Monday, September 03, 2007

Turist => pay

Through all the SE Asia travels I've done so far it has been the same... after a bus arrives at an destignation it gets swarmed by taxi/bike drivers offering a ride and accomodation. ...Just people trying to make a leaving, nothing unusual there...

As I was just finishing of the post about my Vietnam trip, I got remained of a bit of an unusual situation that happened once I got of the bus in Mui-Ne, that earned me a nick name 'Sheep' with the locals for the duration of the stay.

As the bus ride form HCMC was some 6h, first thing I wanted to do was to get to a toilet... so somehow I comunicated to one of the many guys wanting to pick up tursts that I'll be back... Then while making a way from a toilet to a bar to grab some water I made an eye contact with that guy in the group, indicating to wait a bit longer... After I was finally ready to sort out the accommodation, and was going back to meet this group, some 5-10 of them now. As I was approaching one of them came forward with his right hand high, as though to give me a 'high five' ... I extended my hand forward, palm facing up, upon which he slapped it pretty hard, while giving me a visit-card of some hostel. Then he grabbed my arm and started dragging me, at the same time saying something in Vietnamese... I'd guess something along the lines of 'this one's mine'. Naturally, I didn't want to have any of this, and I stopped, trying to explain that I'm not a 'live stock'... I was using body language and cow, horse, sheep sounds... Though, in that initial moment I got a bit upset, it turned out to be a good laughter for all. And since they are all staying around the place where that guy I made an initial contact with took me, around there I was know as Sheep, something sounding like:

beyNee...!

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