Today when I finished up at the office I set off on foot for my hotel, with a hand drawn map from my new coworkers in hand.
I learned a few things on that walk:
1. Clearly foreigners do not walk anywhere in India. I was pointed at, laughed at, stared at, offered rides from every rickshaw that passed (and some private cars and motorcycles as well).
2. It's friggin hot in india!
3. After almost 30 years of cars travelling on one side of the road, I am having a hell of a time figuring out which way to look when crossing the street.
4. The lack of stop lights or signs, makes it almost impossible to get across the street. I almost paid for an autorickshaw to get me across the road. In the end I just followed a local (and held my breath)
5. Walking means you'll probably step in dog shit from all the stray dogs that are around. It would be easy enough to avoid if you weren't having to watch to make sure cars and bikes didn't hit you.
Although there was some adversity, I made it home in one piece. I don't think I'll be walking much, mostly because I have to cross 2 particularly busy streets.
En route though, I went to the bank to get some change (although it was the second bank I was in without any notes smaller than 100's, if a bank doesn't have friggin money, then who does?). Anyways, so in the bank was the MEANEST security guard, with a massive gun. Not used to the guns so much (except for when I'm shooting them of course).
Later, when I got a little lost, I wandered into a bookstore. It was a great bookstore, they had all the latest books, at great prices (230 rupees for a recent paperback - around $6). I also got a map, not that it will be very useful given that there are no streetnames to be found anywhere - but I felt really lost not at least having a map to orient myself.
Random note: Not only do I feel like a foreigner here in that I'm not Indian, but all the expats in my hotel are business dudes over 45. I have my fingers crossed to run into a super hot, business lezzie in a power suit in the hall or over breakfast. Wish me luck!
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2 comments:
Wow - crazy! And this was just your walk home! So if you don't walk much in the future, what will your mode of transportation be?
How's the food been?
Good luck finding that hot-lady-in-powersuit!!
The food has been good - today for lunch I had an awesome dish that was chicken in a cashew, tomato and onion sauce. The server was worried I would find it too spicy, but it wasn't at all.
Since I won't be walking, I'll be taking an autorickshaw to work most days. It will only cost around $1 each way... so it's a pretty good deal!
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