye because it looks pretty So anyway since I personally like to practice the sport of haggling I did my usual routine and offered the belt guy 12 bucks for it, and he didn't bite So I started walking away, and he followed me down the road a while, and we settled on 12 bucks now Like I said when you're off the tourist trail and a vendor on the street offers you a handcrafted item for whatever price All from half or just a little more than half and you'll usually get it But you've got to be willing to walk away from the deal when you don't get your price

[14:09] Then they'll generally catch up with you later Now the next thing that you just have to have in your little trick box of travel items is one of those hidden pouches You've heard about or maybe you have one, but I'll bet it's the wrong one anyway The key is it's got to be just about passport size no bigger because otherwise they're big and clunky And if a crook patch it down he's gonna find it now I'll be referring to crooks and thieves a lot in this episode like they're lurking around every corner But they're not in fact I believe the last time I was robbed was about 15 years ago when I got caught up in a suitcase Switch kind of scam, and it wasn't technically an assault or a hold-up kind of robbery It was more a clever distract the gringo scam where two guys were in cahoots one guy distracted me

[14:57] And the other guy got my briefcase I mentioned it in one of my very early shows if you remember it was right after I paid my electric bill and went to The parking lot and got into my car And as I was just about to start the car and take off a guy tapped on my window and held up a bill and Said you dropped this on the ground and naturally what a scam. I didn't drop anything on the ground He was trying to lure me outside the car just enough so that someone else one of his cohorts could slip in To my passenger side door and steal my briefcase which he did Because the crooks knew that if my door was open and I had electric locks all the other doors would be unlocked Until I closed my door and locked it too because that's how a car's central locking system works

[15:44] And obviously these crooks knew that anyway that was the last time I got robbed. I'm a bit smarter now I think anyway I've seen a lot of these secret pouch things usually made out of white cloth or canvas material that Kind of looks like an ace bandage I've seen and I've used the ones you strap to your leg the ones that hang around your neck on a chain The ones that wrap around your waist and even the ones that are built into your socks and believe me the ones with the sock Compartment are the least practical and most uncomfortable But a lot of European backpacker types seem to love them But let me tell you the best by far is the one that you can get from Samsonite It's called the Samsonite hidden safety pocket And it's all you're ever gonna need and it's actually two pouches sewn together

[16:30] So you have two sides two zippers one on one side one on the other so you've got two nice separate Compartments plus it's got a tiny little hidden compartment about an inch and a half by an inch and a half in which a one-ounce Canadian maple leaf or South American cougarand or American Eagle fits nicely and as you know, I always recommend that you carry a gold coin like that and only one of the three very recognizable and Internationally known coins either a gold maple leaf a gold South African cougarand or a gold US American Eagle coin and That'll be your emergency backup plan in case something nasty happens to along the way and you're relieved of your paper Fiat and funny money and I recommend you use one of those three country coins because

[17:15] Everyone around the world at least all the coin dealers pawn shops jewelry stores and banks know and recognize them for what they are As soon as they see them again That's either a Canadian maple leaf a South African cougarand or a US American Eagle one ounce gold coin Or you can have a half an ounce gold coin, too Or even a quarter ounce but an ounce can be traded anywhere in the world for a little under the spot price Which you can look up on the internet in about three seconds And the spot price for those of you who don't know is the actual value for a one-ounce gold coin like that So anyway, you've got one of these Samsonite hidden safety pockets and it comes in a nice dark gray Which I like a lot more than those other pouches that are basically Hospital bandaged white and the straps and things that you wrap around your neck and waist and leg and stuff are that hospital white, too

[18:05] And I can tell you on occasion. I've seen some backpacker tourist gringos display those telltale Supposedly hidden pouch straps when they bend over to pick up something or tie their shoes real stealthy, huh? You think if you're in a big crowded Central Park a thief is not gonna notice that So anyway The one I recommend has a little gray loop on it and that slips over your belt and make sure you slip it right next To the left side of your buckle Not the right because if you put it on the right side of your buckle if you have your pants tucked in Others will see on close inspection that you've got this strange little gray loop somehow wrapped around your belt Obviously something's going on down there, right? But if you put that little gray loop on the left side of your belt buckle

[18:53] Which is the correct way to do it then the part of the belt with the holes punched in it the one that you slide through the buckle and Fasten that part of the belt will nicely overlap the strap and no one will ever see it Now that might seem kind of obvious to you But I have to tell you I've seen a few gringos in the tourist areas Strutting their bad selves on the dance floor with that hidden pocket loop showing and here's the other thing you always tuck that loop Right up against the belt buckle on the left side that way when you slip the package with the passport into your pants It's hanging from the loop on your belt guess where right in your crotch area Now as gross as that may seem especially if you have leaky plumbing are incontinent or sweat a lot

[19:41] That particular pouch placement is a huge deterrent for any Latin No good next that might have an eye on scamming a gringo Well, that's because Latin America is very macho by nature and one of the last things a macho thief wants to do And by the way excess macho comes with thief territory now, doesn't it? Anyway guys like that do not want to get anywhere near another man's groin area from stories I've heard they'll pat you down All right from your thighs to your ankles and that means of course They're gonna find that pocket pouch that you got strapped to your thigh and they're gonna catch that Hidden pocket in your sock too cuz there'll be a bulge there another couple of reasons not to have those things So basically you have a very slim chance of anyone trying to grab your pouch when it's hanging down by your crotch

[20:31] And ladies that goes for you to normally especially in the high volume tourist areas These guys are into the quick grab and snatch method and the only time I've ever heard of anyone getting the stripped-down Treatment is when a chicken bus has been held up another reason not to ride the chicken bus And I'm not talking about those chicken buses that are running in a city I'm talking the ones that go from city to city that have to pass through Desolate areas to get to the next town and that's where the majority of chicken buses get held up And over the years as I've explained this pouch thing to various people at parties and get-togethers and stuff all the long-term Expats, I know see the logic in it and most of them follow my advice But I've had the odd gringo asked me if it wouldn't be even better to slip that hidden pouch down your backside

[21:16] You know to hang in that other dark forbidden zone Well, you know gringos that have mentioned that do have a point and it probably would be the best deterrent of all but you've got to sit down once in a while and if you got a passport and a gold coin a License some credit cards and a couple of USB flash memories stuffed in there. All I've got to say is Ouch, it's a good idea in theory, but I doubt if it'll catch on. So what's next? Oh, yeah People ask me all the time What are they supposed to do with their smartphones and their cameras and their USBs passport and their other paper documents when they're at the beach most people I know that go to the beach occasionally go in the water and some bring their snorkeling stuff and go way out there for Sometimes a half hour to an hour at a time and that's cool

[22:04] If you're traveling with someone else who doesn't like the water Then your friend can sit on a beach chair watch the hard bodies go by and suck down Decories all the while keeping an eye on your valuables and stuff while you're out there getting waterlogged But you know a lot of times that's no fun at all for the guys sitting in the beach chair I mean sun and fun in the water is part of going to the beach But not to worry I solved that problem a long time ago and there's actually two solutions to make it work One is by getting another one of those little passport sized pouches called the dry pack and it's completely impermeable to water Hold all that stuff I was talking about and you can either clip it to your waist or use a little nylon belt or strap that comes with it And this thing's only about 15 bucks, but at a beach or a swimming pool

[22:52] It's a lifesaver and basically since I travel alone a lot I use the thing all the time when I go to the beach I use a little nylon belt that comes with it and tuck it into my swimming suit Just like the other cloth paper pouch I talked about before and everything's a-okay Now some people have asked me is this thing really 100 waterproof? It sure looks like it is Well not to worry just to make sure I always use one of those heavy duty Ziploc freezer bags and I put everything in there first Then I squeeze the air out of it before I seal it and I stick the whole thing inside that dry pack Oh, and by the way, I forgot to tell you that samsonite hidden pocket pouch costs around 20 bucks and guess what? I have three of them And yes, they're machine washable and you really should do that once in a while And by the way before I had the three of them that I have now the first one that I got about 12 years ago

[23:42] I used all the time and it held up really really well for about six or seven years And then it started wearing quite thin where the edge of the passport was and I had it reinforce For about three bucks at a shoe repair shop and that lasted about a year or two more and then about a year later One of the two zippers broke so I had a new zipper put in which cost about four bucks Then I realized, you know, I can't really do without this thing I really need a few spares and sure enough just as I was thinking of that The little strap that holds it to my belt broke off So these things do last a hell of a long time and the way I use them like anytime i'm traveling are going out of the house I don't think that kind of use was envisioned by the manufacturer, but still it lasted six or seven years

[24:28] Anyway, like I told you I have another method if you want to go swimming alone and you've got valuables with you And you don't want to get them wet and you don't want to get them heisted Now i'm recommending another little gadget This thing is really indispensable and it too costs less than 20 bucks and it should last a lifetime It's a tiny retractable cable type lock It's actually about the very same size as a cheap cell phone. Now. This thing is just great Inside it's got a retractable cable and that cable's so flexible You can tie it into little knots if you wanted to which I don't recommend. Anyway, it's got a three-digit Combination lock on it too. And by the way, I always set mine to 666 for good luck Wait a minute. I gotta change that now. I guess huh and eddies is 007, but don't tell anyone

[25:16] Anyway, you can pull this little cable out to 42 inches and wrap it around or weave it through anything Kind of like a bicycle cable lock only the cable is much thinner About as thick as the fattest biggest string on a guitar and much more flexible Anyway, you wrap it around the thing you want to protect or weave it through the handle of something you want to protect like a suitcase Or the hinge on your laptop computer between the screen and your keyboard Or you wrap it around and through the handle of a beer cooler that has all your valuables in it Like for example when you're at the beach and you also wrap it through the arm of your beach chair Now that cooler can't be opened because the cable's wrapped around and through it and the only way Someone's going to steal your cooler is to steal the cooler and take the beach chair with it

[26:04] A very odd looking thing in the first place and if that ever happened The guy who rented the beach chair to you would chase him down in a second But still if you think a thief is crazy enough to run off with a beach chair in your cooler Just thread that cable through your cooler and through the handle and around a palm tree Because that palm tree is going nowhere and believe me There's no way for anyone to cut through that cable conventionally. That's how it was designed to foil thieves By the way, i'm not saying when you're on vacation or you're traveling You should bring a big old beer cooler down to the beach with you All you have to do is go down to one of the nearest grocery stores and buy one of those little plastic beer coolers That holds just a six pack They all have a handle on top and that's what you're gonna thread the cable through and you're gonna wrap it Tightly around the body of the thing too. You can always find a way

[26:52] And by the way that little combination cable device is exactly what you use in your hotel room If you're gonna go out and leave a computer or a camera case or a piece of luggage That's expensive or has expensive items in it You wrap that cable around the item you want to protect or items you want to protect and you thread one end of it Through the arm of a chair in your room Through one of the long metal bars of the bed frame that holds your mattress or anything heavy or bulky in a room that you could thread It through and I notice now we're getting to the end of the program here So i'm going to continue this next time a lot more tips about travel items. You really need to stay safe and secure You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america

[27:42] Coming to you each week from somewhere south of the border and don't forget you can email me on anything at all about latin America the expat files at gmail.com See you next time on expamels