200 Degrees on India

I think it’s fair to say that I have been surprised by India, but probably not in the way that you are thinking. Before coming, I must admit, there was a part of me, even as well traveled as I can fairly call myself, that was really quite scared of India. The stories that other travelers tell, about the dirtiness, the smells, the food are often terror-inducing tales of tourist angst. Against my own common sense, I bought into these stories, and over time, with repeat telling, I internalized a negative, visceral response to the idea of traversing through India. You would have imagined that after getting through Africa with little trouble that I would have revised my view on India. I did not. In fact, after two tough months of traveling in Africa, I felt even more strongly about India being a destination I wanted to skip, especially in the wickedly hot months of May and June. I often (only half-jokingly) said to Young that I was going to call the whole thing off and just head straight home to my soft, welcoming bed and my clean, clean bathtub. But my duty to the project was stronger than my desire to be clean and well-rested, so I came anyway.

I am glad I did. Not only was the wedding incredibly worthwhile and fun to attend, but the country has truly been a great surprise to me. Some say the worst Indian food in the world is in India – what a bunch of crock, I love the food here. The past few years have seen me turn increasingly into an herbivore – I just cannot consume meat in the same quantities as I once did, even if I do still enjoy a good burger. Plus, my stand against eating seafood makes it difficult to be adventurous in foreign countries for fear of eating seafood. (Vietnam was tricky, seafood in soup bases…ahhh!) Here in India though, pure-veg choices take away all of the uncertainty and stress and just lets me go wild, and my, veg has rarely tasted this good. Naan, roti, paratha, rice!!! Pole for breakfast, dosa for lunch, and a curry for dinner. Add to that milkshakes, lassis, and fresh mangos, and my gosh, what more could a person ask for?

Further, I have not had any serious digestive problems yet. (Huge huge huge knocks on wood here, and a huge thanks to Dukoral?!?) I am currently in the middle of a bout of discomfort, but nothing like the hell-on-earth experiences that some of my friends have had. I figure a few days of more familiar food (today’s aberration at Domnio’s Pizza being an impulsive decision) and I’ll be right and set to have some Tibetan momos in Dharamsala. Likewise, the presence of unprecedented dirtiness and terrible smells that people complain about have been over-exaggerated, save for some places where they have lived up to the hype. Rural areas, parts of Mumbai, train stations – they can be really dirty and stinky, and the trash problem IS really bad.

Here’s the thing though – I don’t think it is any worse here than I’ve seen in other parts of the developing world. Traveling by train through rural China or through East Africa, you see as many bottles and bags flying out of the window s you do in India, and the trash piles up on the outskirts of villages the same way. The same is true in parts of East Africa. In Beijing, up until about 2005, we used to have canals that ran through the city and would stink to high-hell during the summer – heat and open sewage are never a good mix. Even the dust and pollution that people complain of is not really any worse than it is in many places. You want dust, try going overland in Myanmar via pick-up truck. It turned my new, pristine, bright white iPod headphones brown in just six hours. For pollution, you can try walking around in congested Bangkok, Taipei, or Manila. I remember jogging in Beijing when I lived there, only to blow my nose afterwards to find a black mess in my tissue. So much for being healthy.

That’s the conclusion then. India gets a bad rap. It’s really not that bad, and in the typical my war story is worse than yours fashion, people forget to mention the nice parts of India. India is cheap, really cheap. Even luxury is affordable. I’ll admit that I’ve been spoiling myself with some three or four star hotels that cost me and Young around 60-70 dollars a night. Then again, I slept at the YMCA last night for just 6 dollars. Food can be the same way, cheap or luxury, take your pick. Yet, there is also plenty here to “challenge” an intrepid traveler too, from unique drinks to habits to Indo-Chinese food. Then there are wonderful, world-class tourist and historical sites. I also love the fact that traditional dress is still so prevalent. It’s so nice to walk around a place where many people are still dressed completely differently from me – it makes me not just feel like I’m in a different world, but appreciate differences in the world. So, I’ve come around, 200 degrees or so (it would be 180, except it’s been consistently 20 degrees C too hot here during my stay!) in my view of India. I would not only suggest people come, but I would readily come back. There is so much to see here, and so little time. In fact, I’d actually look forward to it!