India - Closing Thoughts

From the madness of New Delhi to the serenity of the Himalaya. From the Holy Cities of Haridwar and Varanasi to the deserts of Rajasthan. From the Tea plantations and backwaters of Kerala to the chilled out beaches of Goa. In 5 weeks I saw a lot of India and must say that it was an amazing experience. India is a fascinating land of contrasts and contradictions.

What did I like about India? Random order: The trains. The way women dress and ride side saddle on a scooter. The food. The history. The exotic sites. Auto Rickshaws. Ancient Forts. Jain Temples. The Chai. The Himalaya. The natural beauty. The tolerance people have for each other and the acceptance of different religions. How the chaos of India works to a large degree and the way logic is defied. Most of all, it’s just so darned different and interesting.

What did I not like about India? Rampant Widespread Poverty. It’s very dirty. Hectic pace. The hassles. Not knowing who to trust. Having to be careful with food and water. The way women are second class citizens in a man’s world. The me first mentality. Service without a smile. How Indians can tend to be rude and inconsiderate by western standards. Garbage everywhere. Open sewers. Blatant government corruption.

Most anyone who has traveled on their own through India would agree that it’s a love/hate kind of experience. There were days when I could easily see myself spending more time than planned. There were other times when I just wanted to hop the first taxi I could find and head straight to the airport. Traveling India is truly a roller coaster ride of emotions, thoughts, and impressions. Whatever your attitude is at any given moment is what India is going to throw at you. Then again, your attitude may be stellar when India tosses you for a loop that causes you to question all kinds of things. Traveling India entails viewing and experiencing all of the beautiful and ugly things life has to offer. It’s all right out in the open and in your face close up and personal whether you like it or not. Sure, you can insulate yourself and travel in a bubble on a packaged tour complete with fancy hotels, and local guide but that would be ashame. Although traveling with such a group would be markedly less stressful it causes one to miss out on a lot. Ironically, the time I value most in India was when I was far removed from other westerners during rides on government busese and the like. It gave me a chance to experience some of the real India. There’s something special about it. I can’t quite put a finger on it.

I really like the way I traveled the country. Except for one internal flight to the south I traveled on the ground by foot, train, bus, and auto rickshaw. Aside of how I dealt with some of the people and scams I think I did pretty well. Needless to say, it can be challenging at times.

The biggest problem for me and India was unfortunately the people. I met some fabulous folks but I also met a lot of shifty characters that always kept me on guard. Whenever I let my guard down it just invited problems and hassles. It’s ashame but a common saying amidst western travelers is, “You can’t trust anyone in India”. Getting overcharged and scammed is unavoidable no matter how careful you are. It’s just going to happen. I still stick to my statement that anyone who approaches you on the street in an overly helpful friendly manner cannot and should not be trusted. Dealing with these types became very tiring. On my last day in India I heard the, “Hello Friend”, comment one too many times and replied, “You’re not my friend!” The hassles really wear one down after awhile and there were a few times I snapped back which is pretty unusual for me. India has a way of pushing ones limits.

I really wanted to connect more closely with Indians but due to cultural differences I think it would take a long time to really understand one another. I met a few westerners who either lived in India or were there for an extended amount of time. They seemed to be developing good relationships with locals but everyone said the same thing, “You can never really fully understand India”.

Will I go back? Right now it’s hard to say but if I were to go back I’d have a better idea of what to expect and where or where not to go. For one, I did not like the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. I could care less if I ever set foot in either place again. If you find yourself on a trip to India and arriving in New Delhi my advice is to get out as soon as possible. New Delhi is the only place in India I visited that I’d really consider unsafe. Others would agree. Even Indians will tell you there are a lot of bad people in New Delhi. The south of India is much more relaxed and easier to travel than the north. I met people traveling the south that really enjoyed it but couldn’t stand the north. If I were to go back I’d probably stick to the South. The biggest reason I would not go back to India is the hassle factor.

I’ve had a fascination with India for half my life so I’m very happy I finally got to visit the country. In some ways it exceeded my expectations and in other ways it disappointed. Although I saw religion and symbols of spirituality all over the place it didn’t seem to transfer very well in how I saw people act in their day to day life. I found this to be somewhat disappointing. The one exception was meeting Sikhs on a pilgrimage in the Himalaya. Sikhs are said to be the most trustworthy people in India and it would have been nice to spend time in the Indian state of Punjab where most Sikhs reside. If I were to travel the north of India again that’s the one place I’d go.

All in all, I can honestly say India was an Amazing experience and one I feel privileged to have had. I am certain in the coming months India will continue to work on me. It’s undoubtedly left quite an impression. There's no other place like India!