Namaste!
The first country of our "Asian Explosion Tour," as one of my friends calls it, has sadly come and gone. Over the next five weeks we only have nine days of class and the rest of the time we are exploring, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Japan. Woo!
Writing about India seems like such an arduous task. The five days I spent traveling through Chennai, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur were probably the most intense days I have had throughout the semester. We traveled non-stop with nights ending at midnight and days starting at 4AM.
They told us that the only way to understand India was to see it, feel it, and smell it. This statement was certainly true, which we all realized when about a mile away from port the smell of pollution began to sink through our ventilation system. The crew began wrapping our outdoor decks in plastic to protect them from the dust and grime and they tapped cardboard on top of all the carpets throughout the ship.
After the most intense customs check we have had since Puerto Rico, I had to run with two other girls to make our flight to Delhi. Taxi's are scarce in India and we were told they aren't very fast. So, we opted for a ride on an Auto Rickshaw. These so-called "vehicles" are like three wheeled motorcycles with thin tin roofs and small seats to carry passengers. As your driver weaves literally within inches of buses, trucks and cars you get the feeling you are on a roller coaster ride, only, without the seat belts, safety precautions and shoulder bars. I thought it was loads of fun and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time.
In Delhi we stayed at the "Hotel Perfect" and were conveniently close to the downtown markets. The next day, after the rest of our group had arrived, the 9 of us headed to the train station at 4AM, in order to get to Agra. I was downright shocked at how non-touristy the Taj Mahal was. I expected paved streets, western gift shops, oversized tour buses and crowds of American and Asian tourists. Happily I can report that none of these things were present to taint the most beautiful building in the world. It was for lack of better words amazing and I would implore you all to go there before the western world invades.
My group, in case you were wondering, traveled independently without anyone from SAS baby-sitting us and I must say this is the only way to do it. We had a tour guide who educated us about the Taj Mahal and other sites, but was under our hire and therefore did not herd us around like the cattle of the SAS groups. We also managed to travel to more cities and see more for about one thousand dollars less than what they charged. My traveling skills have greatly improved and I know they will only continue to enhance.
After seeing the Taj Mahal we visited the Agra Fort and other places before making our way to Jaipur. Jaipur, known as the "Pink City" was wonderful and our time there was extra special since we were the only SAS students who made it to that city. After another day in Delhi, visiting the Gandhi memorial, Birla Temple, and an outdoor market we flew back to Chennai.
They call India the "Land of contrasts" which I have learned is certainly true. One minute I would see something that me laugh until my stomach hurt and then the next I would be wiping away tears. The poverty and social problems are overwhelming and though we were warned nothing could prepare us for experiencing such contrasts. As we met children and their parents it was hard not to think about the fact that the contents of my handbag were worth more than what they make in three months.
In India I felt more like an outsider than in any other country and yet, I felt so welcomed! Everyone thought we were from England or Australia and upon correction were even more delighted to shake our hands, take photos of us and show us around. On the plane I met the most delightful man who knew where Portsmouth, NH was because he has visited Boston twice. We talked about American politics, our families, and of course the ship and then he asked me what I thought about the food. I told him how I don't like spicy food so for the past few days all I had eaten was white rice and naan. He told me to get the vegetarian meal on the plane, because it would be bland. So I followed his advice and when it arrived he pointed to a green thing on the top and said, "try this its really good." So of course, I pick up what looks like a long green bean and take a nice big crunchy bite. Instantly my mouth, tongue, lips, and throat, erupted in flames and tears slid town my cheeks. I was gasping for air as my Indian friend looked at me in horror and exclaimed, "I told you not to eat that! Not good!" Apparently I misunderstood the accent. Through tears and wheezes I cried, "I thought it was a green bean!" I could barely breath for a good ten minutes and literally thought I was going to die on an Indian plane at 40,000 feet. The man was very kind, ran off to the stewardess and got me extra yogurt, pudding and three bottles of water. After eating all of that and drinking all the water I felt better and my taste buds started to come back. It was by far, the worst thing I have ever put into my mouth. For the rest of the trip whenever I made a jesting comment to one of my friends they would just say, "Hey Sara, I got a green bean here! You want it?"
It's certainly hard to pick a favorite port. Carnival was amazing. Cape Town was by far the most 'fun.' But India certainly affected me unlike any country has so far. I would encourage anyone to go there and experience it for yourself. You will learn about another culture, but more importantly, you will learn about your own, and it will make you rethink everything.
"Live simply, so others may simply live." ~Gandhi