#64 - Propel a Cycle Rickshaw...Check

It was a late Saturday night in a sleep Chandigarh. Events of the night included discovering the "underground" gay bar (the aptly named "Down Under" bar) that exists here and getting to drive a cycle rickshaw. We stumbled upon the aforementioned bar because my Australian-born English friend, Ryan, wanted to see what a supposed Aussie Bar looks like in India.

I can tell you that this was not an Aussie bar and there was a distinct lack of the opposite sex. You see, homosexuality is not looked upon as being a good thing in this country. So, the significance of a gay bar need not be explained. Upon entrance, we could feel the intense bass from the Hindi rave music - not such a comfortable feeling after a few beers. Once seated at our table, we were approached by some guys looking for a bit more than answers to the questions, "Which country from you?" and "You like India?"

Getting to the point of this post, Ryan and I were looking for a way to get home after an unsuccessful attempt at getting into the Taj (nicest hotel in Chandigarh) club. Our desired choice of transport on this occasion was the pedal-powered covered-wagon known as the cycle rickshaw. We had utilized this form many times before, however the opportunity to drive one had never presented itself. Maybe it was the liquid confidence in my system or maybe it was the fact that I was leaving in soon. In any case, I finally summed up the courage to ask the driver if I could take the reins. He obliged and I was ready to go.

I must say that it isn't all that easy. This particular rickshaw had an awful pull to the right, which almost landed me in a ditch. Luckily, my adept braking avoided any unnecessary damage to the vehicle. Once I got going, it was like a dream come true - everything was in perfect unison. I wasn't happy to cede control to Ryan half-way home, but I knew my time would come.

My goal by the end of my time here is to spend a day driving a cycle rickshaw. It would be a great "Day in the Life" story and this time I could finally be the one trying to rip people off. Ahh...the irony.

This vocation is the third in my list of potential employment opportunities in India. Previously, I had considered becoming an auto-rickshaw driver in Delhi and a ticket-taker on Indian local buses (not sure about driving them yet).