Our Laos and Cambodia tour has officially ended and we're back on Vietnamese territories. Just within 5 mins on their soil, Kh and I are harshly reminded of how aggressive and dishonest Vietnamese can be. If Laos is bad, Cambodia is worse, and Vietnam tops the list. It just goes to show what development can do to a country and its people, though of course I'm certain the situation will change for the better if it were out of poverty.
Needless to say, we got scammed about $30 by some unscrupulous Vietnamese, and I was extremely irritated with the all-too-familiar push on the shoulder,"OEI! Buy from me!" However, I'm thankful we didn't lose a lot of money, and it was a good learning experience.
Having said that, I also think getting scammed is part and parcel of travelling, especially in poverty-stricken places like these. There are certain things you wouldn't know, and you wouldn't have known unless you've been there. Nevertheless, I will not let my good impression of Vietnam be tarnish because of this one-time scam. Vietnam is a beautiful country and there are places which I'd love to revisit.
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