Now, 'getting off my soap box', this last posting is all about our impressions of India as well as thanking everyone who helped make the drive such a wonderful experience.
Where do I start? It has to be the Indian people. We were totally unprepared for the unbelievable friendliness of the Indian people. We will always remember how, when driving through the poorest of villages, young and old would come out of their homes, which were often nothing more than a mud hut and straw roof, to wave and smile at us. Whenever we stopped, the car would be surrounded by children wanting us to take their photo. The look on their faces, and the laughs, as we then showed them the camera display, will remain with us forever. The Indians have an outlook on life that is completely different to ours. They are always courteous and never exhibit any sign of anger. This was particularly noticeable when we were driving. We watched numerous horrendous overtaking manoeuvres where we thought a serious accident would happen, but somehow never did. We were often amazed to see a smiling driver coming towards us who had nearly been killed! In England this would have been another case of 'road rage'. The same happened in traffic jams. Everyone would be pushing and blowing their horns. Cars, tuk-tuks, motor cycles and bicycles would all be trying to force their way through and somehow people would give way, even when they had to do an emergency stop, and we never saw any anger. How refreshing, and a sure way of keeping stress levels down. We have a lot to learn from the Indians in this respect.
We had been told a lot about the poverty in India. Some of our friends from previous events had told us they wouldn't come on the tour because of this. So, we were expecting the worst when we arrived in Mumbai. Mumbai definitely had the worst living conditions that we saw on the whole tour. There are terrible slums on the sides of the roads in Mumbai. People living, sleeping, washing out in the open on the edge of the road. I drove along one such road at the beginning of the tour at night. I could see naked children sleeping in the kerb! I wondered how many get run over by the trucks thundering past. We saw very poor villages in rural areas of India but the one thing that struck me was that the people, young and old, always look well fed. We saw no malnutrition whatsoever. Somehow the Indians are managing to feed their 1.1 billion population.
I mentioned in my blogs the Indian school children and their marvellous uniforms. Driving through the poorest of villages you would see these incredibly clean, smart and impeccably dressed children. Each school had a different multi-coloured uniform and each morning we would see children walking, often miles, to their schools. We could never understand how they managed to look so smart, knowing how poor were their living conditions. It is one of the mysteries of India that will remain with us.
Next, I must mention the history of India. We saw examples of India's glorious past on every day of the tour, often in really remote places that were more or less deserted. Fantastic forts perched high on hills, unbelievable temples and incredibly lavish palaces, are spread all over India. A history that goes back over two thousand years. Below are my 'top five', with reasons why I thought they were so special:
1. Kumbalgarh Fort
I've picked this as my No. 1 historical site because it was so completely unexpected. In the middle of nowhere, on a narrow winding road, we turned a corner and there was Kumbalgarh! Sitting high on a hill, with walls looking just like the Great Wall of China. Climbing to the top of the fort you could see the walls snaking away over the surrounding hills for 36 kms. It was a beautiful and overwhelming sight.
2. The Golden Temple at Amritsar
Even though we had seen photos of the Golden Temple, nothing does it justice. You need to be there to 'feel' the beauty of the place. As we walked through the arch to see the Golden Temple for the first time, it really does 'take your breath away'. Built in the centre of the holy pool, with the morning sun glinting off the roof and a mirror image of the golden temple reflected in the pool, it is quite simply one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. All the time music and chanting was being played over loudspeakers, whilst Sikhs were bathing in the holy waters. I can understand how people experience mystical feelings in this beautiful place.
3. The Taj Mahal
This was the one place on the tour that I expected to be a disappointment, but it wasn't! I have read, and seen, so much about the Taj Mahal
4. The Red Fort, Agra
I have selected this, not because it looks any different from the outside to other forts we have seen, but because of its history. I had no idea that Shah Jihan, the builder of the Taj Mahal, was put under house arrest in the Red Fort, by his son, Aurangzeb. For the last the seven years of his life he could only look at the Taj Mahal from the terrace in his prison. It was the combination of the beauty of the interior of the Red Fort and its history that made this so memorable for me.
5. Orcha, the abandoned city.
Another totally unexpected gem hidden away in the Indian countryside. To find these huge deserted buildings, abandoned centuries ago, was such a surprise. The setting by the river added to the magnificence of the city. We both preferred Orcha to the other abandoned city we visited, Hampi, mainly because of its isolation and lack of 'exploitation’ as a tourist attraction.
Moving on from the people and history of India to the topography and the scenery. We drove through arid, regions, wonderfully green and fertile areas and the mighty Himalayas. The Himalayas were interesting for us as we had driven through them in Tibet. The contrast with the Tibetan side of the range is very marked. Tibet is high desert, as the Himalayas block the moist air from the south, whereas on the Indian side it is green and forested. Much of the terrain is similar to the Alps. Everywhere we went agriculture dominated the land. Feeding such a huge population requires a huge agricultural output. Most farming is done by hand and ox/bullock. Tractors are used but my guess would be that at least 50% of farms do not have one. Once again we were reminded of our trip to China in 2004, where agricultural methods are very similar to those in India.
Now our thanks. First and foremost it must be to all those Indians who extended such wonderful hospitality to us throughout the tour. Everyone we met, from the mechanics who helped me sort out my battery problems at the start in Mumbai to the Go-India tour guides who came with the group, were always helpful and courteous. Thank you, one and all. Next it must be to the other participants of the tour. Many we had met from previous events, but many were new to a HERO event. Thanks for making the trip such fun. Wendy and I hope to meet many of you on the next event. Finally it is a thank you to the organisers and their team. John & Joanna Brown, once again you have surpassed yourselves in organising an event which everyone agreed was the best so far. Thanks then to James, Kurt, Jingers, Mike, Terry, Don and Pat for helping us all the way round. Without your support these events would never succeed.
Wendy and I are looking forward to going on our next event which may be as soon as June 2008. Several of us are trying to organise a trip which will include a week in the UK and then two/three weeks in Sweden, Norway, Finland, If this doesn’t come off then it will be South-East Asia in February 2009
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