Collected this afternoon the white linen jacket I ordered yesterday. Tailor made. Wow.
Leaving at 5pm for the train to Bundi, eta 10.30pm. The journey is on a sleeper train, so a dry run for tomorrow night’s overnighter to Mumbai.
Our holiday is half done, half to do. Seems like we have been on the (rail)road for a long time. Good time to consider the contradictions that seem to typify India:-
Queues – as previously stated, they have to form queues to buy tickets, enter metro stations and attractions, etc., but as soon as they can they dispense with the concept, so kiosks, ATMs, shops, traffic, all ok for charging into bedlam, pushing, shoving, all acceptable it seems.
Red tape – as with queues, there is an inundation of form filling and ticking, with train guards, hotel room, customs on arrival in the country (despite having an entry visa, you still have to fill out an entry form handed out on the aeroplane); yet as soon as there are no officials everything seems to go. There are loads of police yet they seem to do nothing. In fact, there are loads of people employed, as previously mentioned, yet their efficiency is diluted by having so many people with not enough to do. As with Panama, perhaps it is a political strategy that huge numbers are employed, thereby reducing the numbers of disengaged and economically inactive. Perhaps …..
Traffic – as above, their use of roads is quite simply the worst I’ve ever seen. Yesterday we witnessed the town centre of Udaipur gridlocked. And as soon as a chink of space was created by movement of one front it was filled by every vehicle from another front just piling into it. Even walking along the side of the road, lane, alley, pavement, is taking your life into their hands. Astonishing there aren’t more accidents. Noticeable that extra bumpers are fitted to many cars, though we’ve yet to find any without traffic scars.
Roundabouts – worthy of special mention. Just because there is an island in the middle of the road does not prevent vehicles from using any way round. Just not ‘around’.
Politeness – one minute they’re the friendliest, the next they’ve barged you out the way as they charge into the metro before you can get off. Any effort to engage your attention seems to be part one of their sales manual – heck, it’s part one of every sales manual – but in every city centre everyone seems to be a practitioner.
Patience – you have to wait ages for your food order to arrive, yet as soon as it’s finished it’s been cleared away, regardless of the eating progress of those on your table. In fairness, most of the meals we’ve had are freshly cooked and well worth the wait.
Menus – as above, their food is mostly fantastic but often the choice is but a smidge of what is on the menu; the drinks menu is even less of a guide.
Chris & Kath's Travel Time 