Loco

So, you’ve probably guessed that Verity and I did eventually make it into India. And the last few weeks have just been too packed full for blogging.

We got to in Varanasi after an longer-than-anticipated bus journey (well really it was more like a cardboard box on wheels), during which we passed lush fields, wild monkeys, street markets and a huge red setting sun, all to the sound of constant hooting horns and western pop music played at full volume on our next-door neighbour’s mobile phone. (And people complain about teenagers with loud headphones on English trains)

On arrival in India, even though we hadn’t yet reached Delhi, I was promptly greeted by a short but acute bout of Delhi-belly, which was a good start. Anyway, Varanasi was absolutely beautiful, and we found that we had managed to hit this city of Shiva a couple of days before Shiva festival itself, which is why the accommodation prices were ridiculously high – it wasn’t just the dodgy hotel manager taking advantage, as we initially assumed. So of course we changed our plans to move on to Delhi, and joined in with the celebrations. It was really a bit like Charlbury Street Fair in big, with a buffalo-pulled float parade, an elephant, lots of dressing up including a large contingent of transvestites (they have their own caste here), street dancing and music amplified by petrol generators: talk about a full-on introduction to India, but I suppose the words “full-on” describe this country pretty well anyway.

The train from Varanasi to Delhi was brilliantly efficient. It was the first time we had been in an open sleeper carriage without compartments, or even in an Indian train for that matter, but we managed to fill up our section along with four friends from Chipping Norton sixth form who had joined us in Varanasi, so we had a lot of fun chatting to the two Indian businessmen near us. The best question one of them asked us was “But you have swipe cards instead of keys to get into your houses in England, don’t you?”

PICS

• Top: Our friend Chungdra, who spent 3 weeks teaching us how to be an Indian wife.
• Middle: An Indian wedding.
• Bottom: Rupa who taught me (Verity) how to make mango chutney (I taught her how to make strawberry jam).

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One response to “Brussels to Delhi: finally…”

1. Crossdressing Guide says:
   February 2nd, 2010 at 10:58 pm

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