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ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

After a 9 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) last week, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the biggest city in Vietnam (8.5 million).

Be careful in Vietnam - of crooks, thieves and con artists, many of whom work in liaison with the police.

Just after the 9 hour bus ride from Cambodia, this poster was offered a relaxing massage by a massage person, outside the guest house in District 1, Saigon. The price (30.000 dong- $2) seemed quite reasonable, so said yes. The guest house said everything was ok and legal.

To cut a long story short, the massage started out ok, but things turned unprofessional toward the end....and so did the price....which rocketed up from the initial $2 to $80...if you did not pay that price you would get into trouble with the local fuzz.....no choice but to pay....as no recourse was available.

Other foreigners have been robbed in similar schemes.

In the seaside town of Nha Trang where this poster is now staying, foreigners have been assaulted or ripped off at night, and during the day on the beach area (6km long).

The Thais and Cambodians are more friendly and honest.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Gecmis olsun

peaches · Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 13

Hey ghost sorry you got ripped off but is there any place in the world that would make you happy???

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Caelum non animam mutat quis trans mare currit.

yaramaz · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 12:00 pm Post subject:

Kolay gelsin, abi yaaaaaaaaaaaa Very Happy

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

@Scot My Latin is a bit rusty. Can you translate that?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"The Heavens do not transform the soul of him who runs across the sea."

As in most things the ancients had it summed up. I guess some people must have reacted like "ghost" even then !

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

Peaches asks one if there is anywhere one could be happy in?

Certainly not in South East Asia

Also it is basically boring here, and there is little hope of ever getting close to the people, even with some knowledge of the language.

At the end of the day one wants to be with people who share similar values and outlooks on life, and that is not the case here.

One will travel to Indonesia, and look at the country there, but there is little chance of being happy there.

In this poster's case, the best countries so far for living and teaching were in Latin America - Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.

The Latinos are somewhat different from one, but one can relate much more easily to them, and the values one shares with them are much more similar. That is what it is all about.

Japan will also be considered, because the people there seem fairly decent and intelligent.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

ghost, you say that you are going to Indonesia and that you will not be happy. I am assuming you haven't been there before. How can you go to a country and think about the negative aspects before you arrive?

IMHO when you go travelling to a new country try and go there with no pre-conceived notions. In That way you will not be disappointed.

Go to a country with the prospect of all things new and wonderful. And