We have been traveling for a year and a half now through 21
different countries. Each country has its own language, culture, food, and
natural landscapes. We love learning about the differences and fall back on the
similarities to ground ourselves. We have gotten good at finding our way
around, knowing what to expect, and settling in to a new culture. It isn’t
working in India, either north or south India. India is the first place that is
different to us in an uncomfortable way. Everything here is hard.
Visa: India’s visa questions include who your parents are,
where they were born, and what their occupation is. Almost as if they don’t
want you there to begin with. Americans can get a thirty day visa. We were
arriving on Jan. 7 and leaving on Feb. 6, which should be thirty days. Except
that isn’t the way they count it. We had to change our flight to Feb. 5. No
exceptions and severe fines if you leave late.
Security: Showing a passport is standard at most hotels
throughout the world. They have to know who you are after all. India requires
all of our passports at each hotel. They also scan our luggage and backpacks
everywhere. Granted, there are always separate lines for men and women, but I
have been patted down and wanded 7 times in the past two weeks.
Money: In November, India decided to shake up its monetary
situation. In a purely cash economy, people weren’t reporting their income so
the government eliminated 500 and 1000 rupee notes, forcing everyone to turn
them in to banks to get valid ones. Since they hadn’t notified the banks ahead,
there was not enough cash to go around so they limited withdrawals to 2000
rupees each day (and now have raised it to 4500 rupees each day). That assumes
you can make a withdrawal. When the ATM runs out of money, you are out of luck.
One afternoon, we tried eight machines before we found one that was stocked.
And if the machine only gives 2000 rupee notes, good luck getting anyone to
take it. Daily visits to the ATM are part of life here, but for us, the
challenge was getting ahead of our cash needs without getting stuck with rupees
at the end. The two bedroom hotel for 12 days cost 30,000 rupees ($441) which
they wanted up front in cash. However, a meal is easily only 400 rupees ($6)
for all of us. Money converters around the world have stopped exchanging
rupees.
Cell Service: We travel with unlocked cell phones and buy
local prepaid sim cards when we arrive in each country. In most countries we
pay around $4 for a month of cell service and data. India is similar, except,
when you first purchase your sim card, there is a 1 day wait period while the
government checks you out. This ended up being a 2 day wait followed by another
five days of not having service that worked correctly and multiple calls and
visits to Vodafone. A week without google maps in a new country is harsh.
Transportation: Our favorite way to get around in many
countries has failed us here in India. Uber is pushing hard to develop a
presence here with signs in most transportation hubs but they aren’t vetting
their drivers so we have had some pretty bad experiences. Then there are the
trains. India has the most extensive train system in the world, but, as a
foreigner, to buy tickets requires government approval. I started trying to get
approval nearly a month before we arrived. I filled out the form and sent in
the required email. And then followed up. And then placed a phone call.
Followed by 3 more emails. I still don’t have approval. This means that we
won’t be taking a train here. Hopefully the buses are comfortable.
Language: So if we don’t use uber, surely one can just get a
taxi. Well, yes, except language is an issue. India is an amalgamation of 29
states and 7 territories, all with their own original language. Their
historical occupations left them with English as the only common language so
everyone speaks English with a very heavy accent from their native tongue. We
try to speak slowly to them but the favor isn’t usually returned and I find
myself able to understand one out of every three words in most places. Even
their body language is different with our standard nod to mean yes replaced by
a figure eight wobble of the head. Google translate doesn’t handle accents.
Power/internet: We tend to be heavy internet users and book
hotels based on how strong the internet it. In Kerala, it was pretty good as
long as we went down to the second floor. Wifi didn’t really reach our rooms on
the third floor. In Kochi they shut if off at night. Here in Jaipur, the
internet is decent as long as we have power. Even our first couple nights here
in a Hilton lost power intermittently.
Filth: There seems to be no garbage removal system in India.
The custom is to just throw your trash wherever you are. It is in the streets,
sidewalks, and “greenspaces.” Piles of trash and rotten food build up
everywhere. And then there is the public urination. For men, the custom is to
pull to the side of the road, get out of your car, and pee on a wall. In some
places, the urine is so strong that it burns your eyes as you walk past it.
They do have “public conveniences” which seem to be open all the time. And then
there are the open trench urinals which are basically holes in the ground meant
to pee into (or you occasionally see someone sitting to poop). You can smell
these several blocks away. For a country that places such a high emphasis on
women’s modesty, it is amazing how comfortable men are with doing their
business in public.
Animals: Stray cats and dogs are common in a lot of places
around the world, but India raises it to a new level. Goats, pigs, cows,
monkeys, and chickens wander through the city streets grazing on whatever they
can find. Remember those piles of trash? We are told that they go home on their
own at night. Elephants and camels aren’t unusual sights either but they, at
least, usually have handlers with them.
Shopping: Grocery stores have their own character throughout
the world but everywhere has them. Except India. Purchasing food means buying
from the guy with the street cart, visiting several market, or answering the
shout of someone walking down the street with a bag full of onions. Very few
western packaged choices (though we did finally find a small store aimed at
expats). Speaking of western choices, we don’t frequent American fast food
chains as we travel, preferring to eat locally, but India is the first place
that we just aren’t seeing them. I mean never. I had hoped to visit a McDonalds
to see how they handle the vegetarian preferences of the locals but haven’t
found one yet.
This is just a short list of all the ways India stands out
to us, and why we just can’t seem to get comfortable. We work hard as we travel
to blend in. We love eating street food and following the locals to enjoy the
customs that they enjoy. We try to respect the differences and not judge a
country based on our own upbringing, but India is hard. For the next week, we
will continue to eat spicy food with our hands, ignore the people that stare at
our pale skin or watch us eat, and continue to hope that Indians will work
harder to take care of their world but I don’t think any of us will be sad to
leave India.
Wow; amazing. We studied India awhile back, and everything seems so overwhelming and intense: smells, sights, culture, language, customs. Thank you for the further insights!
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