This really happened. It could have been much worse.
After the first David died I had to start to go on holiday on my own. After about ten years I booked myself a tour with a good travel company to go to Sri Lanka.
We flew out and landed in Columbo where we were taken to our hotel .
After a short sleep I went out to a nearby beach only intending to look and go back. A young man on a Tuc Tuc asked if I would like to see some elephants just up the road. I would of course so in I climbed.
There were no elephants. The Tuc Tuc went through crowded streets at top speed. Getting anxious I asked for the young mans name. He said it was Peter. That should have rung bells because he was clearly Asian.
We travelled quite a long way . I was getting nervous...the young man was pointing out things of interest, specially Buddhist temples. I asked if he was a Buddhist and he said he was.
My alarm levels rose when we started to travel along back streets. Finally we stopped at a small shop.
Going inside the driver was greeted with smiles and was called Wahid. This was I knew a Muslim name.
Now very anxious indeed I was greeted by several young men, obviously delighted to see me.
The shop sold stones, precious stones of all kinds.
It soon became obvious that I was not getting away without buying some of them...
I chose semi precious stones trying very hard not to look at the sapphires which I knew would cost me dear.
After an hour, desperate to get away I bought a sunrise sapphire...it was bright orange. I did not really want it but I understood it was my only way of escape. Using my MasterCard I paid for my stones and was taken back to the Tuc Tuc . Wahid dropped me in the middle of a market area of Columbo. He went quickly. I had little cash with me and had no way of finding my hotel. Nervous of ever going in a Tuc Tuc again I walked...my hotel, the Hilton was the tallest building..I just made for it. It took me a couple of hours where I told my story to the desk clerk.
Nothing they could do! I had obviously been very stupid!
This story shows how easy it is to get abducted in a strange place. Trust no one!
I was very frightened but I still have the ring with my sunrise sapphire to remind me of my gullibility!
I was I now realise lucky . All they were after was my money....it could have been much worse.
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2 comments:
A warning to any of us. It's so easy in the relaxation of a holiday to fall into doing things we would normally think were potentially unsafe - the guard is down.
Yes, a demonstration of our vulnerability, particularly trusting people in distant places. We've always stuck to guides provided by hotels when in the Far East, and never had a problem.
There, but for the Grace of God could go anyone of us.
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