Dear female solo stays safe is the most important. Trust your gut when someone approaches to you and you feel unsafe, leave them and walk away. Be aware you travel at your own risk, so you are the one who takes the responsibility of your safety. Do not trust anyone easily just to be nice is fine but you have to set the boundaries. There is a time to be nice, and there is a time to take care of you too. Say [YES] when you want to say [NO] no guilty or regret to say NO to people that you feel uncomfortable with, you are not rude but self-care. I love traveling solo to anywhere, but as the female solo there is the chance to dangerous and safety concern. Here I will share my bad habit and experience when traveling.
To respond with the idiots is not to play
I went to Phu Quoc Island; the bus was stopped at the middle way it could not move because of the protesters gathering. I arrived to the border was pretty late; the sky was going darkness so I could not catch the ferry to the island. I spent a night in [Hatien] where is the border between Cambodia-Vietnam. It had nothing to do there, so quiet no tourist, and I just I walked around the small city, found the seafood store [Street food]. I just sat down for beer and some food, suddenly two guys came to me and asking me to join with their table, I responded with nice sound [NO] thank you I am fine with my beer. But they still keep asking me over again and again, to be nice to people so I said well, okay I might be drink with you guys for one or two drink then I back to my hostel. One bottle finished they gave me another bottle, I took it. I have finished two bottles already I told them I had to go back now. One guy stood up and touched my hand, oh fuck up here I said [Do not touch me] I looked at them very seriously and said again [Do not touch me] took off your hand right now. I tried to be nice to people but they did not really respect me; I knew they wanted to get me drunk. They speak a little bit English and some mandarin. So here is not only my bad experience but also lesson to learn. Watch out and set your boundaries of [Being nice] do not harm but take no shit. Respond to these people you have to act strong and give them the serious face, and walk away.
Day drunk in Mandalay
When travel solo I always keep telling myself not too much beer MJ. But she is a damn drinker after one or two beer cannot control anymore, follow your heart but take your brain with haha……. My heart wants beer but my brain is still in control so after three beers, it drunk already so just follow the heart absolutely.
At that time I visited Mandalay is the one city of Myanmar, I walked through to the local place, because the weather is too hot, I was looking for ice-coffee but I could not find it. Keep walking to another blocks I found one store, I thought it was the coffee shop but it wasn’t, they served beer only. Well, coffee or beer I am fine, just need something cold to drink it would be awesome with beer hehe…. I am easy to get drunk, when it is day time. So I know my limited but…………………………..wait after three beers talking to the local was so fun and we didn’t even understand each other at the time. I speak English they speak their dialogue but we could spend three hours of laughing, I thought this call [Body Language] and the world understand this. I was completely drunk, loss of control I tried to walk away from the store because all of them are men. I knew was not safe if I drunk and slept here. Walking about 1Km from the store I saw some grannies she was cooking her food, first glance I saw the wooden chair, I just laid down there for a small nap, but what…………then I woke up with many people stared at me oh damn shit MJ, what were you doing here? How could I do that drunk and sleep in the street? It does not sound hilarious but the best experience ever no more no more for me. Stay safe is the most important!
Door alarm could save me
I am here sharing you about my bad experience staying at one hostel in LuangPrabang [Laos] I was checked in the hostel, one guy approached and stared at me in impolite way, his eyes kept up and down. When it came to night time the owner was invited us for small drink, I would say [Yes] just nice and polite to people. We had a fun night with other travellers, one Indian guy also in the group who stayed at the next door, I went to bed about 12am, and fell asleep quickly. I put door alarm whenever I traveling solo, about 3am I heard super noisy alarm in my room oh NO I ran to the door, I could hear the footstep ran into the next door of mine. He tried hard to push the door; luckily I have put the door alarm at that time that could wake me up. This is crucial! If you don’t have get it one now.
Don’t trust people easily
Hochiminh-Vietnam is like my second home, I went there often for traveling and health checkup. I damn like the street food in HCM. I have known one guy, he is a motorbike driver. He can speak a little English, he always there at the bus station waiting for me once I arrived to HCM. One day he invited me to visit his family and wife. When he was asking me like that I didn’t know what to do, I paused for a while and thought should I go with him or [say NO] thank you. I know as the female solo you don’t have to trust someone easily but he looks so nice guy, so I don’t want to refuse his good heart to me. Actually i had only 50% on trusting him not a 100%, so I bet it to figure out he is a nice guy or not. He came to pick me up at bus station and we drove so far from town. The first he told me drive about 15 minutes but it was not he was driving to the tiny road there was no one there. I started to worry, a bit nervous what would I do if he is a bad guy? I better leap from the bike or wait till he did something to me? Oh no so scary here not a joke man. I was asking him when we arriving to your home, then he said SOON miss. Yeah five minutes later we reached to his house. I feel a little bit better, his wife gave me the glass of water I didn’t drink it. It is time to be nice and it is time to take care of you. He sent me back to town I gave him some USD for transportation. Finally, I could figure out he is a nice guy and I was safe. But don’t do this like MJ; you are not lucky all the time. Learn to say NO and trust your gut is the most important.
All these experiences hope it can be helpful for female solo. Learn from my lessons &mistakes but don’t repeat my ass**hole.
