Buses in India are tin cans with windows on wheels. If your bus
doesn't break down you have found a winner. Drivers go from suicidal
maniacs intent on driving everyone else off the road to the occasional
sensible driver. Maniacs use the horn and honk at everything meaning
the horn is continually screaching in an ear shattering manner. Some
of the more aggressive drivers will merge into a steam of motorbikes
without looking and bump vehicles or bikes out of the way. Sitting in
the front row is akin to a "movie" where many people almost die.
Sitting in the back is akin to a carnival ride due to a lack of
shocks. (Last night I was catapulted a few feet off the seat on
several occasions).
Roads are usually potholed and often washed out. When the roads are
Western quality the bus can never move that fast due to monkeys, cows,
badly parked cows, wrong way vehicles etc hindering traffic.
Inside the often sardine packed bus a conductor takes your money,
tells the driver when to drop passengers off and is in charge of
directing should the driver need to reverse. He uses a whistle to
communicate with the driver. Last night my nine hour bus ride morphed
to 12 hours (as he was a "good" driver) meaning my bus missed my
connection.
I was stuck in Dehradon after dark in a bus station far from town. I
decided to cheap out and stay in the bus station dorms ($2). I feasted
on stale pastries, maggie minute noodles and chai (standard bus
station food). To my surprise the dorm was stunningly clean and well
organized. I woke to a full dorm and some guy plugging in his Iphone
to be charged. (Iphones are well over $1000 here). India never ceases
to surprise.
Tonight Haridwar and a pilgrims dorm as accomidation (the first air
conditioned and cleanest place I have stayed so far).
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