BYTE MARKS
Learn about scams before you travel
By Burt Lum
You would think by now I would listen to my own advice.
Lesson No. 1: When traveling abroad, exchange money before you arrive in country.
I was heading out to Fiji and waited until the last moment to get Fijian dollars. Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank needed at least a couple of days to fill my order. In a rush I opted to do the exchange in Fiji.
By the time I got to Nadi, my little six-seater plane was ready to roll. About 11 hours from Hawai'i, I arrived in Suva at 9:30 a.m. It was Sunday and the best exchange rates are at the Exchange and Finance office, which doesn't open until Monday. I didn't think much of it and headed out like a Lonely Planet explorer into the city of Suva. Not 100 feet outside of the Holiday Inn, I was approached by what I thought was a friendly Fijian.
"Bula! Where you from?" he asked. Without hesitation, I said Hawai'i. Small kine conversation ensued and unknowingly I took the hook, line and sinker.
He proceeded to show me the old Parliament building, the Fiji Museum and the president's mansion. By then I was beginning to think this guy was a little too friendly.
Right about then, he busted out the sword carvings and gave them to me as a gift. I know it's impolite to refuse a gift but my mind was also scrambling for some reciprocal action.
Before I could blink he started carving my name on the swords.
Lesson No. 2: If you like to haggle, you better have exact change.
My smallest bill was a $20 U.S. bill. The sword seller, as they are commonly called, tried to tell me the carvings were worth $140F in town. Turns out they're worth much less than that.
Lesson No. 3: If you have a chance, read the travel tips on the following Web sites: British Commonweath office (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) or Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/letters). Wouldn't you know, the sword seller descriptions are classic. ;-)
Burt Lum, cyber-citizen and self-anointed tour guide to the Internet frontier, is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.
