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Published: September 28th 2006
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To summarize the past few days:
Taj Mahal Awe-inspiring. On the reals. I thought it would be a dirty disappointment, but it wasn't. Words can't do the sight of it at dawn justice, so just go if you ever get the chance.
Jaipur A relief from the touts of Agra. We spent our first day running errands, since basics tasks take twice as long in India. Our second day consisted of a LONG bus tour. We wound up paying way more than the Rough Guide had led us to believe we would on the tour, but we also got to see a LOT of forts and palaces.
Things we learned in Jaipur: * Avoid taking bicycle rickshaws since they are enjoyable for neither us nor the poor skinny man trying to pedal us home.
* Everything is either 1 km or 25 shops away, according to the Indians who direct you.
* Attempting to follow a map, no matter who published it, is pointless. So is asking for directions. Just wander.
Puskhar Where we are now, a holy city. A tiny, relaxing place, except for the fact that we get shocked each time we attempt to turn
Taj Close
So beautiful. off the water in our shower or sink.
We're settling into routines: the application of poisons in the morning (sunscreen and insect repellant), the hanging of mosquito nets upon arrival at each hotel, evening showers, reading before bedtime, etc. Despite appearing to be clueless in front of our fellow travelers (almost missing the bus the Pushkar because our driver's version of five minutes was more like two), we've done very well. I'm proud of us. India is tough, but so are we.
Things we find surprising about India (90%!o(MISSING)f these we knew in advance, but it remains shocking to see them every day.)
Moria:
* The huge difference in the number of men versus the number of women. I know the women are restricted to the home most of the time, but I also know about the rates of abortion over here when mama finds out she's having a girl. It's obvious. This is a dude culture. (As a side note, I'd never leave the house if I was a woman living here. There are millions of public urinals for guys on the street, but NOTHING for women.)
* The huge difference in size between the
Stairs to the Taj
We have to take photos of Indian women on the sly. men and the women. The men are skinny, and the women are plump. This, of course, makes sense because women are delegated kitchen duties, and men must go out to work, but the difference is more dramatic than I would have thought.
* Rickshaw men are more of a bother than begging women and children. I expected to be approached by beggars far more often, and I wondered whether or not I would break down and give away all my money. Thus far, that's barely been an issue. Instead, we dealt with the rickshaw drivers every time we stepped foot out of the hotels in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. I'd prefer the women and children, but the rickshaw situation is better for everyone, so I'll deal.
* The animals- Yes, I'm upset about the people too, but the poor animals kill me. The cows and dogs eating from the trash, especially. And the horses, donkeys, and cows are SO skinny. Lots and lots of prominent ribs. Sigh. There's an American couple in Udaipur (our next stop) who set up a shelter, so I'm going to try to volunteer.
* The awe at white people. I had been told about this,
Sigh.
Sorry, had to post another. but I couldn't believe it. Didn't the Indians see backpackers all the time? Were they really that amazed by white people? They are. The kids love to dare each other to touch us, and the men often "accidentally" elbow us. We've become immune to the stares.
* Men holding hands. I always feel like I'm disrupting an intimate moment when I see this.
* The lack of other backpackers thus far/the disinterest from other backpackers in being our friends. Oh well. We'll hang with the Indians. We've already made some buds.
* The hotels that won't let us pay to swim in their pools. Boo, Hilton! Boo, Sheraton! We are three sexy babes who would make your pool a hot spot! If it weren't for
Brokedown Palace, I'd find a rich man to pretend I was staying for him. Whatevs. We'll be at the beach soon enough.
* The volume (mostly car horns).
Kate:
* The aggression.
* The poverty (more in-your-face than expected)
* The horrible condition of the buildings
* Not as smelly as anticipated
Lucy
* The utter number of people, as well as the pushiness Kate mentioned
That's all for now. This
was a long one. We've figured out the photo situation. Hope you enjoy! Miss you!
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Zach
non-member comment
Um... where's the dysentery?
The title promised dysentery. I want dysentery! Or at least some mild nausea. Where's that part of your story??? Who cares about skinny donkeys. I want to know what you ate, and what it did to you! Make with the D!!!!