India Travel - Text

(sorry for the lame pix on the other post... having a hard time finding USB ports around here... and the computers are annoyingly slow!!! I had better photos, but no time to search for them).

I hate to get too cliche, but the best way to describe India is "different". Its completely different from anywhere else I've ever been... including China. It can be the most vibrant and energetic place on earth... with people and action humming on every street corner for hundreds of miles. That activity, however, makes it the most chaotic place on earth as well. I guess one way to put it is that its both travel heaven and travel hell. Just some examples of what I mean...


TRANSPORTATION
Heaven: For the bargain price of $15/day, Steph, Ariele, and I were able to afford a car and driver to take us throughout Rajasthan... that is less than the cost of taking the trains, rickshaws, etc around. Our driver took us everywhere for the first 10 days, waited for us while we visited the different monuments, and gave us itinerary suggestions. It was a little bit (just a little) of luxury during our otherwise difficult trip.
Hell: After we ditched the driver for the more local experience, we had the joy of taking the train. Our first overnight train was 5 hours late, and we spent the 5 hours waiting in the train station... in the the 100+ degree heat and humidity, which created a general layer of funk over everyone. We passed the time swatting away flies, mosquitos, and crickets and watching the rats run around the tracks. I was truly amazed at the sheer quantity of rats running around the tracks... but not surprised after seeing everyone throw their trash onto the tracks and realizing that the train toilets empty out on the tracks. There were people all over the train station... a sea of humanity, flesh, and sweat. Most people brought blankets to lay down on, and the three of us shared the two seats that we could find. After 5 hours, I wasn't sure what smelled worse... the funk from all the bodies or the stink of fresh urine on the tracks. After fighting the funk, we finally got on to our sleeper train, which luckily was air conditioned!!! Unfortunately... the Japanese guy that was sharing our berth was also waiting in the heat for 5 hours... and his foot funk clogged up our compartment and I had to sleep with the curtain open for fresh air.
Conclusion: I don't think that I could travel by train for 6 months straight, but it is an experience. The sights and smells are unreal... I can't begin to describe the chaos we saw during some of the other train trips we've taken... monsoons pouring down on hundreds of people with bags and sacks strapped to their heads and necks, naked kids running around, dogs and cows everywhere, food carts running for cover, and kids and men urinating everywhere. I'm not saying that all of India is like this... the train station is definitely its own little world... and I'm glad to get a taste of it.


PEOPLE

Heaven: Everything about the people here is bold and vibrant. I am constantly amazed to see how bright the saris are. Even the poorest women in the villages have bright pink, yellow, and blue saris. We can't quite figure out how they keep the colors so bright... especially the women that wash in the river. The ganges is a nasty, funky mess with cremated bodies, water buffalos, and bathers floating everywhere... I can't understand how the women wash their clothes in there and still walk away with bright, almost fluorescent, colored outfits. That's some definite skill. My blue tshirt turns brown from the dust and sweat after being out all day... and their bright colored outfits never seem to change. The men and children are all so friendly. You can't walk down the street without someone coming up to talk to you... and the little boys are the best... they always want their picture taken and are so eager to meet the tourists. With the amount of tourists that India gets, I would think they would be tired of seeing us, but they never seem to lose interest.
Hell: That same outgoing nature leads to some of the worst touts on earth. You can't walk down the street without someone talking to you... but unfortunately that someone is usually trying to sell you something. Also the amount of people is just overwhelming... Its just people everwhere... the bazaars are absolutely packed and the streets are ALWAYS crowded. India seems like New York City Times Square on New Years Eve... but everyday and in every city.
Conclusion: I like it. The crowds and touts are frustrating and I find myself getting really feisty (Yesterday I screamed at a driver over 10 rupees, which is the equivalent of 25 cents), BUT I think that's part of the experience. It just created this energy and excitement that is different from anything else I've ever experienced.



FOOD

Heaven: India is amazing when it comes to food. This is the first place that I've visited that I really feel like I'm able to get a taste of the local food... without the locals! Even more amazing is that after two weeks, I'm still finding new dishes every meal. The variey here is incredibly... its definitely foodie heaven.
Hell: We took two cooking classes - One with a woman during a home stay (very very cool experience) and the other at a small school in Udaipur. The first thing we discovered was that our stomachs were not hurting from the "new" bacteria... but from the oil. When the recipe starts with 4 CUPS (not tablespoons) of oil, you know its gonna be pepto time baby. The Lonely Planet always has a section on travelers diarrhea... but I think they should include a section for oil diarrhea... gross but true. Side note: Daily 100 degree heat mixed with hot, heavy, spicy Indian food is the ultimate recipe for food coma.
Conclusion: I loved Indian food before I came... and I love it even more now. I can't wait to get home to try out some of the stuff I learned in cooking class. I'm still not sure how people are able to eat this style food everyday, but its tasty as hell... its probably the 4 cups of oil they use.


HOTELS
Heaven: During our first two weeks we made an effort to stay at some havelis... which are historical homes/buildings. Our most unique stay was at a private home with a woman named Bhavana. We hung out with her and her son and learned to cook... and she had the most beautiful guest rooms ever. My favorite spot was at Udaipur... where we stayed a historical haveli turned guesthouse with a beautiful view of the lake. I'll write more about that later, so I don't want to spoil it now, but we unamimously agree that was our best stop. The price for these stays... about $12.50/night/person.
Hell: We also stayed at a haveli for $2.50 per person... which probably wasn't worth the $2.50 we payed. We stayed at several places where we had to use our mosquito nets... and not just to keep mosquitos out. We've grown accustomed to picking up crickets and escorting them out, showering in stank prison-esque showers, and hoping that we can't see won't hurt us.
Conclusion: I could really do without the $2.50/night guesthouses. Its part of the adventure now... but not a positive memory.

ANIMALS
Heaven: India is just teeming with animals. I know I've mentioned this already, but it just blows my mind how many cows are out on the streets. Its crazy to be stuck in traffice behind a cow who is moo-ing at a rickshaw to "hurry up already with that left turn". Monkies can easily be spotted near any market (where they usually steal food), wild pigs near the trash pile, dogs anywhere you look, and goats are almost anywhere you see cows.
Hell: I've also said this before, but its worth mentioning again... animals make waste. Lots of animals make lots of waste. Not picking it up makes a huge mess... enough said.
Conclusion: Animals are cool, but the city governments should assign more people to picking up that crap.