Travel in India changes a man. Experiences that would have left me white knuckled and nauseous a few months back, now pass by unnoticed as I doze in the crumbling seat of a wildly careening Tuk Tuk.
I hardly notice the smells both exotic and interesting, or hear the hocking of a loogie, the incessant hooting or the tout touting. I hardly see the child squatting, the fumes belching, the beggars begging, the con artists scamming. Nor do I notice the constant gurgling of my stomach any more. All these things are common in the cities of India and they bombard the senses of the freshly arrived traveller, threatening to engulf, churn and spit one out onto the grubby third world pavement, to be picked at by the constantly circling, squawking kites and city crows.
But in amongst that metropolitan mess are moments, characters, cultures, and colours that that leave you grinning from ear to ear. In India, as a foreigner you are both a hero and a target, just as likely to be invited in to share a family feast on the floor of a kitchen with three generations watching your every mouthful, as you are to be scammed, lied to and taken advantage of, for every penny you own.
But lets hit the reverse button for a second…
A week long wait for Indian Visa’s in Kuala Lampur meant we had an excuse to explore the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The “To Do” list read like something that David Attenborough might have scribbled down.
Sumatra To Do List:
Visit the jungle to see Orangutangs in the wild.
Trek up a volcano
Visit a crater lake, and explore the island in the middle
Despite jungle vomiting, near death experiences in battered local minibus taxis, torrential downpours, leech bites and kamakaze mosquito attacks, we had a spectacular time and managed to snap a few good pics along the way.
Visa’s in hand, we boarded a plane to Delhi on the 24th of December and toasted friends and family around the world over a cellophane and tin foil aeroplane dinner, with a surprisingly good, albeit miniature glass, of red wine.
Christmas brunch was spent on a smoggy rooftop alongside soaring kites (birds of prey), twirling kites (paper and wood and cellotape) and a cheesy Christmas scene you might see outside a department store. Our “Winter Wonderland” was created by our santa hat wearing indian hosts from balloons, cotton wool and tacky decorations and was their end of year pride and joy.
So curry and naan replaced turkey and potatoes, lassie replaced egg nog and the Christmas carols that played on repeat for three solid days on the hotel sound system, were punctuated by the incessant hooting from the manic street below. It was a Christmas above expectations.
Fast forward through train trips and long awaited reunions with friends in the desert province of Rajhastan. Forward past road trips and sunsets and camel treks, cricket matches and even past a “hookah pipe new year”, with fireworks and friends in a city called Jaipur. Forward until today… having just recovered from a bout of Delhi Belly, and preparing for the rest of what India has to offer.
I hope you enjoy the pics, let me know which are your favourite and Good luck for 2010!
