Last night in India

14.10.11

We had a late checkout on the room so we didn't leave until 2pm when we took a rickshaw to the train station for our 4pm train back to Delhi. The journey went without a hitch, we'd actually had our seats confirmed and were no-longer on the waiting list, so that was a result!

We'd booked a room at the Sunrise hotel. So when we got to Delhi about 9pm we got in a rickshaw and he seemed to know where we were going. We got to Channa Market fine, but the address I had got for the guesthouse did not give us anymore information. So he drove us around for a bit, it turned out Channa Market was quite a large area and couldn't find our hotel anywhere. The rickshaw driver kept stopping and asking people and we just ended up going round in circles. I had 2 phone numbers for the hotel, 1 no-longer worked and the other they would not pick up! So we tried to find and internet cafe to get by email confirmation and see if there was anymore info I'd missed, but they were all closing. After driving around for about half an hour and our rickshaw driver kindly persevering with us, we stopped at

another hotel and asked there. They allowed me to use their internet and the manager saw the address and called the place and hurrah directed the rickshaw driver. he even sent his security guard to go with us and direct him. This time we drove in to a kind of housing estate and saw a sign on the top floor of one of the blocks. It was a nice block! So the rickshaw driver dropped us off there, we asked the ladies henna painting outside, if had the right place and they confirmed we had. We trudged up with our bags to the top floor and no sign of any life, in fact the apartment was padlocked from the outside!

So we tried the apartment below, no joy.

By this time it was past 10pm and we were getting pretty pissed off! So we went back downstairs and out. We started to explain to the group outside what the problem was and an older man asked Martin to go with him and he would sort it out. So I sat outside and waited! After about 10 minutes, I was starting to get worried, Martin returned with a man who without saying very much or explaining took us back upstairs and showed us to our room.

The apartment/hotel was actually very nice and he made us tea and toast before we went to bed. But there was no apology or explaination as to why there had not been anyone there.

This last night in Inida, I think sums up our whole experience pretty well! On the one hand you have so many people, like the rickshaw driver, who will go out of their way to help you (direct you/offer you their meal/make sure you have a seat on the bus/offer you cream for a cut etc). Then you have the frustration over the completely pointless bureaucracy and paperwork thatis purely for show and the complete incompetence . It didn't even occur to the person in the hotel to explain or apologise, nor the train conductor to explain why he has put an extra 3 people in your carriage, no announcements to explain that a train is running late, no apology that staff at a bus station put you on the wrong bus or that they serve your food up an hour later than they said so you miss you your bus!!!!!

Incredible India!

I'm actually really sad to leave. I think Martin has been amazing, he has had such a great attitude. Whereas I might be tempted to get cross at the hotel manager or brood on it, Martin will just say what's the point, it won't achieve anything, it's fine now. And he's right, it's all part of the experience.