Another Day
I took a night train out of Varanasi to Delhi. It was on time! My train mates were an American family and the first non-Indians I've spoken too since I arrived. They are at the end of their trip and gave me a few pointers on Delhi.
I didn't sleep very well on the train and stumbled out exhausted and sick. I trundled down the platforms to the taxi stand to find a protest. The taxi drivers are on strike. Placards, chanting, stomping, the whole nine yards. Love it!
I suppose I looked a little helpless as some guy asked me where I needed to go. He said my hotel was only 1 km that way and to walk. That jived with the map in my head so on I went. Turned on to the Main Bazaar road (not the major road). Again someone took pity on me and lead me to the government tourist office where I met Manoo. Manoo wants me to change hotels, book tours with outrageous prices, and generally become dependent on him for all my travel needs. After 20 minutes of discussion, negotiation, frustration and 'excuse me madame, why you no let me help' I walked out. Grabbed a bike rickshaw for 50 Rs and found my hotel 5 blocks away.
At this point I was exhausted and not seeing straight. Check in time for the hotel was 2 hours away. I offered immediately to pay to check in early. This started a discussion with the desk clerks and all the guys in the lobby (there is always a group of men in hotel lobbies here). They tell me they will put me in a temporary room for free and then transfer me when my real room is ready.
I plop down on the couch while they do the paperwork. One of the lobby guys starts giving me advice on Delhi (he's an Indian living in Edinburgh). 'Don't ever offer to pay more, take the women's cars on subway - they are cheap and empty, this mosque should only cost so much' etc.
And all I can think is 'I just got something for free'. In a country where everyone admits they are trying to gouge me on everything, I got something for free! Was it the desperation, good manners, being female? Doesn't really matter because I don't believe in manipulating people based on their cultural biases, but interesting none the less.
I've seen the best and the worst in less than an hour.
Manoo wasn't all bad. He pointed out that I had the Holi dates wrong. That gives me an extra day to do something, like Khajuraho. And I got it for $200, not $417 by booking it myself. Woohoo.
Anyway, I'm exhausted. But this was actually planned to be a nothing day in case I needed to crash, so I'm right on track. The hotel has wifi, room service and maybe even something I can eat (I've been on bread, nuts and fruit for days).
I didn't sleep very well on the train and stumbled out exhausted and sick. I trundled down the platforms to the taxi stand to find a protest. The taxi drivers are on strike. Placards, chanting, stomping, the whole nine yards. Love it!
I suppose I looked a little helpless as some guy asked me where I needed to go. He said my hotel was only 1 km that way and to walk. That jived with the map in my head so on I went. Turned on to the Main Bazaar road (not the major road). Again someone took pity on me and lead me to the government tourist office where I met Manoo. Manoo wants me to change hotels, book tours with outrageous prices, and generally become dependent on him for all my travel needs. After 20 minutes of discussion, negotiation, frustration and 'excuse me madame, why you no let me help' I walked out. Grabbed a bike rickshaw for 50 Rs and found my hotel 5 blocks away.
At this point I was exhausted and not seeing straight. Check in time for the hotel was 2 hours away. I offered immediately to pay to check in early. This started a discussion with the desk clerks and all the guys in the lobby (there is always a group of men in hotel lobbies here). They tell me they will put me in a temporary room for free and then transfer me when my real room is ready.
I plop down on the couch while they do the paperwork. One of the lobby guys starts giving me advice on Delhi (he's an Indian living in Edinburgh). 'Don't ever offer to pay more, take the women's cars on subway - they are cheap and empty, this mosque should only cost so much' etc.
And all I can think is 'I just got something for free'. In a country where everyone admits they are trying to gouge me on everything, I got something for free! Was it the desperation, good manners, being female? Doesn't really matter because I don't believe in manipulating people based on their cultural biases, but interesting none the less.
I've seen the best and the worst in less than an hour.
Manoo wasn't all bad. He pointed out that I had the Holi dates wrong. That gives me an extra day to do something, like Khajuraho. And I got it for $200, not $417 by booking it myself. Woohoo.
Anyway, I'm exhausted. But this was actually planned to be a nothing day in case I needed to crash, so I'm right on track. The hotel has wifi, room service and maybe even something I can eat (I've been on bread, nuts and fruit for days).
posted by yarentisngl at
10:58 PM
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