Road to Delhi

So yesterday I had a fabulous day on the river. I finished up at the jungle camp and found out that I had today off. Well, I have been needing to make a trip to the US embassy in Delhi because I lost my passport. So I told my river friends that it was time for me to go to Delhi. They think I am a little crazy and maybe I am. So first I ran 1/4 mile through the jungle to the river and hooted out a war cry because I can't whistle loud and so that Vintiram would ferry over from camp in the oar rig to come get me. Ran to my tent and packed a small backpack with the necessities; toothbrush, water bottle, sweet moolah, passport applications, ya those kind of things. Ran down the beach and jumped into a boat with Srikant and he ferries me back to the other side. Then I run to the road and hitch hike into town. ( that's the best way ) so I jump in the 2nd car that passes( its about 6:46 getting real dusky) and for whatever reason I began to get car sick. Real car sick. Maybe it was the bumpy, windy road. Horns blairing around every corner on of one of the windiest roads ever, smoky tobacco and incense burning my nose and eyes. And maybe its was that I sat facing sideways not being able to see out the windows very well. I guess that combo could make anyone carsick. The only saving grace was the fancy Indian music blairing out of the only speaker That mostly worked. Luckily it was right by my head.
Ok, I'm gonna skip some stuff. So there I was. Finally on the bus. When I first got on there were only a few brown humans. I took the very back row and fell right to sleep. Only waking briefly when I am bumped nearly off the seat now and then. I woke again when my friend moved my legs so that he could lay down with his head at the other end and we ended up with our legs at each others sides as I drifted off again. All waS good until another guy got on the bus and wanted to be on the back row team. It's ok. He was cool. Somehow I drift off again. The next time I wake up the bus is stopped and this dude is standing over me yelling at me in Hindi so I said "listen man, I don't understand a single word that's coming out of your mouth so u better try another language or stop talking immediately" but he didn't. So I figure he want my corner seat. Well if its that important ill give it to him. Sheesh. Groggily I sit up and move my backpack/pillow out of the corner thinking he's going to sit. Instead he squeezes past me, stares into the corner and starts yelling at me again. Then I think my buddy tells him that I was there the whole time. Yep ever since rishikesh. Then, sheepishly, I think the dude realized he had gotten back onto the wrong bus at one of the bathroom stops. I just watched as the poor, lost fellow made a hasty exit from... Not his bus. The next few hours went by quickly. It was just after 2:00 am when we arrived at the bus place in Delhi. My back of the bus pal that was halfway snuggling me, seriously these people have no bubbling, gave me a half smile and that's how I knew we were friends. Then I got off the bus and was flocked by the tiktik drivers asking me where I needed to go. ( the teek teek is a little 3 wheeled taxi. I will try and include a pic) I found a dude that spoke English and had him explain to them that I needed a hostel or hotel. So I jump in with this dude that says he will take me there 4 a hundred rupee. Only he can't find the one that was recommended to me so we end up at this sketchy looking hotel. Dark, stray dogs everywhere, rats in the shadows. That kind of stuff. Not kidding. But that's ok, even though I probably slept 3hours of the 7 hour bus ride, I am pretty tired.
Traveling in India is an ab workout.

i give My tik tik driver 200 rupees because it was further than I thought. He smiles and comes to the door with me and starts klinking on the glass door with his keys so that the dude sleeping on the floor next to the door wakes up and let's us in. He begins to sign me in and asks me for my passport. Luckily, I think, I made a photo copy of of that and so I show him that. But then he asks me for my visa. Oops. Didn't make a copy of that. He shakes his head and says he is sorry and that he can't help me. I can't stay. Tik tik man beckons be back out to his charriot.( he's good by the way, maybe even good enough to be a wheela boy. Except he rides for money.) Tik tik and I make our way to another hotel only to experience the same thing. I can't help you.
After about 5-6 hotels I am explaining that I am going to the embassy in the morning and showing all of my documents, police report, lost passport application, passport renewal application, drivers license, copy of passport, etc. At first I feel hopeful as they they take their time looking carefully through my private info, but all seem to concur that's although its a likely story, its not enough saying sorry its not good enough. At first I'm cool. Just a little irritated. But when I spend ten minutes at hopeful place number 13, as he closely reviews my documents, I think finally.. this it! I will get to rest my heavy head! But when tells me that he is full and does not have any rooms available I almost loose it completely! "are you kidding me!" I snap, "why would you not tell me you had no available rooms as soon as I came in the door! ...blah, blah, are you out of your mind... Wasting my time! Etc.." I tell tik tik to just take me to the embassy and I will sleep on the steps but he and some other dude that had joined the quest to find me a room 5 hotels ago, talk me into just one more which turned to 3 more. Finally, a little after four am, a real shady bugger says I can stay for double the price all of the other hotels were charging. I give in because I'm tired, and I don't think tik tik will leave me alone until he knows I have a room. Defeated, I pay the ugly hotel man. tik tik is looking at me so I give him another hundred rupees because of his determination. He asks me for fifty more. I give him fourth-five cause its all I have and then go to my room. It's really gross. I lay my lava lava on the bed and fall asleep with my clothes on.
It's hard to fall asleep because I am angry and the stray dogs are fighting in the alley outside. Lots of growling, barking and yiping. When I wake up at 7:30 I feel surprisingly refreshed. I go into the bathroom and am surprised to find a toilet and a shower.. well, more or less. The shower head comes out of the wall at Bout eye level in the middle of the wall and there is a drain on the floor. It would be cool if the water was warm, but Brisk works too.
Quick shower, collect my belongings and run downstairs to the lobby. Of course the dude hasn't made a photo copy of my info yet so he sends one of his guys down the street with my only copy of my passport... Ugh. Then while I am waiting dude tells me that I have to give him 300 rupees. "what!!??" Government tax of course. i tell him that i need to go to an ATM so that i dont reach across the counter and grab his throat and i know that he wont give me back my goods until he pays.. i walk down the street and back thinking some fresh air. ok not fresh but at least i have a bandana that i bit over my face so that the air is slightly filtered. i go back pay him the ripees and collect my stuff. new delhi is like a block away so i headed towards a cluster of shops and tik tiks and people because the last thing on my list of things to get for my passport is my photos and i am sure there is a place near by. as i walk down the street, everyone wants to help me.. ok they all want my money. sooo several people aproach me asking what i need and where i need to go and stuff.. it is the day before holi (the festival of colors) and some people have begun celebrating early. a little green faced man that i can't seem to shake tells me that he knows where i can get the photos and to follow him. i know he is lying because he he is asking people as we go, winding through little back streets and finally ending up at a place that really does say PHOTOS. that is cool except that it is closed. the guy selling sugar cane and vegetables across the ally tells us that he opens at 8:30. i tell him that it is 8:38. he says that he should be there in 5. i start to leave because green face, despite his warnings that "other people" will cheat me, is getting on my nerves. but he talks me into waiting 10 more minutes.. for nothing. then i do walk away but green face won't let me out of his sights.. i feel bad ignoring him but i do it anyways. he is not helpful. on my way back to the main roads, i find a photo place and start going there. then green man sees it too and runs up to the people to tell them what i need. but one dude actually speaks good english so i just talk to him and get my photo's quick and easy. green man is telling me that his tik tik friend will take me to the embassy for 100 rupees. "best price" so i follow him to this office and they try selling me a train ticket back to rishikesh and that the busses arent running today because it is a holiday. i am really sick green man now so i just walk away.. he follows until i don't want his help or his un-help. then i jump into a tiktik and some indian dude with really white teeth. and he takes me to the embassy. ooh it is nice and quiet in that part of town and the people are smiling and i think i might have seen a rainbow and a leprachaun... maybe not.

this post got way to long.

the embassy went way smooth.. i ate a brownie that tasted like America and a dr pepper.

my head was too big in my photos so i got new ones at the embassy. ha!

then went to my delhi office and ate food with my friends Dhruv and Anaheeta and jumped onto the nice clean metro(i know what you are thinking... nope not sarcasm. clean nice smooth metro) to the bus station and jumped on another crappy bus back to Rishikesh. everything was awesome on the way back... but i was a little worried because i was getting back to the bus station in rishikesh at midnight... but a stroke of good luck met me with a new friend named Ram who had some girl that would pick us up at the station. cool! i was surprised when it was a white, Australian girl on a big motorcycle.. whoa. but then as i looked over i saw my driver from the company named Dayl picking up a friend and heading straight back to my camp! stoked. back to the peace and kind flowing arms of the Ganga!

I LOVE LIFE!!!