MUMBAI (Nov 4-7): As expected, the streets of Mumbai are crowded with taxis, auto-rickshaws, dogs, cows and people spitting, shitting, sleeping, walking, living... the chaos seems like an inevitable result of overpopulation, coupled with a different social/cultural filter than our own. It is a buffet for the senses: bold, bright colors of sari-clad women, aromatic spices drifting from street food stalls (overtaking the waves of other - more pungent - smells), simultaneous stares from leering men, begging children and smiling strangers, Indian pop music mixed with beeping horns mixed with street sellers offerin
g a hopeful “YES! You want a watch? Hello, YES – a book? Hello sir, YES?” We met some friendly and helpful people... especially in a big city, that's saying a whole lot. But men generally would only address Matt when taking our food order, or asking where we're from, etc... it has been explained to me as a culture distinction respectful to males (they would be disrespecting Matt if they talked to me) but it is also very obviously an example of the lower position women have in this society. It's not my place to judge, but I DEFINITELY noticed it – and do not like it. Last night I fell asleep watching Indian music videos... totally entertaining. Many followed the Bollywood formula of highly choreographed (sometimes very goofy) huge dance numbers by traditionally-dressed men and women. Or the good old ones with ladies jumping from behind trees or popping out of a field of flowers to do a little shake-a shake-a. But many others were surprisingly risque! Provocative moves like grinding their male duet partner or pole-dancing a la Britney Spears “Gimme More” (yes, sadly, I have watched that video... with the same interest as looking at a car crash, seriously -uh!). Either Indian culture is not as conservative as I thought, or there is just a big disparity between acceptable pop culture and acceptable public behavior. I love Indian food. It can rich, savory, spicy, sweet... sometimes all in one bite! Most of our meals consist of two orders of veges with tasty sauce, maybe some paneer (cheese cubes, also in sauce), dal (flavorful lentils), rice and chapatti or paan (a cross between pita bread and flour tortilla). You can order this stuff a la carte as you wish, or get a set meal, called “Thali”. At a “locals” restaurant we enjoyed a fresh and delicious Thali + chai for 50 rupees each – just $1.00!
TRAIN TO JABALPUR: We took an overnight train from Mumbai to Jabalpur, located in central India. As dawn broke l looked out the train window at the dry, brown land with scattered trees and cattle farms, occasionally noticing a half dozen gravestones huddled together under a shady tree. In China and Vietnam we saw similar family cemeteries – and Buddhist shrines – in rural areas. Approaching each train station I would see scores of men in deep squats, elbows on knees, just waiting... and brightly sari'ed women sitting in circles. Around big cities, the poorest people live in lean-to shacks along the tracks. These ghettos are huge and overpopulated... and it made me scared and sad when I saw that the kids there consider the train tracks their playground. The train stations are chaotic, with thousands of people waiting, sleeping or pushing their way onto the general class cars. We avoided the trampling risk by making reservations for an air-conditioned car. These cars have seats that convert to beds, with relatively clean linens and pillows, and privacy curtains for each 4 person space, to minimizes the number of chai wallahs (tea salesmen) who peak in at you saying “CHAI? CHAI CHAI?”. Exiting the train station in Jabalpur was FUNNY. For the ½ kilometer distance we walked to our hotel, we were inundated with offers of “transport? TRANSPORT?” from guys on cyclos (bicycles that pull 2-seat carts). “Ten Rupee? Ten Rupee?” Until we were literally at the gate of our hotel... and one guy who rode alongside us the entire way was still offering – a reduced rate - “Five Rupee? Five Rupee?” Needless to say, they do NOT give up. It's their livelihood so I don't fault them. At this point we are very used to being solicited almost constantly when walking down any street.
KANHA NATIONAL PARK: Matt and I took two game drives through India's most renowned national park, accompanied by a driver, a guide and a naturalist. They know everything about the animals, their behavior, the territories of the biggest male tigers in the park... very interesting. Every morning the mahouts ride out on their elephants to spot tigers. We were very apprehensive about joining the mahout to see a tiger which was spotted – fearful that they were trained and treated in the abusive manner we learned about in Thailand. We were assured that this was not true though, so... we rode an elephant into the bush and spied on a tiger JUST TEN FEET AWAY FROM US! The mahout instructed the elephant to pull at branches, I think so could get a better view of the tiger, which was crazy and intense. It was invigorating, having the tiger so close and hearing his deep grunts. His stripes and patches formed a beautiful pattern, his paws were huge! A really cool experience – sorry my pictures do not do it justice to better share it with you.
AGRA: The Taj Mahal is majestic. I will let the picture (above) tell the story...We found a great Tibetan restaurant serving good, cheap food AND beer! Yes – Matt and I managed to enjoy a frosty beverage in just about every holy city (we visited) in India : ) Surprising. You won't find it on the menu – but they're serving it if you ask.
RAJASTHAN: Jaipur, Pushkar and Jaisalmer are all distinct cities in the West of India. Jaipur is big and crowded with some beautiful palaces and monuments. They are known for their textiles, silver and gold – Indians love to shop there. Pushkar is small and unique. We stayed at the Pink Floyd Hotel & Cafe – how could we not? They have a great rooftop – it even has a small lawn with tables and chairs to chill and enjoy the sky-high view of the monkeys and children flying kites and ladies drying their laundry and beans on top of the nearby buildings. Each night we enjoyed the Floyd (tunes) as we watched the sun set over the big, holy lake that attracts pilgrims all year long. We arrived for the last day of the famous Pushkar Camel Fair. We saw hundreds of camels on the road as we arrived by bus. But sadly we missed the festivities which included: Moustache contest, Turban Tying race, Miss Pushkar pageant, and much much more. The city of Jaisalmer, located just over 100 kms from Pakistan, is dominated by a huge Fort that looks more like a sandcastle in the middle of the endless looking Great Thar Desert. Our hotel was run by some nice brothers and their staff. We spent an evening listening to Indian music on the manager's cell phone, and hearing stories about Indian women and dating and marriage. Also, the day we left was a big political rally in the streets – thousands of people peacefully marching and chanting and waving flags for their party. Quite a thing to have witnessed... the election will take place Dec 4.
DELHI: CHAOS. That's pretty much the best way to describe it. Auto-rickshaws (aka tuk-tuks) rule the streets, only yielding if a big huge smelly truck comes charging by. We found some funny bars playing funky Indian music (at which I was the only woman there – one time two other female tourists showed up to lessen the attention I received). We visited an art gallery, shopped, and enjoyed the “Presidential Suite” we rented for Matt's last night in India.