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[personal profile] karmicdragonfly
This was a good trip for me...I am taking time off from work, and I needed to do another trip out of the country. I needed the 'disruption' of not being able to understand the language...I needed the 'disruption' of not being comfortable. I needed to learn to exercise my caution again. I needed to mind my Ps & Qs again as I interacted with another culture.

(Actually, I take 1 thing back -- I WAS able to read many of the signs, and understand maybe 20% of what was being said, just because I can speak a little Portuguese!)

The proprietors' of the guest house were lovely souls, and you can see the 2 of them here as we say our final goodbyes and as he is giving us a gift of some crystals to take back home with us --
Final Goodbyes

Final goodbyes -- I think there were 1 or 2 of us not here --
Final Goodbyes

What I Lost

I lose something in every international trip. I'm not sure why, and it's not some deep, emotional thing -- it's usually a very tangible item. For example, in Brazil, I set aside some really nice hand-painted souvenirs that I bought for people, and then forgot to re-pack them! So everyone got airport keychains as souvenirs from that trip, lol!

In this instance...I lost something on Day 1! I was in the airport where I was supposed to meet my group, and I went to an airport ATM. When I travel, I use a separate travel account at a different financial institution. This is something that I do in case of 'skimmers' at the ATM, so that if my account is compromised, then it doesn't cause any problems with my primary financial institution.

In this case at the ATM, I asked for MX$4500, which is about US$250. I got my money, and then my receipt and walked away. What did I lose? The card itself! The machine was one of the old style machines that gives you the card last, so I forgot about it!

There were 2 additional transactions at the ATM for about MX$1000 -- about US$57, so I imagine someone walked up behind me (perhaps watching me all along?), and conducted 2 transactions. And perhaps the ATM requires a password after 3 transactions? Who knows why there were only 2 additionals.

As the group was gathering, I suddenly realized I no longer had the ATM card, and I realized what I had done. So from the airport on day 1, I called that bank and got the card cancelled! The bank eventually credited the 2 fraudulent transactions so no harm no foul from my perspective.

But what a way to start the adventure!
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karmicdragonfly

May 2025

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"O seguro morreu de velho, mas o desconfiado ainda está vivo." -- "The safe one died of old age, but the suspicious one is still living."