trains, planes, and auto rickshaws

The last few days have been as rewarding as they have been difficult.

Two nights ago, while on a walk, I noticed a group of people feeding a cow food on the street. I stopped, asked if I could make some photos. They said yes, and handed me a samosa. It was the first time since I've been here that I felt really embraced by someone who I didn't know. It was great.

Following that, I went to bed around 8, and woke up at 2:30 am, unable to fall back asleep. Jet lag has taken a few days to get over. I get up, and go to the roof on the top of the hotel to watch the sunrise. It was about 30 degrees cooler than my room. It was quiet, the first peaceful moment I've had since I've been in India. I made a photo that I like and hope to post it soon.

Following that, we needed to get back to the bazaar to return Loren's pants and practice haggling without a guide. First, we needed to hire a rickshaw. After consulting a guidebook as to how much we should expect to pay for a ride to Connaught place, we break out of Pahar Ganj in search of a reasonable rickshaw.

We find someone who will take us for 20Rs, after being turned down by 6 or more drivers... but he doesn't take us all the way to the entrance. He leaves us quite a walk to the bazaar. We insist. He declines. We insist harder. He absolutely declines and demands payment. He walks to another rickshaw with a driver who speaks english. The driver says he will give us a ride to the bazaar for free because we look upset. We thank him profusely, and pay the rickshaw driver his bill. He won't accept the bill because there is a little tear in it, so we have to get another.

On the way to the entrance, the younger, English speaking driver tells us that we just don't understand how things work in India. I agree. Then, he says that we shouldn't go to the Palika Bazaar anyways. First he says it is closed. Then he says that they won't have clothes, but that another shopping center that he knows will. We insist on going to the bazaar. He insists we're wasting our time.

We get to the bazaar, and it's open. We knew it would have clothes because we had been there yesterday. Once again, someone is trying to scam us to going to their friend's place of business, where we will be ripped off and he will get a cut of the spoils.

The bazaar is just openning up, so we decided to go grab some food, and stumble onto a McDonalds. A beefless, curry flavored McDonalds experience. They have vegetarian everything, a few chicken sandwiches.. It was funny.

Next, we go to a coffee shop called Barista Cofee, where their internet site said they had wireless service available. After getting directions from several people who tried to get us to go to the tourist informations center, we find ourselves walking under the streets to cross in subway-style tunnels. We see people doing heoine.

"Sir, sir! Look at the monkey shit on your shoe!" says a man carrying a makeshift shoe polish kit. We walk faster. We read about these scam artists, who first soil your shoe and then overcharge you to clean it off. "Ma'am, do you see the shit on his shoe?" I give him an annoyed look. Again, we walk faster. He keeps badgering. "Sir! Look at the shit!" Loren sternley replies with "Nahine!" and the man walks away.

We get to the coffee house. Loren cleans his shoe. We ask if they have internet. They say yes. We order cappuccino and sweets. The internet doesn't work. On second questioning, we find out they don't actually have a wireless service currently available.

I am so frustrated I feel like I could cry. Loren and I look at eachother, sigh, and start to laugh. What else can you do?

We go back to the bazaar. Loren exchanges his pants, and I practicing my haggling successfully. Someone quoted me a price of 1560 rs for these 2 tops I wanted, and I haggled them down to 350 rs. Could it have gone lower? Probably... but not by much. I chalk it up to a victory.

That night, my stomache was feeling upset and I was exhausted. We watched Rang de Basanti, and went to bed by 9pm. I actually slept through the night until 6:15. I think I have pretty much beaten my jet lag.

This morning I escaped to the roof again for a quiet place to journal, and 2 mokeys walked by.

In an hour and a half, my train leaves for Nanded. It is a 26 hour trip. We are in a sleeper car with AC, so it should be a nice ride. I am looking forward to learning more Hindi, learning Yoga, getting out of the congestion of the city, and not having to hire rickshaw drivers for a few months.