Street Food

I've been wanting to try this forever. It is masala corn - advertised as "hot and healthy" - lol. And a slushee. The owner of this stand chatted it up with me and convinced me this purple one was "the best" and that only for 2 months is this fruit in season, so I must buy it now. I wish he knew what the name of the fruit was - he just said they're small and black. Anyway, they both rocked.

Love, Janelle

When You're a Little Light on the Rupee

So yesterday I flew from Dharamshala to Delhi to Ahmedabad. It was a long, long day.
Starting off with them telling me in Dharamshala I had an “excess” baggage. Ttly pissed me off because I flew the same airline THERE and had no problems. The man tells me I owe 4000 rupees. (Nearly 100$ US). I told him “No” that was way too much money. Then he says he can give me a discount to 3500 rupees, I refuse again. (Not really knowing if I have any right to refuse…..oh also I should mention EVERY other person had already went through security and I was the last person in the waiting area. Nothing like holding everyone else up. But I wasn’t sure if he was legit or not.)

Then he reduces price to 2500 and I’m like “Well what am I going to do, right?” So I give him my credit card and go sit back down. Then a woman comes over hands me my card and said “It’s not working”. So I put it away. Then the man comes back and says I owe him 2500 cash. I dig into my purse and pull out 1570 and tell him “This is all I have” – he looks at me and says “Give me 1520… (?)” So I did, then he hands me 50 back and THEN he gets out his billfold and gives me 100 rupees of his own money. I asked “What’s this?” and he says “This is just from me.”

I was blown away. I think he literally thought that was all the money I had. (It wasn’t, and I could have used an ATM). But on the other hand I still wasn’t quite sure they weren’t ripping me off.

I don’t think they were. Because when I arrive in Delhi………….same bullshit. Tried to charge me 4000 rupees before getting on the plane. I was sent from person to person to person – told them all the same story – I had PAID this money at the previous airport and was NOT going to pay it again.

Well, I think finally they just got sick of me and let me get on.

Made me go through security THREE times – three different stations. It was awful. I had to hold back tears because it, well…. It was bad. Everyone just staring at me and no one fucking offering to help.

Then I get to Ahmedabad and of course, my pick up isn’t here – lol.

I was not happy with India last night.

But it turned out ok. It’s really interesting how I am treated in this city versus the other tourist places I have been the last 3 weeks. Here people aren’t used to seeing white people and everyone is extra helpful. It’s nice.

Love, Janelle

Bhagsu Heights Hotel

This place was so great! As you can see the windows were huge and I got according to the owner "the best" room....ha ha ha. Probably....... definitely.......... not true. But it had an amazing view. Melissa thought the owner had a crush on me (eiw). Pretty sure she was right.

I get back the first night and ask if I can order room service. The boys at the desk say "Sorry mam, kitchen is closed" and then say "Only Indian food" (I am sooo over Indian food - and can't eat any more). I then ask "No chinese food?" Even though they had just said no. They say "no". Then I said I was really hungry and meanwhile one of them got on the phone - hands the phone to the other guy - and he then replies, "Yes mam, whatever you like we will arrange." Lol. So I place my order on a piece of paper. And just as I did that an Indian couple comes up to the desk and asks for a menu. They were quickly and quite roughly told the "kitchen is closed - NO - food". I shyly skidded away from the desk and just said I'd be in my room. (That was ttly weird. I felt a little guilty to have been given special treatment, but I definitely enjoyed.)

They came within 10 minutes with my order of food and "cold drink". Then about 5 min later the owner called to see if I had gotten my dinner ok.

This was repeated the 2nd night I stayed there. I got in around 11 PM and when I did they asked, "Mam what will you have for dinner?" Lol.

BTW. the next day the owner got my taxi for me at the lowest price out of ANY person I'd asked, matched the price in Lonely Planet - which almost never happens - AND he didn't charge me for any of the room service. Ha ha ha! I'd reccommend staying there...

Love, Janelle

Bang Chai and Perhaps This Guy.... Over His Head

So I “ordered” 4 beautiful rings last week in Mc Leod Ganj. I picked out 4 gem stones from 1 man, and then we went to a jewler (2nd man) who sized my fingers and created the actual ring for me. Way excellent – and unbelievable price. Probably because Maria went there first and had done the negotiating for her pieces before I arrived. So I just mentioned “my friend” and to “give good price”.

Here are some of the stones. Anyway, Melissa and I go to pick them up the other day and gem stone boy (also weed boy) said “10 minutes” because the jeweler had to polish them. So we go back with the gem stone guy to wait in his shop for the jeweler.

Weed boy below and his sketchy cash box.

He offers us some chai and we accept. We are waiting…. Waiting… Waiting… Waiting… It must have been 45 minutes. Meanwhile gem stone guy and some other man are sitting there chatting away in Hindi. And Melissa says something like, “Maybe we shouldn’t have drank this.” (Even though we’ve been accepting chai from several other shop owners all week. THIS guy…….. every time you go there, different foreigners are there buying weed or smoking with him.) Then I was like “Omg, you are right.” And starting to worry... I said “they probably put weed in here!” (quick side bar – a very common drink here in India is a “lassi” which is a yogurt based beverage…anyway in Mc Leod Ganj they have what’s called a “Bang Lassi” – that actually DO have weed in.)

But anyway…..so we’re starting to worry about what we just drank. Then I said “I bet they drugged the chai and he’s waiting for us to pass out” (Because 10 minutes had come and long gone for the rings to be polished”. THEN Melissa says she was thinking the exact same thing!

So we then discussed a plan that which ever of us passed out first, the other person would drag out of the store. Then she added should also pick up this glass shell and hit the weed boy over his head. Lol.

So…….. after more minutes pass. We ask basically “What is going on?” Then weed boy leaves to go check on the polishing………and his friend – who had been sitting there the ENTIRE time……….starts talking to us in PERFECT ENGLISH! We were like “oh fuck” because he understood everything we’d just said. The drugging, hitting his friend over the head with the shell, etc.

We actually thought it was good because maybe they were scared of us crazy *itches from America. Lol.

This was by far one of our favorite trip stories.

Not sure if I explained it clearly enough for you to follow, but I hope so.

Love, Janelle