I first went to India from Japan, while the contrast could hardly be starker I must say that there was something familiar about the place that I liked, perhaps its because the open air and wide spaces in the country side reminded me of Australia, and the cramped city reminded me of Japan.
Since then I've been again in 2007, please refer to my blog for images and details on that trip.
Back to my first experience, the rest of the place is as alien to me as it was to my Japanese
colleagues. One of the nicest things in India is the shrines everywhere, almost everywhere
you go you'll find one.
Either like this one perched on a rock in the middle of
Bangalore
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(like a stray dog crossing the street, and just narrowly being missed
by a car: thus being protected by the gods)
This one here was just set up at the base of a tree near an old abandoned British army barracks. I thought it was lovely to see small examples of this all over the place, and found it much more 'human' than the sterile streets of typical western cities where this would be reguarded as nothing more than litter. |
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But anwyay, walking around town is full of interesting things to see, and personally I prefer my own 2 legs than any tours. You never really do see much as part of a travelling gaggle of tourists (especially if your Chinese or Japanese with the little flag carrier out the front) |
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Of course in India, why walk too far, as there are plenty of "auto" around to
take you somewhere. These little 3 wheeled contraptions are noisy, smelly,
and open. Prices vary, and don't forget to get the meter turned ON
They're basically a motor scooter front end, with a 400cc 2 stroke in the back. The driver will toot the horn every 20 seconds or so, but don't worry, everyone does that (something which will wake you up in the morning too) |
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You'll find these things everywhere, and they really are the rate limiting step
in traffic, so no point in having a faster car, you'll just spend more time stopped
or waiting for them to start up.
You might notice that there are apparently no emissions regulations here too |
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aside from the traffic, you'll find other slow moving things on the roads.
Just incase you might be driving, watch out driving around at night, these
guys don't care where they sleep, and the black tarmack is actually nice
n warm too. So don't be surprised to find one around a bend
Lastly I've got a small 'slideshow' of assorted images here