I suppose that the first thing that really sinks in is that there are people and activity everywhere. Even in the semi desert areas, when you think that you’re miles from anywhere, you cannot travel for 30 seconds without seeing someone, as well as at least one of the following – cow, water buffalo, goat, camel, monkey or dog. And the people are either going somewhere carrying something, or coming back from somewhere carrying something, or buying something, or selling something, or eating. It’s just constant movement and constant commerce. You can understand how so many Indians in the UK became market traders and corner shop owners – it’s in their genes.
The second thing Is the driving. After 200 metres of our very first dual carriageway we were faced by a JCB coming directly towards us in the outside lane. Vikram didn’t even comment on it! And bicycles and motorbikes use whatever ground is available to go in either direction – the road, the hard shoulder, the centre of the road – it’s all fair game. Vikram simply slaloms around the animals and all the other road users without slowing down. He says that the animals are very slow and very predictable – it’s the pedestrians that he has to watch! I’ve never had the camera ready at the right time to catch the motorbikes and tuk tuks passing at speed on both sides of a cow in both directions! The driving is skillful, only occasionally stupid, and NEVER seems to involve road rage.
Having walked around 3 big cities, it’s evident that some people are poor, but at the same time, there’s absolutely no evidence of starving people, and we have seen very few beggars etc. What we have seen is what appears to be a structured and busy way of life.
All the kids want to talk, calling out hello, how are you? And what is your name, but when we reply, we’ve exhausted their vocabulary. Or they don’t speak Yorkshire!
We’ve been reminded of our friends at various times. Seeing the Gateway To India reminded us of Passage Through India, our favourite restaurant in KL, and the meals with Niumal and Minona and their family. And then a Nasi Goreng last night, one of our Malaysian favourite dishes ( I know, it’s really Indonesian ) confirmed that no-one does it like Theo and Marietta! Nor the Indonesian meals prepared by Marleen and Bert. And if our memory serves us well, Dan and Greta met here in India, and lived happily ever after, travelling the world in the process.
And then today, we saw the zip wire adventure here in Jodhpur, which again, if our memory serves us well, was installed by Barbie and Owens son!
Even in the very best of the hotels there are striking examples of the complete absence of health and safety regulations. Unlit steps, different tread depths, changes in levels, sometimes water filled, flaming braziers so close to the table that I thought that Lou had caught her clothes, very low balustrades, electrical issues almost resulting in 2 fires etc. You do need to be careful.
We do seem to have been lucky with the weather though. The people we are meeting who are travelling south from Delhi are all saying how wet and cold it has been, but as we’ve moved north, the days are still hot and sunny, even though the mornings and evenings are fresh. And tomorrow we’re off to stay 2 nights on a farm, and so we will have experienced quite a good slice of Indian life. Thank you Audleys!
And then back to the food. We’re really enjoying Indian food, but after 2 weeks, we have just given our stomachs a little respite with some Asian, Arabic choices with less spices. There’s no doubt but that the food certainly keeps your digestive systems active!!
And finally, we were in the fort today and a pigeon deposited on an Indian ladies head. When we explained to Kumal that in Britain this was regarded as lucky, he said that it was the same in India – you’re lucky that elephants can’t fly!
We’re having a ball in a fantastic country.
New home at Ribatou