Scooter!!
10 July 2011
Haha. Yesterday we woke up at 8am. We needed to check out at 9am. We had breakfast early around 8:30 and ended around 9am. After breakfast, we went on the Lake and spent a half hour there. Suzana basically rowed the entire way. After that, we split up because Suzana and I wanted to go parasailing and everyone else wanted to do some shopping. Suzana and I found the ad for it and asked around and there was an accident so the company got shut down. We then decided that we wanted to rent a bike. We were close to renting one when they said, “Sorry, the guy I’m talking to said that no girls.” We were shocked. Discriminated because we were girls!! We decided that we needed a coffee break and so we went and had a coffee. We were looking for the other when we encountered a friend that Michael had made. Harry, the friend, had lived in China and had returned to India. We told him our dilemma and he got us a bike! While he was talking to the bike person, we found a foreigner from New Zealand. His name was James and he wanted it for the entire day. We paid just for one hour and went around the roads. I went on first and Suzana then tried. She liked it but it was too heavy for her so I continued. We needed to return the bike at 1:30 but needed to meet everyone else at 1:00 so we showed them that we rented the bike. Emily went on and said that I drove nicely. Emily picked a restaurant for lunch and dropped her off there while Suzana and I went to return the bike to James. We ate and got to the bus at 2:15. I slept for a bit on the bus but I woke up when we were at a rest stop. I stayed up the entire bus ride after that. When we got to Ahmedabad, it was pouring and we got a rickshaw without anyone’s help!! We got to the school at 10pm and now it’s the next day!
Couple of things I noticed:
It’s true that you have to bargain for everything. It’s false that you don’t get help. It’s true that you will get asked to take pictures. It’s false that it’s just one picture. It’s true that you can get ripped off. It’s false that the people are not friendly. It’s true everyone gets heart attacks especially here in India, with what we’ve noticed with the girls’ parents. It’s false that everyone is thin.
I’ve been here for four weeks and leaving in 5.25 weeks and I can’t believe it. When we left, the girls signed that they were going to cry and there was a huddle of people just surrounding us. We can’t imagine how it’s going to be when we leave for good. Emily is the first one to leave on July 30th and I know I will cry and for now, I’m the last one leaving. I’m already attached to the girls and I have to distance myself or be careful at least.