Are You Certain This is Your Passport?

Dear Reader,

It was on our second visit to Rome that John's money belt was stolen right off his waist. The mystery of this incident remains as neither of us really know what happened. Yes, there was a small group of gypsy children wandering around and being loud and yes, John complained that the belt wouldn't stay on because it had to be tied on, but whether it was stolen or just fell off remains a mystery to this day.

We learned an important lesson from the theft/loss however. Never carry your passports around in public. They are the number one item theives look for. We never did carry them except when on our way to the bank or the American Express office to get spending cash, which was where we were headed that day. After that, we had big sightseeing plans. Instead, we spent the rest of the day at the police station filing a report and then off to the US Embassy to get temporary passports. Of course when we got there everyone was out to lunch for 2 1/2 hours so all we could do was wait.

We didn't even have any money or credit for lunch or drinks. And boy, I really could have used a drink that day. We were both pretty mad and hot since it was July and had had to walk all the way across the city from the Police Station to the Embassy because we had no money for even a bus ticket. Lesson two, always carry a packet of bus and metro tickets in your pockets to have handy when needed, especially in big cities in Italy.

By the time we got processed by the Embassy and were sent to the photo booth, neither of us were recognizable. John's hair was drenched from sweat and he had it slicked down sideways on his forehead and stand straight up in the back. My curly hair was no longer looking stylishly short and instead decided to do a weird flip all the way around. It was not a happy day. Neither of us even bothered to attempt a smile for our pictures which turned out to be a big mistake as well. Why not? We were three for three already that day.

I didn't care what my passport looked like, I just wanted to get out of there and try to salvage some of our day. Time is always so precious and fleeting when traveling even when you are on an extended vacation. When I saw my new passport there was a stamp stating it was temporary. I figured that new ones would be sent to us once we returned home. Hopefully new ones with the great picture that I had just had taken for it a few months previously. This was another mistaken assumption. We had to keep the things for the next ten years! This was a nightmare.

As much as we travel, our passports get a lot of use. The first problem with them was the stamp extending the validity was hidden way back on page 22 and the airline attendants could never find it. The second problem was my photo. It was so awful that I was unrecognizeable. I had several agents laugh at it outright, then stop and hold it out towards me, closing one eye thoughtfully before shaking their heads in disagreement. More than once an agent asked another agent to come take a look at it, doubling my humililation. They both shook their heads and inquired "Are you certain this is your passport?" I wanted to say "No, certainly not." "They got our photos mixed up at the embassy." But that would never fly so I would nod my head embarrasingly and hope she would just give it back to me closed.

One time agents were laughing so hard at my picture that they passed it around for laughs and asked each other, do you think this is her? I tried copying the same frown on my photo for reference but they still didn't believe me. There was another time where the agent actually asked me what happened? It's a long story and too boring to tell I would say. Then I'd do the frown and she let me on my way.

I don't know why no one ever gave John a bad time about his photo. It was pretty funny too but maybe they were just afraid to piss him off. John is a big guy afterall. And he looks meaner than hell in his photo.

We both celebrated the day that our new passports finally arrived ten years later. They aren't bad. Not bad at all. John says I should have gotten a new passport when I was bald. He's so funny!

Many of the issues we used to deal with during our first years of travel are no longer issues at all. For instance, there is no need to go to a bank or an American Express office anymore for cash. There's no need to carry traveler's checks at all. All of Western Europe now accepts credit cards and there are ATM machines called Bankomats every where. We now carry a checking account which does not charge foreign exchange fees and reimburses us for any ATM fees charged by the foreign banks, up to ten per month. This works very well as long as you don't forget your four digit pin number or lose the card altogether.

Money belts are a great idea but can be hot and annoying. The best according to John is the one that hangs around your neck under your shirt. I never carry a purse when I travel. It's a total target. I keep a minimum of things in my pockets and cameras in a little daypack with combination locks on it. And when we are out and about town, the passports stay safely locked up in our room safe or suitcase which I often lock to the sink pipe just in case someone decides to take the whole thing. These are all easy little precautions which have paid off and make traveling so much more fun and worry free.

There was a reason why I mentioned carrying bus and metro tickets around. We've had two episodes in Rome where we could not find a tabac bar that was open yet because it was too early in the morning, nor a newstand. We needed to take a bus to the train station so we could catch our train to the airport. This caused a general panic and when our bus arrived John was still off looking for a newstand so he yelled at me to stop the bus. I tried. I ran along side it wearing my backpack and banging at the door but the driver would not stop. This resulted in our having to walk about 4 extra blocks to catch another bus or miss our train. This kind of thing can ruin the end of a great vacation.

Another thing that can almost ruin your trip is not being able to find an ATM machine suddenly when they had been everywhere when you didn't need one. It's always important to find out if your hotel or B&B accepts credit cards or only cash and have the cash in hand as soon as you get there. This way you can pay them on the spot and not worry about having to find them to pay them as you are leaving as this could cause you to miss your train, boat, plane, whatever. Be sure to choose a four digit pin number that's easy for you to remember and not get your ATM card mixed up with your credit card or you'll get charged for cash advances by the credit card company.

Whatever you do, it's never a good idea to flaunt expensive jewelry everywhere you go. It just makes you a target and they'll get it. We've lost many things while traveling, some annoying and others major. It takes a lot of practice and experience to learn how to be aware at all times of your surroundings and keep an eye on your belongings but it's worth it. I don't want to waste another day of travel at a police station as long as I live.

Buona Notte