We flew into our fifth country a few days ago! I think being in Nepal made us think we were prepared for India. After all, many people practice the same religion (Hinduism) and the languages are similar. Plus, they share a border.... But, in reality, they feel very different. India felt a little like a shock.
In my journal, I am writing a list titled: what I saw in India that America did not prepare me for. Some examples are: people sitting on the top of a bus on the highway, families of four on one motorcycle, three uniformed men on one motorcycle carrying rifles, horse drawn carts on the highway, camel drawn carts, designated places in the city for feeding pigeons (pigeons!) because it's good karma, the list goes on.
For our tour, we hired a driver; Om will be with us over three days as we do the Golden Triangle Tour. This is Delhi, Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located) and Jaipur (known as the Pink City). In researching travel in India, it seemed the most economical, both in time and money, to have a driver and local guides. This will let us see the most in the shortest amount of time.
Having a driver is common, but it still feels... Colonial. Yes, sir. Very good, sir. As you like, sir. Matt is addressed more than me and it is always in this way. I don't know if it's being American or being 21st century, but at times, it is uncomfortable. It is different. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by differences in culture, it's what I signed up for this year, right?
Anyways, when Om dropped us off at our hotel we went to our room and it felt like every hotel employee came in the room with us. They all moved the beds (I could have done this on my own) then stood a bit, looking at us, then left. They probably expected tips and I hate to do the wrong thing, especially when tipping. But honestly, we carried our own backpacks and we could have found the room on our own (and I could have pushed the bed over). It was just awkward. We enter hotels in India and we turn awkward. Here's to 20 more nights sleeping in India....
That evening we thought we'd try to find a restaurant in the neighborhood. After 10 minutes we managed to be chased by a tuk-tuk driver and fall into conversation with a man who once lived in Orange County and worked in Studio City (of all the Indians in India!) he then promptly told us we were in a residential area and should basically stop wandering aimlessly....
So, that evening we had room service (again hotel employees+Matt and Leah=awkward). I hope we make it through this country...
The next day we officially started our tour.
As we drove the streets, women and children would tap at our windows asking for money, signing for food and sometimes wave prescriptions in one hand while holding a baby in another. Our driver and guide seemed to completely ignore them. They told us it is illegal to beg, and I don't think it would have been right to encourage this by rolling down our windows and handing out rupees. But, still, it is an unreal experience and a heart wrenching experience. We also drove by tents forming slums. It certainly isn't hidden in the city. Poverty is easy to find.
I suppose we found refuge at the city's monuments. Some even demanded higher prices for foreigners, but then we were told to go to the front of the line, to not stand in line with the Indians, basically our status as foreign tourist cost more, but gave us weird privileges. Where China was out of control, India feels unreal. Like I'm experiencing an E.M. Forster story; living A Passage to India...
Our first stop was a mosque. Our guide nonchalantly took us up the steps then told us to take off our shoes. I had to put on a long robe as well. So, we walked barefoot around the large mosque. At one point, someone reached out to my robe and velcroed it together near my knees. Apparently, I was indecent.
After this we went to the Red Fort. It was once a Mughal palace. Sandstone and marble were carefully and ornately carved to serve as public halls and private rooms of the royal family. There were no doors, keeping the rooms breezy in the heat. When the British came, the fort was taken and used by the army.
In Delhi, we also visited the memorial for Ghandi, Qutub Minar, the Lotus Temple, a Hindu Temple and rode a rickshaw (a carriage pulled by a man on a bicycle) through the market. At several places we had to take off our shoes (and pay someone a small fee to guard them).
At lunch, we went to a restaurant which the guide assured us everyone loved and many people from the city went. It was full of tourists and the menu offered "Continental and Chinese" choices in addition to Indian. When you see those menu offerings you know it is, unfortunately, not where the locals go.
We had a long day of sightseeing. When we returned to our hotel, we risked room service again, ordered ice cream and went to bed.
