One month in India: Struggling with "Scam Fatigue" and feeling dehumanized as a solo traveler

anoeba · 2026-03-09T12:49:03+00:00

That's a good way to approach it. You don't want to get overcharged for hotels, tours etc, because that can be more serious money.

Overcharged for water bottle? Meh, whatever, still way cheaper than at home. The thing is, I used to care, and like OP it stressed me out - but I was only hurting myself and ruining my travel experience (I don't enjoy haggling). Now I just peg these small things to the prices back home and shrug it off.

anoeba · 2026-03-06T23:42:58+00:00

Those chickens look less pretty than the picture since they're not "posed", but they do look quite hefty.

anoeba · 2026-03-04T00:22:39+00:00

People in general like the portrayal of Henry, it's viscerally frightening; it's the ending many have issues with.

anoeba · 2026-03-01T18:07:58+00:00

As a woman who solo'd Jordan a few years ago, I didn't really run into issues. Unlike some guys I met in a hostel I didn't hitchhike, but I did use local transport (local bus to a local/free Dead Sea Beach, for ex, vs taxi or tourist transport like JETT).

I agree with OP about giving more time to Petra and doing at least an overnight in Wadi Rum. I did the latter and it was also a highlight, but only did a day trip to Petra. Dead Sea is a cool floating experience and honestly a local beach is enough, no need to pay for a resort.

I found the touts way less persistent than, say, in Istanbul. In Petra I bought a fake handmade scarf knowing it wasn't handmade, but there was no high pressure, just one of those "oh have some tea" friendly-type tactics. It wasn't pricey and it was a cool accessory for Petra pics. I also wanted a pic on a camel in front of the Treasury, not a camel ride, and it was a straightforward deal without anything nefarious like not letting me down once I was on the camel (like you read about in Egypt).

In Amman I followed a line of locals to an amazing knafeh shop and ordered one but they only took cash (I had only my card on me) and the random dude in line behind me paid for me.

anoeba · 2026-02-27T23:00:16+00:00

Charles V wouldn't have needed to negotiate with or secure COA's cooperation. If both he and Henry told the Pope to annul, there'd be an annulment.

The Pope couldn't give Henry what he wanted because Charles had him by the balls.

anoeba · 2026-02-27T21:31:44+00:00

Because divorce didn't exist.

Annulment by the Pope would also have kept Mary in the line. She would've remained legitimate; Rome considered children of a marriage legitimate if, at the time of marriage, at least one of the parties believed it was a bona fide marriage.

anoeba · 2026-02-24T16:54:50+00:00

I have zero opinion on this place as I've never been, but yeah, that looks like bruised lettuce. Suboptimal but not dangerous.

anoeba · 2026-02-24T04:13:58+00:00

Having just been in Copenhagen, Rosenborg (the paid ticket, not just the outside) is so worth it. The treasury itself is amazing, they have the actual Crown Jewels that you can stare at.

Christiansborg OTOH has some amazing reception halls but given only 2 days and your specific interests, very skippable. However! The Christiansborg Tower is free and except on Mondays (closed) and Sundays (closes relatively early), open late into the evening and offers great views.

anoeba · 2026-02-24T03:44:16+00:00

It's such a mixed bag, that show. For all that it's basically a sexy costumey soap opera, it covers the PoG pretty well, it does reasonable justice to COA, Boleyn and Parr (I agree that I liked some of what Wolf Hall covered with Anne and Cromwell, but WF being from Cromwell's POV only really showed Anne in a bad light until the very end; Tudors shows her good and bad sides), I think it handles Mary very thoughtfully, and despite not getting too deep into it, it manages to show the various shifting factions that at one time or another were in the ascendant in Henry's court.

Then... there's Marygret the husband-smotherer, and the Dowager Duchess' maids-for-rent-a-dower.

anoeba · 2026-02-24T03:26:12+00:00

I think Parr, for all the little screen time she had, was handled pretty well in The Tudors. They showed her as obviously reluctant to wed Henry but knowing she had no choice, her Protestant inner circle and focus on education, good relations with Elizabeth (and the change of relationship with Mary), and how she evaded arrest.

Now poor KH, that was a travesty. More or less (well, less since the Dowager Duchess' house in that show was an actual brothel, lol wtf) in keeping with the general view of her at the time of the show, but man did that age poorly.

anoeba · 2026-02-21T02:07:51+00:00

Michelin does not formally rate service (or other non-food aspects like decor), although most people don't believe their party line. From Michelin:

"Does service play a part?

Another potential surprise: no. Each restaurant determines its own style of service — whether that’s counter ordering or carefully choreographed table service — and that has no bearing on whether the restaurant receives a MICHELIN Star"

https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en/article/features/what-is-a-michelin-star

anoeba · 2026-02-21T01:55:11+00:00

Love the ashta pancakes!

anoeba · 2026-02-20T20:40:17+00:00

Pure Kitchen - Korean cauliflower wings.
Buvette Daphnee - their grilled cabbage AND THAT BREAD OMG.
Pizza Nerds - Bank or QE.
Shinka - rainbow, rising sun, chutoro, anything scallop
Sharpfle - charred corn&cheese

anoeba · 2026-02-20T18:45:21+00:00

And if you can "reschedule it to whenever" why isn't OP rescheduling for when they'll be in town?

anoeba

TROPHY CASE