Scammed in Colombo!

I thought that I was smart enough to avoid being scammed. Well, it happened anyway. After the fact so many things about the day in Colombo were obvious. My mind went ding-ding-ding as I went back over it. Of course, my family members know that I have a tendency to take things straight as they come and not be doubtful about the source. (Subtlety can go right over my head.)

We had signed up for a tuk-tuk tour through a third-party vendor (not the cruise line). We were told to meet up at the lighthouse, very close to where the shuttle from the ship would drop us off. As we walked toward a huge row of tuk-tuks, looking for a driver holding a card with our name, it didn’t appear that any of them were doing that. A young man approached us, said he worked on the ship but was going to visit his family and did we have a problem. (first ding) I said we didn’t know where our tuk-tuk was but I had a number to call. He kindly dialed the number and talked to the man on the end. When he gave me the phone, the driver said he had broken his foot and couldn’t come. (Ding)

The young man (he said his name was Shantha) told us that there were government-sponsored tuk-tuks and he would take us to one nearby. The driver he found agreed that he had a meter and that he could take a card as payment, as we had no Sri Lankan currency. (Ding)

We got in and had a very good tour riding through Colombo. Some pictures below. As we were ready to finish and head back, Shantha just happened to appear. He said he had seen his family and was on the way back. (Ding) He said the meter reading was xxxx (it was only on the driver's phone, ding) and the driver couldn’t take a card after all. So we went to an ATM and Dan got some Sri Lankan currency. The total seemed high, but we paid him. (Ding) Shantha got in with us and directed the driver to the pickup spot for the ship shuttle. From there it was no problem; the bus arrived a few minutes later. As we settled back in our room, a huge light bulb went on over my head and I realized what had happened. I had several messages from our real driver, who had been there waiting, but not where we had been able to see him. Big lesson learned! 

It is clear that Shantha doesn’t work for the cruise line and is an accomplished scam artist, as is the driver. We were easily duped. However, we did see a good part of Colombo and enjoyed the ride in the tuk-tuk.

I could be really angry, but have decided to chalk it up to another life experience. I am embarrassed, but not too much to avoid sharing it with all of you. And nothing terrible happened other than paying way too much for the ride. Thank goodness!!

Selfie in the tuk-tuk. There was a nice breeze!

Driver. He told us a lot about himself but now I wonder what was true.

Gangamaraya Buddhist temple

Pounded copper doors inside

One of the many rooms

Lotus tower 

Hindu temple; we didn't go in

We are now on the ship for a few days without any stops where we are disembarking. (Today Hambantota, Sri Lanka, which is far from any town. And on the 5th, Phuket, Thailand, where we went last year and don't intend to return.) Our next stop is Penang, Malaysia.