bunduo

The vendors asked me (being 'foreign born') - why the tourists were rushing, why they were rude not to even look up, or why they were so angry with their reponses. I explained as best I could that if they were rushing it most likely was for one of two reasons...they had an itinerary to stick to, a time limit for their stops and had to rush to the tour bus to get to their next stop. Or they were rushing because they heard scare stories about aggressive vendors. Or they were told not to make eye-contact because (heaven forbid) someone would ask them to buy something. Or they snarled a "NO!!" because they were having a bad day, or for any of the already mentioned reasons.

 

All expressed the same sentiment...(and again this is cultural)...it's rude not to greet people, one can say no without being angry or afraid. It is considered "old world" manners here to look someone in the eye and greet each other in passing (Good morning, good day, good afternoon, good evening, good night). Looking someone in the eye and saying "No thank you, we already purchased something like that earlier"...or "You're things look lovely but we don't need anything, thank you.".....or "No thanks but I wish you better luck with another prospective buyer and hope you have a good day." Anything at all to show manners...to acknowledge the vendor as a human being with feelings.

 

TOTTT - Beautifully written. I had to laugh at the posts immediately after yours. It was obvious they didn't read yours. People have the same feelings and emotions regardless of where they live, how much money they have, or the color of their skin. I chat with homeless people all the time. I don't do it because I want to feel morally superior. I do it because I always hated how I felt when I ignored them. The Jamaicans, or anybody, mirror the look we have on our face. If you smile, all of a sudden, the world seems like a much friendlier place. :)

Bunduo, thx for the update! We got quoted 220E for 4, 260E for 6 for Taormina only. Was Luka's English adequate? Was it a fairly new van? What time did you leave T?

-Bob

Bob,

Luka spoke decent English. Was it perfect? No, but he could be understood and he spoke as well as the other guides we had in Naples, Rome, and Florence. Sure, you have to do some deciphering but it also serves as a reminder that you are in a foreign country.

The van was new. We left Taormina at 330pm which was more than enough time to explore. Make sure to walk down to the Villa Communale (public gardens). They are spectacularly beautiful with an awesome view of the sea.

If you have never driven in a foreign country, then you will be in for a treat. In other parts of the world, lanes, speed limits, and traffic signals are just suggestions. It's no different in Italy. Luka, however, drove much more American-style.

-Matt

We, too, booked Sicily Life before the bad reviews started coming in. We changed our reservation to 'Taormina only' which dropped the price to 220 Euro for 4/6 people.

We were some of the first people off the ship. Our driver, Luka, was there waiting for us with a sign in hand. He was on time for the pick up in Taormina, too. He was a good driver and nice kid. I'm sure you could negotiate a similar or better rate when you get off the boat. We chose to keep the reservation for peace of mind of knowing we had something lined up.

Hopefully, this will ease some people's minds a little. Taormina is a really cool town and fun to walk around. Get there early before the ship tours arrive! We had the Greek theatre to ourselves. It was great! :)