The India Diaries Part III: Hitting the Road
Published on Saturday, March 27, 2010.On our way to Chandigarh, the car started shaking and with it my heart started to beat rapidly. The last thing I want is to be stranded in the middle of a hundred-degree sweltering Indian highway.
As we went from gas station to gas station seeking assistance, I was amazed at how well we were directed toward a competent mechanic. Not only are the natives very knowledgeable about their surroundings, they are extremely helpful and ready to share information when called upon.
So we finally pulled up to a repair shop -- simply a dirt road with several open-air shops. Multiple cattle, goats and dogs had clearly also made the area their home. Out from one of the three-walled structures ran 5 guys who immediately began to address our problem. Without the aid of a garage, advanced tools or computers, they were able to get us back on the road in 20 minutes flat. Try doing that at Pep Boys in the United States. The cost of this service? Four-hundred rupees. About 10 US Dollars when you factor in a generous tip.
Indian ingenuity is unlike that of any other I have ever witnessed.
Labels: special events