I spent the last two weeks traveling through India. Below is the Ace Diamond Royal Flush Review of the jeweled sub-continent.
The Queen - The Graciousness
After meeting my guide and group, we collectively try our luck on Delhi’s mass transit system. The train carriages are jammed with humanity, but with Delhi’s population hurtling in excess of 10 million, there is more humanity than room. Out on the streets, cars, rickshaws, motor bikes, bikes, trucks, and humans all work their way around the city to a chorus of horns. Oh yes, Indians loves nothing more than leaning on their car horn, loudly and repeatedly. If India had a soundtrack or theme song – the horn would be it. Find a beautiful train to take you through the country, as we did. After spending lovely days seeing the wonderful countryside, we reached the Golden Temple (the world’s most important Sikh pilgrimage site). While the temple itself is a site, there is an even better side – meeting the locals themselves.
At the Golden Temple, up to 100,000 meals are handed out for free, no matter of race or religion. However, this is just one of the many places to meet friendly Indians. You will meet them all around the country whether you travel north, south, east, or west.
The Jack - It is O.K. to Cry in Public
Before leaving Delhi, we stopped by a wholesale spice market where the air was so thick with spice fumes that we were all choking back tears. The spice merchants and our local guide were accustomed to this airborne spice assault, so I felt pretty lame for having such weak spice tolerance (I looked like I’d been hit with tear gas). Still, I figured there’s nothing like a good sinus clear out to remind you that you’re alive.
The King - BYO Toilet Paper
Indian travel stations at dawn have it all: rats, dogs, cows and monkeys. As detailed above, the train rides have comfy seats, air conditioning, and we received this nifty meal seemingly straight out of a Wes Anderson movie.
While the toilet leaves a lot to be desired, the train ride is surprisingly pleasant. I was expecting to be crowded into a carriage with thousands of people inside (and on top) of the carriage, but in India you can experience rail travel however you want – from toughing it out with the masses for a super cheap fare, to middle-of-the-range comfort, to luxury, India has it all. But no matter what class you travel, one thing’s consistent throughout: the inconsistency of toilet paper availability. You’ve been warned.
The Ace - India is an average nacho destination
No visit to Jaipur is complete with a visit to the historic, Raj Mandir Cinema – one of the most beautiful movie theatres in the world. Is it wrong that in the face of such an architectural wonder I was more amazed that they sell nachos at the movies in India?
While watching a special premiere of an excellent film (featuring a handsome hero who dashes around saving babies and bringing down corrupt officials while occasionally breaking out into song *swoon*) I sought out a snack. The menu featured nachos. I dived in, and immediately regretted my decision, as the nachos sat in my stomach like a heavy brick. The nachos were without glitz, glamour, cheer, or anything that inherently makes the nachos a delicacy.
Despite the poor performance of nachos, I found that going to the movies is a little different in India. No one demands silence. It’s perfectly acceptable to clap, cheer, and have conversations during the film. I guess in a country of more than a billion people, preciousness goes out the window. I kind of dig it – I don’t feel self-conscious opening my noisy bag of chips or have that paranoid fear that I’ve left my phone on.
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