India
Posted by Karen on July 27th 2006
Written on the 2006 London to Sydney expedition
So far… India – they say you either love or hate it.
The complete contrasts within this country are incredible. From one extreme to the other, India has it all. We have seen some of the most beautiful sites and symbols man has ever made, from Fairytale Lake Palaces in Udaipur to the world’s greatest symbol of love - the mighty Taj Mahal, all of them built and maintained with special care and attention but surrounded by towns so filthy it’s hard to imagine if you haven’t seen it for yourself.
Open sewers running through almost every street, rotting rubbish everywhere you look, and the smell is sometimes unbearable. We have seen some of the most naturally beautiful women ever, that make our so-called super models look simply sad by comparison. You see the poor living in conditions so horrific it wouldn’t have even occurred to us that it were possible, let alone an environment they accept (not that they have a lot of choice) and make the best of. You see people dressed in the most stunning vibrant colours, cleaner than clean, taking pride in what they can control.
The countryside however is so green and clean, every patch of land ploughed and planted to an almost manicured effect. The heat is sometimes unbearable and the high humidity leaves you soaked in sweat 24 hours a day. We have eaten some of the best food so far and had some of the best service, where they bend over backwards and go out of their way to ensure you are happy with everything. We have seen some of the worst driving possible, navigated some of the most difficult roads so far (well Steve, Noel, Peter and Caroline have), stayed in some of the worst places and seen children and animals in conditions that only NSPCC and RSPCA should deal with.
The smells, the sights, the people, the noise, the hassle, the things that make you gasp in wonder and cringe in disgust, the good and the bad - India is without a doubt an incredibly interesting and fascinating country and is well worth experiencing. Just entered Nepal now, so everything is nice and relaxed again!
Until next time…
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