Picture of J, V, S and I outside V an S's house.V and S were at the airport with the children to meet us. Total chaos at the airport. Cars being checked for bombs. Men trying to help us with suitcases, deperate for tips. Cars everywhere; honks of horns everywhere. Lovely to see the family at last.
Hotel hilariously basic!!! First thoughts: "Oh my goodness, what have we struck here?!" Will post photos at a later stage. Has since become home and after seeing some of the sights around us, it has quickly become luxury and a haven.
Woke early to the sights of India waking and going to work. P and I sat for an hour on the hotel steps simply watching the world go by. Unbelievable sights. Carts and rickshaws; automated rickshaws and cars; tractors; bullocks and carts loaded with produce; donkeys and carts pulling huge loads; fathers with children in tow pulling carts of produce to sell. People would look up at us and stare; we would smile and wave and the return smiles were the connecting language. Children in the dirt picking up rubbish and putting it into bags; women doing the same.
We walked on around into the small local community which fascinated us even more. We were oddities. Stared at. A tailor at his treadle machine ( looked about 70 - long white beard and white clothes - sitting on side of dirt road, sewing clothes) a hairdresser alongside in a small stand under cover; Old chair; ricketty desk with a small mirror and soap, etc. People coming and going - donkeys, bikes, cars people walking; beautifully groomed children, magnificent colours of saried women - all amidst the dirt and squalor. So hard to assimilate.
And everywhere the honks - the incessant honks of polite horns. All given to advise drivers that they are coming through and please make way. Too much to take in. Very conscious of being looked at - conscious of my western clothes and conscious of being a woman.
Found our way to a craft place a few doors down from the hotel where about 15 people were industriously working on creating mud and straw Hindu gods and goddesses. They allowed us to come in and to see how they made them and what they were doing. Will post photos later. Glad we serve a more certain God.
S and the children turned up and took us by taxi to their home to have lunch. Could not take in the sights on the way to their place. So unbelievable to see how people live on the side of roads . People, people, people, everywhere. Cars, cars, cars. Rickshaws, rickshaws, rickshaws; bikes, bikes, bikes, bikes. Dirt, dirt, dirt. And amidst it all there are magnificent people - warm, welcoming, kind, generous and willing to serve.
Lovely to meet the family again and what a feast V had prepared for us.
Lots of water is being consumed and no need to go to the loo because it is all perspired out.
V took us shopping but not the sort of place she shops at - but at a posh one. Too expensive so we are going to go to where she goes tomorrow in the afternoon.
More to come on Day one. Will revisit and put photos on later.
Hotel hilariously basic!!! First thoughts: "Oh my goodness, what have we struck here?!" Will post photos at a later stage. Has since become home and after seeing some of the sights around us, it has quickly become luxury and a haven.
Woke early to the sights of India waking and going to work. P and I sat for an hour on the hotel steps simply watching the world go by. Unbelievable sights. Carts and rickshaws; automated rickshaws and cars; tractors; bullocks and carts loaded with produce; donkeys and carts pulling huge loads; fathers with children in tow pulling carts of produce to sell. People would look up at us and stare; we would smile and wave and the return smiles were the connecting language. Children in the dirt picking up rubbish and putting it into bags; women doing the same.
We walked on around into the small local community which fascinated us even more. We were oddities. Stared at. A tailor at his treadle machine ( looked about 70 - long white beard and white clothes - sitting on side of dirt road, sewing clothes) a hairdresser alongside in a small stand under cover; Old chair; ricketty desk with a small mirror and soap, etc. People coming and going - donkeys, bikes, cars people walking; beautifully groomed children, magnificent colours of saried women - all amidst the dirt and squalor. So hard to assimilate.
And everywhere the honks - the incessant honks of polite horns. All given to advise drivers that they are coming through and please make way. Too much to take in. Very conscious of being looked at - conscious of my western clothes and conscious of being a woman.
Found our way to a craft place a few doors down from the hotel where about 15 people were industriously working on creating mud and straw Hindu gods and goddesses. They allowed us to come in and to see how they made them and what they were doing. Will post photos later. Glad we serve a more certain God.
S and the children turned up and took us by taxi to their home to have lunch. Could not take in the sights on the way to their place. So unbelievable to see how people live on the side of roads . People, people, people, everywhere. Cars, cars, cars. Rickshaws, rickshaws, rickshaws; bikes, bikes, bikes, bikes. Dirt, dirt, dirt. And amidst it all there are magnificent people - warm, welcoming, kind, generous and willing to serve.
Lovely to meet the family again and what a feast V had prepared for us.
Lots of water is being consumed and no need to go to the loo because it is all perspired out.
V took us shopping but not the sort of place she shops at - but at a posh one. Too expensive so we are going to go to where she goes tomorrow in the afternoon.
More to come on Day one. Will revisit and put photos on later.
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