FIRST WEEK

Well, if location is everything then it makes some sense to get down some thoughts from last week. Our current location, Varkarla on the Southern coast, is relaxed (in an Indian, hippy kind of way) and a major change of scenery from what came before.

We covered the so called golden triangle our first week. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra (Taj Mahal). This was the "organized" part of the trip with pre-booked hotels and a driver to take us across the 700 Km.

I'll keep the "touristy" comments short for now other than to say that I was most impressed with the Amber Fort in Jaipur. And, while the Taj Mahal is extremely eye catching, I've always had a "thing" about grandiose tombs. I prefer structures that celebrate the living.... A Greek myth describes the narrator going down to the underworld and meeting Achilles there. Achilles tells him that he'd rather be a street cleaner in the overworld than the greatest general in the underworld. I can relate to that type of sentiment....

Most of what one reads about the large cities and mid section of India are true. The poverty-overwhelming, the colors and sound- vivid and LOUD, the absolute frantic and teemimg activity- ever present.... But, how to describe the vastness and depth of it ??

Imagine a plow of epic proportion, or better yet, a tectonic plate depositing a sub continent's worth of flotsam, jetsam and detritus into a place and you start to get a picture of what the cities, villages and roadsides look like in central India. And yet.... For all the stink, chaos and hardship, I do believe something is rising there, not decaying. It sure ain't pretty but the people are using whatever resources come their way. And they use those things (everything from scrap metal to cowshit) to build something. As the "junk" pushed their way gets better and if the government would spend more on infrastructure, I would bet on their lives continuing to improve....

The most challenging part of dealing with Indian cities and major tourist sites is the lack of freedom to simply wander around, browse and ponder. One is constantly approached, pushed, pulled and shouted at for attention. A pity really because among all those trying to hawk stuff or scam you, there are also plenty of younger Indians that are genuinely curious and only want to talk to you about where you are from or try out their English. It's just very difficult to tell the difference all the time...

There is much about the general Indian culture that reminds one of a very smart and very unruly child. (I hope that doesn't sound too "Kipling paternalistic" !) People are in turns delightful, infuriating, hopeful and devious. And, 900 million of them all want your attention RIGHT NOW....

So... next message from the cliffs & beaches in Varkala.

Brett