I returned a of couple weeks ago from India on a 17 day tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) to circumnavigate a section of the northeast. 14 American’s and I began our trip in Delhi. “Isn’t it crowded and polluted?” my friends asked me. Yes, there are 34 million people crowded in the metropolitan area, 17 million in the city center, and yes, there was air and noise pollution from all the vehicles and horns.
But….during our three days in Delhi, we never saw one accident or one pedestrian injured. Everyone understands the rules of the road.
There actually is a language to the horn honking. I almost deciphered it before I left the country. Safely download this document for those rules and the guide to driving in India. It’s hilarious, yet true.
Another popular public reaction regarding my return from India was, “Didn’t you see garbage everywhere?” No, to garbage and trash at my feet. India is a progressive society that limits and regulates the number of plastic bottles and bags in most places. I wish I could say the same when I witness the cases of plastic water bottles carried out of Costco daily here in my city. (No foreign country wants to recycle our U.S. plastic anymore. Not even India. Good for them.)
Check out the garbage swept up in neat piles each morning, and then picked up by garbage trucks. I found more garbage in the traffic islands and along the freeway in my county. Pretty sad. Maybe the U.S. is regressing to a developing country status.
Another common public comment is, “Aren’t there so many beggars?” No, to beggars on every corner. I can count on two hands the number of beggars I saw in 17 days of travel. There are social programs available for the needy. We started our tour by heading to the Sikh Temple of Gurdwara where tons of food are donated and delivered daily, cooked by an all-volunteer staff, and serve 30,000 people every day. No questions asked. This is one of many places where free food can be obtained. The 15 of us covered our hair with religious respect and served the food to the population. I was humbled and honored to participate.
If any of you have been to India recently, I’d love to hear about your experience. Comment below. I am still processing this most incredible experience, and I will be posting more about this trip in the coming weeks. So much to show and tell.
Take a moment to look at India through new eyes.
Susan E. Greisen 
Hi Susan, another glorious trip! It’s funny how we have an image of our mind from a movie or an old picture and we just ‘assume’ it’s the same!
As they progress, currently we regress!
Thanks for sharing.
Jill
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Yes, Jill, so true. One friend’s account from India was from 30 years ago and that is what she remembered. I have been told lots of things from various people, including my parents, which I found not to be true. I make it my mission to see the situaion, with an open mind, for myself and come to my own conclusion.
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