India is a funny place at times which seems to test every last shred of patience you might have. Obviously there are great times but there are also times when you want to pull at your hair and scream, "really?!" We are over two months since leaving our home in Victoria and I would say there is an element of home sickness occurring for me. It's not at all like I suddenly want to run back to Victoria, but it would be nice to take a week break where I could see Diego and not live out of a backpack!
There are times where I just wish for some ease. Everything is a process in India. The power is out constantly, it is impossible to navigate the city with your sanity in check, and half the time you can't be sure you are not being mislead by someone. Last night we spent an hour trying to find a good restaurant to eat at online because we wanted to have a nice evening out but the wifi was so patchy it seemed to take forever. Once we found the restaurant we wanted to go to, we studied the map so that we could find it; it was literally five minutes from our hotel- should be simple, right? The streets were so chaotic once we got outside because of the festival and although we had a map, there were no street names to follow so we literally wandered four possible streets knowing that one would be the winner. We arrived for dinner more than two hours after we started the endeavor and by this point, it hardly seemed worth it.
I miss the freedom of walking down a street ignored by everyone I pass, able to safely eat at any restaurant I find, not stepping in shit every two seconds, with my ears not rattled by people laying on the horn constantly. Being a woman, I miss having regular interactions which I sometimes have to avoid because it is mostly men you will encounter working and they have a tendency to stare or only address Josh because that is their culture.
India is really a spectacular place where you come to have your reality checked and to find an explosion of culture that is completely foreign to you. There are a million things to see like temples, palaces, and forts which are all spectacular in their own way. I love seeing these things but unfortunately, I have always been more of a "doer." Typically when I feel a bit lethargic or melancholy, the best thing for me is to find some sense of adventure which was perhaps a bit easier in our previous travels with ATVing, hiking, swimming, rolling in sand dunes, etc. I am craving a bit of adventure and I have put my hopes on our next destination of Goa to find it. The thought of walking for an hour down a beach is insanely enticing at the moment and this eases my stifled feeling a little.
As our friend Toby asked us, "do you feel as though you have 'arrived' in India?" and to be honest, I feel as though I have. Although I may complain about these inconveniences, it truly is part of the experience of what makes India, India. Someone once said to us, "There is Europe. There is Asia. Then there is India!" and this couldn't be more true. India is indescribable because it is unlike any other place on earth with more beauty and devastation, organization and chaos, friendliness and scams all in the same country and all at the same time. The challenge is to always have a good sense of humor and truly when I am startled by a cow who has whacked me with its tail, I am more apt to laugh than to be annoyed. Sometimes when we arrive back in our hotel exhausted Josh and I will burst into a fit of giggles over how nuts the walk back to our hotel was. Things that are frustrating are almost always comical after the fact and I am certain that some of these stories will remain clear in our minds for years because of their oddness or craziness.
On a different note, Udaipur is really lovely and not at all the instigator of these feelings because it is a very laid back and friendly city. As I mentioned before, there is a festival going on and the streets are literally alive with music and dancing. Some of the Hindu music really makes you want to dance! There are personal shrines set up everywhere you look and every second you can witness someone stopping to pray. The air is filled with incense and the streets are lined with buckets of orange and red flowers which adds extra scents to the mixture.
The women are dressed so beautifully so that while they are stealing curious glances my way, I am admiring them curiously as well. They are draped in spectacular rich colors of burgundies, navies, and golds all encrusted with sequins or jewels and even the little girls are dressed up in traditional clothing. They wear their saris with fabric swathed in every direction and covering their hair as well which offers a very regal look to the entire ensemble. While conversing with a shopkeeper we learned that Rajasthani women are the most traditional in all of India (unfortunately they are also the least educated in his opinion) and I am glad that we are in a traditional area for a festival.
Last night after dinner we sought out the festival activities and it was awe inspiring! The entire street had been decorated with a "ceiling" of tinsel and white lights that go off and on in a timed sequence and the music was so intense and pulsing with the base, you could feel your heart beat trying to match its rhythm. Then in the middle, there were over a hundred young people (even small children about 8 or so) in their traditional clothing, all dancing with sticks where they create a beat through their movements and hitting their two sticks together or their partner's sticks in front of them. The beat was deafening and the dance was so perfectly choreographed that it was mesmerizing. Everyone looked intensely focused and they had such a glow about them; you could feel how important the festival is to them. It was so spectacular that we are going to go tonight and tomorrow the festival will wrap up with a bang and an even bigger stick dance! I am very excited about that!
Prior to this, we spent the day exploring the bazaars and eventually we went on another boat ride (that's how much we liked it!) on a lake called Fateh Sagar Lake where we were dropped off at Nehru island park. This island was lovely with palm trees and grassy areas where people can lay and picnic. It was very relaxing to stroll around, unhindered by traffic or cows, away from the hustle and bustle. Although it may take some foresight, it is possible to find your own peace and space in India if you desire it enough!
Today has been a relaxing day, getting some errands done like getting Josh's pants fixed, both pairs have split already if you can believe it! Then we headed off to the mall to get Josh's hair cut and because I was waiting, I thought why not get a pedicure? It felt so great for my travel weary feet, my only regret being having to put my sparkling, smooth feet back into my grubby, run-down Vans! It was really enjoyable to interact with a woman for an hour, even though we were unable to communicate. We just get smiling at each other and when my foot reflexed due to her tickling it, she looked knowingly at me and said, "smart." I wonder if that had something to do with reflexology which is popular here along with reiki. Definitely a wonderful experience and the whole thing was 400 rupees (~ $8) for one hour!
My mood in India can change from hour to hour and I can honestly say tat I am feeling very relaxed and calm. We are hoping to make it to our first yoga class tonight with the hopes that we can find it without too much trouble and then we will take in some festival events again! :)
There are times where I just wish for some ease. Everything is a process in India. The power is out constantly, it is impossible to navigate the city with your sanity in check, and half the time you can't be sure you are not being mislead by someone. Last night we spent an hour trying to find a good restaurant to eat at online because we wanted to have a nice evening out but the wifi was so patchy it seemed to take forever. Once we found the restaurant we wanted to go to, we studied the map so that we could find it; it was literally five minutes from our hotel- should be simple, right? The streets were so chaotic once we got outside because of the festival and although we had a map, there were no street names to follow so we literally wandered four possible streets knowing that one would be the winner. We arrived for dinner more than two hours after we started the endeavor and by this point, it hardly seemed worth it.
I miss the freedom of walking down a street ignored by everyone I pass, able to safely eat at any restaurant I find, not stepping in shit every two seconds, with my ears not rattled by people laying on the horn constantly. Being a woman, I miss having regular interactions which I sometimes have to avoid because it is mostly men you will encounter working and they have a tendency to stare or only address Josh because that is their culture.
India is really a spectacular place where you come to have your reality checked and to find an explosion of culture that is completely foreign to you. There are a million things to see like temples, palaces, and forts which are all spectacular in their own way. I love seeing these things but unfortunately, I have always been more of a "doer." Typically when I feel a bit lethargic or melancholy, the best thing for me is to find some sense of adventure which was perhaps a bit easier in our previous travels with ATVing, hiking, swimming, rolling in sand dunes, etc. I am craving a bit of adventure and I have put my hopes on our next destination of Goa to find it. The thought of walking for an hour down a beach is insanely enticing at the moment and this eases my stifled feeling a little.
As our friend Toby asked us, "do you feel as though you have 'arrived' in India?" and to be honest, I feel as though I have. Although I may complain about these inconveniences, it truly is part of the experience of what makes India, India. Someone once said to us, "There is Europe. There is Asia. Then there is India!" and this couldn't be more true. India is indescribable because it is unlike any other place on earth with more beauty and devastation, organization and chaos, friendliness and scams all in the same country and all at the same time. The challenge is to always have a good sense of humor and truly when I am startled by a cow who has whacked me with its tail, I am more apt to laugh than to be annoyed. Sometimes when we arrive back in our hotel exhausted Josh and I will burst into a fit of giggles over how nuts the walk back to our hotel was. Things that are frustrating are almost always comical after the fact and I am certain that some of these stories will remain clear in our minds for years because of their oddness or craziness.
On a different note, Udaipur is really lovely and not at all the instigator of these feelings because it is a very laid back and friendly city. As I mentioned before, there is a festival going on and the streets are literally alive with music and dancing. Some of the Hindu music really makes you want to dance! There are personal shrines set up everywhere you look and every second you can witness someone stopping to pray. The air is filled with incense and the streets are lined with buckets of orange and red flowers which adds extra scents to the mixture.
The women are dressed so beautifully so that while they are stealing curious glances my way, I am admiring them curiously as well. They are draped in spectacular rich colors of burgundies, navies, and golds all encrusted with sequins or jewels and even the little girls are dressed up in traditional clothing. They wear their saris with fabric swathed in every direction and covering their hair as well which offers a very regal look to the entire ensemble. While conversing with a shopkeeper we learned that Rajasthani women are the most traditional in all of India (unfortunately they are also the least educated in his opinion) and I am glad that we are in a traditional area for a festival.
Last night after dinner we sought out the festival activities and it was awe inspiring! The entire street had been decorated with a "ceiling" of tinsel and white lights that go off and on in a timed sequence and the music was so intense and pulsing with the base, you could feel your heart beat trying to match its rhythm. Then in the middle, there were over a hundred young people (even small children about 8 or so) in their traditional clothing, all dancing with sticks where they create a beat through their movements and hitting their two sticks together or their partner's sticks in front of them. The beat was deafening and the dance was so perfectly choreographed that it was mesmerizing. Everyone looked intensely focused and they had such a glow about them; you could feel how important the festival is to them. It was so spectacular that we are going to go tonight and tomorrow the festival will wrap up with a bang and an even bigger stick dance! I am very excited about that!
Prior to this, we spent the day exploring the bazaars and eventually we went on another boat ride (that's how much we liked it!) on a lake called Fateh Sagar Lake where we were dropped off at Nehru island park. This island was lovely with palm trees and grassy areas where people can lay and picnic. It was very relaxing to stroll around, unhindered by traffic or cows, away from the hustle and bustle. Although it may take some foresight, it is possible to find your own peace and space in India if you desire it enough!
Today has been a relaxing day, getting some errands done like getting Josh's pants fixed, both pairs have split already if you can believe it! Then we headed off to the mall to get Josh's hair cut and because I was waiting, I thought why not get a pedicure? It felt so great for my travel weary feet, my only regret being having to put my sparkling, smooth feet back into my grubby, run-down Vans! It was really enjoyable to interact with a woman for an hour, even though we were unable to communicate. We just get smiling at each other and when my foot reflexed due to her tickling it, she looked knowingly at me and said, "smart." I wonder if that had something to do with reflexology which is popular here along with reiki. Definitely a wonderful experience and the whole thing was 400 rupees (~ $8) for one hour!
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