It has been long time…
I set out on Sunday to explore Dehli, with Hauz Khas village as my destination. Again I asked at the hotel and was told I should have the driver wait. The ride improved after he asked if I wanted air con (of course!), but when we arrived at our destination, I was less than impressed. It turns out Hauz Khas market is very different from Hauz Khas village (with lots of shops). I took a ten minute lap around and thanks to Google Maps’ GPS, even without wifi, I was able to locate myself on the map and realize that we were in a different place. So I showed the driver on my map and we went to the village. He was surprised when I said I would stay maybe two hours, but said no problem. I set off wandering the little streets, stopping in a few shops, stopping for a beer at a place I incorrectly thought had a good view, but conveniently again had a two-for-one happy hour, and then sat down for dinner. I realized that on my vacation, on my own, with absolutely no agenda for the night, I felt rushed and worried over the taxi that I had waiting. Not only was it against my nature to be paying for a taxi to sit there, but I felt bad for the driver as he waited, worried he was missing dinner with his family, or that he was thinking I may not come back. You would think on a trip on my own, I could dictate my own schedule, but instead I felt the clock ticking on the two hour estimate I had provided. How was I to know if I would like the place, especially after the mistake of stop #1? How would I know before I got there that I could have happily stayed longer? But apparently my guilt transcends the oceans to India, and I quickly finished my dinner to get back to my taxi. Again, I was quite proud to actually find the taxi, it did look a little questionable at one point. I wondered how often tourists don’t come back. How long would the driver wait. I hadn't yet paid anything, so if he left, he would forfeit the fare, but how long do you wait for someone who may or may not come back? Would he go back to my hotel to complain if I were to take a different taxi home? I found the taxi and was welcomed back with the comment of ‘it has been long time’. Yes it has. But I’m on vacation, aren't I allowed to take my time? I’m not sure if the problem lies in my dislike of having to set a schedule and commit to returning to a certain place at (or near) a specific time, or if the root of the problem is my guilt at having another person wait around for me and be stuck while I meander through shops and enjoy my potentially belly protecting beer(s).
After dinner mouth freshener, mukwas
Flag of India at Central Park, Connaught Place
Leaving the parking lot, I was asked to pay for parking (after all it had been a long time). It was 50 rupees, less than $1, so I didn't complain. I gave him 100 rupees, and got no change. As we drove back to my hotel (he didn't ask if I wanted to make any other stops, maybe he was in fact missing dinner?), I kept trying to peek at the meter, which he had partially covered by a towel. When we got within a few hundred yards of the hotel, he tells me it will be 900 rupees plus whatever I would like to pay for wait time. And he repeats 4 times. I debate the appropriate amount to pay. What is a man’s time worth? If it were in NYC, clearly I would be paying way more than $15 for over three hours, so I decide to give a very good tip, 600 rupees, about $10. I feel the guy deserves it for waiting for such ‘long time’, plus three 500 rupee notes is easy to hand over. But then I wonder why we are not in front of the hotel, he wants the money before he pulls into the hotel, and then my feeling of fairness in tipping well is overshadowed when I see him try to clear the meter with his hand blocking the amount. I try to see, but can’t tell if the 900 rupees was truly the amount. Something tells me it was not. Although I tried to tell myself that $25 is well worth it for a driver around this crazy city for three hours, I still feel like he must have been pulling a fast one on this tourist. And that never sits well.