Incredible India
Assigned to e.apt.d...@gmail.com by me
Eric Apt-Dudfield
Incredible India
Greetings,
For this post we have separate entries for Eric and Kate. Twice the fun!
Selected Pictures = https://plus.google.com/photos/107217323667214807000/albums/5923856964180543361
All Pictures = https://plus.google.com/photos/107217323667214807000/albums/5923876209684949873
Eric
Travelling to Delhi we can feel the West slowly slip away and India slowly slip in. Annoucenments and signs are written both in Arabic and English and then in Hindi. The uniforms of the airport staff become formal – colorful Saris for the women and suits for the men. Instead of the Greyhound bus feel of US domestic airlines, we have something like travel in a decent restaurant. We are served full, real meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At one point, Kate answered a call over the speaker for medical assistance on the plane and was later given a bottle of wine. It felt like First Class all the way; even though we sat in economy.
The Delhi airport is a fully modern affair – endless moving walkways past signs behind glass advertising Las Vegas, of all places. We could be in any major airport in the world. The first sign we are not is at customs. Perched on the vertical wall above is an art installation of 10′ high hands sticking out of the wall. Each painted copper with the fingers in Hindu mudras. We make it quickly through customs and, amazingly. our bags and bicycles quickly appear on the luggage carousel. The only thing agents have confiscated is a ziplock bag of chocolate bars.
We spend the next few days sightseeing in Delhi. Most obvious are the endless crowds of people (20 million in Delhi) that flow and jostle like a river. A few stare at us, obvious tourists, but most bustle on. The extremes of poverty are undeniable – many sleep on the sidewalk, many beg for a few ruppees. But in a place this big there are also many well-off. It is difficult to judge the nature of this place. It is so large and crowded.
The roads are full of intensity – hundreds of cars a minute pass by, all weaving and honking. Small cars veer around motorized rickshaws which honk at bicyle richsaws who are themselves weaving around oxen drawn carts. Crossing a street requires walking into cross traffic, faltering is more dangerous than plunging boldly ahead. Amazingly most of the cars appear in relatively undented shape. Perhaps the unskilled drivers are quickly weeded out in a screech of metal and breaking glass? Either way, we see no accidents in the several days we are there.
Our helpful guide is a cousin of Kate’s friend from college(Akaash), his name is Manu. He is a proud Delhite able to negoitate the roadways and crowds with seeming ease. His hospitality was 100% top-notch. I was interested to learn that his family are Jain, a very old religion with philosphical similarities to Buddhism and Hinduism. Vegetarian and vegan diets have ancient roots in Jain practice. His mother kindly invited us to enjoy a family lunch of delicious traditional Jain curries she’d prepared.
The train we take between Khagaraho, Agra and New Delhi has several classes. We take the overnight AC sleeper car. It has fold down bunks with blankets and sheets. Depending on how well one sleeps, the motion of the cars and the sound of the wheels rolling over the tracks is soothingly repetative or a constant disruption. The other classes include an “executive class” private bunk room, a second class where everyone sits on hard, straight back seats all night, and an unreserved luggage 3rd class. Althugh we do not see the inside of 3rd class, we do see people crazily shoving themselves through the doors and windows even before the train stops in order to secure a seat.
Khajaraho is a small town built around very old Jain temples. The temples are intricately carved scenes of Gods, Indian medieval scenes of daily life and varying patterns. These temples are most famous because something like 10% (out of several thousand) of the scenes show men and women in graphic sexual positions including a single scene of a man having sex with a horse. The erotic scenes are placed near the entrance and the deities are carved inside the temple. There is debate about the erotic scenes that mirrors a religious debate. Is sexuality part of the path towards enlightenment or is it a hinderance to be left behind? Ironically, those who designed and built the these magnificent temples were clearly master architects and artists, yet as the old joke goes, you f*** one horse and that’s all anyone ever talks about. (See our photos)
It is impossible to visit India and not be confronted with true poverty, where people aren’t just less fortunate but truly have no resources. I struggle to stay practical: Why am I bartering when we are haggling over 20 Rupees (30 cents)? Do I even give money to a beggar knowing the enormity of the problem? The answers are hard and mostly revolve around the fact that poverty sucks and is an overwhelming, and that these people’s suffering and my good fortunate are largely due to the accident of birth. I come to the conclusion that bartering is important to do because of cultural norms but not to get crazy over small amounts of money. When I do give money,I am trying to do it out of a place of compassion and not feeling sorry for someone. And I try to remember that even the most agreessive touts are trying to earn a living.
Kate
Writing from the 12448,3A,B2, SL- that is: train 12448 Delhi to Khajuraho; three tier air conditioned (3 fold down beds per wall- imagine cushioned benches that fold flat against the wall when not being used as a bed);Berth 2 (which train car you’re in) and side lower (position of personal fold down bench- lower level parallel to the aisle. Yup it takes a bit of deciphering, but well worth it! Such a fun experience to ride the trains in India- that is when you get to ride A/C class and not third. People in third class were literally jumping through the windows as the train pulled up to the platform (before doors were opened) to try to get some sitting room! They’re going to have a long ride…
We’ve spent the last 4 days in Delhi getting acclimatized a bit and getting to know bits and pieces of this gigantic city of over 20 million. Luckily, my friend Akaash has a very close family friend, Manu, who took us under his wing and introduced us to his family and home cooked meals by his mother, gave us a tour of his father’s small garment factory where they produce lovely things for export to Europe; answered a miriade of questions about Delhi; about his recent arranged marriage (he just had his extravagent wedding 6 months ago- incredible photos!); Jain culture; and even treated us (believe me, we tried to pay!) to a fancy meal in a revolving restaurant- literally, it spins slowly with changing views of the skyline as you eat, AWESOME. Just today, Manu’s younger sister (who bears an eerie resemblance to my friend Deanna Gerwin) also kindly took me shopping for a couple traditional Kurtas or long tee-shirt/dress like tops-so much more appropriate for the heat. We felt so fortunate for this great local connection and their amazing generosity!
That said we are still adjusting…I almost didn’t write this post because I’m exhausted! My circadian rhythm is all screwy, and needs a few more days to get in line (should’ve brought melatonin like Maki suggested!). That plus the 95 degree weather with 50% humidity and intensely hectic streets zaps my energy so fast! And in terms of the weather, I guess things have already cooled down a bit, as Delhi gets into the 110s and sometimes 120s in July/August!! I can’t imagine…I think my body has too many nordic genes, I feel like I’m melting even in this “mild” heat. Just grateful we haven’t started pedaling yet…I think the altitude of Nepal will bring temperatures down another 10 degrees- much more doable.
Despite slow physical adjustment, Eric and I did get a chance to explore different sites in Delhi- including the Red Fort (old city with once spectacular fountains built in the 16th century), Hamuyan’s tomb (an amazing tomb built for a ruling emperor which was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal later on), and Akshardam Temple (the largest Hindu temple in the world, incredibly ornate carvings and geared towards visitors, but only built in the last 10 years). We’ve also eaten delicious north and south indian cuisine daily, and without any side effects so far!…fingers crossed! (we are playing it safe as of yet, good to ease into the new microbiota. Also I think the probiotics we’re taking daily may be helping). And all this exploring has mostly been done via the amazing Delhi metro- better than anything I’ve ridden in the U.S., it is clean, well organized, clearly laid out with excellent signage and announcements in both Hindi and English, only costs 10-25 cents per ride and even has A/C! And today, when headed to the train station with our large backpacking pack during rush hour, I took advantage of the less-packed “women’s only” car on the metro-a very cool safety feature, and quite strictly enforced. Another feature I like about the metro is it has all sorts of public service announcements on its walls about projects the local city government is taking on, rather than private corporate advertisements as seen in the US. Being a public transit system it makes sense to me to use the space to highlight public works projects.
So now I’m on India’s other amazing public transit system, the national railway…wish we had something this cool in the U.S.! We’re riding the trains this week to check out two important sites. First off to Khajuraho, as recommended by my brother Luke to see the erotic Hindu temples there. Will tell you more after we’ve been! Secondly to visit Agra, the city with the Taj Mahal- a must see. I was there over 22 years ago with my family, and am excited to refresh my memory! By Friday we will be back in Delhi to catch a flight out the next day to Kathmandu- where our actual cycle adventure should begin!Getting excited for that and Nepal in general!
We enjoyed getting a glimpse of the smaller village of Khajuraho and exploring the temples there, during the early mornings and late evenings that is (avoiding the peak heat of the day in our a/c hotel room- it felt a little lame, but there was no enjoyment being outdoors in that heat!). For tourists passing through 2 days was more than enough time to explore the sites.
Agra, on the other hand, is another large city (2-4 million I believe). We decided to stay in the “backpackers” district closest to the Taj so we could walk there at dawn, the best time to see it when the weather is cool and as the sun rises. Unfortunately, this was the seediest area we’ve stayed in yet…tons of trash and animal excrement on the streets, many people constantly badgering you to buy things, and our side ally to the hotel was bordered by two gutters full of nasty sewage like water that required me to hold my breath…gross. Being just blocks away from one of the most visited tourist destinations on earth I was saddened that the Agra government hadn’t been able to re-invest some of this cashflow into infrastructure (like garbage collection and street cleaning) not only for us as tourists, but for the locals who live their lives in these communities. Additionally, it seems Agra could use the Taj for more economic gain by raising their entrance fees- 750 ruppees (about 12 dollars) seems a nominal fee to pay for something that people travel days and fly round the world to see.
That said, the grounds of the Taj were immaculate, and much care is taken to preserve this amazing monument. We were glad we got there early to avoid the large crowds (although the heat of summer means this is low tourist season for India right now), and to be able to see the sun rise behind it to the East. Getting there early also meant we got a glimpse of a band of monkeys playing on the mosque that flanks the Taj to the West. The Taj is an ornate, majestic testiment to human engineering, and as the story goes, the power of love (it was built as a tomb to house the body of the deceased emperor’s wife). Hard to describe fully, I think our pictures do it more justice. I also had the precious experience of leaving some of my mother’s ashes at this holy site, the last time I was here was with her.
I think about my mom every day, multiple times. This was the country she grew up in (in the southern state of Tamil Nadu), and a place that was very close to her heart. I’m grateful for my family connection to this place, but at the same time feel as if with her passing and my grandpa’s passing, it is fading fast. I’m glad to make some memories here with Eric. I’ve also just done so much travelling with my parents, it’s hard not to think of my mom and what a great traveler she was, regardless of being in India per se. She was always prepared with itineraries and reservations; snacks and drinks; sunscreen and ibuprofen; extra clothes and books- what didn’t she have in that enormous backpack of hers? We’ve had fresh lemon with soda water every day- a refreshing beverage that is safe and not full of sugar- this was my mom’s favorite drink while travelling. I often think back fondly on all the lovely memories I have of my mother, but I also cry, and cry hard. Even being a world away from that terrible tragedy 7 weeks ago, I miss her so much.
Luckily, technology is an amazing thing. I got to have a google “hangout” with my whole family yesterday! So great. And we get to keep in touch with our extended community through this blog, even when we’re worlds away. I feel the need to be connected to my community more than ever these days, it takes time and effort- but what is life without those important people to share it with? Please keep sharing with us about your goings-on…it doesn’t have to be profound events, we just like to hear what you’re up to!
Namaste (as they really do say in India!)- Kate and Eric