Sixty One Degrees

Taking the waters

Héviz, Hungary

It's -4°C, snowing, and I'm swimming in an outdoor pool. I'm taking the waters at Héviz, a five hectare natural thermal pool in central Hungary.

The water temperature is supposedly 25°C today but it's the coldest 25°C I've encountered. Inside the covered pavilion it's a much more civilised 33°C.

My ticket is good for three hours but after thirty minutes I'm already getting bored with paddling around. The novelty of swimming in snow is wearing off. But most of my swimming companions, all sixty plus and here in search of medical cures, will be here all day and every day for two or three weeks. The minimum for a course of "the waters".

But I'm done. It's off to a town with a younger crowd and a bit more life. Off to Budapest!

Portrait of a scam artist

Bucharest, Romania

He called himself Ionu, he said he was from Israel. He had all the classic traits of a scam artist.

1. Establish that the target is a foreigner

"Do you have the time?", said in Romanian. "Oh, you speak English", said in English with great "surprise".

2. Establish empathy

"I'm not from Bucharest either. I'm studying in Timosoara but I'm actually from Israel. I don't really like Bucharest, too many thieves and scam artists" (isn't that just brilliant? And a student too? Who would have thought)

3. Appear helpful

"Do you know it's a holiday this weekend, you might have trouble getting a train ticket at the station. But you can still get one at the office in the city."

4. But not too helpful

"The office is just across the park, near the Palace. Just ask anyone for the CFR office".

5. But then come along anyway

"I'll just show you where the park is. Well, I've got nothing else to do now, I can show you a bit further"

6. Set up the sting

"Did you know that the real exchange rate is ten times what the money exchange offices say. No? I didn't either for a couple of weeks but then discovered the special government ATM's that give the proper rate. They even take Visa! There's one near to where we are going." (That's convenient)

7. Get the target alone

"Right, now we need to take a taxi to the train office" (suddenly the story's changing), "The government taxi rank is just over there" (scammers love calling everything "government", adds to the sense of security)

At this point I called a halt to proceedings by claiming an urgent meeting with an imaginary friend. "I'll go to the office after that".

How would it have gone after that? My guess is I'd be encouraged to withdraw some money from the "special government" ATM, giving the scammer a chance to spot my pin number or at least ensure a full wallet.

Then it would have been "Let's take this car. Private taxi, cheaper than the marked ones". At that stage you'd be led in to his accomplices car, driven off to some deserted spot and stripped of everything. That's my guess at least.

By when I've got some time on my hands I don't mind stringing them along for a while. Just don't go to any dark corners or get in any cars.

Ice, ice baby

Smolyan, Bulgaria

It's cold outside. Really cold.

I decide to go skiing today and manage to get a lift to the ski fields with three instructors. They tell me that it's -12 deg C in the town today and -18 on the mountain. In the north of Bulgaria the mercury has dropped to -34.

Luckily I bought a pair of woollen gloves in Istanbul for 65 cents.