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Published: September 26th 2007
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Religious innocence
I took this at the Ganesh festival. I had to be quick because moments later, the opportunity had gone amongst all the chaos. From one hot country to the next. Our 2am arrival at Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi could be compared to a visit to the morgue.
Painful 'supermarket' music could be heard in the background on a loop, and the only other noise breaking the eerie silence was the neglected un-oiled wheels of the trolleys provided.
After a considerable wait for our bags, we were on the lookout for a guy holding a board with our names on. At this time of the morning, we wasn't expecting an overly enthusiastic driver, but we were made to feel as welcome as George Bush in Iraq.
The guy wearily escorted us to his cut'n'shut fiesta-come-ice cream van, and we loaded our belongings into the back awaiting confirmation on whether he should be behind the wheel of any vehicle.
It took us just 30 seconds to realize that he was a certified maniac with little of no regard for human life whatsoever.
He was on a mission, weaving in and out of the traffic using the horn excitedly and often like a child in a toy car. I doubt this was for our benefit though, more to do with the thought of
Worshippers at the Taj Mahal
I waited patiently for someone to walk across to form a sillouette. A nice outcome with the Taj Mahal in the background. catching up on sleep that we had denied him.
People lined the streets (asleep) for the entire journey, huddled together in 2s and 3s, ignoring the roar of the traffic either side of them.
If you are not ready for the sheer scale of poverty and homelessness that is immediately apparent when you arrive, then India will shock the hell out of you.
From what we can gather so far, the saying 'you get what you pay for' couldn't be more true here. Unfortunately we booked the cheapest hostel available, and what did we get?..........the slums.
After picking Lisa's jaw up off the uneven path, we staggered past a herd of content cows sitting in a polluted puddle, which happened to be on our doorstep.
Our receptionist had a bed behind the counter and was clearly not expecting anyone judging by his caveman appearance. His Neanderthal like grunt when he passed us the key to our room aroused suspicion as to whether he really was a primitive life form...................NOT the greatest introduction to a country we've ever had, but certainly memorable.
Delhi is like no other place on earth. It’s in a league of its own
The women in Green
This is one of my favourite shots in India. I love the contrast of the green dress and the blue sky. The temple is incredible too. (Dehli). under the category 'chaos'. Walking from one market stall to the next in stifling heat with rickshaws, cars, cows, pigs and one of the largest concentration of people in any given city, makes for an overwhelming experience that many people only allow 2 to 3 days for.
We decided to tour Delhi in a hired car which is sensible if you can afford it. We figured that if anyone should be able to make sense of this way of life, then it would be a qualified tour guide from a respectable company.
He did indeed know his city very well and we visited most of the temples, forts and museums on offer, although the continuous stream of hawkers selling everything from the lucky charms to scarves became warring, and it eventually got the better of us.
In general, we found Delhi and Agra to be quite unsightly, with the exception to some well maintained places such as the areas surrounding parliament buildings.
It’s a bizarre mix of stunning architecture and poverty stricken slums that co-exist at such close quarters.
The highlights here were the visit to the red fort and the fascinating Indira Gandhi memorial museum.
Impressive interior of the Basilica of bom Jesus
Intricate details are present throughout the entire church. Its well worth a trip. A visit to Agra and the majestic Taj Mahal is a must for anyone who visits India.
We begrudgingly paid the extortionate entry fee which is 5 times that of a locals charge, and entered the courtyard leading up to the greatest show of love and workmanship ever created by man.
Such an attraction brings its fair share of opportunists ranging from 'professional' photographers to young children selling Taj Mahal memorabilia.
These people have learn't most of the English language, apart from the word that is most widely used by tourists which is NO.
They will not except that you are merely here to admire one of the wonders of the world and then leave.
That is of course, exactly what we did.
Our most Indian like experience came straight after the visit to the Taj Mahal. We were lucky enough to arrange a home stay in Agra.
Their hospitality was second to none and the house was very impressive with marble flooring and clean spacious rooms.
We were treated to traditional Indian meals with the family around the large oak table where we enjoyed delights such as Okara (ladies fingers), Aaloo tamatar, malai Kofta and phulka.
Ganesh Festival
Inquisitive boy admires the sparkler with dad. He was only too proud to be featured in this photograph. After we were overwhelmed by the amount and variety of their food, we sat down and exchanged stories over a cup of Taj Mahal tea.
It really was a world away from the days we had just had in Delhi, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
In a way, the relaxed nature of our home stay family prompted us to find a more laid back India.
Goa had been in our minds from the start because of its idyllic beaches and its manyana like attitude. It was a 36hr trek across the country by train but that was one of life's experiences not to be missed.
You mingle with the locals at close quarters in sleeper carriages, observing their customs and again indulging in the endless supply of food on offer. The hing tablets and chai which we were given by a local couple were interesting to say the least. Lisa had the recommended weekly amount of water for a human being in just 10 minutes following these.
Goa hasn't disappointed us at all though. We have spent a good 2 and a half weeks in the relatively sleepy fishing village of Colva. The
Armed guards
Needless to say we didn't go any further. They are guarding parliament buildings near India gate - Dehli. people are friendly and the beaches large enough to find a quiet spot all to yourself.
It’s a popular retirement resort for British expats (most of whom we met over fish, chips and mushy peas on a Friday night at 'fishlands').
Much to my dismay, I later found that we had just consumed a baby shark, but it was damn good food though.
Although content to just chill in Colva, we did sample some of the other beaches such as neighboring benaulim and Goa's most idyllic beach - Palolem.
Here the highlight was a place called smugglers inn. We had Tetley tea, cheese on toast and watched pirates of the Caribbean 3 in a comfy cove full of cushions.
We finished our trip by visiting 'old goa' and the Basilica of bom Jesus. The mortal remains of Francis Xavier (patron saint of Goa) lies in a 3 tiered marble tomb for all to see, surrounded by a beautifully decorated interior.
I think many people share the same view on India as us. It has its pro's and Con's as all country's do, and it’s undoubtedly an astonishing and diverse place to visit.
We found the constant scamming, pestering and sheer volume of people an annoyance throughout our trip, but love it or hate it, India is a huge assault on your senses and it’s a place you will never forget.
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Malcolm Butcher
non-member comment
hello.
Hello mate, it's been interesting reading your blog. Nice to hear that you've been to so many exotic countries, shame about the shark photos! Life at Tesco Snodland is still boring, glad one of us is having a great time! I'll keep checking the blog and i'll make another comment after a few more countries. goodbye.