Rob and Anna's travel adventure: My View - To San Francisco to India [Rob´s India Entry (#1)]

Saturday, December 01, 2007

My View - To San Francisco to India [Rob´s India Entry (#1)]

Rob's Entry

Moving On
The start of our India trip via San Francisco had an odd start. While visiting a neighbor, another neighbor's dog attacked me, tearing the only pair of pants I had and taking a piece out of my leg. Actually, the dog didn't puncture the skin (to blood anyway), but did leave a bruise and some amount of discomfort.

Ouch.

Transit to San Francisco
We elected to splurge for the train (as opposed to the bus) to travel to SF. The journey was quite scenic in places (that's the California Zephyr for the train buffs), particularly through parts of Colorado and the Sierra Nevada.

San Francisco
While a world-famous tourist destination in itself, our time in SF was mostly centered around acquiring visas and adding blank pages in our passports. It was very good to be back in a larger city again.

San Francisco, near our friends house.

The watefront

Arrival in Delhi
First impressions
Arrival: Oh my god.....
Traffic: OH MY GOD!!!!!!
Food: I may never be able to eat American food again....
Pollution: Oh boy.....
I don't think that I'll ever be able to forget our first days in India. It has been quite an experience. Not a negative one, but overwhelming. People have been overall very pleasant to deal with, there have been a number of enjoyable interactions, and many that have been somewhat puzzling. Some people have been very helpful and friendly. Touts have been persistent, but the LP book warned of that. Some of the poverty has been...well, let's say overwhelming. Some of the infrastructure has also been overwhelming. The closest comparison I've witnessed so far were in the slums of Tegucigalpa in Honduras. I suspect that some of the Delhi slums are some degree more shocking however. A very interesting variant here however is the occasional cow wandering about on busy roadways, a most unusual scene in my experiences.
India has been my #1 travel destination for many years. I've often been asked why, and I'd often reply somewhat flippantly that one can't get authentic Indian food in the US. That was, of course, a joke, but I've come to understand the truth in that statement! The food has been absolutely unbelievable. The flavors are so sophisticated and complex. In the past, I've not been a huge fan of vegetarian cuisine, but I've never had vegetarian food quite like this before!
Our transition to Indian life was aided by our exceptional homestay host. One aspect of our homestay that was a first for us was the presence of domestic help. Anna was more uncomfortable with the notion than I, and actually thought that this is something I could get used to! Our first host was very intellectual and a delight to converse with. I was very impressed with the fact that he was a high-ranking military officer (had at least some interaction with Ghandi and the pictures to prove it), very progressive in thinking/attitudes/topics/questions/etc., and our introduction came via a peace organization. His hospitality was nothing short of stellar.
Traffic flow is pure insanity. Lane markings seem to mean absolutely nothing as everyone weaves around in an indescribably fashion. The closest comparison that comes to mind is bumper cars that don't actually hit. But vehicles come from all sides (yes, head-on on occasion) with nearly constantly blowing horns. The only way to really describe the situation is MAD. With that said however, I've formed a similar opinion as to the drivers in Central America. The fact that they LIVE (usually) is a testamony to the skill. While most drivers would be cited with reckless driving (and probably have liscenes confinscated on the spot, and/or jail time) in the West, I'm impressed with the seeming lack of traffic jams and congestion. Drivers simply use whatever space is available, and 'lanes' seem to be more of a suggestion to what side of the road to be on when meeting on-coming traffic. I'm also reminded riding my bike through crowds (like between classes at university), except it is everyone doing this- pedestrens, cyclists, three-wheeled auto rickshaws, push-carts, cars, trucks, buses, cows, dogs, etc., all in motion, oncoming, passing, weaving, simultaneously. All this poetry in motion, with nearly non-stop horn beeping.
Many have described India to me as an overload of the senses. I think that is certainly an accurate description. However, due to our initial homestay and previous travel in somewhat harsher areas (Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua come to mind), this initial experience has been easier than anticipated.
Our host took us to many places on our first day's visit in Delhi. Unfortunately I was so exhausted and jet lagged that it was difficult to adequately appreciate all that was presented. One thing was quite unusual however. While driving on the street, we happened upon a crowd (in the street of course). It was a wedding! A part of the wedding spilled out into the street, dancing was occurring, etc. With our vehicle however, it was quite normal to drive through the crowd, and we were able to get a good look at what was going on (the musicians/band yielded to us driving through, though gave us the 'stink eye'). Of course this was all interesting, but the part I found most amusing was the stray cow standing near the edge of the crowd, fairly oblivious to the event, just doing cow things! I don't think that the cow was part of the festivities or related to the event in any way (though I suggested that it might be related to a dowry), but it seemed perfectly appropriate that it be there.
Anna and I went to a famous location in Delhi (Red Fort). Most of the visitors were Indians, and some of their behavior was most peculiar. Anna will probably elaborate more on this point, but it seemed that we were almost quasi-celebrities! More than one person (actually quite a number) came to us to either photograph us directly, but more commonly ask us to pose with them for a picture (Anna seemed exceptionally popular). Children came to have their picture taken, and delighted to see their image on the camera's display. This was great for me as I had eager subjects to photo! The fort was OK for pictures, but the real photographic subjects were the people. Exotic features on exotic people, with often stunning attire.
Another somewhat puzzling experience came while riding an unimaginably packed bus. A calm, well-dressed young man told me in all seriousness that I need to protect my wife, that she is in danger, that I should not be taking her on buses again, etc. I questioned him on several points, and received somewhat unclear responses, but this is what I've gathered. There were men on the bus that have 'touched' her (though the way we were packed in, we were ALL touching someone, in fact, we had more of our skin in contact with someone than without). When I mentioned this to Anna, she didn't recall anyone 'touching' her. We talked to our host about all this, and he confirmed that what we were told was likely true. He went on to explain the meanings in more articulate detail, and I sort-of understand, but I think it will take time to fully comprehend the meaning of all this.
As mentioned, India has been my dream travel location for years. When asked why, I really didn't know for certain. I've cited such reasons as the food, the numerous Indian friends and the things they have told me that I've found intriguing, things I've read, etc. And of course, many feel that one has not yet really 'traveled' until they've 'done' India. All these things have been a factor in the desire to visit India, but the most accurate reason was that I anticipated that there was an experience to be had. Senses to be overloaded, situations that would shock, surprises to be felt, connections with people to be made, etc. I can honestly state that my first two days in India have delivered all that and more. Aside from the environmental train wreck in front of my eyes, I am happy to be here and sharing a tiny part.
I apologize in advance to those reading my entry. Normally my articulation and word usage is more sophisticated than this. However in this instance, I'm writing this on an overnight train (from Delhi to Udipur), and am extremely tired, still jet lagged, and very short on sleep.

With our host in Delhi