First off, not many pictures for this...
It's been rough again. Focusing on transportation.
I woke up at 3 am, with my sleep schedule all screwed up. I made sure my maps were downloaded on my nook, my batteries are charged, and I'm packing up. I leave at 5:30am. I'm nervous as all hell for the trains. I just don't have a good feeling. I know that I'm confident now, but I'm confident in the territories I learned. Trains are all new. Kat seems to have confidence in me. So do other people. I do too.
It's time to go. I frantically check out hop in the taxi, and were on our way. We are passing rows and rows of people laying on the streets. All sleeping, under thin cloth, rolling in dirt. Kids, moms, men...
New Delhi Railway takes around 30-45 minutes to get to. I arrive at around 6:15am, 45 minutes before my train departs. My driver points where I must go. I head over to the security, ask the guards where to go, and they state track 5. Alright off to a good start. A man comes over to me and says 'come with me come with me! You need to go to this office' I'm thinking 'what? Why? I have my tickets here.' He is very insistent saying I can't use that. I ask if he works here. He says yes. I ask for his ID. Another man finds us and translates that it's fine I can use this I am okay. I thank the man, and he points me in the direction of track 5. Then I find myself wandering around looking for track 5. I've navigated it. I've gotten here. I'm thinking, 'sweet. That WAS easy'...
I try to go down towards the tracks... I'm stopped by a man at the top of the steps. At first I ignore him. He then says the same thing as the first guy. I need to go to office. He states that my ticket is wrong and I can't use it. It has 'general' on it. I'm so confused. He continuously rambles in what i like to call 'American jibber'. He is not letting me on this train. He shows me his government ID. He confirms that this is his job and I must go to office. Problem, is that the office isn't open until 8am and it's 6:40am. My train now leaves in 20 minutes. The worker continuously stops and navigates other people around the train tracks below. He says come with me I will help you. Confused by this because he is letting everyone go now and not stopping them. He tells me my ticket will not work on train and I will be charged for every stop I'm at. At this point, I'm not making my train. I'm stuck. My mind is racing. I'm stuck in the middle of the worst city of India, with no hotel bookings, no prepaid taxi services around, and people that try to take advantage of you left and right. Even when you aren't a foreigner. I begin to think. All my tickets are messed up. I will run into the same issue in Agra, and even worse Kolkata. I am running through scenarios in my head of what I can do. I'm thinking as much as I don't want to, I should skip the most beautiful temple in the world, and my main reason for the trip, Mother Teresa. I think the safest way to get to Chennai is by flight. I can find another hotel or go to the one I have booked in a week and attempt to put more rooms on a card. Now how to get somewhere to book a ticket there..... I would use my phone but it is nearly half dead and want to save it for an even more emergent use. I truly felt like is be sleeping on the streets if Delhi for a night.
The government worker was hardly paying attention to me anymore, and I'm standing there mindless. Thinking. The roads outside if the station are worse than the people in here. He looks back over to me and says he will try to find me a taxi to the tourist offices. (These are scattered around the city.... That's a little odd....) He asks a taxi for a price he says 1000. He says no. Next one, no answer. He says okay I will drive you there for 500. At this point I'm extremely uncomfortable but the only thing I can do is trust SOMEONE to get me somewhere that can help. The only reason I had any sort of reason to get in the car was because I had this guys government ID in my head. I even told the guy, look 'I don't trust you right now. Why is this place further away from the station?'
I know I've made a horrible decision. That government ID. My worst enemy right now. Police have always been helpful. Every time. Now this guy.... Maybe he's not a real government worker. Not sure.
I make it to a tourist office. He explains to me that I can not board the trains. It's not possible. The tickets I have are for citizens of India, not foreigners. He tries to show me options for my travels, including a taxi and train tickets to Agra to Kolkata and chennai. I'm frustrate and I can't do this. I'm asking for a taxi back to my airport so I can rest a good night, get my good friend that helped me out with the metro, and ask for help getting a taxi to the airport. This was my plan. I was going to go back to my hotel. Book a flight to chennai. Get a taxi to the airport, and get the hell out of Delhi. I knew I would be where I needed to be so I can make my flight to Bangkok to meet Mel.
Wow, seeing Melanie right now would make me feel an enormous amount of relief.
The office I'm at states he can not book flights through him. My taxi then brings me to my next location. The office that CAN book flights. Hmmm. I'm messaging Kat through Whatsapp to update her. Asking her to relay to V for me. At least someone knows what is going on currently.
I get to the other office. Another foreigner is sleeping on the couch waiting for a flight. He flies back tomorrow. Looks like he has had a rough time.
I'm talking to this new guy. He has a ton more knowledge. He helps me make a plan. I will take a private taxi to Agra. I can see the Taj Mahal. I will get the train the next morning to Kolkata and then chennai. My concern is how I will board the train.
My thoughts are if I do this, I could get stuck in Agra. Even further from Delhi airport. What do I do?... I think well, it's costing me $150.00 USD for this taxi. Fixed price. I know I'll get dropped off at my hotel, Hotel Sheela. I got my tickets reconfirmed. The guy seemed confused and states that I could have used these to board. He said the government official must have been new and not realized. So, my thought is that he has a fake govt ID. And just scammed me into spending money at a tourist office. Either way, this guy seems legit. He was able to let me pay for my taxi via card, which is crucial. I am running out of cash, fast. Especially when stuff like this happens. He gives me print outs of my ticket confirmation and states I need to just board the train. Get there an hour early. (I was there 45 min early and it was rough)... So I will do this and attempt once more. Otherwise, I will be in the same boat, but further. If this happens again, my plan is to get another taxi (ugh for $150) and go directly to the airport. I will purchase a plane ticket and will fly to Chennai airport, get a prepaid taxi from there to my hotel. And stay there for a week trying to add on more rooms. If u run into an issue in Kolkata, I'll have 2.5 days to get to Chennai. I would do the same thing, get a taxi to the airport. Print a ticket from them. Put it on card. And then fly to chennai.
Apparently Chennai is a lot nicer and calm. I'd like that.
For now, I sit in my taxi to Agra. With a driver who is hardly staying awake and take breaks along the side of the very long highway, so he can pee.
Really want to get out of here again!!!! COME ON! I'm getting pissed now.
We stoppe at a rest stop. I'd LOVE toget food and cold water but I'm nervous of leaving my bags. I decide to stay with my hot bottle of water. It is water .. Hot, but it'll do the job. If rather save my belongings. Only a couple more hours there. This place is a small shack for foreigners and citizens of India. They are coming and going. I'm feeling a bit more relieved. I know we're going the right direction, I've seen Agra signs. Feeling a bit better. I just don't want to get stuck at the trains again. Ugh. Lee, I will be contacting you for some HONESTY. And help. :) thanks dude! In advance. Haha.
Starting to find my limits of adventure. Atleast I know now. I'd be willing to give up going to the Mother Teresa house and the Taj if I run into any more issues at all. I'm sick of it. I'm running out of money. I need to survive in Thailand for two months and two weeks before my first paycheck. Man.... Third world traveler probs.
I miss comfort. I guess that's something that everyone deals with here every day.
I can't wait to see Melanie. Love you.
Wish me luck.
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