Day 47: Entering India - 108 Days Across Eurasia by Martins Ate

I waked up at 7:30 on my bed moved away from the wall so to minimize the possibility for creatures on the walls to get until me. Took a shower and went out.


The city was alive already by that time. A lots of rickshaw offered me a ride until the border but I decided to walk my last hour while in Nepal. Had some Indian breakfast on my way and very soon I was on the border.

The Nepalese side wanted to charge me 300 rupees for service charge - I gave only 25. Then Indian side charged me 300 Indian rupees which is about 5 EUR I guess. So further I'm hitchhiking!


I'm in India and heading towards Varanasi. Cars picked me up very easily but the driving speed was poor and distance usually about 10 kilometers. so driving forward takes time. Also the water on my way was not a problem as all the small villages had a pump so I was filling my bottles in each of them. It is enormous hot. I'm sweating so bad that I'm all wet.


I got lucky with one truck which dropped me about 150 km. We even stopped for a lunch brake and driver - nice young man - paid my lunch. After the lunch started a new part for my trip.during the lunch as we talked where I'm going and driver said he soon will go sleep as it was already dark - one of the guys from road cafeteria offered to help me out by dropping me until Varanasi for 500 rupees. I explained that I don't have money at all but it seemed like they just did not or could not understand it or believe in it.


After trying for about half hour to explain my situation and absence of problem in it he guy finally told me to help for free. He was a local. After the lunch he invited me to his home and introduced me to his family. They where asking a lot of questions and it was clear that they do not hitchhike!

Family was friendly but I was scared of next day that they just could not accept hitchhiking as a driving method and wanted me next day to drop me not until the next city but until traffic police. But generally family was friendly. They offered me a night sleep which I accepted but ran away after heard everyone dreaming. So I continued to hit a road at about 3AM and soon hitchhiked my next car.


It was some rich local oligarch driving in a back of a jeep with his wife. I was seated in front with a driver. Then I had to explain the reason of my travelling and why I travel with no bus or train. But it seemed like it is out of possible understanding of Indian people - hitchhike; no money ... No train ... It seemed weird to them. So weird that they stopped twice at the police checkpoints and Oligarch was explaining them each time the obstacles of his worries - me. They dropped me about 100 km and the road took about one and half hour. And during this time I was unsuccessful in explanation that I'm travelling without money even if I told it 10 times and showed my wallet, and told that it is impossible for me to travel by train - they y dropped me of at the rain station and even asked for a money for a trip. I had to say that I'm taking a train as otherwise they would leave me at the police station. Crazy couple. Incredible misunderstanding... I was so pissed because of them and happy the same time as I had reached Patna.


It was 5 AM. And I continued to walk. Through all Patna, managing to find my way towards Varanasi. Whenever I asked somebody for a way - they tried to divert me towards train station and explained that it is not a walking distance. At the end I was so tired of explaining that I'm hitchhiking that I just used my GPS to find a way. Indians seemed to me incredible stubborn and unable to accept some new ideas. So I continued walking with no night sleep and drunk water from the local water points. I hope I will be alright!:)