As we leave the Indian Sub-continent, we have been asked a few times what were our “best bits”. As far as sights go, the Taj Mahal, particularly viewed from across the Yamuna River at sunset, the Golden Temple in Amritsar at night, and the incredible trek to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro, Bhutan were the three standouts. However, the visits to remote villages with experiences ranging from drinking the local hooch in Nepal, to visiting the orphanage and school in Bangladesh also stand out; but are difficult to describe because they are almost “experiences” in their own right.
We have visited four countries and each has been surprisingly different. Bhutan was probably the most unique, because a mix of incredible countryside with spectacular Dzongs (forts) and temples give it a great feel of history and culture. The people are well-educated, friendly and very proud of their culture; but the overwhelming feeling of calm comes from the form of Buddhism that is practised, which focuses on the common good of everyone rather than the individual, making it feel quite special.
Bangladesh was the poorest country we visited, but also had pockets of extreme wealth. The wealthy have congregated in two enclaves in Dhaka, and are protected from the rest of the world by heavy security. This is a world where there can often be excess, and has come about to some degree by patronage and corruption. The countryside and Old Dhaka have yet to catch up, and life is largely at a subsistence level. People here just want a step by step improvement from their lives of running shops, fishing, raising chickens and goats, and working in their own paddy fields, by simply getting regular electricity or affordable education. As in all such countries, people are generally happy and very welcoming, and will give you a meal even if they don’t have much themselves. Quite a different experience for us.
Nepal is incredibly beautiful, and the people are lovely too. The country survives on tourism, whether it be visits to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan or the ubiquitous trekking in the Himalayas. This has given the people some degree of wealth, and the shops and restaurants are generally of a high standard. The only fear is that a poor infrastructure doesn’t get overrun by the 1.3 billion Chinese to the north and 1.3 billion Indians to the south, who are looking for somewhere to spend their tourist dollars.
And then there is the enigma of India. It truly is a beautiful country with some of the most spectacular scenery, towns and cities, and ancient sites of anywhere in the world. Seeing some of these places has been awesome, and experiencing life in India has been great. We have eaten some of the best curries and local delicacies anywhere in the world, and eaten everywhere from little dhabas (small restaurants) for £4 to restaurants in big hotels for much more. Staff everywhere are really helpful, if sometimes overhelpful, and generally we have had great service.
The people are generally very helpful and friendly, and will always stop and give advice. However, eventually you realise that rather than say they don’t know something, they will give, say directions, to anywhere so they can at least give some answer. The requirement to haggle for everything is also something we had to get used to. Tim was an expert, but we both got annoyed by some people trying to “rip us off” by charging excessive amounts to foreigners. Finally, there is the distinct lack of hygiene e,g, a few gallons of bleach wouldn’t go amiss in most toilets, nor would a regular source of hot water or clean sheets in some “budget” hotels. But, these are all things you get used to, and which add to the fun of travelling in India.
It does appear that the individuality of Hinduism, rather than the more inclusive religions of Sikhism and Buddhism elsewhere in the region, do make some older and wealthier people more selfish, rude and pushy; but the arrival of better education and social media is making the young people much more friendly and tolerant, and they have learned the words “please”, “thank you” and “sorry”. It’s quite funny as there is a huge desire for them to ask, “Please can I have a selfie with you” for their Facebook page.
However, this is a country which is growing at a great rate and changing rapidly. Increasing wealth is generally pulling everybody up and there is much less begging and abject poverty, but rapid wealth does have its own problems. The amount of cars is causing pollution and traffic jams as people travel around their country, but the quality of the roads cannot keep up. Travel by bus and train averages 15 miles per hour, so getting around is slow.
India is wonderful, frustrating, exhilarating and different – very different. Everybody should book a visit and try and negotiate their way round this enigmatic country. We will be back, as we have so much more to see and experience.
