D108 -- Bye bye Bunty

Bunty drove us to Udaipur today and we said goodbye to him there. We liked Bunty, but we didn't really talk with him as much as I would have liked during our drives. Partly this was because he wouldn't ask us much about ourselves. Our conversations often consisted of us asking questions and him answering, and that created a weird dynamic in my mind. It didn't seem to bother him, though. He's a pretty straight-forward guy. He was very clear with us that the fee for his services didn't include his tip. He told us his opinion about foreigners and beggars – he thought we shouldn't give money to them, except when they have a disability. He told us the percentage kickback he would receive from any purchase we made at a store he took us to, and he told us which hotels treat drivers well and which treat them “like dogs.” So, in Pushkar, for example, we stayed at a Bunty-recommended hotel where he knew some people and was provided with a comfortable place to sleep, food, etc. In Jaipur, though, we'd chosen a hotel that was not driver-friendly (many hotels resent having to give kickbacks), so we gave him a per diem to find his own lodging. He even told us personal information about his family. Right now he is saving up for his sister's dowry. He'd like to be able to start his own business some day instead of working for a travel agency, but he feels he must help his sister secure a good husband first. Yes, it is 2006 and families are still paying men to marry their daughters. (Not to mention sentencing them to death if they've been raped, but that's a whole other country.) We hope the business we gave Bunty helps him.



The hotel Thomas chose in Udaipur was great. We figured we should splurge a little since we'd be spending Thomas' birthday here. It has a lovely garden and all the common areas are decorated with beautiful carved wood furniture. Our room had two little window seats you could curl up in to read and a little sitting room. AND, there was a rooftop pool and restaurant with fantastic views ot the town and its the two lakes. Score! Just what I need after my breakdown in Pushkar. There are still cows (and donkeys) in the roads and even a little raw sewage, but somehow Udaipur just seems so much nicer and relaxing.

-Elva