On the way back from Japan, you might as well stop by India. What the hell else do you have to do?
You arrive in Delhi where you meet Mr. Zakheim. He’ll be your guide for the trip. From there you will go to Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodpur, Udaipur, and then back to Delhi. But first, some general points about India.
India is in a constant state of disrepair. Everything is crumbling. The roads are unpaved or unfinished, the buildings are falling apart, the historic sites are perpetually being “worked on”, and the sewers are… less than unobstructed.
Roads – They are congested. There are auto-rickshaws (tuk-tuks) everywhere. Sometimes you see cars. Everyone else rides a motorcycle – sometimes four at once. The tuk-tuks only comfortably fit one driver and two passengers, yet you somehow see ten people piled into and hanging off of them. Despite the considerable amount of human cargo, everyone drives like dangerous mental patients. Traffic rules do not exist. Lines are a suggestion no ones heeds. The motorcycles and rickshaws all jockey for position in between the cars. Basic maneuvers usually taken for granted, like turning and stopping, turn perilous when driving in India. Pull up to a red light on a “two lane” road, and by the time the light turns green, it’ll be at least a six-man race. By some miracle, you will not be killed going from place to place. As a travel agent once described it, “everything falls into place.”
On the road, the only way people signal to each other is by honking their horns. Passing a pedestrian? Honk the horn. Coming up on another rickshaw? Honk the horn. About to turn? Honk the horn. The sound loses all meaning when it’s constantly coming at you from every direction simultaneously.
Rubble – on every block there is at least one pile of rubble. Where does it come from? There is no way to know. Sometimes it’s gravel. Other times it’s pieces of bricks (never whole bricks) or broken bits of stone. It serves no discernable purpose. It can’t be used to build (what are you gonna build out of a heap of broken bricks?). And it usually doesn’t look like it necessarily came from a nearby demolished building. Sometimes you see people sweeping small bits of rubble (like gravel) into little trays – ostensibly to move it into another pile.
Buildings – many are either half built or half falling down – it’s impossible to tell. Below is picture of a typical scene on an Indian street. You tell me, is this building being built or torn down?
Cows – they are everywhere. Yes, the rumors are true. They walk unmolested in the streets, lounge on piles of rubble, eat the trash lying around, and shit – everywhere. There are no efforts to control them. If a cow decides to hang out in the middle of the road, so be it. Traffic will be backed up for miles.
Dogs – also everywhere. In the middle of the night, you may hear bands of wild dogs howling in the street outside your window. Do not be alarmed. They will not attempt to ram the door.
Heat – India is oppressively hot. Despite this, all men wear slacks and a collared shirt – every one.
The day after you arrive in Delhi, jump on a bus to Jaipur. The bus will be cramped and in slight disrepair. You won't know it at the time, but this will be the nicest bus you will be on in India.
