Stay Safe in Latin America

Some tips/habits I have picked up while traveling in Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina:

• No jewelry. I have a little diamond ring from my grandma that I just won’t wear while traveling. Wooden bangles and cheap costume jewelry is ok if it isn’t over the top.
• Think each time before you leave the house- how much would it suck if this bag was stolen? Probably not best to be out and about with your Macbook, external hard drive, wallet and 3 debit cards, iPhone, iPod, keys, and passport in your backpack. Carry only what you need.
• On that note, try to only bring as much cash as you need for the day. This way, if/when you get mugged, you aren’t losing a week’s budget.
• I either wear a crossbody bag or my backpack on the front when in marketplaces. Super nerdy? Yes. A bit over the top? Maybe. Have I ever been robbed in a market? No!
• Don’t walk around alone at night. If you are going to take a taxi, figure out which taxis are reliable in the country you are visiting.
• Don’t put your bags in the overhead bins on public transportation. Bags go either on your lap or between your feet.
• I keep a copy of my passport folded up in the bottom of every bag I own, which means that my real passport never leaves the house.
• I know it sounds silly, but I feel safer when I am reading something in Spanish. A Spanish newspaper, pamphlet, Harry Potter book in Spanish. Like maybe a thief would see it and be fooled for just a second that I am a local. As if that helps.
• Despite all of this, I have friends who have been robbed in groups and in broad daylight, so there is still an element of luck to getting robbed in Latin America. Good luck!