Friday 25 April 2008
Namaskar India
Well, that's it. I'm now back in Delhi. The bike has been sold, and I've now become what I most despise- a backpacker. God damn it. It seems strange to be at the end of the road of the Indian leg of my journey, but after 13,000 odd km it had to end sometime! I'm slightly amazed that I got round with only one breakdown (knackered ignition coil) one crash (slipped on some train tracks in Darjeeling= grazed knee/bruised ego) and no punctures. Considering the state of Indian roads that must be some sort of record!
After 6 months in the country it's still pretty hard to put into words what I feel about India. I'll start with the obvious , India is a land of contrasts. There is no middle ground. Everything is black or white, you love it or you hate it. You can have the most beautiful building, be it Hindu, Mughal or British and next door there will be the most hideous slum or department store. You can have a vast modern metropolis, with international banks and shops, then 1 hour into the country you can see farmers ploughing the fields with bullocks and planting crops by hand. The contrast between the rich and the poor in this country is vast, and unfortunately like everywhere else in the world the gap is only going to get bigger. The new middle class are going to continue buying mobile phones and designer jeans, and the poor are going to continue to beg for a few rupees. Its horrible to say, but the sight of a kid covered in filth, picking through the rubbish becomes normal.
India undoubtedly has some major problems. A population of 1.2 billion and growing is always going to create problems. To its credit, unlike China, India has a vibrant and functioning democracy. The country is always colourful, load, brash, chaotic. Every day is an adventure, and never fails to produce something memorable. A mathematician or philosopher studying chaos theory need only get on a plane to India to see it in action. To the untrained eye, the country, the transport, the economy, the infrastructure- all seem to be governed by chaos. Underlying all this is a kind of equilibrium, if you wait long enough everything works out in the end. Water comes out the taps, the curry you ordered eventually arrives, the train gets to its destination. All you have to have in India is a few Rupees and lots of PATIENCE.
India is governed by religion and cricket. Although I can understand the latter, I still, happily remain a cynic on the former. After six months visiting churches, temples and mosques, I still remain convinced that religion is a pile of crap. This was confirmed to me a couple of days ago when a brahmin said a prayer for me. I then got on my bike and broke the kickstart. So much for good karma. The only place I felt a tinge of spirituality was at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. A complete oasis of calm and beauty in the heart of a busy Punjab city, where the Sikh pilgrims were incredibly open, friendly and welcoming. Different to alot of mosques and Hindu temples, where you can be made to feel like a bit of an outsider. Forget the Taj Mahal, anyone visiting India for the first time should head straight for the Golden Temple.
I've absolutely loved my time in India. Its an incredible country that never fails to amaze you with it's wonderful people, geography and history! Well that's it, I've run out of adjectives to describe India. All I can say is, if you've never been to India"GO". You won't be disappointed:)
Lastly, I've been carrying a sketch book round India, so here's a 'best of' selection.
Taj Mahal, Agra, November 2007.
Rickshaw driver waiting for a fare. Pondicherry. February 2008.
My bike. Varkala, Kerala. March 2008.
Inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa. March 2008.
Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan. April 2008.
After 6 months in the country it's still pretty hard to put into words what I feel about India. I'll start with the obvious , India is a land of contrasts. There is no middle ground. Everything is black or white, you love it or you hate it. You can have the most beautiful building, be it Hindu, Mughal or British and next door there will be the most hideous slum or department store. You can have a vast modern metropolis, with international banks and shops, then 1 hour into the country you can see farmers ploughing the fields with bullocks and planting crops by hand. The contrast between the rich and the poor in this country is vast, and unfortunately like everywhere else in the world the gap is only going to get bigger. The new middle class are going to continue buying mobile phones and designer jeans, and the poor are going to continue to beg for a few rupees. Its horrible to say, but the sight of a kid covered in filth, picking through the rubbish becomes normal.
India undoubtedly has some major problems. A population of 1.2 billion and growing is always going to create problems. To its credit, unlike China, India has a vibrant and functioning democracy. The country is always colourful, load, brash, chaotic. Every day is an adventure, and never fails to produce something memorable. A mathematician or philosopher studying chaos theory need only get on a plane to India to see it in action. To the untrained eye, the country, the transport, the economy, the infrastructure- all seem to be governed by chaos. Underlying all this is a kind of equilibrium, if you wait long enough everything works out in the end. Water comes out the taps, the curry you ordered eventually arrives, the train gets to its destination. All you have to have in India is a few Rupees and lots of PATIENCE.
India is governed by religion and cricket. Although I can understand the latter, I still, happily remain a cynic on the former. After six months visiting churches, temples and mosques, I still remain convinced that religion is a pile of crap. This was confirmed to me a couple of days ago when a brahmin said a prayer for me. I then got on my bike and broke the kickstart. So much for good karma. The only place I felt a tinge of spirituality was at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. A complete oasis of calm and beauty in the heart of a busy Punjab city, where the Sikh pilgrims were incredibly open, friendly and welcoming. Different to alot of mosques and Hindu temples, where you can be made to feel like a bit of an outsider. Forget the Taj Mahal, anyone visiting India for the first time should head straight for the Golden Temple.
I've absolutely loved my time in India. Its an incredible country that never fails to amaze you with it's wonderful people, geography and history! Well that's it, I've run out of adjectives to describe India. All I can say is, if you've never been to India"GO". You won't be disappointed:)
Lastly, I've been carrying a sketch book round India, so here's a 'best of' selection.
Taj Mahal, Agra, November 2007.
Rickshaw driver waiting for a fare. Pondicherry. February 2008.
My bike. Varkala, Kerala. March 2008.
Inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa. March 2008.
Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan. April 2008.
Thursday 17 April 2008
Gujarat & Rajasthan
Its only been a couple of days since my last post, but the broadbands pretty quick here in Rajasthan, so I though I'd take the opportunity to upload some pictures now rather than later!
Since leaving Mumbai, I spent a few days in Mahatma Gandi's home state, Gujarat. I am now back in Rajasthan in the town of Udaipur, famous for the setting in the Bond film 'Octopussy' (crap Roger Moore 1980's one) and Bhang Lassis (a potent and very nice yogurt drink laced with hash:)
Mahatma Gandi's Ashram, Ahamedabad, Gujarat. Gandi was based in Ahamedabad from 1915 - 1930. All the important decisions on the struggle for Independence were made in the small room on the left.
Chaos on Relief Road, Ahamedabad. The state of Gujarat is a bit off the track, everyone seems to bypass it going from Mumbai straight to Rajasthan. Which is a shame. Gujaraties are incredibly friendly, and the food is by far the best in India. Gujarati Thali is a meal, consisting of numerous small dishes- sweet, sour, hot, soothing, different textures, then you savour each dish a little at a time. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Elephant traffic jam, Udaipur, Rajasthan.
King of Udaipurs 1924 Rolls Royce and me, Udaipur. One of many Rollers in the kings collection. The jammy bugger also had a number of old Merc's, Cadillac's, Buick's and a couple of Morris Minors.
Lake Pichola, Udaipur.
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Bombay Nights
Since the last post, I've continued up the west coast and spent 4 plesent days in Mumbai. Mumbai (formally known as Bombay, but changed back to the pre-British name) is Indias largest city, about 16 million residents, and is by far the most cosmapolitan/westernised place I've visited so far. Which is hardly suprising, givin that Mumbai is positioned on a headland facing the Arabian Sea, and has always had trading links with Arabia and the west. The prominent community in Mumbai are the Paris- originally from Iran/Persia who got kicked out with the rise of Islam. Interestingly they hold water, earth and fire to be sacred, so they leave there dead in towers, to be picked at by vultures! Nice.
View from Arthers Seat, Western Ghats. About 250km south east of Mumbai are the northern tip of the Western Ghats, a chain of mountains that run all the way down to Kerala. The views are incredible, and the mountain roads are hair-raising.
Sunday morning cricket, Oval Maidan, Mumbai. There is a big patch of grass outside the High Court and Bombay University that is used by Mumbaites for playing the national game. Its an amazing sight seeing thousands cricketers running around, creating dust clouds. Everyone plays, young and old. If you go in the evening you can see businessmen in there suits running around like school boys before they go home! The joy and enthusiasm with which the game is played is really infectious. Much more fun than watching a game at Lords!!!!
Mighty bladesman, having a go. As you can see from the completely gay stance, I went to a state school. Didn't make any difference in the end, the bowler kept spraying it down legside for some reason.
Victoria Terminus, Mumbai. Affectionately known as VT, this is all you need to see why Britain had a vast Empire. To invest so much money and time in a train station says it all. Now all we get is the Millennium Dome. All the same - Empires a bad thing, kids. Anyway, most of the old city is littered with these incredibly ornate neo-gothic buildings.
Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai. The place to be in the evening. Everyone congregates to eat food, and watch the sun set, with the city of Mumbai as the backdrop. Ended up getting pissed on the beach with some friendly Mumbaites. The evening ended when they went off to find some hookers and I went back to the hotel to watch Chelsea v Arsenal.
View from Arthers Seat, Western Ghats. About 250km south east of Mumbai are the northern tip of the Western Ghats, a chain of mountains that run all the way down to Kerala. The views are incredible, and the mountain roads are hair-raising.
Sunday morning cricket, Oval Maidan, Mumbai. There is a big patch of grass outside the High Court and Bombay University that is used by Mumbaites for playing the national game. Its an amazing sight seeing thousands cricketers running around, creating dust clouds. Everyone plays, young and old. If you go in the evening you can see businessmen in there suits running around like school boys before they go home! The joy and enthusiasm with which the game is played is really infectious. Much more fun than watching a game at Lords!!!!
Mighty bladesman, having a go. As you can see from the completely gay stance, I went to a state school. Didn't make any difference in the end, the bowler kept spraying it down legside for some reason.
Victoria Terminus, Mumbai. Affectionately known as VT, this is all you need to see why Britain had a vast Empire. To invest so much money and time in a train station says it all. Now all we get is the Millennium Dome. All the same - Empires a bad thing, kids. Anyway, most of the old city is littered with these incredibly ornate neo-gothic buildings.
Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai. The place to be in the evening. Everyone congregates to eat food, and watch the sun set, with the city of Mumbai as the backdrop. Ended up getting pissed on the beach with some friendly Mumbaites. The evening ended when they went off to find some hookers and I went back to the hotel to watch Chelsea v Arsenal.
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