In Delhi, the commonwealth games approach. Overwhelmed with traffic, political confusion and construction catastrophe, Delhi will be lucky if they are able to stage half the events, and even luckier if any athletes remain willing to brave the unpleasant accommodation. Indian pride is vital, and the impending underwhelming games looks set to deeply embarrass. There are, then, reasons for some to dissuade  tourism in the coming weeks. Sadly, as a result, our welcome in Delhi was not a universally pleasant one.
So what have I seen? Where have I been? Which of india’s treasures can I cross off my list?I’ve seen temples, forts, palaces, monumental gates, the taj mahal and even a smaller mausoleum nicknamed the baby taj. But even the stunning taj mahal pales in comparison to the real joys of India. Â The experiences I will remember are riding railways with local people, eating fresh food from stalls by the roadside and visiting small temples in the cliffside. I hope these absolute pleasures will not diminish with time and familiarity, but if they do then I will have become far more Indian than I could have imagined.I have, by the way, begun eating with my hands. It does require some skill, but more importantly it requires a generous dollop of hand sanitiser.
Now entering rajistan, the tone changes slightly due to the survival of more traditional, tribal lifestyles. I hope that these cities – Jaipur, jodhpurs etc – will suffer less from those damaging effects of globalisation. Worth finding out…!
(ps. Will upload accompanying pics & soundclips asap.)
