A millionaire in Ho Chi Minh

Baaaaaad!
Sorry you had such a bad experience in HCMC. Funny how it's different for different people. We love it so far but then we live way out of town and only venture into the city occasionally. Good luck with the rest of your travels.

Hmmm.....
I was saddened to read about your negative experiences. I know that first impressions can often be instrumental in ruining a trip, however, I still hope you will give Vietnam a chance. I came here with the intention of staying for 1 year at the most. I have now been here for 3. Vietnam is by far, much safer than the UK even if petty theft and fraudulent attempts to 'rip you off' are quite prevalent in certain areas. What you need to remember though is that most people here earn a pittance and the general attitude towards westerners is that we are so rich that we won't miss a few pounds. While I admit this attitude seems wrong from our perspective, many Asians tend to live for the moment and will generally sink any extra income they make from people like you or me into caring for their families, which, on refection, doesn't leave such a bad taste in ones mouth. Anyway, happy travels Jessica :)