I've escaped tourist spots and its cheap. Roti for Rs3 (4p), Bananas for about Rs1.5 (2p) each, Water below MRP, soft drinks at MRP. I wouldn't object if some of these places charged me just a little bit more. Unfortunately the local bacteria delicacies have quite a low food content so I'm reduced to eating bananas.
On the other hand, I've encountered possibly the least pleasant auto driver so far (again). He tried every trick in the book, less the lack of local emporiums, between picking me up with an offer of Rs50 and demanding Rs200. Let alone his harassing a young girl walking along the road, leering as he pokes his head out of the auto. At first I thought he might know her, but her increase in speed convinced me otherwise. For some amusement I wave my middle finger aggressively behind his back, and the other passengers he briefly transported during the trip laughed. Our first stop was a slight detour via the forest office; where the english speaking officials, guest participants and facilitators in our raging non-lingual argument, suggested that Rs100 for the full trip wouldn't be so far off the mark. At the last stop the English speaking hotel assistant translated his bullshit, and I countered with prompt and far more likely replies. His '3 hours going about' was less than 40 minutes for what should have been a 15 minute job. His 'other passengers friends, not paying' countered with a list of exactly how much each paid. He demanded Rs200, to which my response was over my dead body (possibly untranslated). Eventually, after a good 10 minutes of angry argument lacking any progress, he conceded and accepted another Rs10 over the Rs100. I have never regretted giving Rs10 (13p) to someone as much as I do now. It's in his best that I don't see an auto numbered '850' until I'm in a different district.
I did however learn a few lessons. M.P auto drivers do not fear the police sufficiently. The numbers painted on the autos are outdated, better to go by the 'plates'. (Numberplates are just painted on in a variety of unreadable hands)
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