The rest of Puri

You didn't think I would stop at the cab ride did you?



So we get to Puri, walk along the beach, see people selling fried fish and fried noodles on the street, which, after only eating 5 ritz crackers since lunchtime makes all our our tummies growl...We've been told not to eat the street food, however, so we'll settle for a restaurant inside one of the hotels along the beach. Good dinner, with the biggest shrimps I've ever had--seriously, have you ever split a shrimp with someone? I did.

Back outside, and guess what, it's POURING! not kidding, pouring. And it's almost 11pm. So we try to negotiate a rickshaw ride, say no to the first, get told by a random man on the porch of our hotel to settle on a price and get out, do just that with the second rickshaw that comes along and four of us pile in. Luckily I got the middle seat.

...Scariest ride ever--after passing back through Puri (our kind taxi driver took us as far as he could from our hotel) we enter nothingness. No more shacks selling whatever comes in those little plastic packets, no more people, no more lights or bikes or auto rickshaws. Just rain and darkness. It's cold, windy and raining. Again, thank goodness I was in the midding (did I tell you auto rickshaws don't have sides?) Poor Priz, Steven and Diane were getting soaked, using backpacks as shields from the rain. Then we passed a sign about entering a wildlife reserve and I was convinced our driver was going to just dump us in the middle of it and let us be eaten by a tiger. I am not kidding--we bargained pretty hard for that ride.

It's funny, I was thinking, you know, we bargain and fight with these people before we get in, and then, we agree, and we trust them to take them where we asked to be taken--we have no clue, and no control.

Don't worry mom, we made it to Toshali sands just fine, they laughed at us for being so drenched, came upstairs and showed us how to flip the switch for hot water, and then expected a tip.

Aaaa Puri...The rest of the trip was a bit less eventful--in a good way. Walked around the small town of Puri, saw pretty cool temples, ate seafood and walked along the beach. Fun Times.

And, if you were ever curious what it's like to ride thru a small town in a bike rickshaw: