Member-only story
Getting Robbed in Vietnam
How it made me a better traveller.
A few solo trips to adventurous places, and I labelled myself a ‘seasoned traveler’ and got a little cocky. When I first started traveling alone, I admitted to not having any idea what I was doing. Over time I became proud of the far distance I had come in knowing all the hacks to being a “smart backpacker.” By the time I made it to SouthEast Asia, I expected these welcoming countries to be a refreshing breeze compared to my trip through the Middle East, and therefore, perhaps let my guard down a bit. After all, my best friend was coming with me this time.
Or maybe my “guard” wasn’t as good as I ever thought it was.
I was doing everything I knew how to never put myself in a sticky situation though! I separated my money into different places so if I lost some or got pickpocketed I wouldn’t lose everything. I even hid photocopies of my passport in different bags. I didn’t consider the potential of getting hustled by a taxi driver, and him being so good at it that I didn’t even know it was happening.
My travel buddy and I effortlessly hailed a cab from the tourist area in Ho Chi Minh City. We expected to have to argue about whether their meter actually worked or not, as we hopped in at the corner of the Westernized bars and row of hostels of Pham Ngu Lao Street.
