I’m slowly accepting the fact that we’ll have to go to a travel agent to get plane tickets to Rome. I didn’t want to do that. Chinese travel agents don’t seem very trustworthy to me. Everything is a package deal. They don’t want you to just get plane tickets. They also try to sell hotel rooms, guided tours, shopping sprees, almost anything. I just want plane tickets.
I’ve heard stories about some of these tours. They take a bus full of people out to see what the tour guide wants to see and then dump everyone at some shopping area where the owners pay the guides to bring in the tourists. I’m going to Rome. I want to see what I want to see. Some group tour in Chinese isn’t what I’m looking for. I’m sure I’ll do plenty of shopping – more than Ryan wants – but my kind of shopping isn’t the same as a bunch of old Chinese people shopping.
I’ve also heard that the tour guides take everyone’s passports and don’t give them back until all the shopping is over. That’s completely unacceptable. My passport stays with me.
I’m not saying Chinese tour guides are con artists because they’re Chinese. It’s probably more about being able to get away with it. Most American businesses will rip you off if given half a chance.
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No hate, please. There's enough of that in the world already.