Monday, May 21, 2007: Hyderabadi Haircut

Wow, I just got back from getting a haircut here in Hi-Tech city in Hyderabad. My hair was getting a bit long and I needed a trim before the big date! It was definitely an experience. To get there, I had to take an autorickshaw (there are photos on my website). Basically, an autorickshaw is a cross between a moped, fourwheeler, and very small taxi. They are all open air and if you got in an accident - there isn't much to protect you but flimsy plastic and metal. My driver spoke very little English and told me he was between 20 and 23 years old. Twice during our journey, he stopped on the side of the road and ran to a little shack to buy a small pouch of powder (came in what appeared to be a foil sugar packet). As far as getting to the salon, my driver did anything and everything to get in front of the next car. Whether wedging our auto between two enormous buses, driving on the "sidewalk," or without hesitation completely cutting in front of a large dump truck - you'd think he was competing in a race for millions of dollars. He definitely kept me awake and alert. About 10 minutes into the ride, all was going well. We had successfully navigated our way through several herds of cattle, goats, crowds of people criss-crossing the street, ice cream and mango stands and just about anything else you can dream up. We were driving alongside a pretty large bus when BAM - I look to my immediate left and the entire underside of the bus is smoking and leaking fuel. Then, the underside starts to completely fall apart: spewing nuts, bolts, oil, gas and sparks all over the road - several of them landing in the rickshaw and hitting my legs. The bus kept going leaving a trail of parts behind it until it was forced to stop as the entire differential and axle falls off. Narrowly averting disaster, the rickshaw driver swerved to avoid several large chucks of the bus. The rest of trip was pretty tame. We finally made it to the "salon." I'll tell you more about my actual haircut later. The whole experience took about 2 hours and wore me out. I need some rest.