09/12/2013

Finding the hotel wasn't as easy I thought. I had a leaflet from the SA in Mumbai who promotes them, as they are dirt cheap. I took a pick of its Google maps location when I was in the internet café, but was the proverbial chocolate guard. And it just didn't add up :S asked loads of people, and this time of the morning it was cold, and I'd just had a mammoth trip to get here. Some of the people I asked where literally so rude it was imaginable. This is just the Indian way and they look at you as if you're a piece of s*** on their shoe, looks of sheer disgust for asking a question. Things like this make me real angry, as when in India its all or nothing, they're either the nicest or worst people you've ever ever met. But they are the world leaders in the latter when they want to be. Eventually tracked it down but the roads defo didn't stack up. Got a nice clean room, wifi in the room for 92rs. Biggest bargain yet. Got some awesome street food, rice type mix with onions and crunchy stuff thrown in, 10rs. Hit the hay for some kip. Woke up, got more food. Caught up with the world on facebook, done some planning, listened to some music and facetimed the folks.

10/12/2013

Walked to check out the Taj Lake Palace, a palace in the middle of a lake, famous for Octip**** the "zero zero seven" film as one Indian put it. Went to the City palace as well, a grand palace on the shore. Got 60rs knocked off the 120rs entrance fee for having a student card and sneaked my cameras in to avoid the 225rs charge. Hehe. The palace was a real labyrinth of rooms full of history and paintings etc, and gave stunning views of Udaipur and the Taj Lake Palace. Would have took more photos but my camera didn't have an issued tag dangling from it, so didn't wanna get caught, not that the dozy guards would have ever have noticed I bet. There were many tourists at the palace, both local and international. They all seem to have opted for a guide as well, there were guides everywhere explaining the history of everything. Seen a decorated elephant stomping around in the grounds.

Took a walk to the bus station to go to Jaisalmer. Lead to where I got dropped off originally so I was happy when I mapped it all together as it saved me walking back the long way… the map still didn't make sense though. Haha there was a wild bore in the bus station, snooping around looking for food, imagine seeing that. There was no direct buses, so I would have to go to Jodpur first. Was only 210, but it means I would have to track back on myself potentially, wasting both money and time. A guy quoted 450 for seats and 500 for a sleeper at the hotel direct, so I took him up on the sleeper. A 12 hour night bus. His brother owned a hotel there and would also pick me up in the morn and take me to his place, 100rs a night. Deal Mr. Banker. Zipped on my trousers this time and way good to go.

When I arrived at the company office where I would get picked up from queue the biggest scam of the trip…. Departure time said 9, with arrival at 8.30 aand I got there for 8. He said he'd let me know when my bus was here. Around 8.35 the guy came out to tell me the bus was caught in traffic after a crash on a motorway miles away, and my bus would be 4 hours late. I knew my hotel locked its doors on the night so I couldn't afford to wait this long for it not to turn up potentially. He said there was one departing now, but I would have to pay 200rs more, as apparently I had only paid for non ac and this one was ac. I refused and he walked off around the corner, and I followed, to which he was agitated, and he said wait back round the corner. He then boarded the bus and said something. This was clearly my bus all along!!!!!! The one that I paid for, the one which I now could not apparently board!! Coincidental that two buses at the same time, going to the same place, both with a free berth, with the same company. I started to talk to the driver to get answers, which made him even more angry and we started screaming at each other. I was f***ing RAGING!!!!! A blatant scam right in front of my eyes. Looking back I should have demanded proof for the lateness of the bus, an email or text. All the other bus people obviously sided with the guy. Reluctantly I had no choice but curl out another 200rs for the trip. I boarded the bus and literally every thought was racing through my head. If the guy got ran the very next second I would have jumped for joy, I was livid. I could have just refused but it meant another day in Udaipur and perhaps losing my 500rs. It was made worse when one of the bus people, a young lad in his teens, tried demanding 20rs extra as I had two bags, and kept repeating 'luggage guarantee'. Admittedly, the bus was real nice, and I slept like a baby in my birth. During the trip we stopped as per and a white guy jumped off the bus, relief! Someone to chat to. Turns out he might have got scammed too. Basically he missed his bus (apparently) and had to pay 500rs to get on this one instead. Anyways turns out he's a super super intelligent guy, by far the most advanced thinker I've met so far. A 28 year old German called Christian who studied classical economics and had worked in canary wharf in London acting in an advisory capacity to Barclays, assessing the impact of upcoming regulatorychanges before making strategic decisions of readjustment for the company. He'd worked in so many little projects around the world, for different companies, and now he worked for a sustainability company.

He taught me to get cheap flights you need to find a proxy sever of a cheap country, so the computer thinks you are in that location, it then gives you the pricing plans aimed at that market. So he saved around 100euro as he got the Indian price instead. He also said when searching sky scanner and such like you leave a electronic trail of bread crumbs which the flight companies pick up on, so if it sees you're really interested and keep checking the prices, it will inflate them to milk you for all you're worth… you have to clear the cookies to negate this! Very interesting.