I sadly left my family in Jodhpur Monday evening on the night train to Jaipur. It was 3rd class air-conditioned sleeper (not by choice…it was all that was available). There were six to a “cabin” and I “slept” in a lower berth surrounded by a family of 5 other Indians. It was OK and I was able to fall asleep until I was woken up to 2 mice playing in my hair. UGH! The thought of it still gives me the willies. I didn’t scream…I just quickly sat up and then stayed sitting up for the next 3 hours singing in my head to my iPod until we arrived. Just another Indian experience to add to my list. The conditions of my train travel just added to the sweet relief I felt when I checked into a very nice Taj hotel property in Jaipur. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Clean rooms, air conditioning, using tap water to brush my teeth, hot showers all blessings from the hotel gods…
In between tours of forts and monuments, I’ve been living the life of a Rajasthani princess with yummy meals, a massage, and laundry service. In the past 7 days, I’ve explored Jaipur (the pink city and capital of Rajasthan), Udaipur (a quaint-500K pop- lake city and hometown of our venerated guide Shastri ji), Agra (the spectacular Taj Mahal!!!) and now the metropolitan Delhi.
We have been continued to be blessed as everything-weather to lodging-has been perfect. We even lucked out to have 2 fabulous guides in 2 different cities that consequently were the guides to President Clinton when he was in India.
It as been so much fun for me to practice my Hindi and maneuver the trains, auto rickshaws and negotiation required in India. After a month, I feel totally comfortable. I continue to process the complexity of India as I’m able to interact with more Indians and have more diverse experiences. Consistently everyone is so friendly…I have almost as many numbers (of drivers, friends and family of people I’ve met, and my Jodhpur family and peeps) stored in my Indian cell phone as I do in my blackberry at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment