Endding
Trip Start
Sep 08, 2008
1
13
Trip End
Oct 01, 2008
New Delhi,
India
Sunday, November 16, 2008
So I got on the train back to Delhi, a blissful 7 hours on the top bunk of a sleeper train, getting back to Delhi late was a little worrying, but I managed to secure a risk shaw to backpacker town, and eventually find a room to stay. The room was OK, it had a balcony. Unfortunately the room was very, very hot. I spent my last few days in India being ill due to some dodgy chapatti and dhal, and not sleeping due to the immense heat. I managed to meet up with Arnab, an old coursemate, for a few drinks which was nice. I bought some spices for back home, and generally just waited for the time I could go home. I was very hot, and annoyingly ill.
On the plane at last I watched a brief news segment on BBC news 24, it was about the effects of the credit crunch on the UK, and how it's hitting some people hard. They ran a brief clip of a couple and child on benefits, complaining about how desolate they were, and how they might not be able to feed their child. In the background was a dishwasher, a washing machine, a sky + box and a flat screen TV. "Sometimes I go to bed hungry" says one fat member of the couple, "Yeah, sometimes we both go to bed hungry" says the other, equally fat, member.
The distance between India and the UK may only be a days travel, but, in so many ways, it is another world.
Two sides of India:
One, deceitful, uncaring for their own country, substituting speed for safety every time and their irrepressible and despicable caste system. Two, very friendly, everyone will smile, and will chat to you if they can. There seems to be strong community and family values here, although not for the fellow human (outside the community/family).
I'll leave you with a few song titles for India:
'I don't want another curry'
'Fart or Diarrhea, the decision'
'Special price for you....and you and you and you and...'
'The life of a risk shaw driver'
'Do I look like I want sunglasses?'
Enjoy. Photos are now on my facebook.
