Today I learned how to get from Eli's place to the nearest Metro station.
First I must take a Tuk Tuk to the Metro. Remember a Tuk Tuk is an enclosed three wheeled vehicle with open sides...no doors. They run on compressed natural gas for fuel.
Eli's apartment is on the 11th floor. While I was waiting for one of the two elevators to come, his neighborin apartment 1101 came out and was also waiting. We chatted and I told him that I was going to try to take the tuk tuk to the Metro. He taught me how to pronounce Sikanderpur Metro. He thought I should pay 60 rupies for the ride.
I walked to end of the driveway where cars, taxis, and tuk tuks are waiting to pick up a ride. I said Sikanderpur Metro. How much? He said 70 rupies. I said no, too much. 50. He said ok. So I got in and sat down. Off we went!!
The driver weaved through the traffic honking frequently. It was kind of fun riding in the open, even though I did not have air conditioning. After 15 minutes, I arrived and got out and paid the driver 50 rupies.
I took note of the surroundings so I could figure out how to get back to the apartment. There were four lanes of traffic. Two lanes going each way. I would need to stand on the other side of the road to catch a ride back to Eli's. I need to remember which direction is the correct way back.
I followed the crowd going up upstairs and looked for a place to buy a smartcard and fill it with 100 rupies. I found two ticket machines. A man was standing in front of one of the machines helping people buy a ticket to their destination or to refill their smartcard. Many people cannot read to operate the machine. I asked him where to buy the smartcard. He pointed to a window on the other side of the security check point. I put my purse and bag on a conveyor belt and walked through a security screening machine with my hands up. At the window the man asked me how much I wanted to put on the smartcard. I said 100 rupies. I paid him and got my smartcard! Success!
I walked backwards out through security to get out of the area. I need 50 rupies in change for my ride back to Eli's. I only had 100 R bills. I need to buy something to get change. I found a shop with drinks for sale in a cooler. I felt the air conditioning as soon as I stepped inside the shop. It felt really good. I chose an orange drink and walked up to the cashier counter. The two men behind the counter were almost done eating their lunch, so I waited until they were done eating their last bite. I asked how much. 30 rupies. I paid with 100 R and got a 50 R and three 10 R bills. Great. Now I have my change.
I walked around slowly reading signs and studied a large map of the Metro system on a wall. Only 29 rupies for a 45 minute ride to the center of Delhi. I learned I need to go to Platform 2 to go towards Delhi and go to Platform 1 to return back here.
Now to find my way back to Eli's. I walked across to the other side of the station and found stairs going down to the other side of the road. At the bottom of the stairs, I noticed a beggar woman sitting on the ground with a bowl in front of her. I opened my bag and put two saltine cracker packets in her bowl. She smiled and I walked over to the edge of the street where at least 25 tuk tuks were waiting for a ride. I walked up to one driver and said Ibis Hotel. How much? He said 70 rupies. I said too much. 50 rupies. He said no...fixed price...70 rupies. I tried three more drivers. They did not want to negotiate. I walked away from that area and waited for a tuk tuk to drop off a ride and asked him how much. He also said 70 rupies. I said no. 60 rupies. He said no. I went to another tuk tuk right behind him and repeated 50 rupies. He said 60 rupies. Then the first driver said ok 60 rupies. I got in the first tuk tuk and away we went.
About 5 minutes later, the driver got a cell phone call. I think he got in trouble for taking a ride when it was not his turn. He was supposed to get in line with the other tuk tuks and wait for his turn to get a ride. Also they know that he took a discounted fare for my ride. This converstaion was all in hindi, but I could sense his dilemma.
He dropped me off at the Ibis Hotel which shared a driveway with Eli's complex Exotica. Instead of going to Eli's I wanted to go to the ATM machine about a block way. I walked along the edge of the road...some of it was paved with bricks, but mostly compacted dirt. Along the way I slowly passed a wild pig that hangs around the area. I noticed it there before.
At the ATM machine I forgot how much money to withdraw. I entered 200,000 rupies. The machine said no receipt aailable, so I went to another one two doors down. I entered 200,000 rupies again. This time the machine said I could only take out 10,000 rupies a day. No wonder the other machine was not happy. I entered 10,000 and the machine spit out the money and gave me a receipt.
I had to walk back past the pig through the security gate into the apartment complex. They guards must have recognized me because they did not question me. I could see other people were being stopped and questioned. Now I had to remember how to get back to tower C2. There are three clusters of three towers. A1, A2, A3, B1, B2,B3, C1, C2,C3. Each cluster has a parking lot undergound. I walked along the edge of the road being careful not to get hit by cars. I found C2.
Back home, I proudly announced to Eli that I did it!! Now I can go to endless places. No problemo..Ha Ha.
Eli will be leaving Friday for 16 days...October 5 to October 21. I should be fine, right?? Grocery store and ATM just down the street.
Next tine I will tell you about my trip to Agra.
