Incredible India - Is there a method to the madness?

As this is my first blog I feel that I have to tell you a little bit about what I'm planning to write. I'm pretty much going to write about what I've found interesting on my travels, as well as a little bit about what I've been upto. Sometimes this may be just what I've done and some photos, sometimes it might be a lot of detail about where I am. I hope you enjoy.

For the first two weeks of my trip I've been travelling round on an organised tour, mostly in Uttar Pradesh, which is south of Delhi and India's most populated state. Here's my first impressions.

You have to really want to explore or have a specific interest in India to have the tenacity to get past Delhi - with its the abject poverty and sheer madness. But once you do start to understand you start to enjoy this incredible country.

Everyone tells you what it will be like: how dirty it is, how poor it is, how you'll get Delhi belly and ruin your whole trip. With this in mind I came expecting the worse... and in parts found it. A tuc-tuc ride in this city is an education in itself; people live in car wrecks, there's rubble everywhere, the traffic is worst then London, No I don't want to visit you friend's emporium AND why is a cow in the middle of the road?!

After my first day in Delhi I found myself gasping for a shower and the safety of my hotel room. The AC is truly a savior from the sights, sounds (Beep Beep) and sweat of the city outside. I was starting to think "Maybe I should go to Laos for some down time after India" and I'd only been here 24 hours.

Trip highlights

• The Taj Mahal or Crown Palace
• Eating dinner with a local family
• Visiting a Sikh Temple
• The Ganges at Varanasi including the Arti or Festival of Light
• A Tiger Safari (without any tigers!)
• The Karma-sutra temples

I think everyone feels a bit like this when they first arrive in a strange place - especially when setting off on a bit trip. However, I think my first 2 weeks has had sufficient "would Emma do this moments" for me to realise that you real do have to want to travel here to have the tenacity to get past the initial shock.

Things that make India more difficult to travel:

• A 6 hour train journey in 40 degrees heat with no AC
• Being sick twice in the first week and having to check the kitchen of most restaurants
• The stench of ammonia in any grassed are that reminds you of the neighbors having the drains pumped?

What's different about India? An Indian student asked me while we were chatting and watching the sun go down at the Gandhi memorial in Delhi. Well my first impression the brilliant Mogul architecture as well as the dominance of religion in society .

So far I visited the Taj Mahal, 2 huge red sand stone forts, tombs, Mosques and countless temples including the Karma-sutra temples (These were hilarious in a juvenile way). At every monument I've been struck by the intracity of the store work. I've seen this is Europe before, however, no way near as well preserved and not on such a grand scale - if it's even better in China as I've heard then I can't wait.

As you'd expect I've learnt a lot about religion in India along the way - of which there are many. The Hundu's have 3 million god & goddesses...

Hmm, that's interesting

1. There are 3 million Hindu Gods
2. By 2030 the Ganges river will have completely dried up
3. According to Karma-suitra there are 84 sexual positions
4. There's a heat wave for the time of year here. It's currently averaging 42 degrees here with the hottest day so far 47 - ouch.
5. By 2010 India will have the largest population of English speakers in the world
6. India has a huge gay population - about 70-100 million

...We have also visited a Sikh temple, who's philosophy is pretty much everyone is equal. I'm better then no one but no one's better then me. Turban actually translates to Crown which I think gets the point across. We've even met some Henna monks who follow the most dedicated and ridiculous religion I've ever heard of. They are believe in having no possession what so ever and are strict vegetarians. To the point where they move house or location ever 3 days and walk around completely naked. When they walk they brush the floor in front of them to make sure they don't tread on any small insects and kill them. And they only wash every 6 months because they don't want to kill the minute bugs on their body. Now thats a dedicated veggie - Dad you're going to have to up your game!

After 2 weeks here I've acclimatised to the heat and the smells. I'm starting to realise that everything in India is linked to religion.

Indians don't follow any rule unless it's linked to religion. The best example of this is Cows and traffic laws. A cow is a sacred animal for Hindus for a number of reasons - partly because they are excellent providers. As a result they are everywhere here. They stand out in India because the traffic is so manic and yet cows wonder around as if nothings going on and they never seem to be injured. But what would happen if you were to accidently crash into one? Well, if you crash into a cow on the street and kill it you'd have to spend a month doing penance, looking after another cow. If however, you are not a Hindu and you are unlucky enough to knock down a cow it would lead to a riot and maybe even deaths!

Unfortunately traffic laws and hassling tourists are not sacred rules in India.

All in all I'm having a great trip so far and I've found INdia as fascinating as I thought I would. I'm now heading to the hills for the next stage of my trip, which will include some teaching english, trekking, and maybe some cookery and yoga classes who knows...