Staying in a foreign country without money is not even the worst thing for our tourist
There was still a whole week in Nairobi, two days in Cairo (due to the lack of a direct flight home) and $35 in our pockets. Today the last night in the hotel was paid – minus $20. A tiny tin teapot with a lid that flips back, from under which a teabag tag hangs limply, steams onto a fogged-up cup resting on a white saucer; next to it, cooling milk with a skin on it is smoking... That's today. And tomorrow...
'Bankruptcy,' whatever its causes – insufficient initial information, particularly about prices for various services, excessive extravagance, ostentatious generosity, simple loss or theft of cash – always catches you off guard. The world that just a moment ago cradled you in huge reliable hands suddenly dropped you, opened up, leaving you alone with your own helplessness. Watching people flickering in the reflections of shop windows, you suddenly realize with particular sharpness the foreignness of the crowd, doomed to return home to hated televisions and, nevertheless, to their own beds.
Catching myself with such thoughts and reproaching myself for momentary panic, weighing all the pros and cons, we developed a plan of 'organized evacuation.' In such a situation, you have to act quickly and precisely; moreover, you must do it in such a way that no one catches you without money – they say in a foreign country that is not desirable. It is unlikely that new-found friends will rush to save you, but there will always be someone who will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of your weakness.
It is easier to prevent a problem than to deal with it later. Cash has a habit of making itself known at the most inopportune moment – as a rule, it lies badly, treacherously bulging out of the wallet, and everything that lies badly sooner or later risks being stolen. Therefore, before going to storm state borders, it is advisable to get a family credit card from some banks, which will allow your relatives who have a subsidiary card to replenish your account in a critical moment, and also, knowing your appetites, to control and even limit your spendthrift ways. It would not be out of place to think about traveler's checks or an account with a large bank in the host city that has a representative office in Ukraine.
But from now on your stake is a penny! And since risk is inevitable, it is worth raising the stakes. To request help from the homeland, you can use the services of Western Union. To do this, it is enough to call relatives, friends, acquaintances, a partner, your boss who kindly provided the opportunity to vacation abroad, and explaining the seriousness of the situation, ask to transfer the necessary amount of money at any bank that deals with currency transactions.
The hardest part was figuring out what data we had to send home to get the money here – well, I don't know such words in English! And the Kenyan Western Union refused to understand my French, although it suggested going to one of the windows, from where we were greeted with a polite 'Bonjou-u-ur!' stretched in a smile. Deciding that understanding was now guaranteed, I allowed myself to double-check: 'Parlez-vous francais?' And I was right – in response came an equally pleased 'No-o-o!'
Finally, it turned out that the sender needs to provide the country name, city, passport number, date of birth, and the exact spelling of the last name and first name in Latin letters (as in the identity document) and specify the transfer code – a ten-digit control number of the money transfer. This is far from a cheap service, but reliable. A few minutes later we were already counting $300 in their shilling equivalent. By the way, similar cash operations are provided by MoneyGrem and 'Anelik'.
Now that you have the money in hand and your former confidence has returned, but the desire to stay in a country that encroached on your well-being has finally left you, head to the airline representative office or railway ticket offices to exchange your return tickets for the nearest date. Admittedly, this is not so easy, especially if there are no direct flights to your homeland. Then you will have to spend a few 'unforgettable' days in an equally romantic city (minus visa fee) waiting for a connection.
We spent about two nervous hours waiting for a direct flight Nairobi – Moscow on Kenya Airways: female operators took turns, peering at monitor screens, typing on keyboards, but our native Aeroflot kept refusing to take us. 'No seats! No seats!' The exchange of airline tickets cost $300. Counting the bills 'freshly transferred' by Western Union, we found that the national equivalent loses 520 shillings (about $7) in exchange. We emptied all pockets, tickets, insurance, checks, payment receipts. There it is! – 500, 10, 20. 520 shillings! Hurray! We are flying home! Luckily, airport taxes are included in the ticket price. Now the main thing is that the luggage weight does not exceed the allowed limit, because there is nothing left to pay, although for the sake of fleeing a foreign land, you can always find something to throw away.
If you don't have enough money to exchange tickets, ask the transport agent if you can get compensation by surrendering your return ticket for a plane or train, and get home by cheaper transport – for example, by bus or by hitchhiking. By the way, hitchhiking as a mode of travel is highly developed in America and Europe, and is also possible in Asian, African, and CIS countries. The saved money will go towards visa expenses. Penetration into the Schengen zone is particularly difficult – getting a transit visa will take a lot of time, money, and effort.
Continuation: SURVIVING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY: WITHOUT PANIC