we went out anyway. the streets of ho chi min city were filled with moterbikes and tuk tuks. somehow, i don't know quite how, but it all works. we took a tuk tuk after a lot of walking, it was great fun! once we got off they asked for 150* dong (7.50 uds) much more than the 15 we had thought we booked. we were in one of those positions that happens when you're abroad, trying to figure out how not to take advantage of others or be taken advantage of yourself. we paid only 15 dong (less than a dollar). they didn't put up much of a fight and it turns out we were right! a few of these experiences and a person could become jaded it helps to know before hand and be clear with your expectations to avoid these problems. we always get a kick out of learning the ropes, half of the adventure is earning the respect of the locals. if you know how much stuff should cost and are fair respect usually comes quickly and then you can have a good time. only one other time were we faced with someone who wanted us to pay an exorbant fee and we shooed him away so fast even his fellow peers got a good laugh. getting anywhere in ho chi min city on 15-20 dong is sufficient and if you make the person laugh a little they're even happy to do it. though, most of the time, they'll try to hit you up for just a smidge more when you leave. can't hurt to try!
* dong are actually in thousands so when i say 150 dong i mean 150,000. it's just easier to drop the three zeros.
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