Travel 101: Tricks to Understanding (and Enjoying!) the Money Side of Travel
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Cures for Walking Wallet Syndrome
by
Judy Wolf
This article is the second in a three-part Travel 101 series entitled "Tricks to Understanding (and Enjoying!) the Money Side of Travel." The first was "Quick Tips for Excelling at Currency Exchange."
What does it mean to walk into a culture that values an hour of labor -- and therefore the items it produces -- differently in relation to the local economy than you're accustomed to back home? For one, it means that tourists visiting bargaining countries that are (financially) poorer than their own spend a lot of time saying "That's so cheap! I'll take four!" when told the price of a souvenir.
Locals get used to this, and suddenly there's a whole separate economy for tourists. There's nothing travelers can do about this, so I wouldn't recommend wasting much time or energy resenting it, but there are some considerations that can help you understand your new economic reality and have more fun with it.
The sooner you recognize and accept that regardless of where you fit into the economic picture in countries of Europe, Australasia, and North America, you're a rich westerner in comparison to many countries of the world (you've probably paid more for your airline ticket than most families earn in a year, not to mention the fact that you probably own at least one car), the easier it will be to understand the dynamics around tourism.
One of the most difficult things for me to accept as a traveler was that I as an individual had so much impact (and responsibility) with every economic interaction. Shopkeepers eyes would light up when I walked into a store.
Much as I hate to admit it, feeling like a walking wallet sometimes made me cynical. Finding a balance between this perception of my privileged (and therefore financially targeted) place as a tourist and the humanity of the people taking my money was a worthwhile struggle, but I can't pretend it was easy -- or that I found completely satisfactory answers.
Your experience will be your own, and the lessons you take from it will be different than mine, but there are a few universals that may help you adjust. The number one realization that can save your sense of humor is the foreknowledge that you are guaranteed to be ripped off, especially at first. Don't let it ruin your trip -- it's part of the learning curve and an adventure in itself. Remember to laugh when it happens.
Second, you'll become more savvy as you travel...but you can't know everything. Even after months on the road, I knew that no matter how hard I bargained, I would most likely pay more for my taxi ride from the airport than I would for the ride back again after a few weeks in the country, simply because when I arrived, I didn't have a sense of the local economy yet.
Third, and perhaps most important, know your limits. If you're starting to resent the tourist industry for making you feel like an anonymous walking ATM machine, read your guidebook for hints on bus routes or go wandering in search of a restaurant full of locals.
Once you've stepped off the tourist trail, you'll quickly see that you're surrounded by decent, happy people going about their daily lives without much concern for you or your wallet -- which can provide a refreshing and much-needed attitude tweak. Taking some time to wander or relax without an agenda (a vacation from your vacation) can also work wonders. If all else fails, rent a bicycle and go see the countryside.
For travelers from non-bargaining countries, full immersion into a bargaining culture can be a disorienting experience. The third part in this series, "Intro to Bargaining," is guaranteed to help you take your first attempts at bargaining in stride…and hey, you might even enjoy yourself!
Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf
About
the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com)
is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor.
She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling
by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle
to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate
New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a
book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is,
when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
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How to Keep Your Sanity... and Sense of Humor!
- Realize that regardless of where you fit into the economic picture in your homeland, you're a rich westerner in comparison to many countries of the world
- No matter how savvy you become, you'll still get "scammed" -- go with the flow and remember to laugh, it's part of the adventure
- Feeling annoyed? Break away from the typical "tourist trail" or take a day off from your trip to refresh your spirit of fun and curiosity
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