There is no way I can possibly write about everything I did and saw in India without publishing a novel on it so we’ll try a different set up other than this whole “day by day” thing.
Indian customs is obnoxious. They changed their rules three times before we got off the ship. One minute we need our customs sheet, then customs and passport, then no passport, then both again, and then only passport. It took two hours to get off the ship!
At first India’s overwhelming. The first thing that hit me as I stepped off the gangway was the obscene amount of dust in the air and the heat. The first thing we heard was the constant honking of horns which we later found out to be 24/7. There’s a transportation pyramid which goes as follows: cars are at the bottom, then bicycle rickshaws, individual bicycles, motor bikes, and then auto rickshaws. If you choose to get in any type of transportation vehicle it’s like taking your life into your own hands… good luck! Lanes don’t matter and rickshaws will cross into oncoming traffic whenever the driver desires. The scariest moment was when I was driving one, or at least attempting to, and the driver kept handing me the steering back while we were dodging through oncoming cars and pedestrians. It’s amazing that accidents and traffic related deaths don’t happen more often. Remember in Morocco when I said the traffic cops are the most useless jobs ever? Yeah, well Indian traffic cops are giving the Moroccans a run for their money.
The next thing to hit you is the poverty. I never thought the caste system would be so straightforward and it was honestly too much to bear at first. The untouchables line the streets at night sleeping under anything they can find. I can’t imagine they sleep very well with all of the traffic going by. When we arrived at the train station in Delhi at 5:30am, the platform outside of the gate almost looked like a mass murder had happened. Families were lined up one next to the other sleeping. It was one of the most depressing sights I have ever witnessed and I wish I had gotten a snapshot, but it wasn’t morally possible for me to further deface those who have already basically been dehumanized by their own people.
The poverty continued on the train to Agra. Outside my window there were little towns that were visibly overpopulated. One of the most moving sights I saw in India was as the sun rose and the people of the village were scattered around a field all praying and worshiping their Gods.
Waiting on the train platform for our returning train back to Delhi was probably one of my most intense experiences. For some unbeknownst idea Semester at Sea thought it’d be a good idea to give 68 kids food before the train and have them stand on a platform full of untouchables. Kids surrounded us immediately begging for food. They would tug on our arms and try to pull it out of our hands. They would walk around stuffing food into their shirts, collecting it for later. I remember wanting to just break down and cry, but I couldn’t let myself. This was their lives. It was all they had. And all I could do was ignore them and look forward as if they weren’t suffering next to me.
I made it to the Taj in Agra. It was an incredibly sight and when you walk in under the arch of outside walls and see such a majestic building in front of you, it really does take your breath away. The emperor built this after his wife had died to simply honor her in an enormous way. I’d say he succeeded. The grounds were scattered with thousands of people. My friend Shelly and I sat there watching the bustling crowd trying to take it all in. At one point a man pointed a camera at us and began to take pictures. We thought it was funny until we turned around and realized there were three teenagers posing behind us. Then we found it hilarious.
The day after the Taj we flew to Varanasi, one of the most holy cities around. If you ever make it there, or to any part of India for that matter, don’t be shocked by the amount of cows and dogs. They roam freely around the streets. At one point we turned around and saw a cow lying in a silk shop, but that’s normal for India. Cows are the holy animal while dogs are symbols of sin.
That night we took bicycle rickshaws to the Ganges River. Riding in that kind of traffic in a bike is much more horrifying than when in an auto rickshaw. At the river we witnessed the even ceremony that worships the Ganges. Hindus young and old gathered to watch seven performers move to the music and offer flowers to the river while burning incense to create a peaceful atmosphere.
The next morning we took a sunrise boat tour down the river. People of all ages gathered in the river to clean themselves physically and mentally and to worship their Gods. For the amount of people there, it was the most peaceful experience of my life as the sun rose over the eastern bank of the river. As we continued down the mighty Ganges, we stumbled upon the cremation area where a fire was already burning. Cremations are done daily, some say 24/7. It’s an honor to be burned and have your ashes thrown into the holy water. A deceased woman awaited the fire on the stairs and was covered in orange and gold cloth to celebrate her life. We didn’t watch the actual cremation, but it was still pretty powerful to see.
I realize this is only an overview of my six days there but to be honest I haven’t even been able to process the first one. India is dirty. Dust fills the air and garbage and human waste lines the streets. Despite all of this it is a beautiful country I felt honored to spend time in. Not once did I feel in danger. The people are nice, the food is amazing, the prices are cheap, and every day is an adventure whether it be stumbling upon a cow in the markets or escaping death in a rickshaw. Definitely a place I WILL return to.
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