the Louvre – MALAYSIA WORLD HERITAGE TRAVEL SITE

At many tourist spots in Paris like the
Lourve, tourists are at risk of being
pickpocketed.

The City of Love now has a dubious reputation of ‘loving hands’ that rip off tourists.

TOURISTS in Paris are reminded to be on guard against increasingly brazen and aggressive pickpockets after staff at the Louvre walked out in April to protest against violent working conditions.

Saying they’re fed up with dealing with gangs of thugs and being spat at, insulted, threatened and even struck, 200 workers at one of the most famous museums in the world – the Louvre receives about 10 million visits a year – staged a walkout, disappointing a long line of tourists.

The museum reopened the next day with increased police presence, but tourists visiting crowded places should remain vigilant. In the centre of Paris, thieves often work in groups of up to 30, and usually include children from eastern Europe.

It’s the latest event to tarnish the city’s reputation in the eyes of the world. In March, a group of Chinese tourists were targeted by a gang of pickpockets, an attack that made headlines around the world.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in France offers visitors a host of tips and suggestions on how to avoid being the victim of a predatory pickpockets – tips which can also be applied to travel around the world.

Here are a few highlights:

Keep only what is essential in your wallet. For example, one credit card, one piece of ID, and no more than ?50 (RM260). Make copies of your passport, and other ID cards.

Women are advised to carry bags with a zipper enclosure, and to carry it tightly under their arm, slightly in front of them. Swing your backpack around so that it’s slightly in front of you. Men can protect themselves by placing a rubber band around their wallet and putting it in their front pocket, something that will make it difficult for thieves to extract the wallet smoothly.

Be extra vigilant around major tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs-Élysées. Metros are also major target areas. If you are pickpocketed, start yelling for police immediately. The embassy advises against chasing down the perpetrators, as the wallet has most likely already been handed off to someone else within the group.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is another site
where tourists are advised to be on the alert for pickpockets and other petty
criminals.

If there are no security guards or police around, you should go to the local police station (commissariat) and file a complaint.

Know what you’re up against:

The most popular tactic on the metro is the crush-and-grab; You will be swarmed by several people, and in the chaos, as you’re being pushed, you will be pickpocketed.

Another tip: try to avoid sitting or standing right by the doors. Because another trick they use is to grab the purse or smartphone, just as the train doors open and dash away. Wherever you end up in the train, try to minimise access to your pockets and purses.

The age-old distraction method involves the pretext of asking for directions, or attempts to sell you trinkets. During the distraction, someone will try to pick your pockets.

Another rather unpleasant technique: Someone will throw or spill something on you like water or ice cream. You will be approached by people who feign to help you, and in the chaos, you will be pickpocketed.

ATM scams: If the machine eats your card, go into the bank immediately as it’s likely the machine’s been tampered with. Use only ATMs from major banks. Refrain from talking to anyone during the transaction, as it’s likely part of an attempt to scam you.

As always, cover the keypad as you enter your pin code. – AFP RelaxNews

Unconventional museums

Highlighting all things kitty at the Cat Museum in Kuching, Sarawak

TripAdvisor editors have given a meow to Kuching’s Cat Museum in its list of the most bizzare museums in the world.

TRIPADVISOR, the world’s largest travel site, has drawn up a list of 10 unusual museums around the world, including the Cat Museum in Kuching, which is known as Cat City.

A comment from a TripAdvisor traveller about the Cat Museum: “This is an interesting museum, with an amazing collection of cat ornaments and statues and paintings – you name it.”

The museums in the list are as follows:

1 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada ? The Bata Shoe Museum houses a collection of more than 10,000 items of footwear with over 4,500 years of history. See 15th century Peruvian ceremonial aladeros and 19th century French chestnut-crushing clogs. From ancient Egyptian sandals to 20th-century celebrity shoes, this vast shoe collection will excite both fashion devotees and history buffs alike.

2 Paris Sewer Museum, Paris, France ? Sure, travellers flock to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, but there is also the less conventional attraction that is the Paris Sewer Museum. First opened to the public in 1867, the sewer tunnels running underneath Paris are where visitors can gain first-hand knowledge of the history and inner workings of the city’s sewer system.

3 Museum of Witchcraft, Cornwall, England ? Anyone even mildly curious about witches must visit the Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall. Opened in 1951 by Cecil Williamson, the museum exhibits the largest witchcraft collection in the world.

Visitors can learn about the practice and history of witchcraft and magic, and view artifacts such as a witch’s altar and a magician’s sword. The museum also houses a library of more than 3,000 books.

4 British Lawnmower Museum, Merseyside, England ? The fastest lawnmowers, lawnmowers of the rich and famous, and some of the most expensive lawnmowers in the world: these can all be seen at the British Lawnmower Museum in Merseyside, England. With over 250 lawnmowers, this museum is a tribute to the garden machine invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding.

5 Toilet Seat Museum, Alamo Heights, Texas, the United States ? Barney Smith, a retired plumber, has been creating toilet seat art for over 30 years. More than 1,000 of his decorated commode covers are on display in the Toilet Seat Museum (Barney’s garage) in Alamo Heights, Texas. Since Barney is the only person who operates the museum, travellers should call first, so he knows to open his doors.

6 Instant Ramen Museum, Osaka, Japan ? Dedicated to ramen noodle cups and creator Momofuko Ando, the museum showcases the many ramen flavours made through the years, and there’s also a reproduction of the hut where the first noodles were first produced. The museum has a kitchen facility where visitors can make fresh noodles, as well as a factory where visitors can assemble their own cup noodles.

7 Salt Pepper Shakers Museum, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the United States ? Explore the Salt Pepper Shakers Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee housing a collection of over 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers from around the world, some dating back to the 1500s.

Andrea, an archaeologist, was fascinated by the history behind salt and pepper shakers, so she launched the museum.

The museum also displays the largest collection of pepper mills in the world!

8 Spam Museum, Austin, Minnesota, the United States ? Here sits a museum that covers an area of more than 1,486sqm and dedicated to Spam, the mystery meat. It features a wall of Spam, interactive displays, a video, and historical exhibits of the Spam brand and Hormel Foods Company.

Visitors can even learn how the “mystery meat” is produced. After touring the museum, you can browse Spam novelties in the gift shop and nosh on Spam cuisine in the dining area.

9 Cumberland Pencil Museum, Keswick, England ? According to legend, a huge storm in the 1500s uprooted trees in Cumberland, and graphite was discovered. Shepherds used the graphite to mark their sheep, and thus began the area’s pencil industry.

The Cumberland Pencil Museum takes visitors through the history of the pencil and pencil-making. The museum also houses the biggest pencil in the world measuring 26 feet and weighing 446kg (984 pounds)!

10 Cat Museum, Kuching, Malaysia ? In Malaysia, the cat is considered lucky, and since Kuching is also known as “Cat City”, it is only fitting that the Cat Museum is a popular attraction here. Feline enthusiasts can enjoy 2,000 exhibits, artifacts, and statues from around the world, from an Egyptian mummified cat to Hello Kitty items. The museum is also a research and information centre that concentrates on the history and cultural beliefs surrounding cats.

The list of 10 unusual museums is based on feedback from TripAdvisor travellers and as chosen by TripAdvisor editors.

Map: Bizarre Museums

Tags: Bata Shoe Museum, British Lawnmower Museum, Cat Museum, Cumberland Pencil Museum, Instant Ramen Museum, museum, Museum of Witchcraft, Paris Sewer Museum, Salt Pepper Shakers Museum, Spam Museum, Toilet Seat Museum