India

We got to stay in India for almost three weeks. I’m not going to kid you. For the first 4 days, all I could think was “I’m so glad I came. Now I’ll never have to come back.” I’ve traveled extensively, as you can tell. I thought I was prepared for the sensory overload. I was not.  I began my trip in Delhi and felt battered by the people and the noise and the dirt. But right about the end of that fourth day, I began to see past that to see the beauty. Within two more days I was fascinated. Within 10 I was in love. I truly can’t wait to go back.

Every cliche about India is true. It is a land of contrasts. In Delhi the  animals fed off the trash in the streets(although in Calcutta, they are using trash to fuel). Being at the edge of the desert, it is a very dusty city. And the noise! If I heard one more horn honk, I thought I’d explode. But there is so much beauty, such diversity. I always thought the Irish people the nicest in the world. I now know better. The Indians are, hands down.

Yes, there is extreme poverty. There are children beggars you must not even make eye contact with.(every local will tell you that you will do more good by donating to Mother Theresa). But there is color and sound and an amazing joy that seems to permeate everything. I think of walking down the bazaars, where gold and scarlet flower necklaces swing in the breeze, and women in iridescent yellow, green and magenta saris crouch by the road with a blanket of fresh fruit: mangos and tomatoes and bananas. In a nearby shop a salesman lifts a length of peacock georgette in the air so it wafts into a woman’s hands. Aromas of coffees and spices and flowers vie with exhaust and cow dung. The  ancient buildings glow in the sunlight, their designs so intricate you can’t believe them possible. The air is thick with shouting as men sit cross-legged negotiating, music from the local Sikh temple, the call to faith from the Mosque. India truly is a sensual banquet.

Again, Rick and I arranged a self tour. I reserved the hotel rooms using Trip Advisor(if you take a guided tour, you will usually stay only in chains). Then I used the brilliant people at Travel & Leisure Elite(a travel subsidiary of American Express) to arrange drivers, guides and interior transportation. I can’t recommend them enough.

I can only speak to two specific areas: THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE and CALCUTTA, as they were the only areas we had time for.