It took me a while to start feeling more comfortable with the way things work around here. Three weeks ago I would have been completely unable to hop on a local bus alone - the only foreigner :-P - and head to unknown towns whose names I can only remember for 30 seconds, without a guide, without a map, only relying on the people to help me get to where I need to be.
And I still have a lot to learn and get used to. Every province is like its own country; different customs, different languages.
So inevitably, I have been getting ripped off during this initial part. The most embarassing was probably in Mahabalipuram when I booked a room for 2 nights with Liz. After calling a few guest houses, we found one where we were quoted 600 (~$12) rupees per night, which seemed incredibly cheap for our standards. So we get there and the room is clean and everything, a bit small, but the bed is huge and has a mosquito net. I paid 1200 rupees for myself, and then Liz goes to pay her part... The owner seemed a little confused at first, but eventually accepted both of our payments without a peep. Had I had my wits about me, I would have realised that the room was 600/night for both of us, not per person XD We only realised the day that we left that the price was likely for the room, but still it was so cheap that it wasn't even worth getting frustrated over.
Now I am much more picky about accommodation prices though. I know the rates a bit better and I try as much as possible to pay by local standards, even if it's dirt cheap in any case, because I realised that all these minuscule purchases add up if you intend to travel long-term! In Munnar I was quoted 350 rupees for a room, which is about the normal backpacker price for accommodation, but when I got there they asked for 550. And I bickered with them for a while but eventually ended up agreeing to pay the higher price when I put things into perspective: this was a room for two people that I was paying alone, it was even cleaner and more luxurious than the one in Mahab, and even had hot water for showers (which is super uncommon)!
To give further perspective about value, consider the following:
40 rupees...
= 1 roll of toilet paper (in touristy areas)
= 1 hour in an internet café
= 20 bananas
= 2 L of water
= ~3 hour ride on a state bus
...and still under $1 :-)
The tp is a rip off in my opinion though, better get used to the bucket method :P
So anyways, back to Mahab. Despite that minor, er, accommodation failure, we had a great time there. Such a chilled out place, which is so very welcoming after a city like Chennai (not at all the right place to get introduced to the country!). Beach, lots of restaurants, lots of shops...lots of tourists. We bought a few handicrafts and practised our bargaining skills with the shop owners who were mostly from Kashmir (as were the crafts). In fact, we couldn't help but notice that Kashmiri men are, well, incredibly gorgeous, heeeee. Those dark penetrating eyes... Oh my. /end girly swooning.
One thing we also discovered in Mahab is that making friends and being a loyal customer is definitely advantageous! For our shopping needs we frequented a convenience store a bit off the main tourist road, and bought bananas and snacks from them every day, mostly because we liked the shop owners very much. But we were so touched when they made a discount for toilet paper for us on the third day, knowing fully that it's not a very cheap item!
Eventually I was really reluctant to part with Liz in Mahab; after just a few days it felt like we were family. But she made it back to Chennai on her own and I set off to Pondicherry, where the unexpected greeted me...
Photos: Chennai & Mahabalipuram
And I still have a lot to learn and get used to. Every province is like its own country; different customs, different languages.
So inevitably, I have been getting ripped off during this initial part. The most embarassing was probably in Mahabalipuram when I booked a room for 2 nights with Liz. After calling a few guest houses, we found one where we were quoted 600 (~$12) rupees per night, which seemed incredibly cheap for our standards. So we get there and the room is clean and everything, a bit small, but the bed is huge and has a mosquito net. I paid 1200 rupees for myself, and then Liz goes to pay her part... The owner seemed a little confused at first, but eventually accepted both of our payments without a peep. Had I had my wits about me, I would have realised that the room was 600/night for both of us, not per person XD We only realised the day that we left that the price was likely for the room, but still it was so cheap that it wasn't even worth getting frustrated over.
Now I am much more picky about accommodation prices though. I know the rates a bit better and I try as much as possible to pay by local standards, even if it's dirt cheap in any case, because I realised that all these minuscule purchases add up if you intend to travel long-term! In Munnar I was quoted 350 rupees for a room, which is about the normal backpacker price for accommodation, but when I got there they asked for 550. And I bickered with them for a while but eventually ended up agreeing to pay the higher price when I put things into perspective: this was a room for two people that I was paying alone, it was even cleaner and more luxurious than the one in Mahab, and even had hot water for showers (which is super uncommon)!
To give further perspective about value, consider the following:
40 rupees...
= 1 roll of toilet paper (in touristy areas)
= 1 hour in an internet café
= 20 bananas
= 2 L of water
= ~3 hour ride on a state bus
...and still under $1 :-)
The tp is a rip off in my opinion though, better get used to the bucket method :P
So anyways, back to Mahab. Despite that minor, er, accommodation failure, we had a great time there. Such a chilled out place, which is so very welcoming after a city like Chennai (not at all the right place to get introduced to the country!). Beach, lots of restaurants, lots of shops...lots of tourists. We bought a few handicrafts and practised our bargaining skills with the shop owners who were mostly from Kashmir (as were the crafts). In fact, we couldn't help but notice that Kashmiri men are, well, incredibly gorgeous, heeeee. Those dark penetrating eyes... Oh my. /end girly swooning.
Eventually I was really reluctant to part with Liz in Mahab; after just a few days it felt like we were family. But she made it back to Chennai on her own and I set off to Pondicherry, where the unexpected greeted me...
Photos: Chennai & Mahabalipuram
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