Meet Mintu

Monday April 28, 6:30 am - On the road from Delhi to Agra

After researching trains, planes, and automobiles in India, we decided that the best way to see everything on our list was to hire a driver for part of our journey. We used a company called Drive India, who I would highly recommend using if you're going to India. Not only were they quick to respond and help us plan our trip, but they took care of things for us on the fly - cancelling train tickets and purchasing plane tickets instead. They were really great.

We met Mintu bright and early this morning. He is going to drive us from Delhi to Agra, from Agra to Jaipur, Jaipur to Udaipur, and finally from Udaipur to Ahmedabad, where we catch a train to Mumbai, and then another train to Goa. We are basically road-tripping through India with Mintu! Although he didn't wear this festive orange jacket, he was still a lot of fun.

Mintu was also quite the driver, which I guess you just have to be in India. I got to experience Indian Style Driving, otherwise known as Driving on the Verge of Death, for several days with him. What was most interesting to me is that in India, they have lines painted on the road, and usually two lanes. Mintu drove down the middle of the street, right on top of the lines; actually, pretty much everyone did this. When he wanted to pass someone, he honked to let them know he was coming, and then passed them on the right.

And this was no leisurely drive; we were cruising through India, passing auto rickshaws, mopeds, bicycles, bicycle rickshaws, trucks, cars, pedestrians, and even cows! Mintu darted, swerved, and sped like nobody's business, honking all the way. Eventually I got used to this and didn't prepare myself for death every time he pressed on the gas.

Mintu is married with three kids, and he showed us pictures of his beautiful family. I guess he's happy that his job takes him on the road, because when we told him that we only had two weeks together and then Andy stayed in India while I went back to the US, Mintu said, "Two weeks with wife is good. More than that, too much!" We respectfully disagreed with him.

Mintu was really great at taking us to good shops. He took us to fantastic textile and jewelry stores. When we asked him to take us to a shoe store, he said, "All women like shoes - the same everywhere!" I had to laugh. I guess women loving their shoes is just a universal thing. Mintu said that his wife fights with shoes - when she gets mad, she throws her shoes at him! I've never tried that; I think I love my shoes (and my husband) too much to hurt either of them...

We're really glad we got to meet Mintu and share our India journey with him!