Tipping

One of the most annoying things on this trip has been the requirement to tip. I don't mind tipping if it is deserved and you show your appreciation of the service but here you tip for everything and I mean everything.

At the first hotel after you had ordered your drinks the waiter refused to leave the table until you tipped him and this was for every drink. The same was for food, even when they brought you the wrong order and it took over an hour they expected a tip.

But by far the worse is at the hotel we're in now. This place is set up as something fancy but really doesn't pull it off. There are more employees than guests. You are constantly surrounded by up to 3 people. If you even talk to them they expect a tip. Now I know and appreciate that they get basic minimum wage and it is basic, but quite frankly the behaviour over requiring a tip is merging on being quite threatening. If they don't feel that the tip given is enough the wait 'til you tip them more.

When we arrived yesterday evening our bags were carried to the room by a kind lady. We had been on a bus for 3 hours having trekked for 7 hours that day, so we were not in the best of moods and we just wanted a shower. When it was clear we had no change, she proceeded to close all the windows, turned the lights on, then re made the made beds, then did something in the garden, came back in did something in the bathroom, then started drawing the curtains, at this point I told her to stop. leave the curtains. I didn't want them drawn and that I was sorry I don't have any change until I had been to reception and at this she left. But it didn't end there Simon went to reception to get some change they said they hadn,t got any but out of nowhere appeared our chalet girl. 'I have. I have' she said, and proceeded to change Simon's 10 dollars all in exchange for a 1 dollar tip.

And again at lunch today, the waiter gave Simon the change however he had to wrestle it out of his hands. It is sad to see this desperate state of poverty and like I said I don't mind tipping as what is £1 to us is £100 to them but it begins to wear you down.