April 23, 2009, Delhi, India

Photos out of sequence.
First is sign for my hotel - but I don't think it shows. I am in "YES SIR' Guesthouse.The next two are of some Cyber cafe's where I posted this blog from. Some are larger - few nicer - this is typical.

Now for today's blog.

I last left you saying I was heading for a new experience with a night bus trip.
Well, about 8:30 last night I got a motor rickshaw to take me to where the bus was supposed to be. It was dark, with an orange glow from the few street lights that worked and the haze that is over the entire area. It was an eerie site, but the streets were still full of people, and all the crazy drivers were still out - doing crazy!

I felt good. I had some money in my pocket, a night bus ticket to Delhi, a tight backpack , and a new adventure coming up. GREAT!

I got to where my bus was to be, got out of rickshaw, paid him, turned and looked for my bus. Not only could I not find it - no one around had ever heard of my bus, and there were night buses all over the place!! I forget now what Charlie Brown says, but that's how I felt!!

No bus. So I stopped another motor rickshaw and got in and was about to tell him my hotel, when a lot of men surrounded the rickshaw and started yelling at the driver and waving their fist at him. It turned out - he had not waited his turn for a fare - and he was breaking the code. So I got out and followed my new driver to his rickshaw. Then 15 minutes of wild riding back to my hotel, better instructions to the driver, and off we go, another 15 minute wild ride back to where my bus actually was.

I felt better that at least it existed. Not real pretty, not new - but present and ready. Well, almost ready. It took another hour to load the equivalent of a tractor trailer load of rice and cloth onto the top of the bus. (This gave me bad thoughts of my and Justin West bus trip in Laos with three blowouts and final abandonment of the bus. )

The bus - see photos - was not too bad, and the sleeping area was larger than I expected.

I asked the driver about stops for the toilet, since there was not one on board. He said they would stop one time after about 4 hours for toilet break. Man - you know what that does to me - !!! I went 3 times before we left. Course there were no facilities where we were waiting - just an alley that led to an open field, but it was in the dark, and I guarantee you, I was not the first person to use that area for THAT!! Stunk - oou.

Well, we got under way - everything was good, and I fully enjoyed reading and falling asleep. I was awakened about 4 a.m. It was the promised toilet break! I surely didn't want to miss it - although I wish I could have just continued to sleep. Well, as it turned out they have the same toilet facilities in India as they do in Laos and Nepal. Men walk to the front, women walk to the back. And again, it was easy to tell that this was not the first busload of travelers that had
stopped here. --oouu - stinky.

But back on bus, all is well for an hour or so - then someone is yelling about something - there is a lot of commotion, the bus is stopped. Finally I realize we are abandoning ship, and I hop up , grab my "stuff" , and get off. I am then pointed to another bus up in front of us. I am the last one on the bus.

Being last, turned out to be very good. I got to sit up front with the driver and assistant, although one time I got caught in the middle of a little fist-t-cuffs between a disgruntled passenger and the assistant.

All the other passengers had been forced back into what was already a full bus, and many had to stand up. The aisle were full of everyone's luggage, and then we stop and pick up another 1/2 busload, and the assistant just stuffs them back in the passenger section and then closes a door between them and us and LOCKS it! Oh-h-h-h -- thank you, Lord, for letting me be up front!!

Both broke-down buses were carrying a truckload of stuff on their tops, and both had blowouts. I need to make a note of that - and try to stay off buses like that.

But I made it to Delhi, got a room , and have enjoyed looking around. I had a good breakfast with eggs and potatoes. I realized late yesterday why I could not get eggs in Amritsar - it is a very religious centered town - and purely vegetarian.