Adapting

My god its been a long time since I've written. Been meaning to and meaning to and then something always comes up. Thanks for reading these and leaving comments! I love to discover someone has written me!

I'm writing you now from Orcha, a small town outside of not the biggest town of Jhansi, south of Delhi by about 8 hours on a train (so probably 5 miles, har har) and I've really started the "me" part of the trip now! I'm off on my own, said goodbye to Lucky in Delhi yesterday as he kindly drove me to the train station after helping me get my first train ticket, for which I'm really grateful. The last days in Rajastan were good, and I found myself really sad to say goodbye to him, he was a great guide and driver and I will recommend him to anyone who visits India. Though the whole experience was not without its hassles! 

Last time I wrote I believe I was going to Jaisalmer for my camel safari. Well.... I got into the desert town of Jaisalmer, there were literally tumbleweeds. And I go to my hotel, which I got for free as part of my super expensive safari that I got swindled into buying my first panicked day in Delhi. I spend 125 usd, at least. So we get to the hotel after a long and sweaty drive all day (its literally over 100 every day I am not kidding, I sweat buckets) and I discover that the hotel is more or less deserted, didn't see any other tourists, and I get into my room and hear hammering over my head. They are doing construction right above me. So... already disenchanted with the package of the safari I asked the guy to tell me how many people were going... well I was joking before when I said hopefully I don't find myself on this camel alone, and well... he said "right now, there is actually just you. but do not worry, i will take very good care of you at night in the desert when we are sleeping together under the stars" or some other melodramatic statement. 

so i politely told him that this was not going to work out for me, and a few minutes later i was worriedly trying to figure out what i was going to do while ordering food at a restaurant... when 3 blonde german girls walked in, and i literally made a b-line over to the table and asked if they were going on a safari... they were in fact, the next day, and so in a matter of 2 hours i had booked it into their hotel, made a deal with the hotel owner for his safari, managed to argue my way into getting my money back (?! how i did it i don't know) from the delhi company, so now i can't really complain about them anymore, and joined up with a tour of 6 others, a great group, for one of the highlights of my trip. Unfortunately got wicked sick the night before, after all the hassle and everything, first time i was really ill while here, though for the last 2 days i haven't been able to shake nausea and feeling kinda weak and shaky. oh well.

At any rate, the safari was awesome. absolutely. my camel's name was Johnny Walker, the others were Michael Jackson, and something else, i can't remember. we each had our own, and for all i'd heard about camels being difficult and stubborn, these ones were fantastic! I'll tell you though my legs hurt for literally days after, by the second day i almost had to get off, until they conveniently told me that there were stirrups the whole time! made it easier.  We would stop in the middle of the day for a couple hours both days, while they made us stewed vegetables and chapati (a flat bread) for every meal! The dunes were picturesque, at moments you felt like you were in the safari desert. The sunset was spectacular, and at night it got dark so early and they made a small fire to cook our dinner but we didn't have any light and there were dung beetles everywhere! The stars were unreal, you could see all of the milky way, i don't know if i've ever really seen stars quite like that. We didn't even use tents to sleep, they put out blankets and we just slept on those, right in the middle of the sand! There was sand in every single possible place on my body, seemingly for days after. But waking up in the sand, though really disorienting, was pretty darn cool. 

And the people were a lot of fun. The three germans, who i ended up meeting up with in delhi for the past couple of days, a british couple, and a swiss guy who'd gotten his girlfriend pregnant in south america earlier in their travels and so she'd gone home, she's 6 months pregnant now, and he's still travelling! yeah we'll see if my husband gets away with travelling the world while i'm sitting at home some day craving ice cream and pickles. dream on. anyway he wants to get it all in before he's a dad, and he's my age! happily for him already engaged to her before, so its what he wants. just unexpected!

Oh ... and one other thing about the camel safari.  Turns out we were pretty close to the Pakistani border - about 20 miles!  Not real comforting.  On the roads we saw quite a few military vehicles, tanks etc.  But the desert was quiet.

It was lovely to actually spend time talking to people, and since i've really been on my own its gotten much easier. Where I am now in Orcha, not only is it picturesque, with a palace and spiraly temples, amazing architecture, but it is serene and the people are only somewhat out of control. They haggle and hassle but they don't follow you down the street as much and there are fewer beggars. Getting here yesterday was the first train trip I took, i had invested in the padlock and chain i'd seen other backpackers with, hooked my bag to a rack above my seat, much to the indian local onlooker's amusement, and sat there for 8 hours in sweltering heat. in the future for longer trips i think i will opt for the AC for a bit more money.

Upon getting to the train station i was accosted as always but realized i can't even trust people when I'm asking where the bathroom is, because there are schemes with that too.  Everything. it is very very hard to trust locals, because although of course there are great and trustworthy people out there, there seem to be a lot more that aren't that claw their way to your side, and i am beginning to get angry now, no more mr nice... girl, i suppose.  yesterday 5 men jumped into my autorickshaw hoping for a free ride, obvously friends of the driver, my ride was like 20 minutes, and i screamed at them to get out!! like, really screamed, dripping with sweat w/ my bags next to me, anyway they got out. sometimes you gotta do it.

Since getting to orcha i have met literally at least 6 travellers. i haven't had a meal alone! everyone is out and about with different stories, just met an american girl thats signed up for the meditation course i was thinking about taking (yes it was a thought) and she also saw me in hairspray!! crazy! somewhere in california. can't believe someone i met here saw me on stage. anyway i am not sure i will be able to fit in the meditation course, as it starts later than i am getting to that town, and i had been thinking i may return at the end of november, right before thanksgiving which is a couple of weeks early, just because i penciled in what i think i want to do and that gives me enough time. However, today it is becoming increasingly apparent that i should hold off and see what happens, things kind of change by the day here. The girl i met is also volunteering in an orphanage, and currently she is with a travel group called Intrepid which has some really well priced group tours, where you still stay where you want, etc... possibly an idea for me for south india. although by then i think ill probably be really used to being alone. who knows. i will keep my mind open to all things, although I would love to be home for my mom's birthday, my family's early xmas celebrations, and thanksgiving, and it would give me a chance to see chris on the way home. but, we'll see.

today i met a british guy who i actually more or less spent the day with, we met at lunch and i ended up going to his very nice hotel and swimming in the pool! had to pay them of course, but it was a nice relaxed day, and he was also an actor, waiting to move in with his girlfriend, here for 2 months, so much like me! it was funny.

I think that  I am learning in fact to adapt better, finding that it is easier at least here to meet people, and learning to ignore the kids wanting money, the old beggars, etc, though that is a very sad reality. i have to operate on the kind of "every man for himself" survival method, that dominates here. if you can't beat'em, join'em. though the roughest culture shock i've ever experienced, i am hopeful that my time will continue to improve and that i can start to see more of the good things, "incredible india" say all the brochures, and that i can feel good and healthy and keep at it.  I was going to cut calcutta out of my itinerary, but i think it is being added back in on the recommendation of the british friend i met today. there are also some volunteer work programs through mother theresa foundation in calcutta i may see if i can help out with. 

Last week before arriving in jaisalmer for the safari, i went to see some ruins on the outskirts of town. a little boy followed me all around as i looked around it for myself, and for some reason, it got to me, his asking for money, and when i got back to the car i started to cry, only to Lucky's frustration. "You have a weak, weak heart", he denounced, "you'll never make it through 3 months here. you must not cry. no crying in my car or i will kick you out".... so that's how they feel here. or at least some, the numbness, the understanding that t his is the way it is, its not a shock for them like it is/was for me.

I am happy and relieved that I made it through Delhi with no problems, and that even though i was there on a saturday, a week after more of the bombings, that  I was ok. And only 2 days after I was in Jodpur, from where I last wrote, there was a stampede at the temple where I was during prayer, that killed 190! Crazy tragedy, and again, not something that fazed Lucky. Guess that's it again, something I am getting used to. 

Soo... pardon all the typos and the patchy nature of this blog, just trying to get it all down in a few minutes time. Next up is Kujaraho, where apparently the kama sutra is carved into ancient rocks. should be interesting, and then varanasi which i hear is the "toughest" city in India. Will try to write again soon. Thanks for reading and miss you all.