India Oct 14 -31, 2008
There are gaudy painted trucks; buses with as many
riders on top as riders inside clinging precariously; throngs of taxis, auto
rickshaws, motorcycles and scooters carrying entire families; swarms of
black aged bicycles; thousands of pedestrians, the lowest on the totem pool,
weaving in and out of traffic while hordes of dirty children dressed in rags
thrust soiled hands into open windows in search of a few coins. Cows, dogs
and packs of wild monkeys wander the street and over it all a smothering
blanket if dust, smog and general haze.
Welcome to India.
Our first two nights hotel accommodations is the 4*IBIS but we are in
another town (Gurgaon) south east of the airport and more an area for
business and not at all in the city. It's a bed for the night following a
very long 15 hours from Chicago.
After breakfast we meet our guide Victor who will take us to a few sites in Delhi. We are careful not to duplicate what will be a part of the group tour on the last day. We are an hour away from the main part of the city and most of the time is stuck in traffic. Great photo ops of humanity in motion on every kind of vehicle or mobile unit possible. And of course snarling traffic is the “holly cow” taking up whatever space it wants. Adorable the first few sighting but gets ridiculous as the day wears on. But, if you can't keep a sense of humor about India, you should not be here.
The sites we visited are the Bahai House of Worship, (1986)) The Qutab Minar, (1100) and the ISKRON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Hari Krishna Temple. (year unknown)
Unfortunately impromptu tours aren't very good. We jumped at it without asking the right questions. Victor is not from Delhi so he really doesn't know the city and the driver as well is from Agra, not Delhi and this certainly added to the “state of confusion” in traffic. Our first indication should have been the first night's drive from the airport. Oh well, live and learn and let's try to remember this on a future trip.
Oct 17 - The group has arrived and we meet at breakfast. For them it is pretty smooth going and we load the buses and leave for Agra. We will soon learn that the Indian culture has a different sense of time as Americans. All travel will be much longer than quoted and departure and arrival times completely out of whack. Soon to get frustrating but we must take it in stride as that's just the way it is.
Agra - We arrive in Agra late afternoon and visit the Red Fort. We are the last group to tour the Amber Fort and as we leave, the red monkeys come in from the streets for the night. This is a well known event to experience.
Check in to the Agra Imperial Grand Hotel. How completely charming and in style of the grand history of India's majarashas. Our room is so outstanding and we wish we would be spending more than one night. We have a cocktail then dinner and somewhat early to bed.
Oct 18 - We start with an early rise to experience sunrise at the Taj Mahal. The logistics to getting in are somewhat coordinated considering there are hundreds of tourists for a 6.15am opening. The Taj Mahal opening times change with sunrise The Taj is also closed on Fridays so watch your tour dates when planning your trip to India.
There is a security check, separate male and female lines because it is a body check, but the female line moves VERY slowly. We finally get in and the magnificence of the Taj is all that is said to be. Our sky is overcast so we don't get a lot of the sunrise sparkle the Taj is known for but we can easily imagine it's glory. I don't need to describe the story or the building of the Taj as that is all easily available in guide books or the internet.
The hawkers at sites are like flies on garbage. You can't enjoy yourself browsing or bartering as books, jewelry, everything and anything is in your face as you walk along. I see a beggar and it is very obvious that he is a polio victim and I would really like to give him a few dollars but this will only draw tens more within seconds. This swarm of people is unlike anything else we have experienced in the world. We don't feel threatened but it is annoying.
We visit a rug store that belongs to one of the Agra Rotarians and are hosted for lunch. We will soon find out that our shopping experiences will be very controlled to Rotarian businesses and kick back factories.
This afternoon we are to start our polio rally with orientation and getting our flyers, banners, vests, hats, etc. Then we will walk the streets of the slums of Firozabad, a town about an hour north of Agra.
Firozabad's main industry is the manufacturing of glass bracelets and we see many young men pushing carts full of hundreds of colored bracelets. The town is seemingly not very economically advanced but who can really tell. So far in Delhi, Agra and now Firozabad we have not seen anything that we would consider middle class and certainly not affluent. The smog is beginning to irritate my throat.
Walking the streets opens our eyes to living conditions that we have never experienced. Dirt, garbage, animal feces, open sewers, open food. And kids, hundreds of them. Skinny, smiling and excited kids. Seems to be mostly boys, but who knows. The kids are craving the attention as we smile, shake their hands and take their pictures. Ray becomes the Pied Piper attracting swarms of them chanting NO MORE POLIO! Thumbs up, victory signs and hook em horns!
We were pleased and excited with what we did today. The enthusiasm of the kids and the rush we all felt that we were noticed had us pinching ourselves that this is real and here we are half way around the world from Houston doing what we have heard so much about in Rotary. We look forward to the next day.
Our accommodations for the next two nights was to be home hosted, however, this did not quite work out. We were broken up into groups and some were in guest style hotels, 2* hotels and the rest in an actual Rotarians homes. The accommodations for Ray and I was the guest hotel and it was not fancy but it was clean and functional. I enjoy the different standards of lodging for comparison sakes, but we were all located in Agra which is an hour from Firozabad which will get to be a logistics inconvenience in the next two days. It's a shame that we don't get to experience an Indian home.
Oct 19 – Before we start our polio day, we visit a marble factory on the way. (this is beginning to seem to be a familiar pattern) and then a souvenir shop that is Rotarian owned. (see the pattern). Finally around noon we arrive at out designated location in Firozabad and we find our Rotaractors.
We break into groups of four, but you can't imagine the chaos surrounding this simple act. We are immediately swarmed by kids, and in the streets with bicycles, motorcycles and people. We can't simply move into corners and get organized. Our team finds ourselves with five but let's move on. Our Rotaractors take us into the slum streets but we don't have a medical person with the immunizations so we walk and end up in a medical facility and meet a doctor. But he has no clue what we are about and what is going on. It will turn out that neither does our Rotaractors and we just walk the streets with kids following like happy rats. This goes on for about two hours and seems useless and it is. We finally see a three ladies with the immunization box and we catch up with them. We follow along for about a half hour but it becomes evident that we are really more of a hindrance than a help. We access some homes and encounter some significant resistance from the mothers but we don't know why as it's all in Hindu. In one case it gets heated and we are soon to leave.
To shorten this story, this is not what we expected of the day and it's totally frustrating. Soon about 15 of us have gathered at someone's home and we are discussing what has happened. We learn from Rahul, the Agra Rotarian who organized this all, that they had great expectations that we American Rotarians would be able to impregnate this resistant neighborhood just by our presence.
Well, here then lies the problem. How can it be expected that strangers not speaking the language are just going to change the culture and attitude just by our presence?? This is a Muslim neighborhood and there is no reason they should trust us.
All teams regroup at the Firozabad City Club and exchange experiences which are all similarily frustrating. We're all disappointed by the disorganization and confusion of just what is really happening. It's not what we expected.
Before dinner, Jon Eiche gives us a talk regarding the problems observed and the possible solutions. Jon, Rahul, Ray, Nick and Ed had gone to meet with Muslim Clerics of the neighborhood to discuss this problem of resistance and how can the two groups work together to reach these homes that are resisting the immunizations. This is a longer term problem and will not be resolved while we are visiting but we are able to start some plans. In the meantime we discuss a better strategy for the next day.
It is voted on that we would continue the next day with the “mop up”.
Oct 20 - We drive to the starting point in Firozabad again, then separated again into small groups of four. They load us up on bicycle rickshaws and spread out to different street corners. Our group ends up at the rail station and here is our medical person with the immunization. But still, nothing is right. The medical person (no English) goes to a different platform and our Rotaractors insist on taking us across the track. What is this all about? We are introduced to the station manager, sit for tea, and just watch the trains go by!!! Finally, the medical person comes over and after a few minutes I say let's walk the crowd and talk with the women. Finally, this is working! As we spot the kids, the Rotaractors ask the mothers if they have had the polio shot for the kids, and the mothers show the kids pinkies that have been marked. We find two babies that have not and administer the drops.
By noon we all return to the Hotel Monarch, the agreed upon meeting area where we have lunch and meet the rest of the group. Everyone comes in glowing! Finally success! Some groups have actually lost track of how many drops they administered and everyone has a great story. This is what we need because it was getting pretty frustrating and discouraging.
This may not have turned out to be the fantasy we expected but it's really been an experience of a trip. A lot different that the protected environment of a cruise ship or a deluxe tour!
We've become numb to the filth and even cross the streets following the flow of bicycles and motorcycles. You tune in to the horn honking and know if there's something behind on the left or the right. I've even walked side by side with the water buffalo. The cows are still amusing and we still shout out camel or elephant when one is spotted. (and that's pretty frequent).
In all, our NID group did approximately 800 immunizations.
Oct 20 – Now we move on to the touring part of this trip – starting with the very long eight hour bumpy drive to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. About 30 minutes away from our lodging, we receive a phone call that the other bus has broken down, so we backtrack to pick them up. We barely fit all people and luggage in one bus but do get on the way. We finally arrive at the Ranthambore Regency at almost midnight and we will be having a 6:00am wake up for a Canter Safari in hopes of seeing tigers. The hotel is very nice and fitting of a safari park. Too bad again we don't have any down time to enjoy it more.
Oct 21 – The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve should be called a wildlife reserve as we see many deer, monkeys, birds and other wildlife but not tigers. It's a very camera shy animal and nocturnal. The second safari ride is also out of luck.
Oct 22 – After breakfast we drive to Jaipur and arrive about noon. After a very quick check in we are off to see the City Palace, also known as the Pink Palace; home of the current Maharaja or Prince as he is called today. The day also includes a stop at a store for fitting of a traditional Indian clothing made to order. (U.S. prices of course)
Oct 23 – Our morning excursion is the Amber Fort situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur City. Along the way we stop for photos of the Hawa Mahal – the Wind Palace where the palace queen could watch the activites of the big bazaar without being seen herself. At the foot of the Amber Fort we mount elephants for the slow but steady climb up to the main gate as it was in it's time. The fort is very impressive and worth the time to visit. We go downhill by jeep.
Oct 24 – The long journey back to Delhi begins with a stop in Jaipur to visit the World's Largest Artificial Limb Factory famous for the Jaipur Foot.
The five hour drive back to Delhi does not allow for time for the sightseeing as described in our itinerary and the drive actually takes about seven hours.
Ray, Kathy and myself are leaving the group here for the adventure of taking an overnight train, the Magdahl Express to Varanasi so we take a taxi to the New Delhi Train Station for an 8:00 PM departure. We are stressing out that we would not make it on time but the taxi driver pulls out all brakes and gets us there by 7:30pm. It's another mass of humanity and we have no idea of finding our way to the correct platform so we accept the offer of porters to lead the way. The porters load our luggage on their heads and moves into the crowd and we are following as fast as we can. This is actually a sensible way to get through the crowd.
We find our platform, pay off the porters, (who charged an outrageous fee because we are white) and find ourselves again in the center of thousands of people. No train in coming, and it's past 8:00pm. We begin to start feeling anxious and start inquiring around. We learn that trains are delayed all over the Northern Railways system.
After two hours we feel it is time to abandon this journey and fight our way out of the train station. We contact Rahul who has a driver at the station and we are whisked out of there to a hotel back in Gurgeon. What a fiasco but we feel safe and comfortable.
Oct 25 – We work on rearranging our travel plans. Rahul of Cal India is no longer of any help, he is non responsive. Kathy decides she wants to return to Houston. It was not a good situation that we were in the previous night so we do some damage repair by calling the airlines and canceling some flights. Ray and I will stay in Delhi for two nights and just stay close to the hotel so I can rest and regain some voice. I have picked up a respiratory infection and am coughing and wheezing which leads to a strain on my vocal cords. I'm very sure this is a direct result of this incredibly polluted air.
Oct 26 – Does anything go as planned in India? Yesterday we called Jet Airways to see if we could get an earlier flight to Bangalore. The agent tells us there are only two daily flights; one in the morning and one in the evening; the one we are scheduled on. Ray and I arrive at the domestic airport at about 4:00 pm and are informed that our 7:30 pm flight has been canceled and we are protected on a 5:30 pm. When was this flight created????
Anyway, Ravi Shankar and his family are at the Bangalore Airport to meet us and already I feel less stressed as we now have someone to take charge for a few days.
We met Ravi in 2002 as he was the GSE team leader from India to Houston. We so enjoyed his visit and are happy to be reunited. Ray and he are into politics in seconds. Ravi is a lawyer and a very ambitious capitalist. He loves the American way!
Ravi and family take us to Mysore, a city about 85 miles to the south of Bangalore. We have a private, behind the scene tour of the Mysore Palace, which is outstanding, and is still partially in use today by the Mysore Prince.
Being the advocate that Ravi is, we learn a lot of the politics and laws of India. It is a democratic country and the Indians take this very seriously. To the letter in fact that they miss the point of the rule of law. For example, helmets are mandatory for motorcycles, but, says the Indian, it's a democracy, so I will do as I want. This is evident everywhere. The laws are in place, but the implementation is not there. That's why the country seems so out of control.
Bangalore is the city of high technology, and considered the cleanest city in India. It's also at a higher elevation, so although in the southern half of the country, the weather is very pleasant and not the hot oppressiveness of Delhi.
We're here during a major Hindi Festival, the Diwali. This festival runs four days with the highlight happening on Oct 28th. The Diwali is the Festival of Light and is celebrated throughout India.
The Indians are also crazy about fire crackers! And the fire crackers go off all day and every day during this time. Noisy and stinky. The Pollution levels increase!
There will be a gathering at the apartment complex that Ravi lives in. The tenants put together a little show with the kids and it's very charming. Ravi's boys each perform in the show. After, we have a vegetarian dinner and retreat for the night. In the morning we will e getting on the road to the airport.
The trip home is uneventful but long. Flights departing for America from India are late at night, arriving in the morning. So, it's about 36 hours that we are awake to return to Houston.
India and Travel Logistics:
Airport: Most international flights are in and out of Delhi. Either arrange for a transfer from the airport, or find the prepaid taxi booth before venturing out of the terminal. Do not just get out of the terminal and flag down a taxi. It's a madhouse.
If you are connecting to or from a domestic flight (within India) you will have to transfer to the domestic terminal. This is misleading as this terminal is about 7 kilometers away. There is a complimentary shuttle but allow an hour for the transfer. (do check for up to date information; as of the time of this writing the Delhi airport is under a massive upgrade) All of this is still considered the IGI Airport.
Money: Use an ATM. Get some cash at the airport if possible. Exchanging cash at a bank is very time consuming. US dollars are widely accepted but it's much easier to have local currency. Try to accumulate small denominations. 10 or 20 rupee notes. A 10 rupee note is plenty for a bathroom tip. (about 20 cents)
Tips: Do expect to tip but you don't have to tip a percentage as we do in the US. A 100 rupee bill (approximately $2.00) is very generous for a meal. If you are on a tour and have a guide, $5.00 per day is also very generous.
Hotels: Always the rule – the cheaper hotels are farther from the city. You can get a very good 4* in Delhi, such as we had, for about $120 including a buffet breakfast for two. But, it's a hour of traffic or more to get to the city sights. The very deluxe Taj Hotels and other 5*'s are going to cost you $400 or more.
Transportation: everything imaginable and take the risk. It's an experience you won't forget.
Bicycle rickshaws, tuk-tuks, and auto rickshaws. Negotiate your price before hand.
Monuments and Sightseeing: Tourists pay a
significantly greater fee than locals. Video cameras are not allowed
without a permit that you must purchase. You will need to remove your shoes
in temples. At the Taj Mahal you will get shoe slippers for over your
shoes.
(Taj fee is 750 rupees, approximately $14)
Dress Code: always dress conservatively. You will not see Indians in shorts or tank tops. Please respect this. Closed toes shoes are the best and avoid heels. The streets are uneven, potholed and dirty.
Bathrooms: Take advantage of a good restaurant every time possible. Generally public facilities are dirty and without paper or a toilet. This goes for men and women,
Food and Water: drink only bottled water and avoid washing your toothbrush with tap water.
Delhi belly comes on quickly so take precautions and meds immediately. Taking pepto bismal every morning and evening works for some people. The spicy food will get you too. Don't eat from the street vendors; you'll soon see why)
Do try all you can with the food. It's exciting and interesting but remember not to eat what is just washed and raw such as a salad. Be sure the food is cooked or has to be peeled such as a banana. The local beer is very tasty and cheap but spirits and wine are expensive.
Shopping: Be prepared to be followed by a sales person immediately upon entering a store. You can't relax and browse. Negotiate for everything, even in the finer stores. If you enjoy the street hawkers, don't pay the asking price. As your bus is pulling away the price goes down significantly. And remembe the golden rule in bargaining: if you are happy with the price, don't have regrets. The more you try to barter, the more fun you will have. But if you want to avoid the street hawkers, don't make eye contact and don't touch the merchandise. Once you have it in your hands, it's as good as sold!
The People: They are very warm and hospitable. The
Indians are easy to talk with and if you have a chance to discuss politics,
you will be surprised just how informed the Indians are. They are very
aware of what is going on in our country.
I never felt threatened but use common sense.