Hello from the other side of the world
Hi Everyone,
After about 21 hours in the air over a 2-day period (which I don't recommend), we made it to India safe and sound. We stopped for a day in Seoul, Korea and that was an interesting experience. Lots of new construction going on there as it is in the throes of modernizing.
We took a walk to the worlds largest open-air market place. What a trip! My particular favorite was the pickled pig heads and dried larvae. Mmmmm. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
India is beyond words. I've never experienced such a sensory overload before. I wander around with a bemused grin on my face because it feels like I'm in a National Geographic show. I have to keep telling myself its real.
We got into Delhi at half-past midnight and finally settled into our rooms at 2:30 AM. Then up at 8:00 for breakfast and onto our bus for an 8 hour death-defying demolition derby style drive to Jaipur. The drivers here are either the most adept or most insane in the world. The jury is still out on that one. I am impressed. I am also perfectly willing to let someone else do the driving. Once upon a time I thought I could handle any traffic situation. I now know better. These people can make 12 traffic lanes where the stripes on the road would indicate only 4 to the non-Indian mind . You couldn't slip a piece of paper between the side-view mirrors of adjacent vehicles- including oncoming ones. They have nerves of titanium. The secret, it seems, is to blow the horn at least 47 times a minute.
The variety of rolling hardware is mind-wobbling. We saw every thing from a family of 4 riding on a motorcycle (with both kids sound asleep!) to camel-drawn carts to elephants. There are also 3-wheeled cars and trucks and rickshaws, as well. There is a strict hierarchy (which appears to be the only sort of order to be found) when it comes to right-of-way. Smaller yields to larger. If you're on foot, you ain't squat. At the other extreme, elephants are the king of the road. Its hard to intimidate an elephant. If two vehicles are of equal mass, well, I'm afraid to contemplate the possible outcome. Our vehicle is moderately large, but I think I want to go elephant just to be on the safe side.
Speaking of our "vehicle", we stopped twice to make road-side repairs to the A/C unit. Well, road-side is a bit of an exaggeration because the first time, we just stopped right there in our lane. Remember: we're moderately large and that affords us certain privileges. The best part was when we got into Jaipur. We were about a mile from the hotel, when the bus stalled in the middle of a busy intersection and the battery didn't have enough juice to turn the motor over. All the men-folk climbed off the bus and we push-started the damn thing. What a hoot. Thank God no one was camel-trampled.
BTW, If you look to the left, you'll see a link to my photo album. You know what to do next.
Later.
After about 21 hours in the air over a 2-day period (which I don't recommend), we made it to India safe and sound. We stopped for a day in Seoul, Korea and that was an interesting experience. Lots of new construction going on there as it is in the throes of modernizing.
We took a walk to the worlds largest open-air market place. What a trip! My particular favorite was the pickled pig heads and dried larvae. Mmmmm. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
India is beyond words. I've never experienced such a sensory overload before. I wander around with a bemused grin on my face because it feels like I'm in a National Geographic show. I have to keep telling myself its real.
We got into Delhi at half-past midnight and finally settled into our rooms at 2:30 AM. Then up at 8:00 for breakfast and onto our bus for an 8 hour death-defying demolition derby style drive to Jaipur. The drivers here are either the most adept or most insane in the world. The jury is still out on that one. I am impressed. I am also perfectly willing to let someone else do the driving. Once upon a time I thought I could handle any traffic situation. I now know better. These people can make 12 traffic lanes where the stripes on the road would indicate only 4 to the non-Indian mind . You couldn't slip a piece of paper between the side-view mirrors of adjacent vehicles- including oncoming ones. They have nerves of titanium. The secret, it seems, is to blow the horn at least 47 times a minute.
The variety of rolling hardware is mind-wobbling. We saw every thing from a family of 4 riding on a motorcycle (with both kids sound asleep!) to camel-drawn carts to elephants. There are also 3-wheeled cars and trucks and rickshaws, as well. There is a strict hierarchy (which appears to be the only sort of order to be found) when it comes to right-of-way. Smaller yields to larger. If you're on foot, you ain't squat. At the other extreme, elephants are the king of the road. Its hard to intimidate an elephant. If two vehicles are of equal mass, well, I'm afraid to contemplate the possible outcome. Our vehicle is moderately large, but I think I want to go elephant just to be on the safe side.
Speaking of our "vehicle", we stopped twice to make road-side repairs to the A/C unit. Well, road-side is a bit of an exaggeration because the first time, we just stopped right there in our lane. Remember: we're moderately large and that affords us certain privileges. The best part was when we got into Jaipur. We were about a mile from the hotel, when the bus stalled in the middle of a busy intersection and the battery didn't have enough juice to turn the motor over. All the men-folk climbed off the bus and we push-started the damn thing. What a hoot. Thank God no one was camel-trampled.
BTW, If you look to the left, you'll see a link to my photo album. You know what to do next.
Later.
posted by Rick | 9:44 AM
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