Alright, last week's post was a bummer. I know. Here is something a little more peppy...transportation!
Seriously, this is fun. We are without a car for the time being (and probably will be for quite a while) so our main modes of transportation around the city are walking and auto-rickshaws. The best they can be described is a kind of 3-wheel turbo powered golf cart. The driver sits up front and you (your kids and all the stuff you got at the store) pile onto a bench in the back. You can hail an auto by simply patting your hand out (Lydia knows how to do this now). Then you tell them where you want to go, negotiate a price and then off you go! Sometimes, yes, they do try to get more money from the obvious foreigner, but don't worry there are plenty...as soon as you start negotiating 3 more autos usually pull up behind capture your business.
Anyways, it's not a bad way to travel. It's open air (so, mostly breezy...ish) and I get to look around while my driver concentrates on the road (which is chaos), and I can get most anywhere for under $2. The girls have grown to love it (Molly usually falls asleep, Lydia finds cows and pink scooters along the way) and Brian is a master negotiator (once holding onto the auto while the driver refused to give him change...an equivalent of about 20 cents, but it was the principle off the thing!).
Seriously, this is fun. We are without a car for the time being (and probably will be for quite a while) so our main modes of transportation around the city are walking and auto-rickshaws. The best they can be described is a kind of 3-wheel turbo powered golf cart. The driver sits up front and you (your kids and all the stuff you got at the store) pile onto a bench in the back. You can hail an auto by simply patting your hand out (Lydia knows how to do this now). Then you tell them where you want to go, negotiate a price and then off you go! Sometimes, yes, they do try to get more money from the obvious foreigner, but don't worry there are plenty...as soon as you start negotiating 3 more autos usually pull up behind capture your business.
Anyways, it's not a bad way to travel. It's open air (so, mostly breezy...ish) and I get to look around while my driver concentrates on the road (which is chaos), and I can get most anywhere for under $2. The girls have grown to love it (Molly usually falls asleep, Lydia finds cows and pink scooters along the way) and Brian is a master negotiator (once holding onto the auto while the driver refused to give him change...an equivalent of about 20 cents, but it was the principle off the thing!).
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