Wow. Where do I begin??
Lets start with the Pre-India travel conversations shared with various people we've met along our journey so far. These conversations
are always the same: where are you from, where have you traveled to and where are you going next?
During the weeks leading up to our journey to the subcontinent, we told these people of our intent to travel all over India- always receiving the
same responses.
It starts with an almost mischievous grin followed by one of the following questions/comments:
"Good luck"- most popular response
"Hope you don't get the Malaria"
"Don't you know that the temperature can get up to 120F this time of year?"
"You'll either love it or hate it"
and my favorite.. "wow, thats pretty crazy"
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me be the first to say that
these people were crazy. Indeed, India
is absolutely insane but it is so deeply amazing at the same time that words could not even begin to do it justice. India is a myriad of sights, smells, tastes, sounds, people and animals (yes many, many animals) paralleled by no other country on earth. It's sensory overload every time you walk out the door and I am so in love.
Hmm, let me try to paint the picture for you...
I could walk outside of this internet cafe at this very moment and immediately witness
at least 3 of the following things:
a. 6 cows, 4 dogs, 2 monkeys a cat and a donkey
b. A group wedding (saves money) consisting of 120 brides and grooms.. all marriages arranged
c. A camel hauling veggies past a wild pig dragging a dog carcass to his home for a late night snack.. uh yeah, we actually did see this just yesterday
d. No gringos cause it is officially the "off season" (uh, 120F will do that) prompting every passing Indian to strike up friendly conversation making me feel much more important than I really am
e. Absolutely no rhyme or reason when it comes to traffic in these diesel-soaked streets. I'm talking auto-rickshaws passing elephants and regular rickshaws which are stopping for a group of beautiful saari-clad Indian women walking right next to a a few cyclists that are dodging several motorbikers which are trying to be careful not to hit the 32 Brahman cows that are standing in the MIDDLE of the road eating grain with camels which spilled off of a cart that collided with a taxi that had quickly swerved out of the way to avoid a group of street dogs which were just leaving an open area on the side of the street where an old man is defecating a few feet away from another person begging for money after he shows you all the flips and tricks his pet monkeys can do
And apparently, we've only just touched the surface as we are off to VARANASI tonight.
Okay, so on a serious note though, India has been such an eye-opening experience for both of us. It has reinforced my appreciation for all the opportunities I have to make a successful life for myself. India has been hard for me in many ways but this poverty has been the most difficult thing to experience.
Imagine your mother and father, or even your grandmother and grandfather- many of them breaking their backs working like dogs in this blistering heat trying to provide
anything for their families, their babies. Imagine their children frantically begging and scraping just trying to eek out a meager living so they can eat at night. All of them: man, woman and child- relentlessly working day in and day out for
pennies.
It is poverty on a level that I've only read about and never experienced.. this is a country in an economic upswing?
Nine times out of ten, when approached by an Indian person in the street, the first question asked isn't your name- it is,
where are you from? As if they are trying to imagine your life for one brief moment from what they know from western film and television- some so inquisitive, it's as if they daydream of experiencing a similar life.. flattering, yet I can't help but feel guilty for being so damn lucky to have what I have.
On a side note, did you know that in 20 years, India is expected to surpass China's population?
Sure, it's one thing to hear about it- we are all bombarded by these sad stories from all over the world everyday. Hell, I'd bet that over 50% of the people who started reading this post have stopped by this point. We hear about it so much that we become desensitized- never fully conscious of the dire conditions that plague the rest of this massive world. It is heartbreaking to watch this everyday- and I've only been here for a week.
On the bright side, as I witness this amazingly backbreaking work ethic I am reminded by the vital instinct of all humans to strive to survive. Until a firsthand experience, it is impossible to try to empathize, to understand. I can't even fully empathize or understand because I've never been forced to live under the conditions I've seen during this past week.
This vital instinct is a true testament to the perseverance of the human spirit and the will to make a better life- day in and day out.
This country is truly amazing in so many ways.
