India…
Namaste from India! As we entered the waters of India it turned brown, full of small fishing boats and fishing nets hung on long bamboo poles with a pulley system behind. The vegetation grew high and grew green on the banks with temples, churches, and synagogues poking through the gaps. Leaning on the deck rail we looked at one another, then back to the land again asking questions intermittently. Then came time to grab our backpacks full of fresh water and Pepto Bismol to see what the land was all about.
As we stepped off the gangway we were greeted by a layer of armed immigration officials, then a layer of tuk tuk drivers.Passing through, we made it to a jetty and leaped on a moving rusted metal boat with wood benches packed full of people. This was our ferry to the main land. Jumping off we piled in tuk tuks to experience India’s real thrill…traffic. We weaved in and out; the only audible sound was the passing vehicles beeping their horns. Traffic from both directions came within inches of us. We watched as motorbikes whizzed past, some carrying whole families - a small child in front, the male driving, the woman riding side saddle holding a baby behind them all. Taking to the streets on foot, we grabbed a few essentials for the days that lay ahead. Then we repeated: multiple Tuk Tuks and a ferry ride, before meeting immigration.
The next day I interacted with people of all ages. I listened to employees of Child Line tell the story of helping street children and educating the towns people, then facilitators of orphanages and the children who lived there. While most of India has a large number of street children and orphans, the state of Kerala is the opposite and has a literacy rate of 98%, and people dedicated to keeping kids off the streets.
As the moon rose I piled in yet another tuk tuk to embrace a two hour long ride in the pouring rain and flooded streets. I arrived at the airport with sore cheeks from laughing and inevitably soaked clothes. The small airport was packed full of families sending pans of hot food through the carry on screener and carrying bags of sari material. Sticking to true Indian culture, the flight was running late. We knew our cue when half the airport formed a line at one of the two gates. On board I talked with the women beside me. We discussed everything from education, work, family structure, and what home means to each of us. After a six hour layover we woke in a haze, looked at one another, then at the flashing screen beside us, then back at one another. Reality woke us quickly; grabbing our bags we raced to our gate, only to board just before the doors closed.
Upon arrival to Jaipur, we were greeted by a sign and a driver who was ready to set out and show us the landmarks of the city. We heard the history behind the streets and the pink building blocks that painted the city. We ended at an elephant conservation farm where we talked to the owners and chilled with the gentle giants. Simpa was ours for the evening. We painted her trunk with vibrant colors. Then the colors ran together and painted the grass as we washed her thick skin. After that, a small man looked at us and asked if we wanted a shower. The three of us said “When in India!” and climbed atop the tall humble creature for a shower. We finished the night savoring a warm home cooked meal.
We ventured to Agra for multiple days of cultural learning. Our guide was a tall Muslim man. This created an interesting dynamic as we heard of the tension between the Hindi and Muslim people. We pelted him with questions that he gladly answered, drawing from his personal experience first, and then giving us facts. We saw the sights of Agra, and a wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal (a post of its own). After the day full of sights we asked him to join us for dinner. This is where he delighted us by closing our menus and ordering his favorite food for us all. We discussed more about the dynamic of the two religions and his family. The three of us have reflected on the conversation we shared with Rogga, our guide, multiple times since then.
Our adventures came to a close in Delhi, a young hip town with a very different vibe. We then caught a red eye back to Kerala to explore the cities inner workings, from the small markets filled with spices to streets filled with street food. India is everything. It is dark, yet full of vibrant colors. There are smells that bring warmth, followed by others that make you want to run the opposite direction. There is immense poverty alongside large marble slabs with jewels of all sizes inlayed. While there are many words to describe India, the best is “everything.”
Mohabbat,
