Hesitate once, look side to side, have a camera around your neck, or have a map in your hand and they will own you. It looks harmless at first. They walk up and point to something or they offer some small suggestion as you walk by. The next thing you know, they are leading you by the nose. Mind control? Maybe. More likely they have refined the art of contact and often these days they are in disguise. Touts and hawkers are all over the world. Come to this restaurant or do you want to know the history of that building. Maybe it's, "want some silver at the best price". They have always been here but this trip they seem everywhere. The guys in the picture without a tourist vest are touts. Sneaky touts for sure. They look like grandfathers and are actually controlling the "tour guides" with the vests on. In fact they intercept the "marks" as they run away from the guys with the vests and shirts and big credential neck tags. I was sitting the other day watching them work and it is true art. They read the minds of the tourists in the street and then pounce on them. Just a word or two then they let them go only to catch them again off guard when they return. The tourists are primed for the kill. Sometimes they catch and release then move to the other side of the plaza and fry them when they walk across. I wonder if anyone ever thinks ..."how did this guy get over here so fast"?
So I would advise, look down, walk fast, stop for nothing, no camera around the neck, bag your souvenirs, and eat early. I wish you luck.
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