India Update No. 4

In advance, my apologies for the long post. It includes a range of photos from our recent trip to India.

Returning from India was quite a relief in a few ways. I had slowly built up an irritation towards to chaos which seems to surround the country. I was getting fairly frustrated with the lack of regulations in every industry. So, it was good to back home. However, being thrust back into a country with myriad regulations on every action can also be a bit of a shock to the system. 

There were lots of unique flowers and plants, but also found LOTS of eucalypts in the hill country. 

The cities are pretty crazy, with motorbikes the norm. Rickshaws are a very common way to get around in the towns and cities. However, you MUST be aware for many of the drivers will try their best to scam as much money as they can - in any way possible.

 The train system is well developed and a great way to get around especially if you take the overnight sleeper trains. I've heard that the sleeper buses are also quite good. It is a nice way to view sunrise and sunset by leaning out the open doors of the carriages - safely of course.

Although there seems to be much animal life, most of the animals are either tame or domesticated. The cow is sacred to the many Hindu people - hence the reason why cows roam the streets and countryside. 

We found the hill country to be the nicest. This particular house is of the Lincolns who pastor the local church close to the town of Ooty. 

These are some snapshots of a pretty typical market. It doesn't do justice to the noise and mayhem of the marketplaces there. Crowded. Loud. Colourful. Vivacious. Zoetic. Bounteous. Everyone there is putting there best into making a rupee or two, including the snake charmer who whipped out his [illegal] cobra as we passed by.

The backwaters in the state of Kerala are definitely worth the visit. It was a peaceful way to spend the day, yet it remained impossible to escape the ubiquitous clutter and pollution.

Although I had a fairly disappointing experience in losing about half of my photos on a dodgy thumb drive, I thought I would move on and upload some of the photos which I have enjoyed from the trip. India is an interesting country, but is not one that has a surplus of untouched natural beauties. Keep Australia beautiful!