After my taxi incident, you would think that I would have learned. And I did, but not thoroughly enough. I blame exchange rates. I think that every country should use the US Dollar*. That would make things easy.
Know Your Prices
I got hustled within 60 seconds of being in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, aka Saigon). Rule #1 of traveling is to pay attention to your money. That’s both in terms of watching out for pickpockets and in terms of getting hustled. I forgot rule #1. It took me about 15 minutes to realize that it may have happened and another 10 hours to confirm it, but yeah, it happened.
Austin is a food town
Over the past several years, I have heard from several friends and from countless articles that “Austin is a food town.” I didn’t pay much attention to that statement, since I lived in DC and DC is a really good town for food. With it’s huge metropolitan footprint and international population, you can find whatever cuisine you’re looking for with ease, and new fusion restaurants are popping up constantly to add new variety to the mix. But Austin takes food to a whole different level.
Segways- They’re not as bad as you think
When you’re thinking of touring a city on two wheels, you probably expect the wheels to be one in front of the other like those on a bicycle or maybe a motorcycle if you’re daring. A pair of wheels strapped next to each other on a short board with a steering column is probably not your first thought when it comes to traversing a city’s streets, but you may want to reconsider. The Segway has been called “a revolution in transportation,” “the future of urban commuting,” and “the goofiest thing I’ve ever seen.” And all of these are true, and it’s a lot of fun to boot.
Talking To Locals
Before my trip to Italy, I spent a few months learning the basics of Italian. I wasn’t trying to get fluent, but I wanted to be able to say a few basic phrases and muddle my way through a conversation if I wanted to go to a restaurant or bar that wasn’t frequented by tourists. So I tried to learn the phrases that I thought I’d need most often. “Can I have a beer, please?” “Where is the bathroom?” “I’m sorry.” “Can I talk to a lawyer?” Stuff like that.
Kung Fu Retreat- Continued
Despite the issues on my first day at the kung fu retreat at the Qi Alchemy Loft, I decided to soldier on. Mainly because I was optimistic about what the rest of the week would bring, despite evidence to the contrary. All in all, I can’t really say the kung fu retreat was a bad experience, nor was it a good one. It was somewhere in between, with both high and low points.
Kung Fu Retreat- Day 1
After my disastrous performance at the meditation retreat (details here and here), I thought that I should give it another shot, but with less ‘meditation’ and more ‘doing stuff that’s not meditation.’ So I dug around on the internet and I found a week-long kung fu retreat in Ft Lauderdale, Florida (which is where all true kung fu is taught, of course).
Running With The Bulls In Pamplona
Ever since Hemingway wrote about the running of the bulls in The Sun Also Rises, tens of thousands of people from around the world flock to Pamplona, Spain for the festival of San Fermin. Starting at noon on July 6th of every year, this festival is, among other things, in honor of Saint Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona. But I’d bet that 99% of the visitors don’t know that and they don’t care. They’re here for the bulls. More specifically, they’re here to run with the bulls.
Buskers
Several years ago, I read an article about Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist who played at a DC Metro station in the guise of a street busker at a DC Metro station. (I can’t find the original Washington Post article, but I was able to find this and this) Over the course of 45 minutes, Bell played a $3.5 million dollar Stradivarius on a street corner. Commuters tipped him a total of $32. Two nights prior, Bell had performed at a sold out show where seats went for $100 or more.
Pickpockets
Having your pocket picked will ruin your day, ruin your trip, and potentially make you very jaded about the country that you’re visiting. While only a small percentage of the tourist population will fall prey to pickpockets and scammers, there are a few key things that will help you avoid being a victim.