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A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.

Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.

A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.

Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.

Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.

I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.

REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.

ivan

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Beware Two New Foreign Currency Scams

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/34837179/beware-two-new-foreign-currency-scams/?source=45568&nltv=483_B&nl_cs=34932550%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A%3A483_B#

Beware Two New Foreign Currency Scams
credit cards for big charges, debit (ATM) cards for local cash.
But a current scam targets each payment option.

New Credit Card Scam

"Dynamic conversion" is a popular scam that sellers use when
you pay with a credit card. The seller offers the "convenience"
of paying in U.S. dollars, which is really no convenience at all.
If your credit card adds a foreign-charge fee, it will add it to
any foreign transaction, in dollars as well as in local currency.


And the scam is that the seller can set the conversion at a really lousy exchange rate, as high as 9 percent above the bank rate, according to some reports.
Avoiding the scam: When someone asks if you want to be billed in
dollars, no matter now much urging you get, say "no" to dynamic
conversion.

New Debit Card Scam

Retail foreign-exchange outfits such as Travelex have signed deals with airports for exclusive ATM service. Although ATMs controlled by exchange outfits often claim "no fees," they catch you by converting at retail exchange rates, which can gouge you by more than 10 percent in some locations.
Unfortunately, these scamming ATMs are the only ones you see at many important international arrival airports. So even if you use a debit card with a low exchange surcharge and limited transaction fees, you can't avoid being victimized.
Avoiding the scam: Use only ATMs operatated by major banks, even if you have to wait until you're out of the airport.

More from SmarterTravel

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuses every day at SmarterTravel.

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ivan