India - After 1 Month

“When you leave you can give me your jacket because I need it”. The rickshaw driver I had hired for the two days I was in Munnar was really good. I didn’t even negotiate for a lower price on the second day but like so many times in India the people will disappoint you by asking for more money. Not only had he asked me for an extra 100 rupees after doing exactly what we agreed on but now he wanted my jacket. I gave him an extra 20 rupees but no way was I going to give him my jacket. He backed off. Often I think their rational is it that they know they will never see you again so they might as will push for a little more. In a way I can understand because I use to chauffer filthy rich people when I was a limo driver in Aspen. It was easy to fall into the mindset of if they have so much money they should be giving me a big tip. Sometimes I’d receive a large gratuity and sometimes nothing at all. Regardless, I always did a good job and ironically found when I got the tip thing out my mind and functioned on an unconditional basis I actually made more money. I was going to give the driver an extra 50 rupees but in the end I reluctantly gave him 20 because he had created an uncomfortable situation. I really didn’t want to give him anything extra after that. Once again I was left disappointed with Indian people. Regrettably, after a month in India I still find it very difficult to trust anyone here.

India is a desperate place and there’s not enough to go around. So many people are functioning on survival mode. As a westerner from America I’m viewed as a rich man and in India I am. Despite the fact that I make a low income by U.S. standards I can afford to walk around India with more rupees than the average Indian could ever imagine. With my clean cut look and American accent I might as well tattoo a dollar sign to my forehead. I’m overcharged just about everywhere I go unless I bargain. Often times bargaining doesn’t get the price down much because they know I’ll likely cave into their price and often I do. Many times I’ll find myself haggling over 20 or 40 cents and give in I realizing it’s not worth the hassle. In all honesty I don’t really mind paying a little extra here and there as long as I’m not conned or lied to.

So, India after a month…. Well, India is truly an amazing place. During the first week I couldn’t believe I was planning to be here for over 5 weeks but now I feel like I could easily go for longer. I actually thought of extending my time here but will stick with my original plan to move on to S.E. Asia on October 21. India continues to be a love/hate thing. One moment I’m loving it and the next moment I’m like, “What’s up with these people”, and “I’ve had enough!” But then the next moment I’m like, “Wow!” Indians are by no means my favorite people but the culture continues to fascinate me not to mention the sites. Now that I’ve been in India for awhile I think I relate to the people, culture and religion even less than before but feel quite comfortable traveling here. I know the previous sentence may not make much sense but lots of things don’t make sense in India. I come from a very different world and India is quite a riddle.

While traveling I’ve been exposed to so much of the day to day life of a simple person just trying to get by. Religion is such a big part of the Indian culture but this is another area that has disappointed me. In the past I’ve had an interest in Eastern philosophy. Much of it focuses on consideration and putting others first. Unfortunately, I don’t see a lot of the positive qualities expressed in Eastern philosophy actively practiced in ordinary life. You see a lot of people worshiping at alters and so forth but don’t expect anyone to be too considerate when you’re standing in line for something. It’s very much a me first, everyone for himself kind of world here. People can come across as being nice and some people are genuinely helpful but as a whole I’m not too impressed. A lot of this is because you really have to be careful about trusting anyone in India. I’ve come across some of the most deceptive people I’ve ever met in my life and it’s not uncommon to have a friendly person turn out to be someone who just wants your money. If you were to visit India on a packaged tour, or, stay at a Yoga Ashram at an inflated price then blindly throw money all over the place, you would find Indians to be amazingly friendly if not wonderful. Travel India on a budget and you will have a very different experience.

So, what do I like about India? It’s India! There’s no other place like it. So much history. So much culture. The sights, smells, and sounds. All of the senses are stressesd to the max. You see the most beautiful things and you see the ugliest things. The contrasts are like no other. India is a land of extremes. It causes one to take a look at their own life and see it in ways maybe not seen before. As a westerner it makes me incredibly more grateful for what I have. India is an, “In your face”, kind place and often times the person staring back at you is yourself. I think it’s impossible to visit India and leave without being permanently changed for the better is some kind of way.