Trouble in Paradise
The recent news of the rape and murder of British holidaymaker Katherine Horton in Thailand is sad news indeed and my sympathies go to her family and friends but the recent arrest of two local fishermen got me thinking about my own experiences of travelling alone in the poorer parts of the world.
Every year thousands of young women from wealthy western countries go to far-flung corners of the world hoping to get a taste of adventure or paradise on a shoe-string. They are often well educated, confident and in the bloom of their beauty and youth but also sadly naive of the dangers that lurk below the surface in countries rich in history and natural beauty but blighted by poor education, poor social development and poverty. These are not the places where a young woman should travel alone but bolstered by an unrealistic abundance of confidence they believe that the world in their oyster.
I lost count of the times this would happen, I could tell you so many stories. I could be in a bar, on a train or sitting somewhere admiring a view when quite by chance I would strike up conversation with some local men in the vicinity and while away the time discussing life and the ways of the world. Many times these were innocent meetings of mind but sometimes, as the beer flowed or familiarity set in the conversation would take a dark turn and my host would elaborate on subjects not suitable for polite conversation blithely ignoring my stony glare and pursed lips. Don’t get me wrong, what I’m telling you is not racial slander, I know that these men are of poor education and lowly background and not representatives of their nation but there are many that share their world-view. Usually it starts with complementary remarks about the beauty of western women, their pale skin and international favourite, blonde hair. Then it moves on to their revealing clothes and drinking in public or even the fact that they travel without family which leads to the conclusion that they are all wanton nymphomaniacs then whores, then he may start to brag how many he has slept with and what they did together [undeniably a fantasy] but there are a few times when the conversation turned to rape and I would make my excuses and leave. When surrounded by drunken men after dark in unfamiliar territory its no time to start lecturing.
In a few locations favoured by western back-packers I observed gangs of young men sitting on the edge of the beach or skulking in the alleyways behind bars, it was clear by their dress and the animosity of the locals that they were not from those parts. So during conversations with locals I would slip in enquiries about the shadowy outsiders I had seen here and there, they were reluctant at first but somehow I have always been someone that people want to take into their confidence. The story was that they were coming in from neighbouring villages to steal from westerners, get drunk and ogle western women - tolerated by the local people because they kept out of their way and by the police by paying bribes they eyed the passing women like hungry predators and I feared then that they could be up to more serious mischief.
In conclusion. Young women beware, the world may be your oyster but it is not your playground. Always stay in groups with other westerners and ideally travel with a male family member, boyfriend or husband. Don’t take unnecessary risks and if you have an argument with your travelling companion don’t be tempted to travel alone, especially at night and seek the company of other westerners. The local police cannot be trusted to look after your welfare and have a vested interest in giving the impression that your locality is safer than it really is. I have been told some harrowing stories over the years and many of them first hand accounts. You only ever hear of the worst stories in the press and a moment’s thoughtlessness can leave you with regrets that you will live with for the rest of your life.
