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| All smiles |
How can you describe India. Where else in the world do you walk down the street at night, stop to talk to some local girls on their way to a wedding, beautifully dressed, and the next thing a cow walks past. We're now so used to it that we just say, oh hello girl, and carry on talking.
The contrasts, dirt poor, ramshackle houses, no running water in the villages, and then the beauty of a woman walking in a colourful sari with a huge basket balanced steadily on her head
loaded with aubergines.
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| Public pools! |
Today's drive took us to Chandiri, a tiny town of 35,000, totally off the tourists track. No other tour operators other than Intrepid stop here, and you have to wonder why. The town is lovely, full of monuments and history. Our guide Kallep Hai took us on a walking tour around town and was very informative. An uneducated man (left school ages 11 as his parents couldn't afford the few roupies it took to keep him there), he speaks 8 languages and has written 4 books on various subjects; the history of Chandiri and Mosques. With a very funny sense of humour he told us lots of interesting things about the town and how he is lobbying to get the whole town declared a Unesco Heritage Site.
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| Henna hands |
Because not that many tourists come through here we are still very much a novelty and hordes of children followed us, keen to have their photo taken. Even adults waved and smiled welcome ('Namaste', while putting your hands together in front of you means hello) It was so nice to walk through town and feel welcome, no beggars, no expectations, with people so open.
Dinner at the guide's home, absolutely beautiful dinner and his daughter decorated our hands with henna. How will I ever leave India, I love this country.
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