As a special treat, my mom agreed to "guest blog" this week and share some of her experiences in India.
Here are my impressions of
my two week visit to India. Let me start by stating my admiration for
these "Fellows" who launch themselves into world exploration alone
with no help with travel, accommodations or budgeting. That things go as
well as they do is remarkable and I loved seeing how she has been living for
the past few months.
“Door Mattie” no more. In her freshman
year a friend gave her a doormat that read Door Mattie in reference to her
tendency to let people walk all over her. There was no evidence of this that I
saw. She bargained like a fishwife for every purchase and battled with” tuk
tuk” drivers for every ride.. Not because she enjoyed it, as some might, but
because she hates being cheated even more...she is determined to be a good
steward of the Bristol gift, but the constant vigilance takes a toll and can be
very stressful. We were walking back to our hotel from the train station one
night in Jaipur, a city Mattie knows well.
We were met with the usual aggressive drivers but kept walking—one
driver followed us and things degenerated into hostility and name
calling. It is a particularly difficult place to be a young woman and
have to put up with truly insulting behavior from mostly young Indian
men. Too many men with not enough to do and a belief that western women
are fair game. I almost pushed one off his bike I was so furious.We went to three new cities by train, through some scary train stations (note: signage would be greatly appreciated...in any language!) One is left to rely on the kindness of strangers (usually well-dressed Indian women who invariably reply in perfect English.) I have become a connoisseur of forts and to a lesser degree temples. Usually the price of admission if there is one) includes a headset. I would highly recommend this as it affords some protection from "Included" guides and impoverished priests who want you to contribute.
My favorite fort
My favorite
city, Udaipur
Maybe this is the place to comment on
traffic. There seems to be no discernible driving rules, just stay pretty much to the left, but if there appears to
be room, go for it, even if it is in the opposite direction--cows move,
motorcycles, some with whole families on them, don't require much room and tuk
tuk drivers are pretty skilled--I was surprised how much I enjoyed riding in
these motorized rickshaws!
India is a constant assault on the senses. Wildly colorful dresses and piles of garbage everywhere...if there is one pace plastic should be banned it is here, as there doesn't seem to be even a rudimentary plan to deal with trash! And sanitation is awful. How can a country with a functioning space program not have sanitation infrastructure? As far as I can tell, there seems to be more animals in the city than the country. Cows, of course, but an unbelievable number of stray dogs. There are donkeys and camels on the streets as well as pigs, goats and monkeys. (Note: don't show your teeth to the monkeys as this is a sign of aggression) There are also rats, but not as many as I’d feared. Colorful but odiferous. The slums are heartbreaking—rather like living in refugee camps. I can’t imagine the misery in monsoon season.
Someone with light skin still draws a significant amount of attention. Mattie attracted the young men of course, but I seemed to attract the children. I had my picture taken countless times, once with a baby thrust into my arms. On the train platform it was not unusual to have a family stand a foot away and simply stare. I had an old woman touch my face and a boy touch my shoe. When we were traveling Mattie would grab my hand, move fast and chant her mantra "don't make friends". If you ride with a car and driver and stay in the best hotels it is one thing, but the real India is battling things out on its streets!
