I feel bad. Clearly I don’t want you to think that all Indians are liars after my last post.. this is not what I intended to suggest. It’s just the majority of people I met in Delhi…. lied to me! So I thought I’d tell you about the last person I met in Delhi, on the bus to Rishikesh.

I simply wanted to take the 5 hour train from Delhi to Rishikesh, but trying to organise this turned into a 3 day pantomime and I ended up on a 10 hour night bus: I wont bore you with the details. Suffice to say that three liars at New Delhi railway station were involved, along with four rickshaw drivers, two boys to accompany me on two of  those journeys, one seemingly friendly travel agent, one lying hotel owner, three bus drivers, a plethora of random people on the street and a rickety old bus.

By the time I got on the bus which I was told would depart at 9:30pm and eventually left Delhi at nearer midnight I really could not be bothered with anyone. I was done. I was done with Delhi and everyone in it. I was done with every godforsaken rickshaw driver and scammer around. So when an Indian guy asked to sit next to me I wanted to tell him where to go. But I relented and after 10 minutes started up polite conversation (I can’t stay quiet for long). For the next 9 hours this guy who works as a technician for Microsoft talking to Americans all day made me realise many things: The people on the streets of Delhi are the last way you should judge the general population; preconceived ideas of Westerners and Western women in particular are ingrained in Indian men and it’s very difficult to get past this; and not everyone from Delhi is a liar.

How interesting to spend so much time chatting to someone who doesn’t want to sell you something but is only interested in your culture and teaching you about theirs. It is times like these I am so glad I travel alone. After he got off the bus it immediately all started to go wrong. I was only 24km from my destination but I am told “bus stops here get rickshaw”. I had already paid 750 rupees to travel these 300 kms when it should have been about 300 rupees and they now want another 1000 rupees (10 pounds!) to take me the last bit, which I have already paid for. Twice. I want to cry. So I phone my new Indian friend and he talks to my bus driver for me and gets me on another bus for 50 rupees. I don’t how he managed to do this but I would so incredibly glad that this stranger had gone so out of his way and it turns out he was good oman as after 4 days here in Rishikesh I have experienced the kind hearted, generous and welcoming side to the Indian people.

So next time you’re about to lose your temper with someone you’re on the phone to in India who is trying to help you with your random IT problem, just remember you could be talking to my wee saviour in Delhi.

W