Tourism and food

So Agra, like any tourist beat, is really designed to strip people of all their available cash. In fact, most places to which we have been that cater specifically to tourists, both Indian and Western, are quite expensive by Indian standards. This means that one can expect to pay up to 4 times as much for a meal in a restaurant of dubious quality and certainly zero authenticity as one would pay in a local dhaba or 'meals place'. The problem is that the places that are touristy are touristy for a reason, like for instance, the Taj Mahal. So you want to go there, it isn't Disneyland in spite of the commercialisation that springs up around it - India is a very enterprising nation.

So Adrian and I have made it our mission to see interesting touristy places AND eat yummy delicious food at the same time. Much more difficult than it sounds, actually, but we think we have found the winning formula. See, where there are tourists, there are buses and taxis and rickshaws (auto ones mostly) and where there are buses and taxis and rickshaws, there are drivers. And drivers must eat. Here in Kovallam, Kerala (western tip of India) we located the meals place just next to the bus 'stop' - and it was not easy to find. These places look like holes in the wall - basically an open doorway leading to a couple of narrow tables, a sink in one corner and some much needed and largely ineffective ceiling fans. Plus, to confuse one further, they are often called 'hotels', which in India actually means restaurant. In fact, a good rule of thumb would be to avoid any establishment that calls itself a restaurant since it is BOUND to be aimed at a tourist crowd.

So this meals place that we found today works like this: you come in and get ushered to a seat. As soon as you sit down, a banana leaf is plunked in front of you and immediately someone comes by and plops a large quantity of white rice on it. This is followed by a generous ladle of sambar, a thick curry vegetable broth, and at least three other dishes in small amounts. Cutlery is nowhere to be seen (although quite honestly this varies and in many places you will be offered a spoon). We were also offered some fried fish (a small kind of fish). When it looks like you have finished some of your meal, someone comes around with second helpings of everything, each generously deposited on the banana leaf. When you are through, you take the banana leaf to the sink and put it in a pan with others, and then you wash your hands and if you are not used to eating with your fingers, you'll also need to wash your face, neck, arms, etc. Before you leave, you pay. 25 rps per person. WHAT???? Yes. 50 rps for a meal for two where we were so full we practically rolled out. 40rps = 1 dollar. It was a very memorable meal and one we hope to repeat now that we are more savvy.

In addition to bad tourist food, a major annoyance is the touts trying to sell you stuff you really don't want like shawls, drums, expensive fruit, wall hangings, jewelry. I have never said 'no, thank you' so often in all my life.