India Trucks crossing river
I’ll never do it again! That is an expression often heard. And I had my first attack many years ago. Not once but twice. Actually there are many more.
Where you stay in India can make or break your first trip to India. Having friends on the ground would definitely help. Even then, things can still leave you in shock forever if you are not prepared for it.
I stayed at the Delhi Hilton on my first trip. That was something like 20 years ago. The memories are faint now. I still remember the blast of the summer heat. It blasts you straight in the face – all 45º of it.
The crazy traffic. Oh yes, the crazy traffic. You may have passed your driving test back home but that does not equip you to drive in India. If you do, the only way you will know whether you have what it takes is when you survive being crushed at the end of the day. Even if you do survive, your ears may have lost it from the honking and blaring. You see in India, it is against the law if you do not honk!
The second time I stayed at the Namaskar in Paharganj, Old Delhi. One rule – never arrive past midnight. That was exactly what I did.
Another rule – when you book your hotel, make sure it is on the main road. You can ask at the time of booking. Indians are very honest people. You, however, do need to be very sure of their definition of main road is. Repeat, be very clear about this.
My taxi stopped me at the main road. The kind taxi driver pointed to some back alley where my hotel was supposed to be. It was hard to see. Besides being dark with no streetlights, it was deserted. Thoughts of shadows wielding sharp kukkuris flickered in my mind.
It was windy and plastic bags, wrappers and what-have-you wafted up in the breeze. Goodness, the walk was a short one but still it was a challenge side-stepping suspicious looking rubbish and stuff.
Another rule – ask if your hotel fronts a public loo. By night the alley was quiet. Even the rats have gone to sleep. If they had not, I would have seen them. Indian rats are very brave, possibly on account of their size. Even dogs run away from them.
Culture shock reappeared again the next morning. What was once a quiet alley is now teeming with stalls offering that famous Indian chai, a dangerous but delicious brew of tea, sugar and milk. I might add, real milk not our pasteurized or homogenous kind.
One addition to our normal side walk stall which Indians have but which we don’t and that is the public loo. It stands proudly alongside the most popular chai and chapati stall. No doors, just walk up do your job and off you go. Although I think Indians are chauvinistic or are gender bias. I do not see how a demure lady would be able to take advantage of this facility.
I.N.D.I.A.-…I’ll Never Do It Again – how apt!
