Seminyak, Indonesia
I am a terrible haggler. I think I have sucker written on my forehead. The western guilt I used to carry on my shoulders has lessened since I first started traveling. Unfortunately this has not improved my ability to barter in the slightest. I think a key factor that contributes to my hopeless haggling ability in Maths. I suck at Maths even more than I suck at haggling. The other big factor is that I hate saying no. The word seems so toxic when it come out of my mouth.
Today I tried to buy some cheap flips flops to cover my naked feet. 450,000rp the young Balinese male said. I stared at him in a daze, 'hold on isn't that 40 Australian dollars' I asked myself. 'There is no way he would even try and get me to buy a pair of rip off thongs for forty dollars' I told myself. "Maybe it's 4 dollars and the argument in my head continued' My dazed look set me up. He began smiling broadly ('"this dumb broad is considering it'", is what I am convinced he said to his mate beside him). Finally I reply with "that's to expensive". Then the supposed fun began. I got the price down to 100,000rp which was still 10 times more than they were worth (even in Australia). I handed over the money, because I am way to nice. I smiled at him and said "I know you are ripping me off", he smiled smugly back. So I marched of in my rip of, Rip Curl thongs, cursing myself.
I have had to walk back past him three times already today and he smiles and waves and tries to get my attention. I call back "these flip flops are hurting my feet, I think I was better of bare foot" He laughs, and so do I. I am hoping my bartering skills develop soon.
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