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I've
been in India just over one week now, although
 it
feels like a whole lot longer since I left home to go to
Heathrow airport to meet up with Rahul and Pete. Then, I
didn't know what to expect and was rather relieved that
they ended up on the same flight as me, as the angst of
arriving in an unknown country, to a language and people
I knew very little of, was massively daunting. That,
mixed with tales of diarrhoea and general food and water
(don't drink the water they say, easier said than done
says I) issues all added up to quite a few concerns.
Since
arriving, and I know it’s only been a week, I am
starting to really like what little I have seen of
India. It is very different to home. But of course there
are similarities: people are still people. They have to
work and generally they try and get on with it. Also big
business reaches everywhere, you can find nearly any
product here that you can at home (N. Ireland), except
white pudding and Irish soda farls. You are still
bombarded with advertising, except here, I don't always
know what its for. The occasional encounters with a
well-used men's urinal or engulfing odour of an open
sewer have caught me off guard.
The
drive to the first hotel was monumental, it rendered me
exhausted, though I still managed to get up in 6 hours
time to commence the day’s work, a desire to unearth
the undiscovered, wins out over fatigue. The first day
was a busy one and one were I really started to see
India and the people. They were all curious and
interested to know where I came from. A handshake is
always offered. And although the language barrier can
make me feel like a fool, a smile and a thumbs up never
fails to convey a happy greeting, even from a distance.
 The
roads came as quite a surprise and although I was aware
that they were busy, I had no idea that they were as
unruly as they are. Buses in particular are like
speeding death juggernauts hell bent on getting to where
they are going at high velocity and on whichever side of
the road is the most convenient. I don't think they are
particularly worried about smashing me to bits and
leaving my open mind on display in the dirt by the side
of the But I dare say, if you ignore the murderous
drivers, most people you come across are very nice.
In
general the heat humidity particularly so down here in Kerala, has taken me by surprise. I've never sweated so
much in my life. The salty fluid bleeds into my eyes and
stings with a pain that makes me ask why God put a
sensitive organ like the eye so close to the sweaty
patch on my forehead?
The
food has been a delight, I've always enjoyed a korma or
something suitably mild, but the spice explosion that
awaited me wasn't as troublesome as I had feared – in
fact I'm really enjoying it. Even the 'beef fry’,
which has become the stuff of lore on our merry jaunt
has graced my pallet and danced across it like a little
meat ballerina. The only food issue I have is curry for
breakfast, as I'm just too set in my toast and cereal
ways to start tucking into spicy breakfasts before my
mouth has had a chance to adjust to the day.
All
in all the trip is proving an eye opener, and a truly
enjoyable one at that and I am looking forward to all
that lies in wait.
Stevie
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