We are nearing the end of our Incredible India tour... and still, each day is saturating us with new people, smells, sounds and taste. This morning we are staying in a small 17th century fort in a small agricultural village... some 60 klms south of Jaipur.
We awakened to find ourselves surrounded by temples... one is traditional Hindi... one is of the Jain faith (a sect of Hindi)... and one is of the Sikh faith. The Muslims started the day at 5:50 with the call to prayer... but on the hour they were silent in their prayers... leaving the airwaves free for the Hindi worshippers. I have been surprised at the level of enthusiasm displayed in Hindi worship... today, it was the three temples having a shout-out to have their chants heard above the others.
The Sikhs are at a disadvantage... there are no Sikh worshippers living in the village. However, the village is very important to the Sikhs because one of their nine prophets wrote some holy text while in the village... and the Jaipur Sikhs have built a temple to commemorate the event. This temple is used by Pilgrims and travellers... under the guidance of an 80 year old priest... with one of the finest faces you could hope to see... uncut hair and beard... aging lines bringing character to his face... hinting at the wisdom he has accumulated in his long life.
It is now 7:45 am and all the worshipping has completed... peace! The men are bringing their herds of goats out of the enclosure to be taken to pasture... the same routine followed every day. On bright sunny warm days like today, the shepherd's life has some appeal. When scorching hot... or cold and raining... the romance would quickly fade. We have seen shepherds watching their herd of goats... along the roadway... leaning on their staff and talking into their mobile phone... progress unfolds in unexpected steps. Motorbikes and mobile phones are the technologies having most impact in the villages.
Our Peregrine guide is a mystery. He shares ownership with his brother in a farm of 100 hectares in Rajasthan. He went to a good school and seems to be part of a network amongst the wealthy and privileged... he probably belongs to a top rating caste... we have seen a couple of people attempt to touch his feet... as a form of greeting. At each location we have visited, our guide is welcomed by the hotel owners as a long-lost brother... I suspect he is related to half of them. I suspect he has designed the tour format we are following... and taken it to Peregrine as some type of franchised business opportunity... who knows. He has no difficulty in dealing with conflicting requests from his bus load of tourists... he clearly has a background where his instructions are obeyed... and his tour group is used to doing what they are told... with some notable exceptions.
Our guide maintains our affections by giving us food treats during the days of long drives... but more importantly, keeps our spirits high with a liberal supply of rum and coke. Yesterday was a long day for driving... he was topping-up our glasses at 10:30 AM. The combination of alcohol... close proximity of the people on the bus... and some stretches of road with repetitive scenery... has lead to periods of community singing... excessive chattering... and telling tales of heroic deeds. We usually arrive at our next camp without suffering boredom or pains... unaware of the long period of the drive... all very happy. The only cost is a hangover in the evenings after our long journey.
Bus dynamics are always interesting. We have the essential 'princess' who is always last on the bus... who needs the best seat so that she can stretch out her sore leg... who keeps us waiting at every check point. From experience, we have learned that every group must have a princess... and this knowledge helps reduce the frustration level. Our leader has been saintly in providing the extra attention demanded by our princess. However, after dinner last night, he showed some fraility... in reacting to a criticism from the princess... let's hope he manages to last out one more day. Knowing our leader is struggling to remain saintly in the face of extra demands of the princess somehow makes it easier for the rest of us to handle. I'm sure we have all been much more companionable with each other as a method of coping with the princess.
Update
We have arrived back at Delhi at the completion of the tour... we have a final dinner tonight... where we will all promise to stay in touch... and have a reunion in 12 months time... you have all been through similar shows of group love and affection. No one remembers to set the date or location of the reunion... and the good intentions become overwhelmed with the complexities of our daily lives. Perhaps this group will follow through... our Surrey Walking Ladies group kept faith with a most enjoyable reunion.
This tour has been magnificent... primarily because of the opportunity to see village life at such short distance. This last 14 days have thrown up such wonderful stories... that we must share before they are forgotten.
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