Happy Rickshaw Man

A dog adds to Agra's sanitation problems.

Went to Internet cafe again on our last day in Agra and then headed home. After being pestered by a cycle rickshaw for over 15 minutes we decided to just get on and let him take us home. No sooner had we boarded than he piped up:


"Can we quickly visit the store?" he meekly asked pointing to a Bazaar 50m ahead.


"How much will they pay you?"


"Twenty Rupees" he said, smiling a grin that beamed in spite of the fact he clearly hadn't brushed his teeth for some time.


"OK, you take us and we spend 5 minutes, buy nothing, and pay half fare" was a fair proposal

"Yes Sir, Yes" came the ecstatic reply.

The store was crappy but importantly he got his cash and I was really happy for him.
It appears I've softened on the Rickshaw drivers, perhaps after a week in the country I'm more familiar with life here. In saying that, you can't put a price on honesty; I much prefer it to contrived 'international women’s day' stories.

On the way home we passed the site of Agra's first mall, currently a two level McDonalds. This fact in itself is boring but check out the bamboo scaffholding being used to constuct it, the H.S.E would go insane.


Health and Safety nightmare.

All that was left to do in the evening was settle to hotel bill; cheap, cheap, cheap :-D and catch the, 21:10, 692km, Swatantra Express to Varanasi. All in all I think I'm finally beginning to understand how this country ticks and beginning to feel a lot more at home here.

See you in Varanasi.