Reflections on India

We are back from India and the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feel of India remain strong in our minds.  India is so compelling that it's difficult to forget a visit to a place so completely foreign to anything we are accustomed to.  If you haven't been keeping up you can check out my post of a few weeks ago explaining the trip here.  

One of the things I keep doing is thinking of more adjectives to describe India.  From beginning to end we had experiences that were unlike anything we had ever seen.  We spent time in giant cities (Delhi has 18 million people) to unimaginably small impoverished villages where some of the children had never even seen a white person.  But by far the overwhelming impression was how warm, friendly and welcoming the people were.  More to come on this but first let me provide a little travelogue of our time in India.

As I said in the previous post we left on New Year's Eve.  It was sort of a strange time to travel but the crowds were low and the airports easy to navigate.  The decision to upgrade to business class was a good one as the flight was 16 hours.  Even in the front 16 hours is a long time.  But being able to stretch out was nice and resulted in our arriving relatively rested.  There were 6 of us from my Rotary club, 3 men members and our wives.  We are all good friends and the whole trip was tension free.  We got along great and respected each other's desires.  I hear nightmare stories sometimes of people traveling together but that certainly wasn't the case here. 

We arrived in Delhi at about 1:00am on Jan 2nd.  We all had to get tourist visas via India's electronic travel system.  I was interested to see how that worked but there were no glitches.  We gathered our luggage and proceeded to the exit to be met by representatives of the travel company for transport to the hotel.  It was all very smooth but very late.  We were booked at the Shangri-La Hotel for 2 nights and it was a great hotel.  We were told that the next day we'd have a tour of Delhi at 11:30am so we retired to our rooms.

The next afternoon we gathered in the lobby for our 5 hour tour of Delhi.  It was fun meeting the other members of our group.  There would be 19 of us from the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and French Guinea.  It was a great group and we all became fast friends.  Of course, I've come to expect that in Rotary.  We had 3 tour guides who stayed with us the entire time.  They were all great guys and very knowledgeable.  We visited the largest Sikh temple in India and an adjoining community kitchen that serves 20,000 people per day, 2500 at a time.  We got a tour of the kitchen which would in no way pass any health inspection in the U.S. but the work they are doing is very admirable.  The third stop on the tour was the spot where Gandhi was assassinated.  It was a beautiful spot and had been turned into a museum of sorts. 

The next day we were off to Agra.  It was about a 5 hour drive on a modern expressway.  Upon arrival we were given a rousing welcome by the Rotary Club of Agra Taj Majal.  They had speeches, food, entertainment and provided an overview of what we would be doing for the next 3 days.  It was amazing.  They were so warm and friendly.  But once again, I've come to expect that in Rotary.  After all the hoopla we traveled about 30 minutes to a small city called Shamshabad where the health clinic we were to work with is located.  From there we proceeded on a procession around the neighborhood following a couple of fellows banging very loud drums.  The area was desperately poor, dirty, and crowded.  And as in so many other experiences in India, they were friendly and welcoming.  We distributed polio campaign flyers (English on one side and Hindi on the other) to everyone who would take them (which was everyone with a smile) and raised awareness of the need for polio vaccinations.  I think this was about the time I started to realize the different sense of people that I felt in India over other places I've visited on the other side of the world.  In the predominantly Muslim countries I've visited I've always felt uneasy.  There seemed to me to be a overriding threat present in the air.  Maybe it was just my paranoia, but I don't think so. However, in India and the predominantly Hindu population I felt nothing but friendship and warmth.  Across the board they were welcoming.  I know that's a generality and India, like anyplace else, has all kinds of people.  But for this visit we felt nothing but warmth and friendship.  We were all ready for the hotel which turned out to be beautiful, clean and peaceful.  

The next day was the climax of our time in India.  This was the day we were to give two drops of polio vaccine to small children in rural villages.  We returned to the health clinic in Shamshabad and broke up into 3 person teams along with a nurse and headed for some pretty remote villages.  The roads were single lane and bumpy, there were cows everywhere, and we all later remarked that we had never been to such remote and poor areas.  Once in the village there were no paved roads, the homes/buildings were ramshackle, there were cows everywhere, and basic necessities that we would expect in our home countries were absent.  We set up in a courtyard in a building that looked like a community center.  We had brought small, simple plastic toys (balls and whistles) for the kids and as soon as we gave one away people started coming out of the woodwork.  They lined up very respectfully and waited their turn for the magic drops.  We distributed vaccinations to about 120 kids that morning!  The nurse was great.  She visits the village two days a week and knew everyone.  Several times she told kids they weren't getting the drops because they already had them.  We gave them a toy anyway!  She had records on who needed what and distributed vitamin A drops and injections as needed.  After we finished with the drops the nurse continued to minister to the people and we took a walk around the village with the Agra Rotary member who had accompanied us.  It was an amazing experience!  I know I keep saying this but the people were wonderful, warm, smiling and welcoming.  In the face of desperate circumstances in which they had very little, they seemed happy.  The children were delightful!  We were told that some had never seen a white person before.  We all took a lot of photos as the kids loved getting their photos taken.  They all wanted to be in a selfie!  It was a very emotional experience and frankly we were exhausted both physically and emotionally.  But the day wasn't over yet.  The President of the local Agra Rotary Club hosted us all for a dinner at his home which included speeches, great food, bingo called by his charming young daughter, and henna for the ladies.  It was a lovely evening and really great to experience life in India beyond hotels and tourist attractions. 

Our third day in Agra was one for fun.  Although it was very foggy, we headed to the Taj Mahal early and watched the fog lift from this majestic wonder.  If you've been there you know the beauty that is so difficult to capture in photos.  After plenty of time for wandering the grounds and taking photos from every angle, we proceeded for lunch to a beautiful rug store owned by a local Rotarian.  He provided us with an educational and informative demonstration of various rugs and we had a great lunch.  The rugs were gorgeous and a few in our group bought them.  It seemed to be a good deal and they would ship them home.  Although difficult, we were able to resist.  Next we ventured to a marble inlay factory owned by a local Rotarian and marveled at the skill of the artisans creating beautiful pieces.  We bought a couple of small marble elephants inlaid with gems.  They are quite something.  Then it was off to Agra Fort which is a giant fort built of sandstone in the 1500's to protect various rulers.  The size and beauty of this fort was stunning.  Finally we had a stop at a textile store once again owned by a Rotarian and were offered gems, fabrics, wall hangings, furniture.  This is the place where most of us spent our money.  But hey...we're on vacation (sort of)!  We all arrived back at the hotel once again very tired from a very full day!

The final day in Agra was once again emotional and rewarding.  We again traveled to a rural area outside Shamshabad and visited a government school for the dedication of a girls toilet block (a small building with about 5 toilets).  A major problem in rural schools in India is that they have little or no decent facilities for girls to use the toilet.  Consequently, at some point in their early teen years they just stop coming.  Rotary in India has taken up the cause to help build toilet blocks for girls to get them back to school and continue their education.  We had a tour of the school and it was an eye opener.  To say it was basic and stark is an understatement.  You'll see what I mean in some classroom photos below, but frankly it was pretty depressing.  That kids are attending school and receiving instruction in these circumstances is tough to take.  Especially for someone from the first world.  After touring the school we headed to a local school that had been sponsored by Agra Rotary and other clubs around the world.  What a difference.  They had a vocational education center, a library, a computer lab, clean toilets and the kids wore uniforms (and as usual were smiling, polite and welcoming).  We were treated to a tour and then they had a program in their small auditorium.  They had presentations, dances, videos, dressed us in turbans and pashimas, and handed out certificates.  It was delightful.  And it really showed what could be done by people who wanted to make a difference and applied some funding in places where it was needed most.  We walked away hopeful for the spread of education in India.  And I for one walked away determined to figure out how my Rotary club can get involved and help them.  As you would expect we were all pretty tired...but it wasn't over yet.  That evening we were treated to a play that depicted the real love story of the Taj Mahal in a dramatic show that was dedicated to Shah Jahan and his wife Mutaj Mahal.  It was very dramatic and contained a fair amount of singing and dancing.  I have to admit I was pretty tired at the end.  Thank goodness for our great hotel.  

The next morning we bid adieu to Agra and headed via small vans to Jaipur.  Some in our party went home, some continued on for a couple of days at an animal preserve to potentially see tigers, and we were in the group who went to Jaipur.  There were 6 of us and it was a really good size.  On the way we stopped at the remains of Fatehpur Sikri, which was once the capital of the Mughal dynasty and is a great example of Mughal architecture.  We had to park some distance away so we had the opportunity to ride in a Tuk Tuk.  What an experience.  6 people essentially on the back of a motorcycle.  Yikes!  These things are everywhere in India and are a fundamental part of the culture.  For us it was a fun thing to do but for the average Indian it's routine.  We proceeded on to Jaipur and checked in to what was once again a lovely hotel located right on the shores of a large lake.  It was beautiful.  Since there was a street bazaar right outside we strolled down the sidewalk taking in all the merchandise and people out for the evening.  

They call Jaipur the city of jewels because of this is famous for its precious stones and is one of the most active jewel markets in the world.  We started the day at the Amber Fort situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur city.  We mounted an elephant for the ride up the hill to the fort.  It was quite an experience and a bumpy ride.  Don't think I'd want to go very far that way.  We explored the fort and marveled at the architecture and the beauty.  After leaving the fort we went to the Gem Palace for shopping for jewelry, handicrafts, clothes and souvenirs.  After lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant we proceeded to the imposing city palace, still the home of the Maharajah.  We ended a long day back at the hotel grateful for some rest time.

This wonderful adventure was definitely winding down but we still had a bit left.  The next morning we left on a 6 hour ride back to Delhi.  We checked into an ultra-modern hotel 10 minutes from the airport and wandered around the attached mall for dinner.  It was a relaxing day...finally.  The next morning we awoke to our last day in India.  We headed to Old Delhi to visit the largest Mosque in India, Jama Masjid.  Along the way we were treated to seeing a troop of Indian Border Guards riding their camels through the streets of Delhi.  A wild scene.  This part of Delhi definitely has a Muslim influence and it is palpable.  Unfortunately (I guess) it was Friday and the day of prayer so we were barred from entering.  Being infidels and all you know.  Right outside the mosque was a rickshaw stand and part of the tour was a ride in a rickshaw through Old Delhi.  Oh my!  It was quite an experience.  There are wires everywhere above the streets, the streets themselves are incredibly narrow and packed with people, shops and street vendors, and the ride was precarious.  I think the rickshaw driver took one look at me and winced.  But he did just fine.  And I gave him an extra big tip.  It was a wild ride.  Next we visited Gandhi's cremation site which has been turned into a beautiful memorial.  The grounds also contain trees that have been planted by world leaders over the last 20 years.  It was a very pleasant place.  Finally we had what was probably the best meal of the trip at a place called Pindi's Restaurant.  They are famous for butter chicken and it didn't disappoint.  Scrumptious!  We had, on our tour guides recommendation, reserved our room until 11pm that night as our departure was at 3am.  Good move!  We were able to go back, take showers, have dinners and rest up for the long journey home.  And long it was.  On the return we were in Economy Plus vs. Business Class.  Yuck!  14 hours in the back (even with extra leg room) is too long for these old bones.  I think I've come to the conclusion that international travel for us in the future is going to include Business Class.  Of course we missed our connection in San Francisco.  We arrived at 5:15am and Customs didn't open until 6am.  So we waited on the plane.  Crazy.  It was almost a foregone conclusion that we couldn't make a 7:30am flight to San Diego.  Oh well, we got on a 9am flight with no problem.  Getting over the jet lag has a been a bit of a bear.  We were both getting up in the middle of the night for several days but are now back in the swing of things.

So what did it all mean?  The most common question I get is "how was it?".  My answer has become that I don't have enough adjectives to describe it.  It was a huge culture shock.  It was amazing, inspirational, exciting, maddening, an assault to the senses, loving, and overwhelming all at the same time.  And so many other superlative expressions apply.  As we've talked it through, we've both made several observations:

• We made some great friends with other Rotarians which is no surprise.  Both the local Rotarians and the members are group were wonderful people.  They came all the way to India to personally participate in an effort to rid the world of the scourge of Polio.  That's not nothing.
• We both came away in awe of the work that the Agra Taj Mahal Rotary Club is doing.  It is mind boggling how much they've done to change and improve the lives of others, most notably children in India.
• The Rotary theme the year I was club President a few years ago was, "Making a Difference".  I really resonated with that theme and took it to heart to seek to make a difference in all the things I have done with Rotary.  People talk about their Rotary moment.  That time when they truly saw the difference that Rotary made in the world.  For me, this trip was full of Rotary moments, but none more so than putting those two little drops into the mouth of a child knowing that they are saved from Polio.  It comes down to this.  We can't do everything, but we can do something.  
• India is a fascinating country with huge and growing potential.  It is a huge, diverse country with a very large population that is only growing in its impact on the world.  What coalesced in my mind is that education is everything.  And hygiene is a close second.  We (the United States and the western world) should be doing everything we can to help them advance and improve their country.  They have huge talent, resources, and energy.  They would make a great friend and a fearsome enemy.  
• The India people are amazing.  I know that's a generality, but I found it to be true.  They are the most friendly and welcoming people I've ever seen.  I'm not sure if it's their Hindu religion or their basic nature, but I came to admire and love their spirit.  And that went from the most modern of them to the poorest people imaginable.  They uniformly exude a calmness not seen in other places.  Once again, maybe it's the Hindu influence. I don't know.  
• Having said all that India is a tough place for westerners to visit.  As I said earlier it is a culture shock and an assault on the senses.  But we are good evidence that it is survivable.  We were careful what we ate and drank.  We listened to our tour guides regarding where to go when on our own.  We didn't speak Hindi but almost everyone in the cities spoke English.  So if you're smart and aware, it's worth the effort.  

Finally, India needs champions and advocates.  I'm certainly going to discuss with my Rotary club how we can get involved and be a part of the solution.  But I'm also going to look for ways to explain this great country that is a mystery to most westerners to friends, associates and anyone who is interested.  The world is shrinking every day and as we become more connected, it is so important that we increase our understanding of each other.  It will take a long time for them to achieve the level of a society that is equivalent to most western countries, but that's okay.  As they say in India, "everything will be all right in the end, and if it's not all right, it's not the end!"