A walking ATM!


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Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Hanoi
June 20th 2005
Published: June 30th 2005
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A walking ATMA walking ATMA walking ATM

Walking ATM with accompanying conical hat and pole basket
I'm startin to tire of Hanoi. It's a mix of heat, sensory overload and continual harrasment..I am treated like a walking ATM..people lining up to take cash out.."Want motorbike, Sir?" asks a guy...No, thanks I say..and then another asks ...."Want motorbike, Sir?" . Yet Another drives up beside me
"Want motorbike?"
"No thanks"
He drives up beside me again, "Want Marjiauna?"
"No thanks"
Same guy drives up yet again "Want motorbike?"
"No"
Same guy drives up yet again "Want Marjiauna?"

I book a ticket for a tour to Halong Bay at Anh 2 hotel, they say they can cash travellers cheques but as soon as I countersign I'm whisked off through the streets ....we come to a big block of cars and bikes... horns are going like crazy..."What's the matter?" I shout. "No problem just a man dead - he was old man", the driver laughs. We arrive at a tiny jewellers where I pay more commission and get less than the rate they promised...
Later I find out I paid 10 dollars more than some of the others on my trip.

The harrasment continues beggars, want bike, want bike again...want marijuana.....want fruit.....eat at my restaurant etc. Some of the women with the conical hats and pole baskets tap me and grab me by the arm to draw my attention to their wares....Eventually I cave in to one..I want to take photo of her but instead she takes a photo of me...The fruit is delecious, the pole basket heavy...life is surely hard for most of these people...and I should surely be more tolerant....


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