where's wolmut?: surviving india

your first glimpse of the taj

jama masjid mosque

humayun's tomb

qutb minar complex

lotus temple

a young mother theresa in contemplation

laurel getting in to character at the mosque

laurel says:

the customary greeting in india is "namaste" which conjures up images of yoga, zen and tranquility. turns out, that is the only thing peaceful about the subcontinent. from the second you step foot in delhi, your body is hurled into a state of sensory overload. your eyes dart back and forth from magnificent ancient works of architecture to pure shanty-towns and squalor. your nose is repulsed by the scent of excrement, both animal and human. your skin is immediately roasted from the scorching sun and then dried out by the arid desert breeze. your mouth burns from the pollution in the air and then delights in an indian feast. your ears are inundated with the sounds of blaring indian music, omni-present horn honking and the draining sales pitches from seemingly every person you encounter. would you like a tour guide? henna? rickshaw? boat ride? hand massage? you tire from saying no, first politely, then more firmly and finally pushed to the point of snapping. that is one of the reasons i struggle with india so much- i hate the person it makes you become. you ultimately can't win. 9 out of 10 people that approach you are trying to get something out of you. (and turns out emil as he smiles at everyone is target numero uno) so naturally your defense mechanisms go into over drive. if you engage in conversation with someone tying to rip you off, you feel like a sucker. and if you blow off someone who is genuinely trying to help you then you also feel like a sucker. it is maddening/frustrating/exhausting just getting thru the day. a nice hotel room to go back to is the only retreat. but this is the price one must pay to experience india. it is by far one of the most unique places on earth and its cultural koolaide is alluring to drink. our 'golden triangle' itinerary gave us a sampling of the sub continents highlight reel. there are some fascinating temples, mosques and tombs in delhi. you just have to go thru a mess of smog, poverty and chaos to get to them. the taj mahal alone is worth the entire trip in my opinion. this masoleum lives up to the hype as one of the 7 wonders of the world- a tall order. it is even more stunning in person than the photos suggest. but despite all the money that tourism generates, agra was visibly the poorest place we experienced. where is all the money going from the 30,000 people who visit the taj daily at $15 a pop? clearly not to the people. the contrast is so sharp that it is alarming. our time in rajasatan, the land of kings, completed our loop. the forts and palaces in jaipur were simply gorge. a glimpse of how the indian royals once lived. one week in india was all that i was willing to sign up for on my first visit. but i managed to survive so well that emil has talked me in to one last stop. so we are off to varanassi which i am sure will prove to be the most challenging yet....

spice market where emil bought california almonds

lodi gardens

entrance to the taj

mirror mirror on the wall

honey nothing can come between us

emil says:

'emil dont overanalyze india' i was told by a friend. some loathe traveling here while others find it inspirational. i'm somewhere in the middle and still trying to analyze why i dont love it or hate it but within the span of 15 minutes usually feel both of those emotions. new delhi is truly a physically overwhelming unpleasant city. air pollution that even exceeds that of beijing, which i surely did not believe to be possible. 23 million souls in delhi and it feels like all of those 23 million are on the streets at all times, unlike china which has built out the infrastructure so feverishly that much of beijing and shanghai just doesnt feel nearly as cramped in comparison. but i know i have to look beyond all the despair, gut wrenching poverty, crushing pollution, and near abominable sanitary conditions of the millions of homeless, sleeping and defecating on the roadside. the harsh economic disparity between rich and poor is like nowhere else i have been. again i know i must think about india as this vibrant emerging super economy with all the intellectual firepower i know it to contain but it really takes effort. the good news is that if we weren't being consistently harassed for handouts or being conned in numerous and unique ways, the people for the most part are just fantastically cool, eager to communicate, and genuinely super kind. the colors, the spices, the chai, the smells (both good and foul), the remarkable history (think history and double it, think ancient squared), the food, and the overall chaotic frenzy are unparalleled. besides japan this has been the most genuine culture we have experienced. the british influence is clearly present but not omnipresent, and there is a fantastic sense of pride in everyone we met thats not brandished with arrogance but rather with dignity and self-respect. the intense character and spirit of this country is at the forefront of anything you see or do. the taj mahal is the single most amazing structure i have laid my eyes upon. the mix of muslim and hindu cultures make for such a unique array of architecture one stands in awe that so many structures even remain standing for 500 years, let alone in such amazing condition (particularly the forts of rajasthan). we have passed through many countries on the trip and thus far there are a mere handful that i want to come back to (indonesia, japan, ecuador) and with india i'm just not sure yet. i want to love it, i do, but the worlds largest democracy has plenty of work to do.