Jan. 14, 2010
Journal Entry:
" Yesterday for breakfast we a had a 'grilled cheese', which was a few bits of uncooked, shredded cheese on toast and then topped with raw veggies we couldn't eat, that I had to convince Travis not to eat; and chai tea. Travis couldn't imagine why a hostel would give us raw veggies we couldn't eat when they dealt with foreigners who couldn't eat them all the time. It's a reasonable question.
For lunch we had a veg. burger (shared, 1) that wasn't cooked all the way through, and hot tea. Then went to bed at 3pm after a botched guided tour where our driver couldn't speak English and didn't really show us anything.
The day consisted of going to Bandra (where we ate the veg burger) and running across the street to take pictures of the cool beach with stranded boats so we would get some site seeing in. After which our driver took us to a shopping mall (well known scam where the driver gets part of your shopping commission) where we were harassed and left ASAP, only to tell him we didn't want the rest of the 8 hour tour and to take us home; mostly due to sheer exhaustion, but also from annoyance. Being in the car 'going to destinations' was good though, we saw and took a lot of pictures from the cab.
We then proceeded to sleep from 3pm to 3am! Then I dreamed (awake), in detail, about food until we could order some other 'delicious' meal from the hotel at 7:30am: Nachos/Icees from 7Eleven; Olive Garden Soup, Salad and Breadsticks; Cereal; Rice; PB&J; Soup; Fettucini Alfredo, etc. It's amazing to be in a state of hunger. I know that sounds like such an arrogant statement, and I know people, especially the ones in the country I am in, go to bed hungry all the time, and maybe that is why I am 'experiencing' it, empathy, though I know I have NO idea what real hunger is, I know. 'Ravenous', 'hungry', 'starving'- words we use in the US to describe our state of being when we've gone to long between snacks. But I do look longingly at Travis' toast, hoping he won't want the burnt pieces at least (he did).
I am feeling better today about being here. Not as afraid, not as desperate to leave. Sleep helped. A cold shower didn't but wasn't as bad as the 'non-existent dripping shower/having to use the sink instead' shower I had yesterday. Travis is full of ponderings about life. I am mostly quiet, observing."
Nowhere in India did we see women this scantily clad? haha But thought it was pretty nonetheless. India is a very conservative country, and while Mumbai and Goa were a little more lax because they are cosmopolitan and touristy (respectively), I still covered my shoulders/chest/legs everyday of the trip. Even when it was 90 degrees and humid, and sweating, I covered up! :)
Pictures from the beach we saw (quickly) in Bandra.
This little niño was crying until he saw us, then was just quiet and fascinated.
Most 'littles' we saw were barefoot and mostly wandering without supervision. :/
Don't know if you can see it but this tree is growing out of the side of this building! Amazing how nature reclaims it's rightful place!
One of the first women in a Sari I saw. She is haunting almost.
The mass amounts of people in this country was jarring at first.
Little Muslim niños going to school. :)
This is a picture of their "semi trucks". So colorful!
Don't know if you can see how close these cars are. No, we are not in a parking lot, we are simply waiting for a light to turn. I couldn't walk between these cars, let alone ever attempt driving in India!
'Storage'!
So many people are homeless in this country. Sleeping wherever there is a footpath or dirt field. It's a hard thing to see day in and day out. And everyone says you can't help, which makes it worse. If you give money to someone, people will surround you asking for more; and most likely it doesn't go to them, it goes to some organized crime family?! The only thing you can do is give them food, which we did throughout the trip; or donate to reputable charities, which I will do when I get home and get a job...
Ok, I like this picture for several reasons. 1) Who wears white in dusty, dirty India? (Ok, I know they are Muslim and this is what they wear, but you know what I mean). 2) That 2,3 sometimes a whole family of 4, sit and drive on Motos in that chaotic traffic is an amazing, often hilarious site. 3)Men in India. Men hold hands, ride on motos together, walk with arms around each other's shoulders... etc. They are not gay(as this is still forbidden in India if I am correct) but just friends. While men and women cannot hold hands in India (something Travis and I, perpetual hand holders, had to get used to) or touch in public, men have these intimate relationships with each other that involves LOTS of hand holding. Don't worry, I took several pictures of this that I will share throughout the blog! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment