It feels good to be back. Meal orders so far have been, in order: bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, Chipotle (Mexican), cheeseburger, and then another cheeseburger for lunch - plus loads of coffee, trying to get back to a regular sleep pattern.
I'm sorry for not updating sooner. There's still some things that I want to say about this experience but I just haven't had the energy to get on this thing. Avi and I got back at JFK at 5:30 am on Wednesday and that day was a complete blur of trying to unpack, visiting with Mel and Megha, and actually beginning to prepare to move, which is happening next week. Plus yesterday I took a train up to Albany to visit my parents before they take off on a long vacation of their own. Still fighting jet lag. Passed out at 8 PM last night but slept 10 hours. Hopefully this won't last much longer.
So, how do I sum up India? I am going to try to stay away from painting everything in broad brush strokes, so I think the best way is to do this topically.
Ladakh, North India
I still feel as if this was one of the, if not the most, beautiful places I've ever seen. Of course the memory of the landscape is still quite fresh in my mind, but I've also looked back and read my slightly emotional/ philosophical post while I was there, mostly with the intention of trying to decipher exactly what made me write all of that. I've been reading Into the Wild, and a quote I found inside has helped me understand how and why the stark mountains so affected me.
The desert is the environment of revelation, genetically and physiologically alien, sensorily austere, esthetically abstract, historically inimical... Its forms are bold and suggestive. The mind is beset by light and space, the kinesthetic novelty of aridity, high temperature, and wind. The desert sky is encircling, majestic, terrible. In other habitats, the rim of the sky above the horizon is broken or obscured; here, together with the countryside and forest lands... In an unobstructed sky the clouds seem more massive, sometimes grandly reflecting the earth's curvature on their concave undersides. The angularity of desert landforms imparts a monumental architecture to the clouds as well as the land.
Paul Shepard, Man in the Landscape: A Historic View of the Esthetics of Nature
This passage fits the Himalayas too, though not completely. I wrote before that the land up there makes you feel small and alive at the same time and I still think it's accurate. I wish I had more of a lyrical inclination but I'll cheat and use this guy Shepard's style.
The angularity of the jagged faces of the majestic mountains imparts a monumental architecture to the clouds as well as the land, the peaks often clear in their affections in the movement of the wispy white tendril of clouds in the bright blue sky. It makes one wonder about this same power when the rains come, and what effects these solemn stewards have once winter fully strikes. The obstructed skyline broken by the massive mountains makes you feel small; a piece of the world and the processes of the earth but only a small, temporary and all so fragile part. The monumental architecture of rock and sand will be there, imperceptibly changing forever, for your purposes and for mine, and the inpregnigble land won't let you forget that fact for a second.
Chris Kibler, Holy Cow! Chris' Adventures in India
The People of IndiaI tried to leave for this trip with an open mind and as little mental pre-sets as possible. I couldn't be a completely blank page - brainwashed as it were by repeated Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom viewings on TBS as a kid, and already affected by the many Indian-American friends and cultural cross-exposure from college and going forward.
With that being said, the number one thing that this nearly month long trip has shown me is the vast diversity there is within the country of India; appearance-wise from dark skin to very fair, with every eye-shape and feature combination imaginable. But beyond the superficialiaty of looks, this diversity extends to an astonishing amount of differences between the many states in language and food and more. I went to three distinct regions - Bangalore and Mysore in Karnataka State (central-south India), Goa on the west coast and Ladakh in the far north.
- Karnataka - Hindu religion, Muslim second, with some Christian; either northern or southern Indian cuisine (all delicious).
- Goa - Lots of Christian/Portuguese influence; seafood but other choices available. Interesting for me to see swastikas (a religious symbol which Hitler stole from India) in several different places, from decorations on houses to jewelery in the markets.
- Ladakh - Mostly Buddhist but also a very apparent Muslim influence. The food was a fusion of what we Americans would consider distinctly Indian and Chinese. Because of the amount of travelers, many places offered a very eclectic mix of cuisine - from the standard Indian stuff to Israeli, Italian, pizza and even German baked goods.
India Tips
I wanted to revisit the tips I first posted.
Before I get to that though, there's a quick tip that Avi and I took advantage of on the way back. The flight to and from India can be arduous to say the least - depending on which direction you're heading, 14-16 hours sitting on a plane. On the way there, via Air India, the two of us got stuck in a row with another guy, meaning fitfully napping in our (reclined two inches) seats and the resulting stiff necks, cramped legs and lack of sleep and travel induced grogginess that persisted for days. To make things worse, it was very frustrating to see that the flight was not even close to full, which means that quite a few people had the luxury of a full plane row to themselves, which they took full advantage of by laying out. We were jealous to say the least.
So, travel tip one: On any long term, especially long term Air India flight, board the plane with your radar on full tilt and be fully prepared to make a move if and when you see an opening. IE, within five minutes of boarding our return flight Delhi-JFK, we successfully located and appropriated two empty rows in the back of the plane. I cannot stress enough the difference in comfort levels between the two flights. Being able to stretch out was worth its weight in gold. And even though it was slightly fetal-positioned sleeping, it's so much better than getting a stiff neck and cramped legs. So, when boarding a long international flight be ready to pounce on an empty row with the quickness of a Bengal tiger. Specific to India trips, if you're flying Air India, which is losing money and not the greatest experience to begin with (so maybe more likely to have empty seats/rows), this is an imperative.
Now, lets evaluate the initial (KL's) India travel tips that I posted:
1. Don't drink mixed drinks - they water down bottles just like some bars here in the states do - but you don't want that water.
I made this a non-issue. Only beers while out. But generally the water situation was fine. Even my Indian friends generally ordered bottled water at any of the restaurants we ate at.
2. When you get bottles of beer make sure they open it in front of you. Same with bottles of water - in fact if you can have them give you the bottle, seal in tact, the better.
Also a non-issue.
3. Do NOT use your left hand for anything. Do not expect to find toilet paper in city bathrooms. In the airports you will find Eastern (squat toilets) and western (US style) so pay attention where you go in. If you use an Eastern toilet your left hand IS the paper (yeah its disgusting to us, but they think we're nasty for using paper). I brought toilet paper but only experienced the squat toilets once - at Pangong Lake, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Some mid to lower end restaurants had squat toilets, so maybe there is something to be said about being prepared - sometimes when you have to go, you have to go.
This is the place I speak of, bathroom tent around the side. As you can see, not exactly a fine dining establishment.
4. Brush your teeth in bottled water - don't even run the brush under the tap. I did this as a precaution. Who knows if it was truly necessary or not. Avi brushed with the tap water wherever we went and had no problems.
5. EAT EVERYTHING YOU CAN FIND - the food there is ridiculously good. If you've had Indian food in America you have not had anything. Oh and you make sure you eat everything on your plate or you'll upset your host family. And they most likely will not give you utensils - use your right hand only and learn to eat with your fingers. This one is spot on. The food there IS ridiculously good, as I've already written about. And as much as I've been writing about my cravings for certain American foods, please don't allow this to obfuscate this point. I've learned that Indian food in America is only a shell of what it's supposed to represent - a combination of sweet, savory and only sometimes spicy deliciousness. Not everything is spicy either, which may be a misconception (beware of chili chicken though, it's as advertised). But I had the best mutton I've ever had in India and some of the best chicken to boot.
6. Always put your hands together as if in prayer and bow to all parents. Elders are the leaders in a family and house and bowing is a sign of respect. It is customary to bring a gift so before you leave the U.S. pick some things up - souvenirs at the airport, etc. Bring a gift. Desserts/Cookies are a good gift. Bring some American style treats for them. The bowing stuff wasn't necessary but in hindsight I wish I had gotten gifts (remember, Avi very casually and profusely said not to worry about this). The reason I say this is because I'm now totally convinced that Indians are some of the most generous people on this planet. If I had known the extent that people would be going out of their way to not only feed us, but picking us up/ driving us around, helping us with any number of tasks, and generally showing us their homes and cities and a good time, I would have made gifts a priority. Now, the only thing I can hope is that my friends can get to New York so that I can do my best to return the favor.
7. Don't expect anything safe in vehicles. The traffic lights are just pretty colors and the stripes on the road are just for design. Yes it is normal to have 6 people on a motorcycle. I only saw 5 people on a motorcycle but this is dead on. I tried to describe it before but here's another lick at it. First, the roads are generally congested during the day, to the extent of what we'd call a traffic jam, with the caveat that it usually moves (unless of course you're trying to get to the airport). This congestion consists, in highest to lowest numerical order, of motorcycles, autos (a three wheeled somewhat flimsy, 30 mph tops diesel vehicle that's their equivalent of a taxi), then cars, then trucks, most spewing purple diesel exhaust, with the random oxen or horse drawn cart thrown in once in awhile. Add to this the chaos of cows in the road, people trying to cross the road wherever they feel like it, plus random goodies like donkeys or camels, plus the ubiquitous stray dogs dodging traffic too. I think I have the honking protocol down too - honk to warn, either people on the road or other cars as you pass them, honk to force your way to a turn (because mostly there aren't traffic lights) and/or honk for a get the hell out of my way you're pissing me off.
8. If you get sick drink chilled coconut water with electrol (Indian Gatorade powder) in it and eat curd rice (white rice with yogurt basically) and you'll get better right away. I didn't really get sick all that much. A few bouts of diarrhea, but nothing debilitating. In terms of source, I don't think it was water related, likely more because of a general lack of roughage.
The End?
I'm not ready to let this blog go, mainly because there are some things I still want to talk about. Expect one or two more posts. Thanks for all the people who have been coming here and checking this blog out, by the way. I especially appreciate the comments (mostly on Facebook). Stick around!
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