OK, so where shall I begin? I have been in India for a week and it is absolute madness! After standing in line for an entire day in London, getting to the visa person via a system much like a deli counter with 200 people in front of you, and then waiting five days (and $110 later) I walked away with the shiny new full page stamp in my passport. As soon as I had the thing in my hot little hands, I booked a flight to Mumbai (Bombay) as that was the cheapest place to fly into.
Flights were OK, more or less empty, which was a bonus given that I was schedule to arrive at 10:30 at night, which is never a good thing as you become the perfect target for the touts on the street and the taxis that want to take you to their 'special' place. My first impression of India - "Wow, the airport is much nicer than I expected" and, "hmmm, it smells an awful lot like cow manure..." The cow manure was apparently from the many potted plants sitting around baggage claim, clearly to help spruce up the otherwise institutional feel of the place. At least they were trying. From there to my hotel - the Salvation Army Red Shield Hostel (never thought I would stay in one of those) - it was pretty smooth going. The ATM outside didn't quite work the first couple of times for me, but the nice guard helped to work it out and very politely turned away while I put in my pin. From there, I got a pre-paid Taxi to my hotel, which was much easier than any book made it sound. Paid about 40 ir too much but was too tired to care at that point and really it is just under a dollar. Felt pretty good that it was all that I was taken for.
Ride to the hotel was, well, hectic. The drive kept talking to me, which meant that he was turned around facing me and not the road. How we missed the autorickshaws (little three wheeled covered motorbikes), other cars, taxis, cows, moped, motorcycles and people, I do not know. He decided that wasn't working and still wanted to talk to me, so insisted that I move up front. He didn't just want me to move up front, but wanted me to crawl over the seats to the front while the car was still careening down the unmarked lanes of chaos. I insisted that I could not climb over (really that would be un-lady-like and as you all know, I am a perfect lady). So, he solved the problem by pulling over. I wasn't all that chuffed by this but went ahead and got in the front. This resulted in a series of questions ranging from , 'are you married?' to 'how much does a driver make in the US? Can I come be your driver?'
I clearly arrived safely at the hostel as I am still alive and once there, was told that they had no beds (I had a reservation). After a bit of persistence, I discovered that not only did they have the room I booked (and my name on the register) but they had dorm beds available (about 1/4 of the price) that they said were all gone. Goes to show that keeping at it, does help sometimes. So, for about $3.40 I got myself a nice upper bunk. At this point I must thank my father for the use of his sleep sheet cause, well, thus far, I have used it just about every night in India. It is a much required item and I would give up any number of things to make sure I had one of those with me (except my toilet paper, but that is another topic). I felt a bit like I was back in Africa again with all of the confusion.
So, what has the past week really been like? here you go...
HONK, HONK, BEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP, "Miss, money please", BEEEEEEEEEEP, "Where are you from? What do you think of my country?", Chooo, chooo, chooo, MOOOOOOOO, BEEEEEEEP, HONK, "excuse me?"
In the past week, I almost been run over by several cars, taxis and autorickshaws, gored by a cow (he was simply itching and I was in the way), crammed into a small upper bunk on several trains and booked as an extra in a Bollywood soap opera. Budding star you might say? Well, we will see.
I spent only two nights in Bombay as it was a bit crowded and really, not much to see there. Day one was spent wandering around with a Danish guy and two Austrians. It was nice to have the support of three males around me on my first day as it really did keep everyone else clear of me. The streets were not nearly as crowded as I had anticipated but boy, the noise was deafening. I had a headache from the the moment I woke up. It just doesn't seem to stop and really there is absolutely no where to escape. Day two, was spent getting up quite early to go see a fish market - this was one of the crazy Austrian guy's ideas. We picked out way around the many people sleeping on the street (no mat mind you) and the rats scurrying about to get down to the water by 5:00.
As you can guess, 5:00am and fish is not really the best combination for me. I thought the smells on the streets in general were bad, well, the sewer, manure and rotting food smells with fish guts and you really do have quite a festival going on in your nose - not a good one as you can imagine. I didn't last too long, not due to the fish but due to the fact that I felt like I was going to fall into a pile of them I was so tired. It was nice though seeing the city as it started to wake up and to only have 1/4 of the honking horns going . By the time we headed back to the hostel, the people were getting up, and now they were washing themselves with run-off water coming down the sides of the street. Entire families were outside dousing themselves in preparation for the day.
Back at the hostel, I was trying to re-group and get my head screwed on when one of the proprietors popped his head into the sitting are and asked if I would like to spend my day being an extra in a Bollywood movie/show. Hmmm, what a temping offer - lunch and 500 rupees! Yeah, I'd be rich! Just to give you an idea, 500 rupees is just over $11 so I guess my salary has hit a new all time low or just gone back to the days of mowing laws and weeding gardens. In any case, I decided to take up the offer and check out what the film industry was like in India. After getting dragged off to another town via taxi, local train and rickshaw, we were dropped at a fairly grotty building. We were handed some night club like clothes, for me, this meant a very very short black skirt and a tight black tank top with a purple V neck - not my most glamorous of moments. To top it all off, when it came time for us to "perform", we had to pretend to dance to no music or to the Indian music, which is a challenge in itself. I am sure I looked wonderful. Had to rush out quick quick from the show as had a train to catch...the first one...
Flights were OK, more or less empty, which was a bonus given that I was schedule to arrive at 10:30 at night, which is never a good thing as you become the perfect target for the touts on the street and the taxis that want to take you to their 'special' place. My first impression of India - "Wow, the airport is much nicer than I expected" and, "hmmm, it smells an awful lot like cow manure..." The cow manure was apparently from the many potted plants sitting around baggage claim, clearly to help spruce up the otherwise institutional feel of the place. At least they were trying. From there to my hotel - the Salvation Army Red Shield Hostel (never thought I would stay in one of those) - it was pretty smooth going. The ATM outside didn't quite work the first couple of times for me, but the nice guard helped to work it out and very politely turned away while I put in my pin. From there, I got a pre-paid Taxi to my hotel, which was much easier than any book made it sound. Paid about 40 ir too much but was too tired to care at that point and really it is just under a dollar. Felt pretty good that it was all that I was taken for.
Ride to the hotel was, well, hectic. The drive kept talking to me, which meant that he was turned around facing me and not the road. How we missed the autorickshaws (little three wheeled covered motorbikes), other cars, taxis, cows, moped, motorcycles and people, I do not know. He decided that wasn't working and still wanted to talk to me, so insisted that I move up front. He didn't just want me to move up front, but wanted me to crawl over the seats to the front while the car was still careening down the unmarked lanes of chaos. I insisted that I could not climb over (really that would be un-lady-like and as you all know, I am a perfect lady). So, he solved the problem by pulling over. I wasn't all that chuffed by this but went ahead and got in the front. This resulted in a series of questions ranging from , 'are you married?' to 'how much does a driver make in the US? Can I come be your driver?'
I clearly arrived safely at the hostel as I am still alive and once there, was told that they had no beds (I had a reservation). After a bit of persistence, I discovered that not only did they have the room I booked (and my name on the register) but they had dorm beds available (about 1/4 of the price) that they said were all gone. Goes to show that keeping at it, does help sometimes. So, for about $3.40 I got myself a nice upper bunk. At this point I must thank my father for the use of his sleep sheet cause, well, thus far, I have used it just about every night in India. It is a much required item and I would give up any number of things to make sure I had one of those with me (except my toilet paper, but that is another topic). I felt a bit like I was back in Africa again with all of the confusion.
So, what has the past week really been like? here you go...
HONK, HONK, BEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP, "Miss, money please", BEEEEEEEEEEP, "Where are you from? What do you think of my country?", Chooo, chooo, chooo, MOOOOOOOO, BEEEEEEEP, HONK, "excuse me?"
In the past week, I almost been run over by several cars, taxis and autorickshaws, gored by a cow (he was simply itching and I was in the way), crammed into a small upper bunk on several trains and booked as an extra in a Bollywood soap opera. Budding star you might say? Well, we will see.
I spent only two nights in Bombay as it was a bit crowded and really, not much to see there. Day one was spent wandering around with a Danish guy and two Austrians. It was nice to have the support of three males around me on my first day as it really did keep everyone else clear of me. The streets were not nearly as crowded as I had anticipated but boy, the noise was deafening. I had a headache from the the moment I woke up. It just doesn't seem to stop and really there is absolutely no where to escape. Day two, was spent getting up quite early to go see a fish market - this was one of the crazy Austrian guy's ideas. We picked out way around the many people sleeping on the street (no mat mind you) and the rats scurrying about to get down to the water by 5:00.
As you can guess, 5:00am and fish is not really the best combination for me. I thought the smells on the streets in general were bad, well, the sewer, manure and rotting food smells with fish guts and you really do have quite a festival going on in your nose - not a good one as you can imagine. I didn't last too long, not due to the fish but due to the fact that I felt like I was going to fall into a pile of them I was so tired. It was nice though seeing the city as it started to wake up and to only have 1/4 of the honking horns going . By the time we headed back to the hostel, the people were getting up, and now they were washing themselves with run-off water coming down the sides of the street. Entire families were outside dousing themselves in preparation for the day.
Back at the hostel, I was trying to re-group and get my head screwed on when one of the proprietors popped his head into the sitting are and asked if I would like to spend my day being an extra in a Bollywood movie/show. Hmmm, what a temping offer - lunch and 500 rupees! Yeah, I'd be rich! Just to give you an idea, 500 rupees is just over $11 so I guess my salary has hit a new all time low or just gone back to the days of mowing laws and weeding gardens. In any case, I decided to take up the offer and check out what the film industry was like in India. After getting dragged off to another town via taxi, local train and rickshaw, we were dropped at a fairly grotty building. We were handed some night club like clothes, for me, this meant a very very short black skirt and a tight black tank top with a purple V neck - not my most glamorous of moments. To top it all off, when it came time for us to "perform", we had to pretend to dance to no music or to the Indian music, which is a challenge in itself. I am sure I looked wonderful. Had to rush out quick quick from the show as had a train to catch...the first one...
So, first train went OK, but I am glad that one of the Austrian guys decided to tag along with me. It was nice to have a male along to help keep down the stares of all the other people on the bus. Took a top bed based on recommendations by others, and that was REALLY a smart move as people can't stare as much and you are above the conversations and the people in the aisles selling everything from the most noisy of kids toys to chains to lock your bags to the bed frames. It was a long night needless to say but the reward at the other end was great. Spent three days in the Aurangabad area to see the "poor man's Taj Mahal" (a smaller copy) and to go to the Ellora and Ajanta Caves. The Caves were amazing and no words can quite describe them. The largest one is 2x the area of the Parthenon in Athens and 1 1/2 times as high. VERY impressive. There are around 34 caves in Ellora and 29 in Ajanta. All hand cut. After that, and taking several buses to get to the various places, I headed up to Jalgon to catch train #2 on to Ahmedabab, where I would change trains and head to Udaipur.
So, 10 1/2 hours later, I arrived in Ahmedabad to the worst traffic jammed, smoggy mess I have ever seen - worse than LA on a good day. So much noise and people and carts and cows and crap (literally) in the streets that I was damn near just heading back to the train station to hibernate. That was really what I wanted but hunger took the best of me and I forged ahead. Note to self, AVOID Ahmedabad at all costs! Three hours later, boarded another train (overnight this time) to Udaipur. It was another 10 hours but since I was half sleeping most of the time it was not too bad.
Udaipur is fantastic...really a very lovely place. It is small, well, in the walled part, and is quite hilly - similar to some of the Greek towns but nowhere as nice - lined with shops and junk that you can buy, which you inevitably do. There is a lake in the center and most restaurants/hostels have rooftops where you can sit, relax and take in the water and the two summer palaces in the center. It really is pleasant and a quiet little retreat for a few days. Have spent the past three days just wandering about, poking in shops, taking a boat trip out to one of the palaces, walking around the main palace and going on a four hour bike ride around the main lake and a smaller lake. Tonight I feel like my legs are going to fall off. The ride was fantastic but the bike, well, it could have used a little update. I think it must have been from the 1920s and all original and not in such good working order. It did its job though and got me through dirt roads, rocks, small channels of water running across the dirt roads, around cars, rickshaws, cows and people and I am still in one piece to tell the story. Don't think I will be doing that again tomorrow.
In any case, I will head off on the morning bus tomorrow to Mt. Abu. I am looking forward to the mountain town and hoping that I might find a little quiet. The hostel I will stay at runs some treks in the evening and morning so hopefully there will be some good hiking.
Alas, that is it for tonight...now it is dinner time and then off to for a good night's sleep.
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