Postcards, photo.......hashish?

If you know us very well, or even a little bit, you will understand that we are not the most likely targets for drug dealers. We certainly don't go looking for them and aren't your typical stoned looking marijuana smoking hippy. So we are a little perplexed as to why, especially me (John), are offered on a relatively regular basis drugs and supposed pleasures of varying content. I know some of you will be shouting at the screen about how naïve we must be and that they target me because its usually guys who are looking for said toxin. Let us assure you we are aware of this and isn't the purpose of the blog entry. No the purpose is to divulge the inventiveness and resourcefulness of the Indian (and Nepali) people who are partaking in this particular career.

When we landed in Delhi we stayed in Parhar Ganj, which for those of you have not been to Delhi, is the backpacking centre of the city. It's dusty, dirty and unfortunately can be quite dangerous with a history of drug dealing and prostitutes etc... We were aware of this and were not surprised to have people hiding in shady corners stealthily approaching you and hushing the words 'something to smoke my friend, you have good time?' We found this quite hilarious considering they were barking up the completely wrong tree and with the frequency it happened. It could be quite irritating though as they sometimes where very Indian about it and walk right across you, causing you to walk right round them. What was interesting though, and started to become quite a regular pattern across India and Nepal, was that you would be walking down the street, a rickshaw driver would shout 'Hello, Rickshaw?' and after you just past them a low, deep whisper would pass across your little ear bones 'Hashish?' It was not limited to rickshaw drivers but street sellers, tour guides and even photographers at major landmarks? One particularly hilarious moment was when we were walking along the main road in Pokhara, Nepal back to our hotel when a man started the usual 'something to smoke etc....' We smiled politely and walked past as he started running through his list of concoctions 'Acid, E....' and then completely out of the blue shouted at the top of his voice 'anything............SEX!!!' This of course was too much to handle and we just burst out laughing in the middle of the street. After this we thought we had seen and heard it all, however we were proved wrong as we stood and looked at the Gateway to India in Mumbai. A man selling postcards and offering pictures in front of it approached us and inquired if we would like to purchase a book of 20 postcards? We said 'no thank you' and turned to look out to sea, he then appeared next to me and opened up one of the books to show me some dried flowers along with the phrase 'something special my friend?' We just turned and laughed at him because the situation was just so hilarious. We look forward to what new and inventive ways we shall be offered drugs, not for the contents of the offer themselves but merely as pure entertainment.

Again some more photos, this time from Jaipur and Mumbai.