But Asia will always remind you! Or me, because that’s the kind of relationship Asia & I have.
A good portion is my fault, because I forget to adjust my mindset to scam alert when I leave wealthy countries. The tuk-tuk driver that was my cab ride home from the airport since I couldn't find my pick-up, asked to be my guide, since that's how he (& all the tu-tuk drivers) make their living. So I didn't ask him his rates until the morning of day 2, figuring it'd be the same as normal, though not so when they apparently work for a company in the airport! Apparently if you have a job there, you make 4 TIMES what every other tuk-tuk driver charges!
But then, it's the Cambodian way to say, "I didn't tell you right away because I didn't want to upset you." I've heard/read about others hearing this here. And because this IS Asia where logic doesn't exist, it's much better to spring that sort of price hike on people after all is said & done.
Add on that I was feeling a little sick this morning (my guess is the dragon fruit smoothie for breakfast yesterday, though I guess it could be the water I drank after my bottled water ran out, though I did boil it), & you've got a great comedy of errors in the making! I was planning on giving him $60-70 for all 3 days, which he took for the 1.5 we did.. OH, but ONLY after telling me that while he charges $90/day (average is $20-30), he DID NOT HAVE CHANGE FOR THE HUNDRED THAT THE ATM GAVE ME. But then, neither did my $50/night hotel. So he had to drive me to a money exchange. And THEN, not making this up, the fucker complained 1 of the 20s I gave him (he had all 3 I got from the guy) was “too old” & demanded a new one! I gave him the 2 $10s which he also was less-than-satisfied with, but by then I’d headed inside.
SO I decided to give the swim-up bar a try, though I’ve got $60 to get me through today, tomorrow & most of Thursday. Well plus the rest of this week until we get paid on the 30th (I think, or 31st since the 30th is a Sunday).
And God knows I LOVE the temples here, I can’t get enough, but I’ve seen so many & I don’t know what their names all are & they still kind of blur together, even though I just want to see more more more. There are some further away that clearly I couldn’t see today b/c of my transportation issue. Some people on couchsurfing are looking to share tuk-tuks but for those temples I’ve already seen. Given my never-ending money issues on this infernal continent, I’m not going anywhere unless I share one.
& that’s one of the other things about developing Asia. Yes, OF COURSE those of us coming from wealthier countries make WAY more than they do, & ride less of a razor’s edge to abject poverty.& yes, prices look a bit cheaper here. But believing that we can grow money & don’t need or have budgets, plus being nickled-&-dimed for everything including taking your picture can, over time, be a big issue.Yes, I make more. I also get charged WAY MORE for shit back in Korea, so I don’t actually have, well, any leeway. I skipped lunch b/c I had 2 drinks today at the bar. I can’t take out more. I MIGHT be able to get another $10 out, but not even sure about that, since I think it’ll be like $204 & I have $212 in there now. Sooooo great!
BUT the bright side is I saw A LOT of amazing temples already, so if shit doesn’t work, I at least did that. & there’s always the possibility I’ll find others to hang out with & split the cost of some wine or something. Plus I can’t complain about the weather! So I’ll find a was to while away my remaining time, even if it is like I would in Korea.
But Asia will always remind you! Or me, because that’s the kind of relationship Asia & I have.
A good portion is my fault, because I forget to adjust my mindset to scam alert when I leave wealthy countries. The tuk-tuk driver that was my cab ride home from the airport since I couldn't find my pick-up, asked to be my guide, since that's how he (& all the tu-tuk drivers) make their living. So I didn't ask him his rates until the morning of day 2, figuring it'd be the same as normal, though not so when they apparently work for a company in the airport! Apparently if you have a job there, you make 4 TIMES what every other tuk-tuk driver charges!
But then, it's the Cambodian way to say, "I didn't tell you right away because I didn't want to upset you." I've heard/read about others hearing this here. And because this IS Asia where logic doesn't exist, it's much better to spring that sort of price hike on people after all is said & done.
Add on that I was feeling a little sick this morning (my guess is the dragon fruit smoothie for breakfast yesterday, though I guess it could be the water I drank after my bottled water ran out, though I did boil it), & you've got a great comedy of errors in the making! I was planning on giving him $60-70 for all 3 days, which he took for the 1.5 we did.. OH, but ONLY after telling me that while he charges $90/day (average is $20-30), he DID NOT HAVE CHANGE FOR THE HUNDRED THAT THE ATM GAVE ME. But then, neither did my $50/night hotel. So he had to drive me to a money exchange. And THEN, not making this up, the fucker complained 1 of the 20s I gave him (he had all 3 I got from the guy) was “too old” & demanded a new one! I gave him the 2 $10s which he also was less-than-satisfied with, but by then I’d headed inside.
SO I decided to give the swim-up bar a try, though I’ve got $60 to get me through today, tomorrow & most of Thursday. Well plus the rest of this week until we get paid on the 30th (I think, or 31st since the 30th is a Sunday).
And God knows I LOVE the temples here, I can’t get enough, but I’ve seen so many & I don’t know what their names all are & they still kind of blur together, even though I just want to see more more more. There are some further away that clearly I couldn’t see today b/c of my transportation issue. Some people on couchsurfing are looking to share tuk-tuks but for those temples I’ve already seen. Given my never-ending money issues on this infernal continent, I’m not going anywhere unless I share one.
& that’s one of the other things about developing Asia. Yes, OF COURSE those of us coming from wealthier countries make WAY more than they do, & ride less of a razor’s edge to abject poverty.& yes, prices look a bit cheaper here. But believing that we can grow money & don’t need or have budgets, plus being nickled-&-dimed for everything including taking your picture can, over time, be a big issue.Yes, I make more. I also get charged WAY MORE for shit back in Korea, so I don’t actually have, well, any leeway. I skipped lunch b/c I had 2 drinks today at the bar. I can’t take out more. I MIGHT be able to get another $10 out, but not even sure about that, since I think it’ll be like $204 & I have $212 in there now. Sooooo great!
BUT the bright side is I saw A LOT of amazing temples already, so if shit doesn’t work, I at least did that. & there’s always the possibility I’ll find others to hang out with & split the cost of some wine or something. Plus I can’t complain about the weather! So I’ll find a was to while away my remaining time, even if it is like I would in Korea.
