Jabalpur, India

I have finally arrived in my hotel room in Jabalpur after a long 26 hours on the train and over an hour of walking through this seedy town looking for a decent place to stay. I settled on one of the first places I looked at, despite its high price tag, simply because its rooms were enclosed within the hotel rather than open to the streets. I get the feeling that I'm going to have to be much more careful here--I've started carrying my pepper spray again! A few minutes after settling into my room, two young boys ring the bell, and when I open the door they enthusiastically ask me if I'd prefer a chai or a coffee. Not really in the mood for either, but thinking it was compliments of the hotel for arriving guests, I accept a chai. After enjoying the tea while flipping through the Hindi TV stations, taking a quick and very cold shower, the boys ring my bell again, this time they hand me a bill. 51 rupees. What's this for? I ask perplexed. Turns out the tea wasn't compliments of the hotel, but what's worse, is that a tea just outside costs only 2 rupees. I'm appalled at the outrageous price markup, but since I didn't have exact change and he couldn't break my bill, I told him I'd pay for it later. Maybe they'll forget about it? Doubtful. Annoyed, I walk to find dinner, but by this point its already dark so I look for someplace close. While restaurant hunting a group of 5 or 6 Hijras approach me as they parade down the street, singing, dancing, and beating on a drum. They call out to me, but I do my best to avoid the oncoming sauntering ladies, and while trying to go around them, they surround me and begin to serenade me. Nervous laughter spills from my mouth, blush rises on my cheeks. I do my best not to look completely uncomfortable, but what are you supposed to do when you find yourself surrounded by 6 burly transvestites swirling and dancing around you?

I ended up eating at a nice restaurant and managed to avoid another meal comprised of all things fried. Thrilled that I had finally found some vegetables, I scarfed down my meal, and while sitting back to admire the white table clothes, fresh flowers, and napkins, I noticed a little mouse scurrying out from the kitchen. Gross, I thought to myself, I guess you can't trust appearances as much as I thought you could.