Udaipur Check-In

Just a quick note, reporting I am safe In Udaipur after the 17 hr train journey through the night in the rain of Tropical Cyclone Phyan, for which the warning was posted about an hour before my departure from Bombay.
The cyclone hit in the area of Alibaug, near the beach house I described in my previous post. I have not heard from my friend whether everything there is ok.

The guesthouse where I am staying is called Shiva Guesthouse. The staff is nice enough, though it is surely geared towards a younger, more carefree kind of traveler. I have a nice bed, clean sheets, working electricity and an en suite bathroom with hot water.
My top complaints are that the shower barely emits enough water to wet yourself, and the hot and cold non-shower taps are separate, so if you try to wash under them, its either burning hot or freezing cold! ACK..
The alternative is the local style bucket bath.
sigh
I guess I should be content, some fellow travelers I met in the lobby earlier today declared it was a luxury to have the hot water at all.

It has been cloudy and misty, breezy and very cool, with occasional light showers since my arrival. I went out only briefly, explored the Jagdish Temple, where I made some stupid foreigner gaffs for which a guide (unofficial) duly reprimanded me. I did, however, get some great pics there!
The old city area is a maze of narrow winding streets filled with shops where shopkeepers great you in a variety of languages and do everything short o physically drag you into their shops. The array of handicrafts and souvenirs is mind boggling, and the temptation to splurge on my favorite style of silver and semi-porecious stone pendants nearly broke me down. I asked a few prices, but was not prepared for bargaining.
The streets themselves are, again (sorry India) really nasty. Trash as well as dog and cow dung make it nearly impossible to take a step, and you are wise not to look away!

I had plain ghee pulao (butter rice) and a banana lassi for lunch before taking a 3 hr nap, from which I've just woke. It's 8:10 pm. Some of the hotel "staff" is drinking (secretly but the smell is strong) and chatting loudly in Hindi here in the lobby where the computer is located. Normal everyday life, I suppose. They are still friendly and coherent, at least!

I will finish here, make a few tweets, then see about a light dinner (in the hotel rooftop cafe) before calling it a night, in the hopes that tomorrow is sunny and I can find the boat to get a lake tour and/or go to City Palace.

For an international tourist destination voted world's top city, this place sure doesn't make it easy to navigate or know what the heck is going on!

Here I go, rolling with the punches!

Cool November Rain, and a Train

Cool, breezy rains began yesterday around 11am.

Mumbaikers are all a bit surprised as November rain is virtually unheard of.

Apparently it is also bad news, despite the lovely break in the heat, because important food crops that should be ripening around this time will, according to my acquaintances here, be spoiled with even a few days' rain.

I am loving the coolness but sad for this news.

Hopefully the rains (a tropical storm in the Northern Indian Ocean drifting NNE inland even towards Rajasthan) will pass quickly.

As the storm moves inland toward Rajasthan, so do I.

Today is the big day.

In about 3 hours from now, I'll be heading out in a taxi for Bandra Terminus where I'll board my 17 hour overnight train for Udaipur.

My host had an office meeting and is unable to take me to the station, so he is sending me with his (non-English-speaking) servant who will make sure I get the correct train, car, and so forth.

I have faith that I will be taken care of, but it is still emotionally stressful.

I am armed with two India-versions of well-known fashion/home making magazines for the train as well as my notebook, camera, and old iRiver music device.

I plan to buy bottled water and snacks for the journey at the station as I have heard train food is not good for the belly especially as mine is still very delicate, to put it nicely.

I have done everything I can to make detailed arrangements for my arrival in Udaipur, although in India plans do not seem to count for much.

My experience so far is that you get told a different thing every time you ask the same question!

(yes, even when asking the same person!)

My guesthouse is supposed to have arranged someone to meet me at the station and bring me to their location....first I was told a "driver" would pick me up, but when I emailed to "confirm" was told something to the effect of a "taxi" will be there to guide me to a "stand" at the station where I will be "met" be an unidentified-someone-else.

Uh...what?

So really not sure if there will be anyone waiting there holding my name placard as originally arranged, or if I'll have to take my chances and spend the money getting a taxi on my own.

This rain is giving Mumbai, and my soul, a much needed bath.

Yes, I am still anxious. That is just how I am (for those who are commenting that I need to relax and just let go).

I take medication for severe anxiety, folks. It's not like you can just turn off the wiring and say ok now I'm gonna do it differently. It's chemical!

I fret, I cry, I make detailed plans, I freak out to everyone who will listen.

And then I just do it.

I know that the rest of my travels will be different from Mumbai.

I know that I CAN manage on my own, like it or not.

Undoubtedly there will be much more to report as soon as I can get connected from Udaipur!

My current "plan" is to first get settled into the guesthouse, determine level of safety and room security there, and probably take a nap to settle my nerves.

If I feel up to it, and weather permitting (70% chance of storms in Udaipur Thursday), I may wander the immediate area of the guesthouse before sunset.

I have no set agenda other than a list of places to see, not date specific (even that is a a major improvement for me, folks!)

City Palace, Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple and so forth are my main destinations, plus I intend to sit on the rooftop terrace writing a lot.

If I feel comfortable, I may try to find a spot right on the lake front from where to write, also.

I am scheduled to meet my couchsurfing.org host for my next destination on 19 November and will be going next to Jaipur.

All his references on the couchsurfing site are positive, and hopefully he already understands my p-o-v regarding being a guest not a party partner!

My friend here in Mumbai has his name/contact info in case, heaven forbid, something bad happens.

A reminder, again, that my posts from here on may become far less frequent. The guesthouse told me they had WiFi.

Their listing on hostelworld's website says "internet available".

I am sure there is a cyber cafe there somewhere if I need to go that route.

So, if you do not hear from me on this blog, on twitter, or via email for several days, do not panic!!

If you do not hear from me before the 22nd...THEN panic!

lol

Thanks for following my adventure!

Beach House and British Expats

The past few days in Mumbai have been calm and yet full of interesting occurrences.

On Saturday morning Titu and I taxied down to the docks by Gateway of India and caught a ferry to a rural area north of Mumbai called Awas, where his family owns property. The ferry trip was interesting, with many families going for day picnics or weekends at their beach property. A group of college aged youth sang songs and had a drumming circle on the upper deck. Children played games while the adults snacked and chatted.

We sailed into the morning sun, making it difficult to see, but Mumbai's harbor (such as it is) was crowded with all manner of shipping vessels from around the globe as well as Naval vessels, fishing boats and private pleasure boats.

The trip to Awas takes about an hour, depending which type of boat you book on.

We arrived and disembarked at Mandwa .

Titu flagged an auto-rickshaw which took us away from the docks towards the actual village of Awas. En route we stopped for chai and a kind of battered potato fritter whose name I can never remember!

The rickshaw bumped along the rutted, crumbling road for about 15 minutes til we got out in the middle of what seemed like jungle. Through a gate, along a leaf-strewn dirt drive, we came to a series of arches and patios and the entrance to Titu's family "beach house" (about a 5 minute walk from beach).

As with so many buildings here, the beach house is redolent of former glory. Arched windows and carved elements but cracked walls and horribly peeling paint, utilities shut off or barely functional. The smell of decay...mold, mildew, dust...was literally suffocating.

No one lives there, anymore. A caretaker (husband/wife) lives on the property, but the house is not maintained.

Titu talked about renting it, or maybe turning it into a B&B, and I had visions of moving in, restoring it lovingly one room, one garden section at a time...

Illusions...delusions...

After he talked business with the caretaker briefly, we changed and walked to the beach, which was surprisingly clean and virtually deserted.

I collected a few shells and we splashed and floated in the Arabian Sea for about an hour before heading back to the house, where I was thrilled to be shown how to take my first ever bucket shower/bath!

You literally fill a bucket with water, get a smaller cup for a scoop, and pour cupfuls of water over yourself to bathe! Not highly effective, but good enough for short term purposes!

The trip back to Mumbai was quiet...Titu bumped into an old acquaintance and they talked about "the good old days" when Awas was much less popular with day trippers and the rich/land developers.

Saturday evening Titu left for a social event with some friends...apparently running with the rich and famous. I was invited but did not feel comfortable with the whole production. Reportedly some of the top names in Indian fashion and film (including 2 famous Bollywood stars) were there. Titu's friends, who invited him, are designers and ad execs and producers, if I understand correctly, so he has access to "the scene". (There is still so much I don't know about this man...I only knew him briefly in college and never once thought about him as anything other than a funny frat boy always cracking jokes in the dorm hall).

In ways I regret not having gone, yet now I can say "I blew off Bollywood!" and on yet another level I am just relieved I did not have to stay out til 3am!

While he was at the party, Titu phoned and suggested I go upstairs to meet his British neighbor who's lived in India since 1958!

I thought it would be a good chance to get a different perspective on all this madness, so I agreed.

What a fascinating experience! The man, who's name I'll keep private for him/his family's sake, was born and raised til age 13 in Alexandria, Egypt, moved to the UK during his teens, fought in WWII across Europe (including liberating concentration camps), and returned to India in 1958 with a British-based business.

He met his wife in Calcutta, and eventually they had 2 daughters, both of whom were raised in India.

He can be a cranky old man (well he is 86) but he has so many stories! At times he gets graphic describing war scenes or talks about wanting to die as all his friends are gone...but overall just a fabulously intriguing chap!

I want to write more about him, and yet cannot think of how to encompass it here, now, so will leave it for the (possible) book...

Today is Monday, Titu's at work, and I am locked in my room at his house trying to avoid the cleaning servant who should arrive any moment.

I just don't like to be bothered, and really would rather do the damn housework myself!

It's mostly cloudy today and "cooler" (in relative terms)...though 89, while not as bad as 98, is still pretty darn hot.

Thankfully a storm system is due to arrive either tonight or tomorrow, bringing 60% chance thunderstorms for several days as well as even lower temps.

I leave for Udaipur on the train Wednesday. I still don't know whether Titu himself can get off work to take me or whether I'll be going with one of the non-English speaking servants.

I have no idea how to find the station let alone the train platform!

Terror is setting in.

Next steps after finding the train will include:

keeping myself and my possessions secure during the 17 hr overnight journey,

making sure I get off at the right station in Udaipur,

finding the driver from the guesthouse there who is supposed to meet me with my name plackard at the station in Udaipur, and

getting settled up and settled in at Shiva Guesthouse itself.

In all honesty, I plan to cry a lot between now and Wednesday early afternoon when this next stage of my journey begins.

Titu has spoiled me horribly here in Mumbai, taking care of all my necessities and keeping me safe.

But all this is at an end.

From here on out, I am on my own, armed with only the most basic of Hindi phrases, and virtually no understanding of how to do things in this country.

I am super scared...will I even be able to communicate?

What if I cannot express my wishes/needs?!

Will I be safe?

What about my possessions? Should I leave my laptop here and rely on cyber-cafes the rest of this trip? If I do that...what about my photos? I won't have enough storage on my card for 4.5 months worth of pics. Plus much of my travel info is stored in emails or Word docs.

ARGH

I am also having serious concerns about money...knowing my budget is so limited. Any miscalculation now could be tragic when I get to the later stages of my journey.

This is all so confusing. What the heck was I THINKING, coming to India alone on a rock bottom budget?! Why didn't someone kick my ass before I got on the plane?

Acclimating but Not with Grace

I went out on a walk alone yesterday, once my host (from here on I'll call him my friend or by his nickname Titu) showed me a few places on my itinerary by having a taxi drive past them (he's very thoughtful that way).

Bought two varieties of spiced chai at Tea Centre...had a minor (ok somewhat more than minor) panic attack when I was told at their shop that a significant portion of my money was counterfeit! Out of 1500R they would only accept 1 note.

(long story short, found out later that for whatever reason they said so, this was NOT the case, the bills were fine...)

After leaving the Thomas Cook (foreign exchange) office, I walked to some pret-a-porter womens clothing shops where I purchased 2 kurtas (tunics) in plain earth tone fabrics to match the rest of my wardrobe.

I then wandered past University of Mumbai (fabulous architecture there!) and down one side of the maidan (literally "open field") where cricket matches are held.

I ended up in Colaba in a Indian Navy housing area where schools, a Catholic cathedral and lots of those old Victorian era (for my purposes meaning 1890s-1920s) once glorious mansions are crumbling in the tropical heat.

Great for photography!

I lost some of my fears regarding the people and was able to ask questions and answer people more easily when I was addressed.

I made my way to Leopolds where I had a mango lassi and some jeera pulao (cumin rice) for lunch.

Next, shopping at a few street vendors where I bought some paisley stationery with matching envelopes as well as a fabulous dupatta (type of traditional scarf) that matches my wardrobe.

Made a local pay phone call from a PCO (not sure what it stands for) where you put in a 1R coin for each 30 seconds talk time.

Then, hot and mentally wiped out, I found a taxi near the Taj Hotel and was delivered safely back to Titu's home across town for the grand total of 80R (less than $2).

Today I am a bit fatigued...female issues as well as needing some emotional/mental bounce-back time. I learned that I can do everything I need to do, but it is still a bit of an effort and I need some time to regain my interior fortitude before venturing out again.

Personal space/privacy and being able to live inside my own thoughts & feelings is a major issue for me. I am a quiet private person at my best...so being in a noisy over-crowded busy environment where my time is not really my own is a strain.

I just do not process life like so many other people do!

Conversation, especially with strangers, especially when I feel I'm being judged, is very difficult for me. Trying to relate to others whose thought patterns and social expectations are different is EXHAUSTING.

It's not that I find other people offensive, nor do I want to be anti-social. I just know I am not on the same level, I know I am not going to be understood, and I find having to watch what I say/do instead of just being as I am very draining.

I don't want to make a bad impression, but I can't keep up with certain ways of being/doing that I am expected to adhere to in certain circles!

All in all, things are improving. I do not claim to understand the way people interact here, even those of the same family or social status, let alone between classes/castes.

Which reminds me, I should mention, to give those back in the States or other western countries reading this more perspective, that although legally the caste system is no longer adhered to, it is still very much alive.

One small example:

Titu took me to a nice South Indian restaurant for lunch a few days ago where if it's busy you have to share your table with a stranger. While we were eating, a woman wearing elegant clothing and very nice jewelry came and sat at our table. She was very friendly, but after a few pleasantries she flat out asked him "Where is your family from? What is your caste?" and he answered without hesitation, as if it were the most normal question in the world.

This morning we went into a shop. You know, as westerners we walk into a shop and typically pick up what we like for ourselves and take it to the check-out. This was not an upscale shop, just a walk in bakery/mini grocery. But here, the customer tells the shopkeeper what he wants, then the shopkeeper tells an assistant who goes and retrieves it. We asked for bread, and a loaf was put into my hands. I simply thought it was for me to hold, but learned I was supposed to approve its freshness and then say whether it was acceptable!

So so much to learn! Am I truly up to this task? I hate making blunders! I hate looking like a fool! And yet, surely I can't be expected to know...can I?

Tomorrow, once I have rested and balanced out a bit, I plan to walk through a local shopping district here in Malabar Hill and over to Marine Drive...walk along the sea for a little ways...or maybe have Titu's taxi drop me somewhere along the seafront and walk back most if not all of the way...

Full Overwhelm

Late last evening it really hit me that I am not adjusting very well at all to being here. All the constant stares, even if it is simply curiosity on the locals' part, make me super uncomfortable.

No one smiles, no one looks the least bit friendly. I feel like any minute someone is going to do something bad to me..."bad" being a vague sense that I am not welcome nor entirely safe.

Instead of feeling more comfortable here as days pass, I am feeling more afraid.

Of course, having a bad case of PMS is not helping. So far today I have done more crying than anything else.

Plus, I have caught some kind of sinus/throat infection or cold...coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and in the mornings it hurts so bad I can hardly swallow.

Yesterday my host took me to the Kalbadevi district, a bazaar area of Old Mumbai. If you follow the link you will see a not-very-descriptive overview of the area on wikipedia including a photo from the 1890s.

If you visit my flickr Mumbai set you will see the area as it is today (sample image below).

Besides the oppressive heat (looking for another word which can convey this), the area is virtually incomprehensible to the western mind which has never traveled outside western

nations.

People are everywhere and it seems like everyone is in a hurry. If you stop to try to take a photo you literally need to hide behind a car or door to avoid getting run into or pushed aside.

It's difficult to tell what is what, as most signs are in Hindi and many shop keepers (again, even when speaking Hin-glish) were (to me) incomprehensible.

And the smells.

How can I convey this experience to someone sitting in a safe clean quiet room on the other side of the planet?

Humans and animals alike are urinating and, in some corners, defecating on the street. Litter is tossed without a thought onto road/sidewalk...there simply are no trash bins, no dumpsters, no sanitation provisions of ANY sort (and this is true not just for the old town but for the upscale area where I'm staying, as well).

And open air restaurants are located directly on the street amidst it all.

I have lived in poverty myself...in trashy one room apartments above bars, in insect infested buildings, etc. None of them even equates to the depths of filth here.

Part of what I am trying to express is a lack of privacy and self-respect...or perhaps, lack of shame. Mumbai takes "you gotta do what you gotta do" to a level I never dreamed possible.

What's worse is seeing the rich sit in their gated guarded buildings bemoaning the plight of the country's poor (right outside their doors) while their servants do even the most menial tasks and go home hungry.

I am not a professional on knowing what the rich can do to help the poor. In my country I AM the poor (I've used every penny to my name for this trip, and even every penny would not have kept a roof over my head in the US w/no guarantee of finding another job). But I do know it is WRONG to sit in your air conditioned safety and say you feel sorry for the man on the street when you do nothing to help.

I am not here to judge or preach and do not want to take that route in my writings, but I do want to provide an accurate observation of the way it is, of the things I am seeing.

There is so much more I wish I could write about accurately.

The day we took the "house boy" (cleaning servant) to the hospital...the conditions there...again, lack of privacy in examination room, the rooms being open to the outdoors, dingy mismatched curtains and antiquated file systems (yellowed notebooks as charts).

It reminded me of a 1940s war type scenario.

Also I know a big part of my issue is that I feel really pressured to adapt faster, better. My host does not seem to understand my inability to simply "get over it" and get out and about on my own. It's like to him, emotional/mental health issues cannot possibly exist. I'm a mature physically healthy adult...so what's the problem?

I'm not really sure what to DO. I don't want to be stuck in my room for the next 9 days til I leave for Udaipur.

Maybe once the PMS passes...and once the weather cools a wee bit (even a few degrees will be a welcome change!)...I'll be more capable of facing this challenge.

I'm hoping to be brave enough to go out walking sometime mid-afternoon, today. Hanging Gardens (in reality just a terraced park) is in the neighborhood and I've been told it's a must-see for tourists.

Please continue praying for me, leaving kind encouraging comments, and connecting with me on twitter. Vibes and prayers from afar actually do help!

Edited to add: Important wiki/info on sanitation and water supply in India...this may be urban India's most urgent issue.

What is being done to improve facilities for the common citizen who may not even have a home?

Urgent issues:

*health regulations (if there are any, they surely don't seem to be enforced).

*trash/rubbish/refuse disposal facilities, pick up services, street clean up initiatives are all desperately needed

Pondering if there is any way at all I can get people interested in DOING something about these issues.

Might have to come from volunteer workers sourced from overseas...so far I have not met any locals who are concerned!

Acclimating is a LONG Process

Acclimating to India is a LONG process. Maybe by the time my trip nears it's end I'll feel like I have somewhat gotten used to being here...if I'm lucky.

Everyone keeps asking if I'm having a good time. How on earth do I respond to that? Best to say I am not having a BAD time.

But so many factors come into play...

*Still not 100% recovered from jet lag, feeling better every day but still tired and sore. In addition, the oppressive heat (96-100F daily) and pollution (inc. noise pollution) are affecting my sinuses, sense of balance, appetite, sleep cycle and more.

*I am not sure I will EVER get used to being stared at so boldly with such a lack of friendliness.

On one hand, I am just trying to ignore it, just not really looking at people and doing my own thing.

On the other hand it is virtually impossible to ignore. You can't even walk in the park or to a high end tourist shop without causing a disruption.

*Language barrier...although many of my host's friends speak very good English, it is still spoken quite rapidly and with a very strong accent. Sometimes (I'm embarrassed to admit) I can't even tell when they are speaking English, especially when they mix Hindi and English phrases!

I have learned several words/phrases in Hindi, but don't have enough connective words to move from 'yes', 'no', 'thank you" and (my greatest achievement) "I would like some______", to actually expressing my own thoughts.

Culture barrier...there is no reference point here.

I can't stress enough how difficult this part is for ME, as I am super sensitive, self-conscious and anxiety ridden even in my own US surroundings at the best of times.

Here, now, even if I understand what's being said as far as the WORDS, the meaning beneath them can be vastly different, so I hesitate to engage in conversation.

More than anything else, this barrier makes me feel like bawling like a baby.

I feel like I cannot make myself understood (besides, most of time, with my host) and also cannot understand what's going on.

Other factors are, I am somewhat reliant on my host when he's off work for deciding a daily schedule. We've been napping in the worst heat every afternoon after lunch, sometimes til almost dusk.

I am trying to keep up with my thoughts and process my experiences here and in my written journal.

I am trying to work on editing and uploading my pics.

Still, my time is NOT fully my own. It would be rude not to dine with my host or chat with his friends and so on.

I suppose starting tomorrow I'll have a better perspective how I'll pass my time when it IS my own, as he'll be going back to work and I'll have most of the daylight hours on my own.

I am planning a few more walks especially in his general neighborhood, and also Marine Drive as well as Nariman Pt. and Ballard Estate (more "touristy" areas insomuch as Mumbai has touristy areas).

Time now to run errands...do some shopping...get a cell phone, some salwar kameez (clothing), maybe even buy some BEADS!

Forthcoming: descriptions of a local hospital, the thali lunch we had yesterday, and some typical sights and sounds of the area

Mappi Mumbai

I am here (under the A...zoom out for perspective)

View Larger Map

and you're not.

Happy Halloween from Mumbai.

It is an extraordinarily hot day, around 98F (33C ?).

I have been trying, obviously unsuccessfully, to nap.

I am still not over the jet lag, and my tummy is fussy.

We had lunch at a "street food" style (but higher quality, my host says) shop

called The Sweet People...items ate include panipuri,

samosa, bhelpuri (I didn't like the texture

of this one & let my host eat it), and bhajji.

YUMMY

After returning from lunch we both chose to nap out the rest of the afternoon!

Sunset begins around 15-30 minutes from now and I am pondering a walk in the

park beside the Arabian Sea, just around the other side of this apartment complex area.

Tomorrow the only plans I know of are lunch with host's grandmother and hopefully buy my

cell phone, which I was hoping to do today.

Monday I think we are going (by boat) to the family beach house at Awas, north of Mumbai.

Thus far on My journey

Namaste!
I arrived safely in Mumbai on schedule at 8:50pm on 28 October 2009. The flight was long but made less irritable by Continental's interactive individual seatback entertainment consoles. You can choose from hundreds of movies of all kinds, various musical genres on a personal jukebox, tv shows...even games for those so inclined!
After dinner and watching part of "Gandhi", I took some sleepy meds and drifted in and out of sleep for about 7 hrs out of the 14 hr crossing. We flew from night in Newark into sunrise, through the day above Europe...
Upon waking we were flying over Turkmenistan, and it was nearing sunset again. The flight map showed us passing over Afghanistan...Pakistan. I saw the lights of Kandahar and Karachi and to me it seemed weird to be flying over a war zone.

Breakfast was served shortly before landing, even though it was now night.

The airport arrival procedure was oddly simple. There was an H1N1 screening center but they didn't screen anything other than to ask if you had been to an infected country or had any symptoms. Even people who were coughing and sneezing answered "no" to the symptoms and everyone was cleared without question!
Then there was "customs"...again, no questions if you said "nothing to declare".
On to baggage claim, which took seemingly forever!
It was about 10pm when I finally followed the crowd into the Mumbai night...the airport just opens into an outdoor waiting area jam packed with people holding signs.
It took several minutes to find my host...I was starting to get really worried when I finally stopped looking at the crowd and looked UP...and there he was, laughing.
We were delivered back to his place in Malabar Hill (India's wealthiest neighborhood) by a chaffeur (one of his friend's drivers, he said) but in a tiny car!
We talked for a few hours...but it was dark, I was mentally wiped out, and not much sank in.
He showed me to my room (very cozy)...his 2 BR/2BA apartment is all very cozy and tasteful...and I slept off and on from midnight til 5am

But you probably don't want these mundane details.

Admittedly, I'm not quite sure what to tell you...not where to begin or how to encompass everything I've already observed the past 2 days.

I decided to start with what India is not, no matter how trite or slanted the following might sound.

1: India is definitely NOT the United States or even England or Europe, for so many reasons. Of course, I never expected it WOULD be, but you cannot conceive of the difference until you are in the midst of it.
I walked yesterday (more on that later) and in places there were no other westerners, and indeed at times I was stared at like they'd never even SEEN a westerner.
Despite being told it's easy to get by in English, I did NOT find that to be the case, even when asking uniformed guards or street policemen for directions.

2: India is not "modern" in the sense we know it. Yes, they have technology. Internet and cell phones and all that are pervasive, at least in Mumbai. But infrastructure is oddly antiquated...to my (decidedly uneducated) eye, the city is more or less still in the 1950s or thereabouts.
Wires are hanging everywhere, not hidden or underground. Even in the upscale apartment building there is an antiquated lift run by a "bell hop" of sorts.

3: India, or rather Mumbai (massive as it is) is NOT quiet, slow-paced, or peaceful.
Traffic is INSANE! While there are red lights and crossing lights, they seem to be interpreted more as very general guidelines than as rules. There are marked traffic lanes, but no one heeds , them. People step into oncoming traffic to cross, and in most places walk on the street with traffic (cars, auto-rickshaws, pony drawn carts,scooters, etc) to get where they're going (sidewalks are few and far between in some areas). And the cacophony of sound! WOW overwhelming! Drivers are constantly honking at other vehicles. At times it's impossible to tell who is honking at who or why, it's more like everyone just wants to be heard!
Honestly, for about 5 hours after getting out of traffic last night, I still heard honking echoing inside my skull!

4: The caste/class system, despite having been legally abolished decades ago, is still very much alive and in effect. The rich live in high rise apartment blocks. Between these "estates" are street dwellers, some in shacks, some simply sleeping on the pavement. Dogs and cats walk and sleep on the streets and sidewalks, oblivious to the movements of people. I even saw one dog trotting alone in the middle of a busy city street, like he thought he was one of the cars, like he thought he had to get somewhere after his work day, too.
To my American sensibilities, the divide between the classes, and the way it is perceived/addressed by wealthier natives, is unfathomable. Of course, I have the same problem in the USA, so that is more a personal issue than a cultural one.
I am not here to pass judgement, merely report what I have seen.

Having said all of that...India IS real, and I AM here for another 5 months!

I have a lot concerns and anxieties which I tried to address yesterday by having my host drop me off at Gateway of India. Within minutes I was accosted by half a dozen hawkers trying to sell tickets to Elephanta Caves, other local tours, food/drinks, souvenirs...even a "holy man" who dabbed red paint on my forehead, offered me some kind of round white sweet (probably sugar cubes) and tied a string on my wrist (I'm not sure what these are called) and then proceeded to ask me for 500rupees ($10US). I gave him a 50R note and apologized as honestly I had no clue and my entire daily budget was 500R. (I was later told by someone else that even a 50 was more than that man normally probably made in a full day and that I should not even acknowledge hearing anyone from now on...difficult!)

I walked from Gateway up to Victoria Station and was constantly stunned by the local realities. FILTH is pervasive. Everyone simply tosses rubbish into the street or water. In places you can smell raw sewage. Some people are living on a blanket on the pavement.
At Prince of Wales Museum, which I thought would be modern and classy, it was hot, stifling, and the Indian visitors were unruly and disrespectful, TOUCHING the ancient exhibits, pushing in front of foreign visitors who were trying to read what few (and often inaccurate) informative signs there were. At times I felt like I was the most interesting exhibit in the place, both men and women stared at me so openly, even though I was dressed VERY conservatively (unlike several other westerners I saw).
On the street, some children actually grabbed my hand as I passed them, saying "Hello America! Hello American" With the children it was easy to laugh it off. I also had a woman, older than me, start walking beside me and speaking in an Indian language or dialect, of course I had no clue what she was saying, I kept smiling at her and saying "I'm sorry I don't understand" and trying to politely walk ahead of her, but she'd hurry up beside me again and say something more.
I felt strange...embarassed...uncomfortable (like my space was being invaded).
I didn't want to offend her by walking away and yet...what else could I do? If I had stopped, EVERYONE would have surrounded me expecting talk or money.
Another disconcerting experience was the cafeteria (in reality a snack stand w/a drink machine in an open (filthy) courtyard at the museum. The locals have a few water taps and everyone shares the same cups (there were maybe 4 cups). Some poured the water into their mouths from above without touching their lips...others did NOT and drank direct from the metal cup). Children washed in the same sink. Even in the museum, some people were barefoot and covered in dirt.

My host wants me to get out on my own. To take the taxi in the daytime whether they speak English or not. To walk in his neighborhood, even the slums part. He says it is perfectly safe and that I need to get used to it. Which may well be true. But those of you who know me know that I have social anxiety issues even in places where I speak the language and know the customs.
The thought of venturing out on my own at this stage is terrifying.
I know it's all my own mental/emotional block and hopefully I can overcome it, but I am not going to rush into anything that feels unsafe emotionally.

At this moment, it is 11:30am. I have been feeling a bit queasy (light headed, mild nausea) this morning, off and on, and have a mild case of "Delhi belly". Awhile ago I had a nosebleed.
Hoping it is merely fatigue, jet lag...stress...and not something serious. I've been very careful to drink only bottled water and juice or soda...except for a few ice cubes in my drink at the club last night which my host told me were pure).
Of course, pure to him and pure to me might not be at all the same thing.

I've had very little appetite since arriving. Yesterday I ate 2 plain roti for breakfast and had chai and plain black tea, then some garlic naan at lunch, and a nice dinner of traditional Indian foods (all of which I've tried before in either US or UK) for dinner.
This morning, again, no appetite, had about half an apple so far today.

Other things of "note": I tried my frist yoga class this morning! My host has 2 friends and a yoga teacher come twice a week and I was able to do the stretching if not the correct breathing or meditation.

A "weird" moment occurred when I stood by Gateway of India looking at The Taj Hotel. Obviously it came to international attention last November when the terrorist bombings and shootings occurred there. From that side, there was virtually no evidence it had ever happened. The 5 star resort is open again and thriving. But it felt very strange, to look at it in person and know it was the scene of such tragedy and terror last year (like going to Ground Zero a few years after 9/11, on a somewhat lesser scale)
I always find it surreal to be on the scene of an event that I watched on the news at some point in the past, especially one where people died.

Later in the day I actually went into the Taj lobby, where I met some visitors from Israel who suggested we go to The Leopold Cafe around the block. As we sipped soda they pointed out a blackened gap in the building across the street...damage from the terrorist attacks the previous year, and reminded me that several people had died in the cafe right where we were sitting.

The Leopold itself is fabulous, a real international place, where western faces were prevalent. There seem to be a lot of Israelis and former eastern bloc countries represented, along with the British. I really liked it there, although I admit my reasons feel a bit prejudiced even to myself.
It was clean, the staff understood English, and prices were quite reasonable.
After leaving, on my way back to meet my host at our prearranged spot, I gathered enough courage to venture into a few of the shops (truth: only after I saw other tourists there), and even to ask about prices at a few of the street vendors selling lanterns and clothing.

This is probably the longest blog entry I have ever done and I still don't feel like I've even begun to scratch the surface of what I've experienced in just my first 36 hrs in India.

It's now just past noon and I'm getting progressively dizzier and more nauseated, so I'm going to try to sleep awhile.
Hopefully this is nothing serious but to be honest I really feel like CRAP!

APPENDED to add:
2:40pm have been unable to nap but thankfully feeling less dizzy/nauseated

Unfortunately, I have just found out about the new warning issued by US govt to Americans traveling in India re: new threats/potential for terrorist attacks targeting Americans & other westerners. We are to keep "low profiles", stay away from places frequented by westerners and avoid major tourist attractions!
UMM...right. Great. Fabulous.
Now what?
On one hand, I am seriously contemplating going to the US Embassy (in my general "neighborhood") to learn more and let them advise as to whether I should change plans, or even cancel them.
On the other hand, just this morning after yoga I was telling my host's friends how we cannot allow the threat of terrorism to ruin our lives! Of course as I was saying it I did not realize there were real new threats!

ZOIKS.
Yet another position I have never been in before, never dreamed I could/would be in.
Also debating whether to pass this news along to my family as I don't want to worry my mother unnecessarily.

As of now, my plans remain unchanged, although I suppose I will take whatever more small precautions I can (and hopefully this won't mean having to avoid Leopolds...but...)

Last Night in the States til...

This is it...my last night in the USA til late March 2010 is finally here, and it STILL doesn't seem real.

Twelve hrs from now I'll be en route to the airport. Seventeen hrs from now I'll board the first leg of my journey.

Forty-seven hrs from now I'll be arriving in Mumbai.

I finished packing days ago. I've printed out all my train tickets, rechecked luggage, and packed away everything which is going back into storage here.

I've researched everything I can think of for my stay in Mumbai.

I can only "pray" that I get along better than expected with my old college friend there, whose emails and calls started as fun and frequent and over the weeks til now dwindled to barely a sentence in reply to my repeated queries.

I can only hope I am able to boldy face the strangeness and foreignness of a faraway land whose culture, traditions, food, even native language is not my own.

I am numb. I am not sure if I have remembered everything. I have been strangely unable to think, to focus on this adventure.

I am clearly in some form of denial...perhaps as a defense mechanism against panic.

At some point tomorrow I will probably break out in tears. I have been known to cry a lot while in flight.

But honestly, I have done all I can do as far as preparations.

Perhaps my atypical non-drama, this go around, is merely my own emotional evolution?

Whereas in past days I may have been in hysterics by this stage, tonight I am only tired and resigned.

Wednesday night I will land in the heat of Mumbai, meet a stranger I haven't seen since 1987, and embark on a part of my life I never expected to be facing.

My hope is to chronicle my experiences here on a weekly basis, as I explore bazaars, temples, and Indian trains.

Pray for me as you watch my journey unfold.

India Itinerary

For those of you who have expressed interest/curiosity, here is my tentative itinerary for India (excluding specific dates).

I am traveling almost exclusively by train with the exception of Dharamsala which is only accessible by coach.

~Arrive Mumbai; staying with college friend

I'll spend 14 days in Mumbai

~train to Udaipur; lakeside guesthouse booked

spending 10 days

~train to Jaipur; couchsurf(.org) host arranged

spending 7 days

~train to Jaisalmer; couchsurf host arranged

spending 13 days

~train to Jodhpur; couchsurf host arranged

spending 5 days

~train to Delhi; couchsurf host arranged for all but 3 nights

spending 5 days

~train to Agra; guesthouse booked

spending 5 days

~train to Varanasi; guesthouse/cultural exchange booked

spending a full month

~return Delhi then on to Dharamsala (home of Dalai Lama)

spending a full month

~return to Mumbai for final 3 weeks

daytrip~Goa???

short trip Aurangabad/ Ellora and Ajanta Caves if finances permit

19 Days til Departure

Less than three weeks, now, til I board my flight for Mumbai.

It still seems very distant, removed, unreal.

My work season here in the Colorado Rockies just ended, and I am still living in my dorm room, not yet even entirely packed to return to Florida for the short rest in between adventures.

I am drained, emotionally and physically.

It has not quite sunk in yet (at least not completely) that I have survived yet another astonishingly difficult period of my life.

I have vowed NEVER to take on seasonal work in the park concessions system again.

I cannot pack for India until I get back and unpack in Florida...which is five and a half days from today.

So again, the theme is "limbo". I am stuck in some kind of middle ground.

Disconcerting.

Plans have been changed due to panic attack/mini-crisis, then changed back again. I now have all my inter-India rail tickets up until 31 December 2009...

I'll be ringing in the New Year on an overnight train between Delhi and Varanasi, and will start 2010 in one of the world's holiest cities.

It still does not seem real.