Neck Wallet or a Money Belt
Jun 1st, 2010, 12:19 AM
#3
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There's pro and con to both of them. The neck wallet is definitely easier to access, but it's obvious you're wearing them unless you have on layers of clothings, which would be hard to do if you're in a hot climate like Egypt. The money belt is more hidden but it's uncomfortable and a pain to access. But you should try not to access your money belt in public anyway. It's best to keep what you think you'll need for the day in various pockets so that you don't have to access the money belt.
You'll defintely encounter moments in Egypt when the amount of haksheesh you dole out is not deemed to be enough by the recipient and there's a demand for more. In those instances it defintely not wise to whip out your neck or money belt to show that you do have more. Just swish around your pockets and say something like "That's all I have." and walk away.
You'll defintely encounter moments in Egypt when the amount of haksheesh you dole out is not deemed to be enough by the recipient and there's a demand for more. In those instances it defintely not wise to whip out your neck or money belt to show that you do have more. Just swish around your pockets and say something like "That's all I have." and walk away.
Jun 1st, 2010, 08:14 AM
#4
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Didn't carry either (but then almost never do). I'm female, so I carried a small cross-body bag that hung in front of me. The males in my group (husband and son) just kept some money (not wallets) in their front pockets. Wallets are too easy to pickpocket.
Jun 1st, 2010, 10:43 PM
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First of all, pick pocketing is a very minor, if that, problem in Egypt. It is NOTHING like in Europe, so carry your money the way it is most comfortable for you to carry it.
To Axel - LOL about the Backsheesh omment. Your method of letting them know that is all you have was good. I think most times tourists believe them when they indicate they didn't get enough and people actually hand them more, so why the heck wouldn't they ask for more? I would, if I'd been so well trained that all I had to do was ask for more and people would just hand me more money. LOL
Another comment I want to make is STOP carrying your passports with you when you are siteseeing in one city. If you are moving from one city/hotel to another, carry it, but once there, lock it up. Make copies to carry if that makes you feel better, but no one here needs to see it, and carrying it just gives you opportunity to loose it.
IMHO CC
To Axel - LOL about the Backsheesh omment. Your method of letting them know that is all you have was good. I think most times tourists believe them when they indicate they didn't get enough and people actually hand them more, so why the heck wouldn't they ask for more? I would, if I'd been so well trained that all I had to do was ask for more and people would just hand me more money. LOL
Another comment I want to make is STOP carrying your passports with you when you are siteseeing in one city. If you are moving from one city/hotel to another, carry it, but once there, lock it up. Make copies to carry if that makes you feel better, but no one here needs to see it, and carrying it just gives you opportunity to loose it.
IMHO CC
Jun 2nd, 2010, 04:02 AM
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CC,
It's not even that some of them asked for more. It's more like a demand for more. I have to say that it rattled me a couple of times, and I've seen poor tourists literally trying to dig through all their pockets to find more L.E. Tourists coming to Egypt for the first time just aren't prepared for it, regardless of what they've read about backsheesh before coming. Now if I was to visit Egypt again ... watch out
It's not even that some of them asked for more. It's more like a demand for more. I have to say that it rattled me a couple of times, and I've seen poor tourists literally trying to dig through all their pockets to find more L.E. Tourists coming to Egypt for the first time just aren't prepared for it, regardless of what they've read about backsheesh before coming. Now if I was to visit Egypt again ... watch out
Jun 2nd, 2010, 07:15 AM
#7
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"Baksheesh" is generally a tip ... you pay what you're willing to pay, and that's it. I took a picture of a stall vendor once; he stuck out his hand for some money, so I gave him some. When he saw the amount, he drew his hand back and shook his head, indicating he wanted more. I said, "this is all I have, do you want it or not." He took it, but he wasn't happy. Oh well ...
Jun 2nd, 2010, 11:48 AM
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I didn't use either. I simply used a messenger bag for travel days and a small cross body bag for everything else. The smaller bag fit inside the larger bag so it was easy to simply leave my larger bag on our bus as the driver stayed with the bus. I kept a few coins or very small notes in my pocket for tips.
I dealt with a neck wallet on my first trip to Europe and hated the stupid thing. It was obvious, uncomfortable and just annoying as heck. I've never used a money belt but have also never felt the need to. On an upcoming trip to Italy, I'm at least going to take the money belt and might use it there.
If you do decide to use a money belt, put your items in ziplock bags so that they don't get sweaty and damp. I don't know when you're looking at going but late December was fantastic but still hot enough to make you sweat at times.
I dealt with a neck wallet on my first trip to Europe and hated the stupid thing. It was obvious, uncomfortable and just annoying as heck. I've never used a money belt but have also never felt the need to. On an upcoming trip to Italy, I'm at least going to take the money belt and might use it there.
If you do decide to use a money belt, put your items in ziplock bags so that they don't get sweaty and damp. I don't know when you're looking at going but late December was fantastic but still hot enough to make you sweat at times.
Jun 2nd, 2010, 11:58 AM
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I find that I get that sort of a reaction some times when I've clearly over tipped them. I get the feeling, they think, since I over tipped them at first, that I'm stupid and don't know what a proper tip should be, so that is their invitation to try to intimidate me into thinking I should pay more.
I do see it happen out at the pyramids all the time. Take a picture of a policeman and give him LE5, he will indicate every time that LE10 or LE20 is more what he expects, whereas LE5 is nice and truthfully generous. Most tourists still feel like they are playing with monopoly money when they first get here and LE20 really has not much more value than that blue LE5, so why not? It just works for them.
When you say they demand it, that is probably because it works for them. What are they going to do if you don't give them more? Absolutely nothing.
Fun story that happened recently - Touts at the pyramids and I suppose sometimes at the Khan will say something they are selling costs One Pound. Well, I knew he was going to change it to One Sterling Pound the minute I showed real interest, but I was able to hand him One Egyptian Pound Coin which looks enough like a EURO coin that he had to look at it before he complained....by that time I got the goods and started to walk away. He screamed, I took the item to a policeman, told him the story in my broken crap Arabic and the policeman sided with me. I would never want to steal something from these boneheads, UNTIL they want to play games and tricks on customers to take more money than the item is worth. My customers got a nice little trinket and a good story to go with it, and I hope the bonehead salesman will NEVER approach me and my guests again!
I do see it happen out at the pyramids all the time. Take a picture of a policeman and give him LE5, he will indicate every time that LE10 or LE20 is more what he expects, whereas LE5 is nice and truthfully generous. Most tourists still feel like they are playing with monopoly money when they first get here and LE20 really has not much more value than that blue LE5, so why not? It just works for them.
When you say they demand it, that is probably because it works for them. What are they going to do if you don't give them more? Absolutely nothing.
Fun story that happened recently - Touts at the pyramids and I suppose sometimes at the Khan will say something they are selling costs One Pound. Well, I knew he was going to change it to One Sterling Pound the minute I showed real interest, but I was able to hand him One Egyptian Pound Coin which looks enough like a EURO coin that he had to look at it before he complained....by that time I got the goods and started to walk away. He screamed, I took the item to a policeman, told him the story in my broken crap Arabic and the policeman sided with me. I would never want to steal something from these boneheads, UNTIL they want to play games and tricks on customers to take more money than the item is worth. My customers got a nice little trinket and a good story to go with it, and I hope the bonehead salesman will NEVER approach me and my guests again!
Jun 2nd, 2010, 07:03 PM
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Am so not a fan of the neck wallet - gives me a neckache ....
If am going to wear anything a money belt - much more comfortable.
Just don't do what some people do & load it up with everything & you end up looking like you are pregnant & it becomes most uncomfortable!
Be sensible about what and where you carry things - never felt unsafe in Egypt at all and didn't wear a belt at all.
Remember when you are being harrassed "la Shukran" politely and firmly - with a smile lots of time works a treat. And if you are bargaining and not getting anywhere - remember to just walk away or try "Phil Mish Mish" which is sort of "in your dreams" in Arabic.
Being Australian was asked for $1 all the time - as they thought we were American - not impressed when offered an Aussie $1 at all!!
If am going to wear anything a money belt - much more comfortable.
Just don't do what some people do & load it up with everything & you end up looking like you are pregnant & it becomes most uncomfortable!
Be sensible about what and where you carry things - never felt unsafe in Egypt at all and didn't wear a belt at all.
Remember when you are being harrassed "la Shukran" politely and firmly - with a smile lots of time works a treat. And if you are bargaining and not getting anywhere - remember to just walk away or try "Phil Mish Mish" which is sort of "in your dreams" in Arabic.
Being Australian was asked for $1 all the time - as they thought we were American - not impressed when offered an Aussie $1 at all!!
Jun 18th, 2010, 05:45 PM
#12
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Neck wallet worn around my waist...so its very very comfy...and I drawstring it in to as tight as I want.
Then a few bucks and one credit card are in my cross the body bag or my vest in an inside pocket.....
So far....safe!
Then a few bucks and one credit card are in my cross the body bag or my vest in an inside pocket.....
So far....safe!
Jun 19th, 2010, 10:30 AM
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I didn't wear a money belt in Egypt and like some of the other posters above, I simply carried some cash and an ATM card in a cross-body bag. We kept an extra credit card and our passports locked in the safe and did not carry them with us.
In Rome and other place with pickpocketing issues, I prefer a money belt, as I find the neck wallet to be very bulky under clothes. On the whole, though, I've become increasingly more relaxed over the years about just carrying things in a cross-body bag with the bag facing the front, so I can rest my hand on it. When I sit down at a restaurant, I either keep the bag on my lap or set it on the ground and place a chair leg through the handle so nobody can snatch it without taking the chair, and me, along with them.
In Rome and other place with pickpocketing issues, I prefer a money belt, as I find the neck wallet to be very bulky under clothes. On the whole, though, I've become increasingly more relaxed over the years about just carrying things in a cross-body bag with the bag facing the front, so I can rest my hand on it. When I sit down at a restaurant, I either keep the bag on my lap or set it on the ground and place a chair leg through the handle so nobody can snatch it without taking the chair, and me, along with them.
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