India - So Far, So Bad...

Getting into Varanasi has taken the cake for unpleasant travel experiences so far.  The good times commenced on the bus leaving Chitwan, with the usual characters: amputated limb shoved in front of your face (earlier had the pleasure of another lifting his shirt to show off colostomy bag) and the “blind entertainer” who was too loud and way off key.  4 hours later, the last stop was again short of where we needed to be.  We trudged the 3 km rather than pay for a ride with the mercilessly annoying rickshaw drivers.  At the border city of Sunauli, we stamped out of Nepal and crossed paths with the surly Indian immigration agent who rudely tossed back the passports after he was done.  What an absolute hole this place was!  There could not have been one honest person, as even a freakin’ storeowner tried to overcharge for a bag of chips -- 45 rupees (about $1) rapidly came down as I walked out.  We escaped the touts and crooks fairly unscathed on the next 3 hour overcrowded bus ride to Gorakhpur.

The Indian train station was the next lovely experience.  Without advance tickets, many of the tourists had to queue in front of “current reservations,” where the arrogant and very corruptible ticket guy wasn’t shy about asking “baksheesh” from each person before taking requests or handing over tickets.  The train ride itself was fine and on time.

Upon arrival in Varanasi, the aggravation level ratcheted up a notch.  We had to argue with the taxi dirtbag to take us where we wanted, rather than the highest commission-paying guesthouse.  It turned out he didn’t even know where the place was!  We knew we weren’t far, so just left the money and hopped out.  He proceeded to follow us, still attempting to steer us to particular places.  So we just sat by the ghats along the Ganges, and after a while he left.  Naturally, that did not deter other “helpful” boatmen and touts.  When we finally entered our hotel of choice, someone outside tried to follow us in to collect “his” commission!  All that before 5:30AM!  So far, so bad…..