I’ve now been traveling for nearly 3 months. While doing so the earth has been spinning steadily as it faithfully makes its way around the giant fireball in the sky. Miles of walking, long bus trips, mixed food, and varied sleep have made me giddy with exhaustion. The next two weeks are sure to pass in a snap and home is certain to feel strange when I return in mid December.
Until then I’ll continue to live life in the loophole. American dollars turned into 3rd world currency allow a commoner to live the easy life for months on end. Lovely $10 hotel rooms, meals for a buck or two, lengthy bus trips for a pittance, and no real responsibility make me wonder how I’m ever going readjust to what now seems like the crazy high price of average American living. It’s all relative I suppose.
My friend Deb has been a good travel mate. People think we are married. I think it’s kind of funny but she always makes it a point to let people know we are only friends. Deb is a very independent woman whose only real love is fried food and her dog Jake. We get along well and watch each others back which just makes travel easier. We both get less hassle traveling together and needless to say enjoy each others company. She’s a good bloke…
Vietnam has turned out to be a surprise for both of us. We had heard mixed reports about the people but overall have found them to be perfectly fine if not really friendly. In the tourists areas you do run into some hassles and touts but usually they are really nice about it.
We are now in Dalat. It’s a beautiful hill city that reminds me more of Europe than than S.E. Asia. I told Deb that I thought it was a bit like France. Upon nightfall we noticed a large in town radio tower all lit up and looking just like the Eiffel Tower only smaller.
When we arrived we were first greeted by motorcycle taxi guides known as an Easy Riders. We met several at the bus station but told all of them we wanted to walk. We left the bus station for the city center and paused to look at our map. An Easy Rider appeared on the street to offer us help with directions and to suggest a hotel. We agreed to check out his hotel suggestion but refused a ride. He then left and we walked on. We assumed he was long gone but when we came to a busy intersection he reappeared to show us the way. He then left us alone but met us again at another intersection. This happened a few times. His approach was always, “Excuse me, can I help you?” When we thanked him and/or told him we were fine and did not need his help he would disappear only to reappear anytime we stopped to look at our book or map. When he saw we had enough of his offer to help he would say, “Ok, sorry, sorry”, then disappear again.
When we arrived at the hotel he told us about he was standing at the door to greet us and immediately showed us the room. It was good but we wanted to check out other places before deciding. We thanked him and got the usual, very polite, “Ok, sorry sorry”. We went on to walk on our own through the city but he kept reappearing like an apparition at various hotels. “How about this one?" How about this one?” It was actually getting downright funny the way he would disappear and reappear. Basically he was trying to earn a commission by referring us to a hotel. Finally I nicely put my foot down and he seemed to back off for good. So I thought. I must add that he was very nice, polite and friendly so Deb and I behaved the same.
So, eventually Deb and I settled on a place, dumped our packs, and went out for dinner. That’s when he reappeared again. “Maybe tomorrow I can give you a tour”. I’m not sure how the both of us were going to fit on the back of his small motorbike but I’m sure he didn’t think it would be a problem. Deb stressed the point that we were not sure what we were doing the following day and were not interested.
After about an hour or so at a restaurant I needed to run back to the hotel to get my jacket and guess who appeared again. “Excuse me, Excuse me”. I waved him off and tried not to laugh. There was something humorous about his approach. It’s was downright unbelievable how nice, polite and persistent this guy was. I also started to feel kind of sorry for him. He was trying so hard. I returned to the restaurant and told Deb what happened and she couldn’t believe the guy was still on us. It was going on over 4 hours.
I began to feel more sorry for the guy and told Deb I was just going to give him some money. She discouraged it for good reasons and had a valid point that if I just give him money it might give him the idea to be more persistent with other travelers. She also reasoned that his behavior was above and beyond unusual. Was it a desperate Easy Rider hurting to make a buck or a guy with obsessive tendencies?
When we left the restaurant guess what? He appeared again. “Excuse me, Sorry, Sorry. Tomorrow I can pick you up at 7 or 8:30 for a tour?” He was incredibly polite but Deb very nicely and firmly told him no. He seemed to take it all right and finally responded with a simple “Ok”. We watched him ride off into the darkness and actually felt a mix of guilt and sadness for the poor guy. He was just so nice and polite but Deb and I were simply not interested and in our exhausted state, from a long day of travel, didn’t want to make and plans……
We kind of half way expected to see him the next morning in front of our hotel but I guess he finally got the message. After a couple of days in Dalat we will head on to Saigon and make arrangements to take a boat up the lower Mekong River and cross into Cambodia. I'm steadily making my way back to Bangkok where I'll end this journey and fly home.
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