Jaipur still ... only calling!
I am now in India, but yes, you guessed it, not quite yet in Jaipur. Not even on my way, in fact - but I am, however, staying in a 5* hotel.My flight from London to Delhi was trouble free (although not turbulence free), with a delicious lamb curry being served. Anybody about to book a holiday - fly with Virgin! I had my curry in the reassuring company of Friends and Will & Grace, presented to me on a flat screen in the back of the chair in front. I failed to get any sleep though (shallow leg room), so I apologise in advance for any contemplative ramblings.
The first thing you notice when descending into India is how dry the land is. Further up in the air, the patchwork fields could just have easily been my own England. But later on in the descent, it soon becomes apparent that these fields are not grass fields. Everything is made up of brown dirt with patches of hay here and there. It really was out of this world - I felt that I had landed in the middle of a desert.
Customs was a smooth process, as was exchanging money. The toilets, however, were an experience. (Note to all female travellers: bring toilet tissue to India). The relative calm ended here though; as soon as I had fully gone through arrivals, I was bombarded by offers for pre-paid taxis. People working in booths on either side, all shouting "Miss, miss, here! Excuse me, miss!". They called with such urgency that I thought I had done something horrendously wrong. Unfortunately though, this enthusiasm was only directed to their own line of business - for when I asked for directions to the Indian Airlines shuttle bus, they continued in the same manner: "Yes miss, pre-paid taxi here!".
After finally locating the bus I travelled to the other terminal, where I was due to make my domestic flight to Jaipur. However, as soon as I arrived it became clear that my flight had been cancelled. At first I wondered if I was being tricked, as every person who notified me of the cancellation immediately felt the need to add a "however I can get you a nice car, lovely car ..." line. After the frustrating realisation that I had not been, the airline offered me the choice of a taxi to Jaipur or overnight accomodation with a flight out tomorrow. I would have preferred to finish my journey today, but the Indian lady who had been advising me said that she herself would feel unsafe making the taxi ride alone. So, I chose the latter option, and here I am typing this from a 5* hotel called Ashok (http://www.theashok.com).
It is beautiful, and I feel very privileged to be here, although particularly shameful too. On the taxi ride over from the airport, a tiny girl of age 6, perhaps, tapped on my window in a traffic jam. She waved at me and I waved back, and then she pointed to some shabby newspapers in her hand. She held up two tiny fingers - she was asking me for a mere 2Rs. (100Rs is the equivalent of 1 pound 20 pence - you do the maths.) I shook my head in a very sorrowful no, to which she responded by putting her hand to her mouth in an eating gesture. She wanted money to buy food. Again I shook my head, but the surprising thing was that she did not seem upset. Not even discontented, in fact - she just started to suck on some fruit she'd been holding, and even waved me goodbye. My India Culture Smart guide tells me that a lot of poor people are not resentful towards the rich - it is simply karma. Hinduism, the chief religion in India, does not believe in the "seize the opportunity" ethos that most of the Western world does. They believe in karma, the notion of what goes around comes around. If Indians live in poverty, it's because they were bad people in an earlier life - it's simply bad karma, not a fault of the wealthy. I'm not entirely sure what my take on this is, but I'm definitely not in strong agreement with the notion. I certainly remembered the little girl when tucking into my lunch here, and especially when leaving so much to waste.
Moving on to the heat and other miscellanous musings. We were informed upon arrival that it was 35C in Delhi. Yes, it is hot, but it's not unbearable. The intense fog from the monsoon season means that I am yet to see the sun shining . I had to tie my hair back, but my fringe is fine left down. The rain, whilst warm, is still pleasantly cooling. Mosquitos are not ever present, as I thought they would be. (I'm not even sure that I can correctly determine what is and what isn't one yet.) The roads have lanes, but they are not respected - trying to relax in a taxi is unheard of, with horns blaring every few seconds or so. Men stand around in groups, appearing to do nothing. Little children sit on large mud mounds which resemble roundabouts. Street stalls and street sellars appear to be common. People are kind and friendly, although frequently this is with a purchase in mind. (Walking through the shops in the hotel here, the owners [nearly all men] stand outside, all poised to say hello and give a polite nod.)
Hopefully I should fly to Jaipur tomorrow evening. The flight was cancelled due to the monsoons, I think, so I hope that the same won't happen tomorrow. I shall write an update when I can next find an internet cafe.
Much love to all.
P.S. To those who wrote me letters (you know who are you are) - thank you so very much for them. I will reply to you all individually soon.
P.P.S. I think I've just discovered my first bite. I wonder how long I will find them exciting for.
posted by ladyinpink @ 9:37 pm
7 Comments:
The first of many no doubt! You go all that way and have 5* luxury! Tut tut - I hope you make it safely to Jaipur, I look forward to reading the next instalment Sammie ;-)
Matthew xxx
Good luck in getting to Jaipur! Just remember that 5* is unlikely to be like where you'll be staying. We just had a huge thunder storm here, mum and i were driving back and it was pretty close.
Maybe you should write a book on this and publish it when you get back! Make a daily diary of your experiences or something. This post makes you sound like a professional.
Hi Sam, It's been lovely reading your blog, your puncture story made us laugh. It is a wonderful journey you are going on but for all you give your reward will be multiplied. Look forward to the updates.
With all our love
Jan, Mike and Co!
Jan, Mike and co - hello! So lovely to hear from you! I wish I had been able to make it with Mum and Dad to see you earlier on in the year.
Jon - yes, I'm trying to remember to not get used to this luxury! I'm glad you and Mum are safe from the storm. A book sounds like a good idea, but it would be very difficult to get published - I'm no Michael Palin!
Matt - should be flying out to Jaipur this evening. No idea when I'll next have internet access after leaving Delhi. A few days or so I should think. :)
Well, it might be a good idea to write a diary anyway, who knows what you could make from it! Even if it's an ebook (which I've found a good place for those where you'll get published no matter what it is, and also they'll make books for you if you pay the right amount).
Only 35 degrees? Tsk, we've had that here in London! :-) I've finally got a net connection in our new flat, so I can once again be an avid reader of the blog. :-D
Wow Sam, you know something, since you've been gone I "know" you're not here, but just reading this blog has made me realise you're in India! How amazing, sounds so exciting! A little scary too, but something you'll experience only once, and glad to see you're coping so well. I'm very proud of you.
And you know, I've just discovered how your site works, I thought it was just a way for me to tell you something. But its really great, and I completely agree with Jon, make a daily diary, you'll never know what could come of it.
Miss you lots!
Hiba xxx
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