1.1 Billion People, and Counting

In Mysore, Karnataka State, at an internet place with Tricia. We just went to an amazing ALL YOU CAN EAT Thaly place. I had 6 servings, Tricia had 4 (yes, Tricia had 4) and we could not get up. It was fabulous. We ate on banana leaves, a staple in the South, and Tricia got to try eating with her hands. It was fabulous, and she will write more about it.

For now, I wanted to say a few words about 1.1 billion people. I am especially inspired because today I was body slammed (not intentionally), I got hit by a bike, and I walked into a rickshaw, all in a 4 minutes span. I am fine, laughing a lot with Tricia, and fine. Oh yes, and Tricia was nearly assassinated by a vegetable cart.

India has over 3.5 times the number of people the US has. There are people everywhere. In the bathroom there is always someone, in the bus the seats are almost always filled and some people stand, the trains are crazy with people everywhere, the internet cafes, the restaurants and especially the streets are crazy. The idea of a moment alone is foreign concept. If you don't like people, don't come to India is the main message. I am not judging the people in India. Most of the Indians I have met are wonderful, except for rickshaw drivers, but it's that there are so many people. So, with so many people I would like to give you some Indian moments that span the globe of experiences...

-I asked a man if he could tell me where I could get a pair of pants. He told, "follow-me, my shop!" I thought great. I entered his shop and saw thousands of shirts. I asked about the pants, and he said, "sir just take a look at some shirts." I rolled my eyes and walked out.

-You have heard, and I will tell you again. Every time foreigners get off a bus we have a welcoming committee. Two days ago there were about 18 guys standing outside the bus door as we walked out. All yelling, RICKSHAW, HOTEL, RICKSHAW, POSTCARDS. The number of people means that you have to take the experiences you have had as a tourist every where else and multiply it by 100.

-I often try to find a spot in a restaurant to sit quietly. I order my coffee/chai and sort of hide by looking into my book, or turning on my IPOD. The other day Tricia and I went for coffee with this same idea. The restaurant was EMPTY. We were so happy. They waiter asked us what we wanted, served our coffee, and then pulled up a chair and sat with us. He did not say anything, he just sat there, put on my sunglasses and waived at the people that passed by.

-I often ask a travel agent to look up at train ticket for me. He tells me the trains that are available. I then ask about a different route, and he often says my suggested route does not exist. He then tells me about buses. Then, I change my dates and he goes into the computer and offers me ticket in the route that moments earlier did not exist. I look at him and ask, always, "would it have been so hard to tell me truth a moment ago so that we did not have to do this twice?" He looks at me as if I am the crazy one.

-Train stations are amazing. Imagine a section about a quarter a football field. This is the size of some of the areas outside of train stations. When I take middle of the night trains, I walk over literally 1,000-1,500 people sleeping on the ground. At 4am, 6pm, 11pm, 2am, there are people at the train station, trains are coming and going and there is someone yelling CCCCCCHHHHHAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII

These are just a few moments of India and its people. The sheer number makes for both a variety of experiences and then the same experiences multiplied by 100.

Ok, I am fading here. It is going to be 10pm and I have a few pounds of food in my stomach. I need to sleep.

Oh yes, one more thing. We had a great day today. We visited one of the men who was in my Himalayas tour and whose daughter works for Human Rights Watch India. We did not see her, but will see her the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be picked up by another person from my tour who will take us to their home for breakfast and who will give us a tour of Mysore. We are really looking forward to it.

Lots of hugs,

Julio

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
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