Trouble in Paradise

If you're going to get hurt, you better do it with flare! That has always been my motto, and the other day was no different.
We arrived in Jaipur, the pink city, and we're transferred to our hotel the Diggi Palace. We had come from Pushkar, which is the drug capital of Rajasthan, which means that it is full of hippies and addicts who have managed to create a culture that is so pro-marijuana that we felt like the outsiders. Our hotel there, the Purple Garden, was well below par for the trip, and run by another man who was so stoned it was amazing the place was still standing!
As the tuk tuks pulled up in front of the Diggi Palace, we passed through the gate to find an amazing oasis. A large green lawn, bordered by orange, pink and yellow flowers rolled before us. Cut through by a small stone path, and dotted with lovely tables and chairs for lawn lounging, this garden was heaven. We could not have been more excited after too many local buses and bad hotels, we were ready for some down time.
To augment this respite, Jen and I headed out of the Palace to find some chocolate. Our guide, Shyaam, told us to just go out and turn right and a small store would be right there. Well, going out means fighting through ten tuk tuk drivers, who are just sure you need to go "to fort, to fort - beautiful. Cheaper than cheap price." Then some children begging, then someone who of course is willing to sell you some old bent up postcards or a ragged looking picture of Krishna.
Finally we reached the street, which is just a continual bombardment of noise and attention. We walked a block or two and didn't find a store, so we thought crossing the street might help. Dodging traffic we made it to the median, which is just a ditch with a two foot high concrete wall, that is about five inches wide. I stepped up onto the wall to get fully out of the street, not noticing that a line from the power polls is hanging down to right at my chin. In order to not hang myself of the power line I try to regain my balance on the wall, which is not working so I step back down onto the street. Between the wobbling, and the quick step I managed to roll my ankle, causing me to sprawl out into the road. The next thought in my head is, "I am laying in the street in India." Then, "I am laying in the way of traffic in the street in India." Then, "If I don't actually get up I will be dead in the street in India." The two buses barrelling down the road and honking madly, helped with this last thought. I jumped up and hopped over the wall, missing the wire and then hobbled across the other lane of traffic to make it to the "sidewalk". "Accident? Accident?" This is how we were greeted on the other side of the street, and that is when I realized just how much of an audience I had during this whole episode. I managed to get away from the mob, without any special Indian medicine, and we found the real American medicine, Cadbury chocolate!
I am still laughing at the story the Indian bus driver got to tell his wife when she asked what happened today at work. "Well, there was this white girl ..."