More often than not, ppl are trying to rip me off. I expect it, but it still always pisses me off. Their problem is that i can read and speak arabic, so i get to call them on their bullshit. I actually know my numbers in Arabic way better than in French, so I can see that I stub them everytime when I say "how much in Arabic?" in Arabic.
It's important to gauge the prices of petit taxi rides myself and just hand them the fair fare, rather than asking how much. That's like a wish for robbery. Each city's petit taxis are a different color. And it's important not to confuse the petit an the grands taxis. Grands difference en prix.
Eating street food also requires a bit of smarts. It's not always easy to find places to eat. Cafes are usually swarmed with men who seemingly never saw either a woman or a foreigner before. Skip it. Restaurants cost too much and still, I get the "solement une personne??" skip it. I need a quick, cheap bite.
Desperate to eat before my 5 hour bus journey, all i could find were nearby street food vendors. Hesitant, I choose based on who's frying the most food. Hot oil kills most things, and as long as the oil is clean, I should be set. I don't eat salads or fruit or anything that could be rinsed with water. I go for the fried stuff. So unhealthy yet healthy at the same time. But I just made a huge mistake- I ate without browsing a menu first, I just told him what I wanted (fried chicken and potatoes)... I just paid double for his imaginary menu of cheap ass street food. He was called a harami too.
For about an hour after eating, I worried that id be paying for this meal dearly- fearing that I'd be stuck on a bus for 5 hours without a bathroom. I confused the feeling of fullness with sickness and I debated whether or not I should force myself to puke, just in case. But damnit, for the price I paid, I'm gonna take a gamble and let this meal digest. Bring on the bus!!
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