Agra's Finest

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about poverty. I've come up with a lot of questions, but no answers.

My hotel room is a disappointment. Way to screw me again Lonely Planet. It specifically said, "You won't be disappointed." The Taj Plaza, stay away, unless you like ants and seclusion. It's near the Taj Ganj, which is where the people who built the Taj Mahal lived. It's dusty, there are open sewers. People urinate in the open. Animals leave yesterday's meals.

Unfortunately, I'm in Agra for 6 days. This is really a one or two day place. I was told that. I listened. I just couldn't get a train for any time sooner and didn't want to deal with a bus. Everything is overpriced in Agra for starters. And the rickshaw drivers are merciless. One of the first people I saw when I left the hotel was the young teenager from last night. He said, "Remeber me?" I screamed, "Fuck! Unfortunately, yes." He didn't follow me long though.

I walked forever today and it's only 3 in the afternoon. I ended up 7 KM away from the Taj, where my hotel is nearby. I don't know how much that is in real measurements. But I didn't walk straight there. Not in the least. I must have walked between 7-10 miles in the middle of the day heat. I had company. Maybe about 5 rickshaw drivers followed me. I took it in stride. I talked with them as they followed me. All but one were cycle rickshaw drivers. The one auto rickshaw driver that followed me stopped because his auto rickshaw died. That's how persistent they are! (True story).

With the rickshaw drivers, I just thought up any shit that came to mind and said it. I got rid of my filter. Most only understand a little bit of English, so it's a rather one-sided conversation. At one point, I sat down on the curb. An old rickshaw driver, who looked a little like an Indian version of my grandfather, and I talked a bit. Later, I saw him again. He yelled, "Hello nice man!" I gave him a warm hello and wave back.

Here are some methods I've used to (eventually) get rid of rickshaw drivers:

- I've demanded ten rupees if the rickshaw driver wants to ride his cycle rickshaw next to me while I walk. Think of it as a cheap English lesson on the go. That one works well.
- I told one guy that I think rickshaw drivers are stupid. He said, "No, they know only little English." I said, "No. Do you understand?" He said, "Yes." I told him, "I don't think you do. If you did, you wouldn't follow me." He got it and we gave each other a pleasant goodbye.
- I told one I wanted to walk like Gandhiji.
- I said I was walking to the Taj Mahal. He said it was 6 KM, too far. I told him I've run a marathon, 42 KM, so that's nothing for me. He left right away.