On the road with Gatendra

I spent much of my time driving from New Delhi to Agra and from Agra to Jaipur. This post will contain much of the crazyness I experienced in India and where my frustration with this place and the people grew and grew and grew. It's quite comical but at the same time a little bothersome.

To start, my driver was way cool at first but then soon drove the sanity from me. Gosh he is crazy. We will need to talk for a full report but I will give a good idea.

My driver Gatendra ... Mind you it was just him and I on these long drives. I was extremely uncomfortable most all the time driving.



Gatendra's English was not so good. Unlike most every other culture if Indians do not understand they still say Yes! I caught onto this fast. "Gatendra, why do all of the people just throw their trash on the ground, why no trash cans?" "Yes! ok!?" I preferred not to talk actually after a short time.

Indians are also very touchy feely, I'm not with other dudes. He was always grabbing my shoulder and saying,"You my friend! I take care of you! OKAY?!?!" after everything he said "OKAY!?!?" How can you trust a man who repeatedly says, "I am your friend, yes? Ok!!"

And then there is the girlfriend subject. Oh goodness the girlfriend talk... I bet Gatendra asked me 13 times. "how many girlfriends you have?" and also, "Why you alone and no woman? How many girlfriends? I have 8-9." we'll there idea of girlfriends and ours is very different. He is married so at first I kept asking, "so you are married and have 8 or 9 girlfriends?" "Yes! Ok!" finally I asked, "you have sexual relations with all these girlfriends?" because he was not catching onto my tone. He said "oh no! Only my wife!" so we finally came to a common understanding of what he meant by girlfriends. So when I told him maybe 30 he was shocked. And he wanted to see pictures. Gosh he drove me crazy. Every time he asked, "how many girlfriends at home?" I just thought, "Again!!!! Really?!?! Haven't we covered this like 10 times!?!?"

Then the American music. Wants to here it but only fast paced stuff. "Change!" they order me around all the time here.

Lastly here is what everyone asks, "you like India and India culture?" I lied every time. Am I supposed to be honest and say, no I freaking hate it! When I say yes..., "YES!!! GOOD!" I am impressed with the pride they feel in their country.

Pics on the absolutely crazy, filthy and horrible roads!"


















These are Tuk Tuk's. It is the Indian Taxi. Some of these and all other cars are stacked full of people! They are crazy drivers too.














Right after we left New Delhi the trash and filth began rearing its ugly head. And then I started to see everything and anything mixed in with traffic using the roads.











An elephant!


Ok, this was the lowest point of my stay in India. My driver stopped to go do something, I couldn't really understand him. When he got out people kept tapping on my window to sell me crap. All of a sudden this kid has a monkey right outside my window. He asks if I want to get out and get a picture with the monkey. I say no and snap a picture of the monkey. Here is the picture.


Then he says, "hey, take one now I will get a good pose." he pretty much strangles the monkey! I snap a picture. Here it is.


Right after he I snap the picture he says, "500 rupees for the picture! You owe me 500 rupees!" I laughed. He was dead serious. I said no way kid. This teenager literally begins pounding on my window, HARD!! I start getting pretty nervous telling him to go away. Then this older guy comes and he gives it a pound and says I owe them 500 rupees for the picture. They then try opening my door. Thank heaven I locked it! At this point I'm feeling threatened. I start yelling at them that I will not pay and to leave. Seriously, i was losing my cool. 500 rupees is $11-$12 USD. They keep pounding away harder and now I'm worried the window might break. I'm ready to beat the hell out of this kid but I'm also scared because I'm feeling threatened by multiple people and we are yelling at each other. I finally yell, "im not paying you for my picture you idiot! where the crap is my driver!" finally my driver came and says, you safe with me! I said don't ever leave me again.

I have heard India is a spiritual land, all I see in most the people is fight. The kids are always fighting and I sense an aggression in most of them. And I don't like it and I'm nowhere close to comfortable here! I want out!!

A girl dancing at a rest stop. I felt bad for this little girl. Being used for money I can tell.


Lunch at the rest stop. Thank goodness for rice! I do like their bread too.



Weird dish after lunch they brought out.


A load full!














K on the back of every big truck it says HORN PLEASE. They are so weird.








Rickshaw


Cow in the road! Quite common.


The traffic leaving Agra was the worst of all!!! Right at peak morning... Rush hour? How can you rush in this?!?








Seriously?


SERIOUSLY!!!??? Get out of the freaking road! The horn becomes your biggest asset and is used about every 10 seconds.


Really?





Wow...


Out of the blue Gatendra puts a coin in his ear and starts laughing like he is drunk! I force a laugh and he makes me put one in my ear. So stupid... They force you to do everything. Your guides say, "take a picture here." I can't stand it here.





Finally caught a pic of this!


Oh the road in India...? Or hell?