Assailed in India!

Colourful India

In April, I travelled with friends to India and what travel India is! We arrived in Mumbai and were immediately assailed by the putrid smells of urine as we stepped out of the airport. But that was India and we were ready to accept it in all its glory, even the uninvited porters who insisted we gave them "paper money" and not the coins we shoved quickly into their hands for doing nothing but trail us to the car.

My travelling companions, Anita and Devi

That same night, even our pre assigned driver tried to make money out of us. We had stopped at a stall to buy bottled water. Since there were five of us, we asked for a box of 2 litre bottles.

The driver insisted that because we were making a big buy, the stall owner should give him some commission for bringing him good customers. They argued for some time and then the shop owner tried to pass on the commission to us, by hiking up the price of the water. Thank God my sister in law had some experience of living in India and she told them both off. Next the driver took the longest route possible to our hotel. What should have taken about half and hour to 45 mins tops took almost two and the half hours. It was crazy. All this so that he could claim more money - they get paid by the hour you see.

These are the waters beyond the India gate. Despite the horrid stench that permeates the air here and the littered sidewalks, there are moments of tranquility and beauty.

That is India for you. You have to be prepared for it and not let the little but horrifying experiences bother you or your trip will be ruined. The only thing to expect in India, is the unexpected, so they say.

Essentially, I learned, to survive your holiday in India you need:
1. To read all about it before you go (Lonely Planet would be your best bet)
2. To have a good sense of humour
3. To drink only bottled water
4. To have a strong stomach and a good head on your shoulders
5. To insist on getting what the tour operators promised you (the drivers will try to be funny where they can)
6. To be on the look out for any kind of scams from just about anyone
7. To be ready to be horrified

Mumbai was crazy - heavy traffic even at midnight, old men crushed under the weight of their labourious burdens, and blasting horns that never stop. It was also disturbing with all the homeless or street children half naked and barefooted running around. What struck me was that they seemed to be so happy - just children playing and chasing - oblivious that having no shoes was a bothersome thing.

We saw women washing clothes wherever they could find water - gas stations, leaking water from broken pipes. Children collected water in the dead fo the night from tiny streams trickling through rocks on the dirtiest beach you ever saw. It really was depressing.

We chose the worst time of the year to go. April is hot and humid and the sun scorches the skin. We spent most of our time in our hired car, shuffling from one tourist spot to another shopping district in Mumbai.

Goa was a welcome respite. It is a stark contrast from the rest of India. No signs of poverty or the homeless. Just lots of good food, a hint of drug dealing and beautiful clean beaches. When in Goa, one must not miss the sunset cruise down the Mandovi River. It is just a truly breathtaking experience for the reflective person. I hear the pork vindaloo is divine but we somehow never came across it.

Goa looked and felt, in many ways, like Langkawi, only not quite.

Wherever you are staying, do make a trip further south to the less crowded and more beautiful beaches. There were rumours of Goa's reknowned parties here and there but it was the end of the tourist season and the partying was essentially over.

Beautiful sunsets here

The craft markets are worth a visit. Look out for the Tibetan jewellery sellers. There are rows and rows of them selling exquisite and well cut pieces with really exotic designs. They are mostly good quality silver set with semi precious stones. You will need to haggle to almost half the introductory price. However most of them are really haughty because the Europeans, with their big money, usually pay them what they ask. Look for the sweet little ladies with kind eyes and they are more likely to relent.

The most of us

All in all India was quite the experience. It did not hit me as hard as I have been to Africa before and had my share of culture shocks. All through my trip though, especially in Mumbai, I could not help but ask God "why?" as I looked out the frosted windows of our hired car into the immense poverty that we passed by...