THE FIRST TUK-TUK - INDIA 2.

Delhi tuk-tuk so exciting... eeeeek

We took a deep breath and ventured out again.   We'd go to a shopping mall mentioned in the guide book.  A shopping mall would be the kind of place we could look around unmolested, finger the silk, admire exotic saris, have a coffee.  We took the first tuk-tuk driver who approached us.   Agreed a price  - we're not idiots -  and got in.

"Delhi Helicopter." he shouted over his shoulder as he revved up.   Our  laughter was choked when he made a sudden U turn through four lanes of traffic.   Through traffic so dense I couldn't look at it.   He shimmied past motor bikes, tooting his horn, squeezed between lorries, beat a van to a roundabout.   Everyone also was tooting their horns or ringing their bells their bell or hooting their hooters.   Engines revved; smoke belched.  He steamed up the wrong side of the road.   I clutched the bar of the frame for dear life, spluttering and gasping

"Oh my God. Oh Jesus Christ. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. *&^%$£"!."  "*&^%$£"! , &^%$£"!, &^%$£"! , *&amp

"Calm down," says my husband, sitting beside me, "there's nothing we can do, they know what they're doing."

I closed my eyes and grabbed his hand.

"Shopping Mall", we discovered, was a euphemism for the most intense series of sales pitches we'd ever experienced in our lives. There were lots and lots of beautiful things on sale but an hour later we staggered out , frazzled by salesmen pitching silks and carpets and jewels and spices and carvings of gods and goddesses, and paintings of elephants and camels and horses and peacocks.   We were so confused we could make no decisions.

Daylight at last. We could breathe.  The air tasted gritty.   Our tuk-tuk driver was waiting.   Once more into the mad Delhi traffic . And then we got stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour. It was caused by a camel pulling a well loaded cart that got stuck while making a turn. To our surprise the traffic jam was incredibly cool. No one shouted or cursed or got angry. Drivers chatted and laughed with one another, people ordered tea. A couple of children did cartwheels between the vehicles and held out their hands for coins. Men took it upon themselves to direct traffic.

Suddenly the traffic was unsnarled and we were off again up the wrong side of the road heading straight for a bus. I closed my eyes and told myself that these tuk-tuk drivers know what they are doing.

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