Beware of Women Carrying Baskets

Marg and I walked down to Hoi An Old Town today with Casey, Nick and Layla. We were hot and sweaty by the time we got there, so, after browsing just a small number of shops, we found a coffee place with good air con and stopped for lunch and cold drinks.

We weren’t far from the Japanese bridge. I remember being scammed there five years ago, when two women appeared around a corner carrying fruit baskets on shoulder poles. They broke into broad smiles. It was a great photo opportunity. The minute I’d taken my shot, out came their hands for money and they weren’t prepared to accept anything less than a small fortune.

I saw them again today, so I kept my camera down and took a couple of quick shots from a distance. They’re not great shots, but good enough for the purpose of this blog post. Soon I saw them hassling other tourists they’d caught unawares, so I’m sure they didn’t go home empty handed. But at least they didn’t catch me a second time. Once bitten, twice shy!