Lost rickshaw drivers

This is going from bad to worse, this town is horrible (or so I feel today anyway, it might have to do with the fact that I slept only 1 hour last night and had to get up at about 5 am to catch a train at 6.30 am)

I reached Kollam about 11 am and got an autodriver to take me to a Hotel that sounded cheap and good in the guidebook. But the stupid auto guy was so impatient, that when he got stuck in traffic he ordered me out of the auto and led me to the place on foot. As if I couldn't have managed that on my own? Grrrrr, so when I got there I only paid him half the money. Of course he got angry, but I was a bit angry too, so I just put the money in his shirt pocket and left (the hotel looked nasty anyway)

I then had another look in the guidebook and found one that was a bit more expensive, but in a town like this, I think that is necessary to get anything half decent. So I found a new autodriver and told him the name of the hotel. Yes, yes, madam, he said. Very soon I realized that he doesn't have a clue about where the hotel I had spelled out to him 10 times was. So he took me to another really posh & expensive looking place. With the help of one of the guards there we managed to make him understand where I wanted to go. So when he finally got me there, he wanted to charge me extra because *he* had got lost?? Well, I did not pay him any extra, I am getting a very fed up with some of the auto drivers now.

I guess Im getting used to it too in a way, more or less expecting it, but still it can be extremely annoying if your about to overheat and have not slept for ages and just want to get to a place without too much trouble!!

Anyhow, I got a good room and had a shower. Then I went to look for a place to have breakfast/lunch and to book a ticket for the backwater cruise tomorrow.

The backwater ticket was easily done, however there was no cafes in sight anywhere, apart from some really sweaty 'hole in the wall' places. So I walked and walked and walked and it was incredibly hot and humid. Finally I found this kind of shopping complex, where there was both a simple cafe and Internet place. There was even a supermarket here! (oh heaven) So I finally got myself some lunch and then escaped into the fan-cooled Internet place. I think I will just spend as much time as possible here. I really don't want to enter that sticky, smelly town again.

Tomorrow morning I will leave for the cruise at about 10 am. Am I looking forward to that or what?

(Sorry for this very negative entry, but some days are just really horrible and when travelling alone this diary is a place to get some of my frustrations out. It might give a wrong impression of my time here though, its not all as bad as it sounds :)