I went to India with Overseas Adventure Travel for 3½:weeks in January. I wanted to “see” the highlights and learn about the life of its various people. Would the real India be revealed when we were experiencing everything through the bubble of a tour?
I was traveling alone, with my Kindle for company. As I was waiting for my flight, I met an Indian woman originally from Punjab on her way to visit family. When she heard that I was alone and was supposed to meet a tour company representative at the Delhi airport, she said we had to meet at baggage claim and “sort it out” if the representative was not there. Talk about welcoming the stranger!
It soon became clear that I would not be able to remember all the facts from my tour guide’s mouth, so I focused on the major themes and just let the sights, sounds and smells surround me.
India is everything you imagine and then some. One of the highlights was a 2 night stay in a tent at the Naguaar Camel Festival located in a desert. Was I tracing my roots? Manna did not fall; we went to a fabulous buffet in another tent. Oh, and my tent had a flush toilet!
It was wedding season in India, and we had multiple opportunities to dance with women in the pre-wedding processions. We saw men in the street accompanying the groom who was astride either a horse or elephant. In Judaism, we are commanded to celebrate with the bride and groom.
In Agra, we ate at Shero’s Café, a restaurant run by women who were the victims of disfiguring acid attacks. Most of the perpetrators were members of their family. I was awed and astonished at their bravery and inner beauty. Despite laws outlawing this crime, it persists. We immediately went to the Taj Mahal, an amazingly beautiful monument to love. A day of contrasts, if there ever was. Sunset along the Ganges was surprisingly moving. We saw 14 cremation fires as families brought their loved ones to the most sacred place in the Hindu religion. As we passed several Hindu temples, we heard joyful singing and drumming ending with what sounded like a shofar, but was a conch shell. We then lit candles to honor our ancestors and placed them on the river.
Perhaps, the most defining episode came at the conclusion of my trip, outside the bubble, as I was navigating security at the Mumbai Airport. I asked a woman standing in front of me about the protocols for Kindles. She went through security and was waiting for me on the other side. She wanted to make sure I was ok. I thanked her profusely but she said, “You don’t have to thank me. In my culture, we are taught to treat a guest like you treat a god.”
So, I experienced values in action!
Resa Levinson is a retired teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. She is a docent at The National Museum of American Jewish History where she provides lessons to school age children about the immigrant experience and gives tours on various topics to adult visitors. She has travelled to ALL seven continents.
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