Over a week has gone by since I landed in India. I don't have the time or patience to write out all of my experiences here (and I doubt you have the patience to read a massive blog post either), so I'll try to keep this relatively short and sweet. I know this may not be the most PC thing to say, but India really is "a precious jewel nested within a pile of shit". As in feces. Poo. You get the point. There are some really beautiful sites, the food is delicious and the culture absorbing. However, to access all of this you have to make sure that you don't step in dog shit, camel shit, water buffalo shit, cow shit, bull shit (hahahaha), goat shit, and - most disgusting of all - human shit. Yes, today while driving to Nepal we saw several individuals taking a dump right by the side of the road. A few appeared to have upset tummies as well. I really apologize if this description has forced you to close this blog and go vomit nearby.
India really is wonderful though. Just when you think you are disgusted, tired and sweaty, you come across something truly spectacular. The types of experiences and sites that make you want to tell all of your friends, "you must visit India!" Some of the memorable sites include - the Lotus Temple in Delhi; Taj Mahal in Agra; the awe inspiring temples and palaces in Orchha, and the site of Hindu pilgrims bathing, praying and cremating the dead at the Ganges River.
By far the most exciting experience thus far was participating in an India wedding. Our guide, Raj, is close friends with the groom's parents and succeeded in getting all four of us invitations to a wedding. People complain that North American weddings are expensive, what with everyone trying to 'keep up with the Jones''. The wedding we attended cost the bride's parents over $30 million rupees. That's just under $1 million Canadian dollars. For one wedding (which usually lasts five days). Amazing!
As soon as we walked into the outdoor hall, we were greeted by the soft scent of jasmine. This would normally be a small delight for the senses, but after a day spent smelling shit it was like heaven. The walls of the outdoor hall were lined with food stands offering every different type of Indian vegetarian fare imaginable. There were also chefs making fresh roti, naan and papadom on the spot. The biggest hit was the name brand ice cream stand in the far corner. It was delicious!
As for the actual wedding, the groom entered on a white horse covered in jeweled cloth. He was surrounded by dancers, party goers and band members. We joined in the celebrations as well (and the attendees had a good laugh watching the crazy white people dance around the groom). Twenty minutes later the bride's procession entered. She was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. Four men carried her silver carriage on their shoulders. She wore pounds of gold jewelery and her red sari was so saturated with jewels that it was hard to see that the actual sari was in fact red (nb: it is custom for brides to wear red to weddings). The amount spent on jewelery and clothing alone must have been outstanding.
The only negative of the night was almost being robbed. While I was busy taking pictures, one man opened my purse and was going to steal my money, phone, etc. Luckily a member of the wedding party witnessed this and gave him a good punch in the face. Ha!
Well, I wrote way more than I intended to write, and it's dinner time now, so I'll try to update this again later. We'll see.
Be well.
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