My trip to India - Part 11
posted Saturday, 21 January 2006
Honking ... Honking ... short lived honks ... a bunch of short lived honks fill the air.
For an airport exit area, the place is alive. The driver instructs me to wait for him at the side of the curb. I stand there wondering what I'll notice first. A small truck pulls up (not my driver). I notice the tires. No treads. They are worn down smooth. A group of men pile in luggage (suitcases and baby strollers) into the back of the truck. They are speaking the native language.
My driver finally picks me up. I hop in the front seat. The driver is rather friendly. His name is Ashok. We exchange small talk. He has two children in college. He's still calling me Sir.
There is a large number of small vehicles on the streets. I mean large number. I'm not kidding. They are all over the place. They are called autorickshaws. Ashok tells me about the autorishaws of his country. There are 80,000 of them buzzing around. They are three wheeled vehicles about the size of a twin bed. There are covered and they don't have any doors. They make the muffled sound of a small engine powered skateboard.
It's dark outside and aside from the autorickshaws I can't see much. We get to the hotel - Gateway Hotel on Residency Road - a Taj Business Hotel. Standing at the entrance are three beautiful woman. They are dressed beautifully in very colorful and shiny Indian outfits. They appear to be guests or visitors to the hotel ready to go out with friends.
I don't have any money to give Ashok a tip. I apologize to him and head into the hotel. I check in without any problem and I exchange $60 into the local currency (Rupee). Approximately 46 Indian Rupees are equivalent to a single US dollar.
A hotel employee escorts me to my room (#426). This fellow is also calling me Sir. What did I do to deserve this treatment? He shows me the room. It's perfect. It has a bed, a pooper, a shower and a TV. What more would a happily married man want alone in another country? As I give him a tip, I ask him to deliver a tip to Ashok for me.
As much as I want to start to explore this country, it's going to have to wait. I'm really tired. The phone rings. It's the driver Ashok. He has called to let me know he received the tip and is thankful. He wishes me a good night and calls me Sir a few more times. Again, what did I do to deserve this treatment?
...
I make a few laps on the TV. My earlier elation with having a TV available is short lived. Even though I don't have to share it with anyone something isn't right. Approximately 77 of the 80 channels contain Indian speaking and singing shows. I have non-American based CNN, ESPN and HBO channels at my disposal. But ... No "House", No "Lost", No "Disney", No "Fox", No "CBS, NBC, ABC or any other recognizable alphabet TV company". Thank god I'm really tired.
...
This day (Saturday) is done. I'm going to sleep.
For an airport exit area, the place is alive. The driver instructs me to wait for him at the side of the curb. I stand there wondering what I'll notice first. A small truck pulls up (not my driver). I notice the tires. No treads. They are worn down smooth. A group of men pile in luggage (suitcases and baby strollers) into the back of the truck. They are speaking the native language.
My driver finally picks me up. I hop in the front seat. The driver is rather friendly. His name is Ashok. We exchange small talk. He has two children in college. He's still calling me Sir.
There is a large number of small vehicles on the streets. I mean large number. I'm not kidding. They are all over the place. They are called autorickshaws. Ashok tells me about the autorishaws of his country. There are 80,000 of them buzzing around. They are three wheeled vehicles about the size of a twin bed. There are covered and they don't have any doors. They make the muffled sound of a small engine powered skateboard.
It's dark outside and aside from the autorickshaws I can't see much. We get to the hotel - Gateway Hotel on Residency Road - a Taj Business Hotel. Standing at the entrance are three beautiful woman. They are dressed beautifully in very colorful and shiny Indian outfits. They appear to be guests or visitors to the hotel ready to go out with friends.
I don't have any money to give Ashok a tip. I apologize to him and head into the hotel. I check in without any problem and I exchange $60 into the local currency (Rupee). Approximately 46 Indian Rupees are equivalent to a single US dollar.
A hotel employee escorts me to my room (#426). This fellow is also calling me Sir. What did I do to deserve this treatment? He shows me the room. It's perfect. It has a bed, a pooper, a shower and a TV. What more would a happily married man want alone in another country? As I give him a tip, I ask him to deliver a tip to Ashok for me.
As much as I want to start to explore this country, it's going to have to wait. I'm really tired. The phone rings. It's the driver Ashok. He has called to let me know he received the tip and is thankful. He wishes me a good night and calls me Sir a few more times. Again, what did I do to deserve this treatment?
...
I make a few laps on the TV. My earlier elation with having a TV available is short lived. Even though I don't have to share it with anyone something isn't right. Approximately 77 of the 80 channels contain Indian speaking and singing shows. I have non-American based CNN, ESPN and HBO channels at my disposal. But ... No "House", No "Lost", No "Disney", No "Fox", No "CBS, NBC, ABC or any other recognizable alphabet TV company". Thank god I'm really tired.
...
This day (Saturday) is done. I'm going to sleep.
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