Incredible India

Safely home after a 9 hour flight. And two more curries on the Jet Airways... and then a two hour+ journey via underground and slow train to Royston.  Didn't get to bed til 5am (my time)
My last night in Delhi was very forgettable. I just wanted to be home. And now I am.

Seems I have been away for weeks; not just 11 days.  What a colourful, amazing, awesome country India is.  Such a mixture of experiences. I saw iconic buildings that in the end, did not move me as much as I thought they would. I saw so much and experienced so much in such a short time... it's hard to remember what and where I have been. The spectacle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, the noise, the confusion and cacophony of traffic and people will be unforgettable.

A couple of thoughts and reflections:

In the departures lounge in Indira Gandhi airport I watched a video documentary on an organisation called GMR Varalkshmi about the ongoing programme of building of public toilets. Apparently 53% of Indian people defacate in the open. Astonishing. But more of a reflection of the rural poverty than the lack of facilities in cities.

I read in the Saturday Times of India that an astronaut on the space station was surprised one day when he could suddenly see definition over China. Apparently the pollution smog over India and China is so bad they cannot see cities at all. The sudden change was due to the coal-fired electricity power stations nationally being turned off for a day.
I can believe it; as our airplane took off from Delhi there was a haze right up to 10000 feet... that haze lasted for hundreds of miles until we were nearly over Pakistan. Pollution is a big problem for India.

I had no idea that I would not be able to go for a run. Seems ludicrous now, and naive that I took my running shoes and trackies. But to run in Delhi? Along those streets and through that traffic and along those pavements? Naah. Same for Agra and Jaipur.

I had no idea that there would be so few white people around. We as a group and I often alone, were the only Europeans  around and were almost a novelty. I really expected to be one of many, not conspicuous.

I expected to find India to be a very spiritual place but did not. I wanted to find a karma, an inner peace, a devotion to being the best you can and an acceptance of that. What I found was a country full of energy and thrust wanting to better itself...
Incredible India indeed.

Slumdog Millionaire

Is a really good film. If you have the stomach to watch and accept that there are people in India who rake through and live amongst piles of filth. never mind, you are thousands of miles away; and you can detach yourself - it's just a film, just a type of Bollywood - a movie made in Elstree probably. With a happy ending... And that detachment, that acceptance of illusory entertainment. That comforts you.

I saw it today.

Coming into Delhi on the train. Children seven, eight years old amongst such huge, bottomless heaps of waste, barefooted, bare legged, grimy-shorted, sifting and poking and searching; scratching to make a rupee from a scrap of metal or a carrier-bag of plastic. I saw the makeshift, ramshackle boards and sacking that they call home.
It brought a nauseous lump to my throat. Disgust. Horror. It was awful.

Express from Jaipur to nowhere

Didn't sleep very well last night. My alarm was set for 4.30 - but I didn't need it.
The taxi took me, my rucksack, bag and my little cardboard packed-breakfast to Jaipur Junction. It was very dark. The station was heaving; I was the only white person among thousands. I knew where my train would be coming in; and what time but I did not understand seats and carriage numbers. no probs. People speak English generally and you just have to ask.
I saw the sun rise. A big, deep red hazy ball. It was beautiful.
3 and a half hours later. Sweaty, weary and increasingly wanting to be home we pulled into Delhi. But not the Delhi main station. Somewhere in the middle of downtown Delhi. Totally confused. I expected to have to wait for a local train.. nothing.no signs. no idea. nothing in English. I made my way along with hundreds of others (who knew where they were) I was immediately harangued by dozens of taxi drivers. I gave in. And caught a bargained-down 300 rupee ride to the metro. In the traffic chaos I had to shout at the taxi driver as he pulled away with my bags still in the boot.
The metro was not the brown line. I had to change twice. So hard. So confusing. So hot.
I made my way on the brown-line Airport Express... easy. In the forlorn hope that I could catch an earlier flight. no can do. I was about half an hour too late to do that.
I'm now in a hotel in Malaprinihi. It's pretty bad, but I can handle it.
I've had an amazing week and a half.
But I'll be glad to be back where....
I live in a beautiful apartment with a gorgeous Wendy y'know.
And I'll be home tomorrow.
Woopydo!!

Lost in Jaipur

Lost in Jaipur.  Well, not really. You can't get lost. You can have no idea where you are, surrounded by decrepit buildings, dust and filth and heat but you are only ever a tuk-tuk away from where you want to be. I went for an hours walk, just followed my nose (holding my breath occasionally cos of the stench) and ended up having a masala tea in a four star hotel.
Was a wonderful little adventure. At no point did I feel unsafe, nor lost.

This afternoon I had my first ever massage. By a brute of a Thai wrestler. I was not left tingling - more found it very private whilst at the same time very impersonal. Felt physically good; but I'd rather the masseur had been a little Indian lady... (prob not a good idea though, eh?)

I have given the YMCA the sack. Not that they know.
I really cannot be bothered to try and book a corner to kip in in the hope of meeting some interesting people.
I have an early start tomorrow; when you are going to bed, I will be getting up for breakfast and a taxi is collecting me at 515am to catch a train at 6am. That journey could be exhausting or fascinating or both; and there is so much disaster potential.  Then, all being good, I have to take the brown-line metro to the airport. If I can find it. I have booked myself into a cheap airport hotel. All I really want is a modern, clean bed and time to rest before my flight on 28.5 hours Wednesday.

Shahpura House

This written on the balcony as dusk fell this evening:

Nb: Today is the first day of Diwali. Although actual Diwali is not til the end of the month, fireworks are freely available in shops and on the street bazaar. Don't seem to be any regulations. There have been fireworks, rockets and bangs going off all evening.
Cows are seen as holy because they give milk and are the mothers of all; they roam freely.


The distant howling wail of the rail
Is calling me home to be on my way again.
Away from the noise and the clamour
The smell and the street filth of Jaipur manor.
That I have grown to understand; in just a while
Her chaotic life pace and yet beautiful smile.

A herd of mothers pass by along the street
With dust and traffic and people meet
They sway and walk totally unaware
Of the firework bangs; Diwali there.
The noises echo around the street where
Behind the wall the children play; what do they care?

There is a buzz downstairs, arriving full
Coachload Saga, which is the tourist pull.
They come to gaze and stare yet in awe
At the Jaipur history as many before.
And I too have seen India wonders sure,
On the cossetted safe sightseeing tour.

But they do not know.

The distant howling wail of the rail
Is calling me home to be on my way again.
A train, a ride and then a flight
And I will be home soon on another night.
Where I long to be and to be beside
My love who waits for me - but is yet here inside
My heart.

Sunday service

We tuk-tuk'd to a Sunday service at a Hindu temple this morning. Getting used to this energetic way to travel; I will confess I quite enjoy it.
We were the  only white people amongst 500 Indians. And we were not scowled at or pointed at but sat unshod cross-legged in the middle and tried to understand what was going on. But did not. Three, four times people sent children over to us to say hello. Sweet.
We think that a special revered temple statue was being shown for worship and devotion, the congregation filed around in a moving massed circle of people to the back of the temple out of our sight.
It was a calm, happy affair with a little chanting, a sort of sermon at the beginning (which few seemed to take any notice of) And well, we don't really understand. But this Hindu religion is so different to what we are used to in England how can we?  But is was very interesting.


Tomorrow is my last day here in Jaipur. And I will breakfast and dinner alone. I have completely run out of money so I need to go out to walk and find an ATM. The YMCA in Delhi still cannot confirm that I have a room for Tuesday; I asked reception to phone them to confirm but they do not do bookings on Sunday over the phone and the internet connection is not working. I arrive there late morning  on Tuesday and feel reasonably confident that I will find a little YMCA corner to kip in. But hey!!!  I have to negotiate the 515am start (taxi is booked); and make the 6.00am train departure and then I need to find seat CC133 yet...gulp!

Going it alone

Saturday 22nd Oct

It may not seem like much of a first day challenge. But today I walked to the train station, caught a taxi to a museum and then came back by taxi via the market.

Walking along the streets is not easy. There are sometimes pavements, sort of, but they are not maintained and are mostly falling apart; and often taken over by street vendors and then you have to negotiate dogs and people sprawling asleep on the ground; the traffic is constant and noisy and when you step off the pavement it is dangerous. And there is excrement and rubbish, often piles of it, literally. Men often urinate quite freely into the gutter.

The station was heaving with Saturday travellers, all Indian, I did not see another white person there. As with any foreign country, the rail system is not easy to understand. Tickets have to be bought on line in advance or you queue for ever. I saw a train come in and it was full to to bursting in both third class and second. I couldn't see a first There were 16 carriages: the engine was fab enormous.

Getting  a tuk-tuk is dangerous. Apparently drivers can kidnap you and take you to the family shop.. you cannot get away cheaply.. and worse. I was approached a dozen times by dodgy guys before I made eye contact. He looked ok. But he was not a driver; he was a 'guide' but took me to a friend who drove us. I insisted on just being taken to the museum. I told him where I wanted to go and made it very clear. He wanted me to book him for a whole day.. during the journey the guide showed me a reference letter from a previous client explaining how honest and hard working he was.  Arrived ok.

The museum was the Albert Hall. It was a very big thing when Prince Albert visited Jaipur in the 1880's; they painted the city pink for him. Literally. This museum was opened and named for him. It was mildly interesting. Lots of people; including several children's school parties: they all dress in wonderful uniforms.

I walked up through the city gates (pink) and down Nehru bazaar (market) for about half a mile. Again, heaving with people. I so want to buy some gifts for Wendy. But it is impossible. And all around me was chaos, squalor, noise, traffic with horns constantly beeping. Add to that a temperature of pushing 40 degrees. St Albans market this is not.  But it was captivating, fascinating and disgusting. I left the market road, went off-piste for fifty yards but turned back - it felt threatening and it was even filthier.
I woke a friendly tuk-tuk driver and asked him for Bani park.. he did not know where it was so I had to show him on the map. An incredibly bumpy, frantic, smelly, chaotic journey back that took 30 minutes and cost me 100 rupees.
Bliss being back in my maharajah suite. But he would have travelled to the bazaar by limousine with bodyguards.

Jaipur railway station display; I'm catching the 6.00am to Delhi on Tues

This may be a third world country. But everyone; everyone, has a mobile phone.. hundreds of millions of them. This arcade had about 100 phone shops.