Tragedy! The national park I came all the way out here to see doesn't do elephant rides this time of year. Nooooo! I'm so bummed about it. Good thing I'm in a really zen travel mood right now, or I'd be all bent out of shape. But since that's traveling, I figure what can you do?
My second sleeper class experience (there were no other available seats on the train and I was so desperate to get here, I would have taken anything) was nothing like the first. Very low key. Nobody sleeping in the aisles. One person per bunk (at least in the area near me). I did have to wake some dude up and inform him that he was sleeping in my berth when I first got on the train, but he was just like "oh, ok bye" and didn't give me any issues about it, so no problems there. And somebody actually checked tickets this time. So from now on I'm not so worried about taking sleeper class if the need arises. As it is I'm sheduled for all AC class up to Delhi anyway, but if my trip to Rajasthan requires it, I can do sleeper again without fear.
When I arrived in Jhansi it was tourist hell all over again. Cab drivers and touts followed me and this other girl I met on the train from the second we left the station. Then they lurked outside the tourist office as we got our info and checked our email. Then we finally gave in and took the ride to the bus station, and a tout got in the motorickshaw with us and tried to tell us there was no bus at 3:30 despite what the government office had just told us. Then he wanted us to take his special bus, and stay in his hotel for the night (it doesn't go until morning, of course). After saying no thank you a thousand times, I finally told him if he tried to sell us anything else, I would tell the driver to pull over and I would ask him to leave. He seemed kind of amused at my "take no bull" attitude. Apparently not too many girls are willing to shut him down like that, so at least I got an appreciative chuckle out of him. After that we talked US politics.
I'm staying at this "ashram that isn't an ashram" hotel. My room is nice, and although they have bucket showers, at least you can get hot water for your bucket, which to me seems plain luxurious right now. I think tomorrow morning I'll get up and do a meditation session with the guru (he did his lesson right outside my window this morning and he sounds pretty full of baloney, but it'll be fun). Then I'll see the temples and then maybe I'll just sit in the courtyard, listen to Ravi Shankar on my ipod, and stretch while I read my new book on Hinduism. Not a bad way to spend a day (but not as good as riding an elephant...cry!).
My second sleeper class experience (there were no other available seats on the train and I was so desperate to get here, I would have taken anything) was nothing like the first. Very low key. Nobody sleeping in the aisles. One person per bunk (at least in the area near me). I did have to wake some dude up and inform him that he was sleeping in my berth when I first got on the train, but he was just like "oh, ok bye" and didn't give me any issues about it, so no problems there. And somebody actually checked tickets this time. So from now on I'm not so worried about taking sleeper class if the need arises. As it is I'm sheduled for all AC class up to Delhi anyway, but if my trip to Rajasthan requires it, I can do sleeper again without fear.
When I arrived in Jhansi it was tourist hell all over again. Cab drivers and touts followed me and this other girl I met on the train from the second we left the station. Then they lurked outside the tourist office as we got our info and checked our email. Then we finally gave in and took the ride to the bus station, and a tout got in the motorickshaw with us and tried to tell us there was no bus at 3:30 despite what the government office had just told us. Then he wanted us to take his special bus, and stay in his hotel for the night (it doesn't go until morning, of course). After saying no thank you a thousand times, I finally told him if he tried to sell us anything else, I would tell the driver to pull over and I would ask him to leave. He seemed kind of amused at my "take no bull" attitude. Apparently not too many girls are willing to shut him down like that, so at least I got an appreciative chuckle out of him. After that we talked US politics.
I'm staying at this "ashram that isn't an ashram" hotel. My room is nice, and although they have bucket showers, at least you can get hot water for your bucket, which to me seems plain luxurious right now. I think tomorrow morning I'll get up and do a meditation session with the guru (he did his lesson right outside my window this morning and he sounds pretty full of baloney, but it'll be fun). Then I'll see the temples and then maybe I'll just sit in the courtyard, listen to Ravi Shankar on my ipod, and stretch while I read my new book on Hinduism. Not a bad way to spend a day (but not as good as riding an elephant...cry!).
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