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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Holy Cow! We're Back

 

Mrs. Chatterbox and I have returned from India after the adventure of a lifetime. Thanks to all of you who helped launch our trip with your good wishes. Our health and spirits remained in good shape throughout our journey and I’ve come home with stories of this fabled land I can’t wait to share.
      
India, we learned, is not really a country; it’s a collection of over five hundred formerly independent kingdoms—more like a continent— and most of our journey took place in Delhi and Rajasthan. We barely scratched the surface of India. Our guide, Devender, told us if we slipped out of Rajasthan he’d have difficulty understanding the neighboring dialects.
      
On first blush, Mrs. C. and I found India overwhelming; nowhere does logic seem to prevail; especially on the roads. There are too many Indians to teach how to drive so everyone learns on their own, and by our definition they drive on the wrong side of the road. Traffic laws seem optional as buses, cars, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, camels, cows and goats swirl into a maelstrom of congestion that somehow manages to see everyone reaching their destinations. A horn is more important than brakes, and the din of traffic is often painful to endure, but it’s possible that the pulsing heartbeat of humanity beats nowhere more loudly than in India.
      
Mrs. C. and I are still trying to process all that we have seen and done, including camel
rides over sand dunes on the Pakistan border to watch the sun set over the Thar desert, nights spent among hunting trophies in the palaces of maharajas, lands oozing with cultural achievements making India for a millennia the richest place on earth. But most of all, we were impressed by the warmth of the Indian people. We were told Indians treat guests like deities, and we found this to be so. People living in hovels with precious little lined the streets when we passed through their villages, waving and clapping. We felt very welcome.
      
India is a place of shocking contradictions—grotesque ugliness lurking in the shadows of astonishing beauty. Women of timeless grace and serenity wrapped in kaleidoscopes of color, breeze past ancient temples and cell phone towers on mopeds, dodging sacred cows and pedestrians whose lives haven’t changed since the days of Buddha.
      
Yes, it’s true—Indian food is spicy, and it will be a long time before I tackle curry dishes, and never again for breakfast. In the future I’ll have a lot to say later about places we visited like the Taj Mahal. But for now Mrs. C. and I are recovering from out twenty hour trek home, staring at the walls while we process all we’ve seen and experienced. And we’re wallowing in how beautiful and orderly America is, how immaculate, how great and abundant the food, the miracle of safe tap water.
      
Perhaps Dorothy Gale said it best: “There’s no place like home!”

Tales from our Adventure to India will only be posted at chubbychatterbox.com/blog so I hope you'll join us there.

CC

22 comments:

  1. Welcome back. Can't wait to read about all your adventures, Stephen!! Laurel

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  2. Welcome back home!! So glad you're back and both in good health. Anxious to read about all your great trip...

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  3. So glad you two had such a fantastic adventure! It will be fun to read all about it, but for now you should just catch up on your sleep.

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  4. What a fabulous photo of you and Mrs. C!!!! I can't wait to read about your adventures -- your enthusiasm is absolutely catching!!

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  5. It sounds like you and Mrs. C. had a wonderful time! I look forward to reading about your adventures!

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  6. Welcome Home!! I am so glad that you had a good time and safe travels. I look forward to hearing about your travels and adventures and seeing India through your eyes. Your stories will be just what I need to get me through the coming days and the journey life has put me on.

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  7. Boy you sure put both of my recent trips to shame. Sounds great! Looking forward to the tales.

    Tabor

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  8. how exciting, can't wait to read/see more!! glad the trip was a safe one!

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  9. Welcome back Stephen. I eagerly await you Indian tales.

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  10. I just loved this post! I'm so excited to read your stories. I would love to travel the world someday!

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  11. Can not wait to hear more! Makes me long to set out on an adventure.

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  12. Great credit to you for getting organized and taking a trip like this. It is not only amazing to look at India but many other countries and cultures.

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  13. At least you didn't go in summer. My BIL did, and he couldn't wait to get out of there.

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  14. Looking forward to your stories. Welcome back.

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  15. G'day CC. Sounds like you had a fabulous time. Look forward to reading all about it. Love the photo of you and Mrs C. It's a great shot. I removed last comment because I boo booed with your name. Take care. Liz...

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  16. Holy Cow. What an appropriate title for a post on India. Glad you had a great time, but I couldn't help thinking about that Seinfeld episode where Elaine, Jerry, and George went to a friend's wedding in India. The bride's parents cautioned Elaine about going there, "They have the plague there. The plague!"
    Welcome back.

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  17. Welcome back. That shot of the Taj Mahal looks grand. Boy, your trip seems like it just started.

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  18. Glad to have you both back safe and sound. Need to ask - did you eat/drink anything from a YAK? Did you see one roaming the streets or are cows the only once granted that privilege?
    Hilde

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  19. Namasthe...

    Hi, blog hopping and stumbled upon your beautiful blog.

    I am Indian, and I love to hear that you enjoyed visit to India in spite of some troubles that you have mentioned. Well, there are lots and lots to see and experience in India; I haven't seen everything here yet.

    Having lived in the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman for years I can state with confidence that there are so many places to visit there and blog about. I enjoyed your post and thank you for blogging in a simple and wonderful way.

    I also blog a lot about middle east.

    Kindly visit mine too and add your valuable comments:
    http://www.magnificentdewdrops.blogspot.com
    http://www.magicalpresent.blogspot.com
    http://www.oruvishupponluari.wordpress.com

    Thanks
    Rajiv

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  20. I have lived in Asia and I have driven in Asia in Jogjakarta wich is "Jakarta light". I always was so glad when I got home safe! There are lots of accidents in India, I am sure. You are just lucky not to have seen them.

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  21. India is one very complicated country; and it takes months for traveler to come akin with the culture here. 'Diverse' is just an understatement to this culturally glorified country. Anyways, I'm glad you reached back home safe.

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