A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
Friendship Pass to Hanoi, Vietnam

Although I had congratulated myself earlier in the day for having spotted the nefarious intentions of the "She/He is a crook" brigade, you're just never savvy enough to completely avoid getting taken for a ride.

After successfully negotiating both the Chinese and Vietnamese border formalities (more challenging than it sounds, as there are no signs, forms are not just sitting out but must be specifically requested, and none of the offices in the building are in the order that they wish you to complete things in), I bargained for a good price on a ride to the nearest town on behalf of myself and a recently-met English guy. I asked to go to the bus station -- our driver interpreted this request very loosely, and took us to a parking lot in which a friend of his was waiting to arrange a ride for us to Hanoi.

Since the guy wanted Chinese money only, I left it to my travelling companion to handle the negotiations for this leg. We agreed on a price, waited for the packed minivan to show up, and (this is where our critical error was made) handed over our agreed upon fare.

It wasn't until half way through the trip that we realized we'd been swindled. The bus assistant began collecting fares from all the passengers. It soon became evident that our fare negotiator had not passed on any of our money to the bus driver or his assistant. We subsequently engaged in a 20 mile argument involving several people on the bus and a discussion of a police visit. This was brought to a screeching halt when the driver stopped the bus in the middle of nowhere and gave us an ultimatum. Naturally, we paid.

It really wasn't that much money. We'd paid about $5 each to the reprobate who pocketed our cash, then an additional $3 each to the bus guy for the actual trip. But it's the principle of the thing, of couse.How could we have been so gullible? I'm usually so careful about things like that, watching to make sure that the money changes hands correctly. It's a classic scam, too -- a real rookie error on our parts. Oh, well, live and learn. I hear the Laotians, by contrast with the Vietnamese, are a kind, honest, peaceful people who treat you fairly and leave you alone. Maybe I can relax my guard for a few weeks.

Copyright 2003 Katy Warren

posted by Katy at 9:56 PM