In some ways, being here in India has been an assault on my senses. From the constant horn honking of the taxis, the early morning cawing, cawing, cawing of the birds outside our window and the smells, the wafting smells of horse urine, vomit, human waste and who knows what else that assails the nostrils while walking along the streets.
And then there is the music. The Indian military marching band that practiced just down the street from our hotel, at 4:30 a.m., rousing us with their drums and bugles and trombones . Any attempt to sleep was useless so we got up, dressed and walked down to watch them. The area had been cordoned off by metal barricades and there were armed guards, even an armored vehicle, preventing us from getting close to them. Besides, they stopped playing soon after we arrived. Right after we had walked back to our hotel, a band of people came by chanting Hare Krishna and gently tapping their tambourines. I realized later how much it had soothed my somewhat frazzled nerves.
As I look out at the hues of earliest morning light, a watercolor of deep pinks and lavender at the water’s edge, I take solace in the beauty of nature, too.
Today we fly to Udaipur. I wonder what awaits us there.
Your updates are fascinating, thanks for sharing your experiences!!
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