Y2K THE ANCIENT WAY
Dec 4, 1999 -
© Yeshe Chodon
What on earth is Jal Jeera? Has anyone been given grotty pillows in the hotel and drawn back aghast in revulsion? There was so much stain and soiling on my pillows that a resourceful traveller could grow some sort of crops while staying at the hotel. I had to cover it to sleep on it. Is it Indian hair oils? Or are the westerners using it as a solution to there being no toilet paper? What do they eat for Thanksgiving in India? Here is the introduction to the India section "Destination India". http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/ind/ind... I quote at length because this paragraph stands as a monument of great writing and could possibly be all you need to know about India:
No matter how willing you are to step outside cultural bias and give up the joys of using toilet paper, India will still manage to sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity. Nothing in the country is ever quite the way you expect it to be, and the only thing to expect is that the unexpected comes in many forms and it will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus test for many travellers and some visitors are only too happy to get on an aircraft and fly away, but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies, thrive on sensual overload, and have a firm grasp of the absurd, then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth. Below this thunderclap of an introduction is a section mildly enough called: "Traveller's Reports on India". An evening spent reading these reports is not unlike the emotions raised on the fatal hike in Blair Witch Project. Consider these advisories:
When you are considering a guest hourse, firstly check your prospective bed for bed bugs. Lift the mattress and check along the seams for the little demons before you agree to stay. They look like small ticks and laze about in matress seams during the hot days waiting for a meal. |