Farewell to India

Today is my last day in India…

India es “efervescente”, todo se multiplica por mil en este pais, las cosas buenas y obviamente las malas. Desde el caos, hasta la bondad de la gente….

Visiting India is an experience… every single minute you are confronted to situations where you are taken out from your comfort zone… and that’s exactly when you learn. It is also because of that that you meet so many people.

India is a place where you experience rather than visit… if I had to choose between the few visits to temples, Taj Mahal and historical sites, and the experiences (traveling by train, bus, talking to locals, being harassed by autorickshaws, etc…) I would choose the second. It is like having a time machine and traveling 100 years back in time.

People asking you for things can be veeeery disturbing… and at the beginning you don’t know how to handle it. My very first time I went out of my Hotel in Delhi I was followed by a guy (for over 30 mins.) who’s “pick up line” was… “nice shoes, where did you buy them?. Now I am used to it, you follow their game. It is the way they make a living… (and its very annoying most of the time). I mean… everybody wants to rip you off… it is a real patience test.
Looking no charge!!!!... if you like you buy if you don't like you done't buy.... hello my friend boat? rickshaw? silk? hash? Manali? Call? Internet? etc... etc... etc...

At the same time the sense of security when you walk on the streets is something amazing, even the most sketchy and dark alley is save. (with limits of course)… muy diferente a Latino-Amercia. Es lamentable porque es esta una de las razones que auyenta tantos turistas. Si vieran los lugares por donde me he metido, las calles, callejones... cuando recien llegas siente que te van a calatear al instante... todos te miran... pero luego te das cuenta que el ambiente es muy tranquilo.

My english is deffinitely getting worse. First of all cause' I donde have Jamye around and second cause' you have to speak Indian english here to be understood... a phrase like: "IS this the way to Shanti Guesthouse" turns into "shanti Guest house... There?" or... "How much is it to go to Goudalia" -> "Goudalia... how much??"

For all this... Thank you India.