a small cloth pouch dangling in your trousers?! so that was you i saw walking awkardly through the rastro! really, that seems a little bit much.

the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings. i walked around town with a small backpack and kept my wallet in my front pocket. thieves look for easy targets so the main strategy is simply to look less vulnerable than the next chump - you know, the guy with the camera dangling around his neck and the fanny pack slung around his waste. keep everything close and tight to your body, be alert, hold your head high, walk with a confident stride and no one is going to mess with you.

still chuckling picturing you at a nice dinner reaching into your crotch to pay the bill! and the decoy wallet? oh my god, do you have "SUCKER" written across your forehead or something? why so paranoid?

Bob,

It's a flat pack, you should be able to understand that concept.

Being a little paranoid is a good thing. I don't care where you go. Until you've been on the business end of a gun, or had the opportunity of sweeping up what's left of someone who was so vain that they wouldn't let someone rob them, you hardly qualify as an "expert" in these areas. If that's being a sucker, so be it. It beats walking around like an arrogant peacock like you describe, and getting your head blown off.

Wolf

Once I did as Wolf recommends with my wallet - reaching into my crotch-, and when paying the bill the waitress got so excited she hurried to give me her phone number, try it! :p

I am with you, Wolf. I have been to other countries, and you never know where to put your money. Once, they took it from my room's safe, with a second key. And if assaulted, better give them small change, avoid fights and save the rest.

I see many people here say "head up, confident pace, ...". That is good and helps a lot, but if you can be pointed like a tourist, professionals of stealing won't back off unless there is some other easier prey, because they know a foreigner many times doesn't know the language, the area, what he/she has to do, ..., and because they are not prone to meet him/her again since is staying for fifteen days only and use to carry more money in the wallet.

On one of our trips an elderly Italian woman in a typical long, black dress suddenly pulled her skirt up to her head in order to retrieve her passport and money...both concealed in a pouch she carried under her dress! We're not the only ones concerned about security!

I'm sort of the belt and suspenders type too, Wolf. My valuables are under my clothing and/or in pretty odd places! I'll take safe over sorry any day!

la maestra (who is not paranoid, just prudently cautious.)

I found that when I went to Spain (in June) that when you do a currency exchange from cash or traveller's checks, you lose a considerable amount of money (at least a 25% charge). This was through the various change making places or "cambio" as they were called. Banks are even worse (minimum of 1000 ptas. charge). This was the best rate I found!!!
However, you may try to get Pesetas through your local bank, as I did. That way, you will have money with you when you get there.

Ben
pbchamp@intercom.net

I was told at La Caixa a few days ago they don't charge commission providing that you change US dollars up to 100000 pesetas.