Leaving India (Sunday, 10/19)

So, most of the last week was wonderfully uneventful. I largely avoided the annoying rickshaw drivers, which I think solved most of my problems. I walked around getting plenty of pictures, checking out the markets, and trying new foods. The people around here have so much character in their faces, so I have been wandering around the streets asking everyone if I can take their pictures, to which most people are delighted. I also spent allot of time hanging out in the hotel room, just to get away from the constant noise (people in India think that the car horn is the greatest invention ever and use it as much as possible). I also purchased plane tickets, checked email, and helped Grace get around (it’s just not safe for women to walk alone in India), but mostly I just hung out.

I got invited to another Couchsurfing get-together over at Ramki’s place on Saturday, so I gladly accepted. Ramki loves to cook, so we all got treated to some fantastic Indian foods including spicy baby eggplants, spiced cucumber slices, and Indian burritos. There were three people from Chennai, two Americans (myself included), and two people from India who had lived in the US for years, and moved back to India to teach. The conversation naturally ventured into world politics, economics, education, and the upcoming election. Over all, a lovely evening, and a welcome window of sanity within the great chaos that is India.

Sunday is our last day in India, and I am definitely ready to get out of this country. I called, Avinash, one of my Couchsurfing friends to see if I could stash a couple bags at his place while I am in Thailand, and also to see if he wanted to hang out some time during the day. To my surprise, not only did he agree to hold onto my stuff, but he also offered me a ride to the airport. Avi, you rock! He came and picked me up a little early so we could hang out and grab some dinner. We swung by his house to drop of his roommate, but looking at the time we decided to just order from Pizza Hut and hang around his place so he could check out some of my lenses (I brought them all with me) and do some test shots. I showed him all my lenses and we did some tests to compare his lenses to mine (I have some of the high-end expensive ones, and he has consumer grade lenses). As expected, my lenses tested out allot better than his, and I think I blew his mind with my macro lens. After more than an hour, the pizza finally arrives, just in time to stuff our faces and run out the door. I think we ordered something like “Spicy Punjabi,” and spicy it was.

We swing back by the hotel to pick up Grace and our bags. We are running a little late, so I move along pretty quick. Earlier in the day I had made sure we were all paid up and ready to check out. I run upstairs, grab our bags, and we are ready to go… or so I think. On our way out the door, they tell us that we owe more money. WTF. I start berating them about this apparent extra charge they have decided to add, and tell them I will be back after loading the car. I take the luggage downstairs, but one of the guys is determined to load it for us, so he grabs the bags out of my hand and starts putting them in the car, naturally in the least logical fashion. I come back up prepared to scold them, but I am pleasantly surprised to hear they have decided to give us a 5% discount, and that they only want another 200 rupees. Fine. I give them the money, but then they need to print the receipts and have me sign them. Of course they have not even started printing them yet, they are using the slowest printer in history, and for some reason they need to print three receipts. They get them printed, then for some inane reason, one of the guys starts separating the carbon copies. One of the other guys at the desk (as is typical in India, there are four guys doing the job of one) stops him and tells me to sign one of the ones that did not get separated. I do, then he starts fumbling to line up the separated copy for me to sign. Of course he is completely inept, and it takes him forever to get it lined up… poorly. He presents it to me to sign, then as I am about to sign it he yanks it away to re-align the pages, and this time does an even worse job of it. I sign it, and then ask to have the third receipt to sign. They tell me they need to fix something, then they all look confused and start arguing with each other about something on the third receipt. I ask if they need more money to which I am assured that I am paid in full, and told that it is just something for their records. I tell them that we are late, and that if they would just let me sign the receipt, they could finish their record keeping later. As usual, their response is to be patronizing, completely ignore whatever it was that I said, and continue about whatever they wanted to do in the first place. After about five minutes, they finally figure out whatever they were arguing about, and hand me the receipt to sign. Fuckers!

We finally get in the car and start driving. Traffic is of course terrible, but fortunately Avi is well practiced at driving in India. We speed down the crowded street like a chase scene, swerving all over the road and honking at people to get out of the way. At one point on the highway, we come up behind a police car going slowly with the lights flashing, tailgate the cop for a second, then honk at him, swerve around, and speed off (apparently a regular practice here in India). Eventually we make it to the airport, find our way though customs, security, and onto the plane. What a relief to be out of fucking India!