I’ve been on some scary rides in my time and impressed my boys by riding Space Mountain at Euro Disneyland in Paris. However nothing quite compares to an auto-rickshaw ride in India!
Let me set the scene for you. The whole family squashed onto a shiny, vinyl seat on a covered three wheeler motorbike. One son squeezed into the front with the driver. All number of Gods and Deities on the auto’s dashboard and om stickers all over the windscreen.The driver racing up tiny lanes at breakneck speed past cows munching on rubbish and us clinging on for dear life. I know it would sound like a nightmare to most and I can understand that you may feel that way. However our family love it!
The reason we love it is because of one word…SURRENDER. Instead of thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong we think the opposite. We surrender to the sheer freedom and craziness of the moment. One night in Trichy we were heading straight for a packed bus when the driver veered off to the left at the very last moment. Our boys shouted out “That was mad Mum!” in sheer delight!
I’m not advocating taking reckless risks every day of the week. However part of being a genuine traveller is immersing yourself in the moment and doing some challenging things every now and then.
On our last trip my mother Padma and I discovered the auto-rickshaw bus. Now we can travel from the Sripuram Ashram all the way into Vellore (20 minute trip) for only 8 rupees!
The best things about the auto-rickshaw bus are:
- Loud blaring Hindi music combined with fast speed ~ very exhilarating!
- Great chats with local people.
- A cheap fare.
- Interesting views of everyday life.
- Living in the moment.
Please excuse the slightly out-of-focus photos above…we were probably going through a pot-hole at the time!
Small doses of terror can be fun? Is she crazy? Yes…well maybe just a little…
Lakshmi Loves To Shop 