Guest Editorial

In a past blog, The Net, I ended with a question. What would you have done? I got a very thoughtful reply from June (onboard Albion). June has given me permission to excerpt from it here. June's advice is good for all cruisers and world travelers. Thank you June.

About the Mexican fisherman....you asked a couple of questions at the end of the story, and I'd like to make some comments. First of all, no I don't think you are a fool, but you were tired and felt bad about running over his net.....yes I think you did get taken however. $200 was probably what he makes in a year, or a least a season, and there's the possibility that he is now considering a career in planting nets in the path of future cruisers, if he has the opportunity!

The thought crossed your mind that you probably should have pulled out a $20 bill initially. I think so too. Chris and I have traveled a bit and we have noticed a huge difference in money value and expectations in different countries. Here are some examples: In Ethiopia, before I met Chris, hotels (nice ones) wanted to charge me $70 to $90 (American dollar equivalent)per night. I got the rooms for the equivalent dollar price of $10-$15 a night instead....because my companion was Ethiopian and argued for the Ethiopian rate.

In Thailand, I had a beach cottage for 150 baht,(the equivalent of $3 then, per night). And beach vendors tried to sell me donuts for 250 baht each. They didn't expect me to pay that and expected me to bargain, which i did, and my donuts cost me 20-50 baht each. As I sat there eating them, I listened to the vendor sell donuts to some German tourist. He bought several at 250 baht each! I also bought sarongs for 50 baht each. I watched the same vendor sell sarongs to a Portuguese woman who was on holiday with her Norwegian husband. She bought 4 or 5 for 200 baht each. Then she GAVE the vendor the same amount, that is, 800+ baht as a 'tip". The vendor was shocked, but she didn't say 'no'! My point is, many countries do not expect you to give them what they ask...and through bargaining you do finally learn where the limit is.

Chris, when in Nepal, and also in India, noticed that vendors always first asked him where he was from. The price, he found out directly from a vendor in Nepal, was different for visitors from different countries. Americans and Germans were always charged more-Brits less. It was the perception of the vendors that certain nationalities were richer than others. Also, they expect bargaining, and some nationalities, like Americans, don't bargain. My suggestion is, pay a fair price for things-fair by their country's standards. $200 isn't much for us to lose, but it throws things out of balance somehow when Americans and Europeans throw huge sums of money around. You have to have an idea of what people make before you visit their countries.

I respect the voice of experience. However, Libby and I both have such an aversion to bargaining (haggling) that we would rather avoid going to places where it is necessary. Since that's not possible, we must learn to overcome our inhibitions and to adapt our own behavior to the local norms. That sounds like sound advice for all travelers.