Christopher Elliott: Watch Your Wallet Overseas
Hold on to your wallet. Businesses don't just want to get their hands on your cash when you're on the road -- they also want more of your money, and on their terms.
Take what happened to Gordon Angell when he was visiting La Paz, Mexico, recently. Many restaurants in town display the "Visa" and "MasterCard" stickers, signifying that they accept credit cards.
But on Angell's first evening, after finishing a meal at a restaurant, his server informed him the credit card machine didn't work, and pointed to an ATM. He paid in pesos.