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Vietnam is a beautiful place and I had an amazing time on the back of a motorbike for five days touring through the countryside from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh. Once I reached Ho Chi Minh the love I felt for the country was swapped with frustration and hatred for the people. Everything went wrong for me and every person I encountered stole, lied or ripped me off. The worst experience was when I was clubbing with a staff member of my hotel. I was pushed through a trap door in a wall and found myself in the street with six heavily armed men. They demanded that I get into the car as the pointed their machine guns at me. Considering my intoxicated state and the fact that I was taller than everyone, I literally pushed one of them to the ground, swore at them in words I wont repeat and rushed back inside to try find my friend.
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There is a lot of controversy surrounding Koh Phangan and the monthly Full Moon party. I spent one week there recently and had an amazing time. I met some fellow Australians and one of them had the opposite reaction to the event. When he was walking the street a local asked him to hold his smoke, unaware at the time, it was Marijuana. Without a second to react, once he touched it police ran straight over to arrest him. The police on the island are terribly corrupt and framed him holding half of a joint. It was a painfully long experience and in the end had to pay a bribe of 50,000BHT to get his passport back and leave the country.
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Everyone seems to get a case of food poisoning on their travels, especially in Asian countries. When I was in Kuala Lumpur I got Typhoid and have never felt as sick as I was. Three days of vomiting and diarrhea. Not even able to swallow water without bringing it straight back up. I had a flight to the Philippines and knew I had to be hospitalised if I wanted to make it. Although I have many tattoos, needles scare me and getting my first drip was an emotional experience. I had many needles to stop my symptoms and embarrassingly, the whole time I cried while being treated.
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My first overseas trip was a whirlwind adventure and three days into the holiday I missed a flight from London to Cork, Ireland. It wouldn’t be such an issue if I had the correct contact information for the friend meeting me at the airport. He was waiting for me and I never got off the flight. The next one was 12hours away and I had no idea what to do. RyanAir didn’t help me at all and I was in the bathroom crying to my mother in Australia. Fortunately I jumped on the next flight to Dublin because then at least I would be in the same country… Everything worked out in the end!
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I am a ticklish person and the fish foot bath in Thailand was such a horrible experience. Having all of those fish sucking at my feet was enough to make me want to vomit. After a little while I got a bit more comfortable but I wont do it again!
Great stories Gypsy Jessie, you sure showed you had a pair pushing those guys to the ground outside the club in Vietnam. My worst travel story is getting left by the dive boat in Belize while I was still underwater. It all ended up good as there were two other dive boats operating in the area who spotted us and gave us a ride back. Also, your pretty cute! Let me know when your in the southern CA area.
Thanks John. Being an Australian girl who works in mining towns is a sure way to build a thick skin. I am glad that I was drunk, otherwise I may have been terrified of the situation I was in.
That is a huge fear of mine, being left behind under water!!!! I don’t think I would have been very calm at all.
I love CA! Was visiting earlier this year. Hopefully I can get a visa for Canada and be there next year (once I get back from Europe)
Hi “Gypsy”
I have no idea how I ended up on this page, but I found your comments about visiting Ho Chi Minh City incredibly judgmental offensive, and highly suspicious (machine guns? Really now… in the 10 years I’ve been here, never have I seen guns, much less machine guns anywhere).
Then again, this wonderful, vibrant city will eat up and shit out any gullible (and drunk) idiot. Shame you didn’t take the time to explore beyond the backpacker district… The people are lovely.