Funniest Thing for March

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is RUTH ERICKSON of Arlington, Virginia:

I took a Nile River cruise-tour with Grand Circle Travel in August-September ’04. I enjoyed the trip very much, taking several long walks in various towns in Egypt. It didn’t take me long to realize that many of the local people I interacted with would like to be tipped for the smallest gesture.

One afternoon in Aswan I decided to take a carriage ride. I tried to explain I only wanted a one-way ride to the market, but the driver insisted on waiting for me and taking me back to the ship, which he did an hour later.

After I paid him and tipped him, he went through the motions of repeatedly wiping his brow and pointing at his horse. We couldn’t help but laugh at how innovative he was. In his limited English, he told me his horse was very hot and tired and deserved a tip too!