The grand 1924 monument, the Gate Way of India, in Mumbai, leads you to the experience of a virtual “grand arena parade” that is INDIA. The two times that I have journeyed to India ended as intended in Varanasi. Of course Mumbai and Delhi were like most giant metropolises but Varanasi is unique, while being one of the oldest settlements in the world, it had much more to offer the traveller for both one’s mind, body and spirit.
I had an epiphany as I squelched in another cow pie… “it’s just like the Royal Agriculture Show”!!! The omnipresent sacred cows roaming quietly everywhere with the added menagerie of donkeys, camels, squirrels, pigs, goats, dogs, pigeons, grey necked crows and the odd monkey and yes…
that familiar smell of animals, urine and poo with an added human pee, and of course this Grand Parade comes with the “putt putt” smells of tractor/trailers and ‘tuk tuk’s (auto-rickshaws), painted trucks, classic cars (Morris Ambassadors) and motor bikes.
Indian pop music blares from giant speakers mounted on truck trays. These festoon with tens of Jericho-like horns, impatiently shrieking yet fail to breach the immobile wall of traffic noise. Really scary rides with virtual “dodgem cars” and bikes, cheat the onrushing traffic.
Wild and crazy moves that skew me through “big dipper“ sized potholes in the extremely distressed roads. Show bags and baskets , some with cobra snakes, scare the tourist a whiter shade of pale. Whilst side shows in every alley way or the Ganges riverside steps (Ghats) are flaunted with folk craft and souvenirs galore.
