Day 150 ~Allahabad

I'm not a person who regrets. I always look on the bright side of things.
But now, with time getting a little tight (I have to be in Delhi by 3rd May to confirm my BKK flight), I started to actually plan my time.

My fifth train ride in India was the 897km journey from Calcutta to Allahabad, for which I have a ailse upper berth which wasn't too bad.

The train pulled into Allahabad station right on the dot which was pleasing, but what foloows wasn't!!
The next natural thing to do was of course to check in a hotel and "relief " my backpack, and most of the hotel I went to took a look at me, roll their eyes and said "we're full". It was damn irritating because I know they were lying and I have absolutely no idea why they would not give me a room. PLus it was extremely hot coupled by the deafening traffic and my temper rose.

Finally, I came to HOtel Milan that takes foreign guest, and the receptionist (or boss, I dunno) told me that most hotels do not take foreign guests because they could not guarantee safety.
Their rooms were nice, but expensive, so I'm going to leave tomorrow morning to Satna and take onward bus to Khajuraho.

After the hotel issue was settled, i took the auto rickshaw to Sangam, where the HOly Ganga and River Yamuna meets, as usual, full of touts and scams and pests.

I agreed on a 40RS ridr down the river that was way tooooooooooooo short, and the boat driver tried all his best to get me on the "holy spot" to do some puja which I vehemently refused and stay rooted on the boat. He must not have been pleased.

And the end of the boat ride , which was like 15 mins later, I gave him a RS 50 note, so I could still have 10 RS change to take rickshaw back, and he just happily took it and put into his pocket, no intention of giving change. Now I was angry at this. Indeed, 10 Rs is nothing to us, but when we agree on a price, we stick to it, don't we?

And I stood firmly on my ground to press him for changes. Normally I would just accept it as tips for his service if the boat man is good, but this one is too slimy and I want my money. He gave me eventually and as I walk away was probably cursing with his friends and laughing so loudly behind my back. Wtf, 40 Rs is extremely good money for that ride.

Which makes me a littlle miserable. Yes, travelling in India opens up to a whole new experience, but its also tough for a lone woman because sometimes, they just bully you. And I'll lose my cool. I've often hear ppl telling me, If i survive India travelling alone as a girl, I can probably do it anywhere else in the world. Now I firmly belief.

So its goodbye to Allahabad tomorrow, I will not miss this place.
Even, as I'm using this internet, when I came in the afternoon, the person says 40rs one hour, which is too ex for me, so I walk away. He then call after me and say he remember wrongly, should be 25. I thought it was okay but they require passport photocopy, which wasn't by my side so I couldnt use.
Now, as I come in the evening, the shopkeeper has changed, and he told me its 15. Talk abt double standards.