Let me explain. The woman I am staying with, Nina, had told me a few times I needed to go to Commercial Street - a typically Indian street filled with stores selling everything - and today she was meeting a friend for lunch near it so suggested we could jump in an autorickshaw together, and I would then just have to find my way back. Only her friend was sick and couldn't make lunch so I decided to go by myself. Auto drivers are notorious for taking people the 'scenic route' and not turning on their meter. I knew all this and thought I was prepared, so when I hoped in the auto I firmly told him to take me to Commercial Street. I hadn't really thought this through though, because although I knew he would take me the extra long way to get there, I didn't actually know where it was, long route or short route. After about 15 minutes he pulled up outside a silk shop and said "you go in for five minutes, I will wait here and then we can go to Commercial". If auto drivers drop someone at a shop and they buy something from there the driver gets a commission (something I learnt after this). A few firm words were exchanged, including him demanding even more money from me because he was so nice and put the meter on - something he is obliged to do by law - and me threatening to get out and not pay him a cent, before eventually a man from the shop came up to the auto and said something to him in Kannada and we drove off. Two minutes later and we were parked outside another of these shops (which might I add, looked beautiful and I did really want to have a look in, but knew I couldn't cave to his demands). We had an almost identical conversation again. Eventually he drove off, but I was soon realising this could potentially go on for hours, and with not actually knowing where Commercial Street was, I really wasn't in much of a position to demand him to take me there. I could see I was fighting a losing battle so ordered him to pull over to the side and let me out. I had no idea where I was, but figured it was better to hop out on a street which was full of people, rather than drive aimlessly around with this auto driver. In my 23 years of life I don't think I have ever been so blunt and rude to someone. I still paid him though, something I regret now.
So there I was, somewhere in Bangalore - that much I knew - with no map and little idea if I was even near Commercial Street. It's interesting when you are by yourself and you have to make these decisions. I can imagine if it was David and I (or anyone for that matter) we would have stopped to think about which was the best way to walk and discussed it for a while, probably not really coming up with any real answer, but maybe feeling a little bit more mentally prepared. But I didn't have him, so instead I just walked. There was no real reason why I took the path I did, other than it was the opposite direction to the auto driver. I must have looked lost because after about 10 minutes a man came up to me and asked me where I was going. He pointed me in the direction of MG Road (a major road, which the Deccan Herald is based on). I tell you, I have never been so pleased to have somebody point me in the direction of work. Just yesterday Cheeku had taken me to the office and shown me how to walk from there to the place I am staying at, so although this man didn't point me in the direction of Commercial Street, he did point me in the direction of a place I at least recognised the name of.
To cut a long story short, I then walked for about an hour and a half in the vague direction of home in the sweltering, muggy heat. I have never been very good with directions and this really tested my skills. A few mad crossings of intersections - including one where I seemed to get stuck in the middle of the road with traffic coming at all angles (sorry mum, probably something you don't want to hear) - and I was home. It was probably the closest I have ever come to kissing the ground.
Next time I will take a taxi.
Strange, we are so sheltered in NZ I would probably think he is a nice man wanting to show me cool shops :(
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