Many who have visited India, come back either loving it, hating it or experiencing a culture shock. I think it is safe to say that most, if not all, come back home as a different person. Although, I was not shocked, it changed me forever!
Perhaps, it was driving along Ontario and Prefontaine Street in Montreal many times witnessing drugs taking over human life and prostituting themselves for survival, that prepared me to experience the cremating of bodies in one of the holiest cities in the world, Varanasi, India.
Perhaps, it might have been cycling through Puglia and Sicily alone that gave me the courage to be positive and deal with the fear of encountering stray dogs; a fear I have had all my life, prepared me to pleasurably travel around India, where animals, such as cows, elephants, dogs and cats are roaming the streets freely.
Perhaps, it has been the time I lived in Mexico where mothers and grandmothers would send their children to sell Chiclet’s as a means to make money for them? The "Chiclet girls", as they were often referred to, had their eyes filled with sadness and hate as a result of what they were forced to do. On the other hand, it could have been me witnessing ten people living in 300 square feet home and sleeping on the floor which prepared me for a country of so many children begging for money or food
Perhaps, it could have been witnessing an endless amount of people sleeping on sidewalks in Rio de Janeiro, or seeing the favelas from afar (a slum or shanty town located within or on the outskirts of the country's large cities) that prepared me to see people living in endless tents on the boulevards of Delhi or the SLUMS OF MUMBAI (today I still feel numbness in me) Perhaps, it was the fear instilled by friends from Brazil, family members and media to be careful in Brazil which prepared me to feel safe in India.
Perhaps, it was the time when I was Beijing, where the Chinese people ride their bicycle on the wrong side of the bike path expecting me to move out of their way! Maybe it was the huge population and the congested traffic that prepared me for the pollution in India which caused me to have the worse sinus infection ever.
Perhaps, it was when I was in Thailand, witnessing massage girls running after western tourists insisting on giving them massages, as well as seeing prostitution in full display. Perhaps, being in the wrong place at the wrong time on a gay beach in Thailand, where underage “Lady Boys” (one who adopts a feminine appearance) were prostituted to western men made me wiser in dealing with the differences of India's culture!
Perhaps, walking through the smelly “Souks” or Bazaars in Egypt crowded with people shouting and pushing me to buy whatever they were selling, or being in a taxi and a man deciding to come along trying to sell me a ride on his camel around the pyramids at Giza, which made my rickshaw ride in Old Delhi through crowds and congested with “Tuk Tuk” tolerable.
Perhaps, it might have been while walking around in Luxor and these "monkeys" (this is what I named them as they would appear out of nowhere) would harass me to get me to hire them for a carriage ride, which prepared me for Indian men constantly approaching me and insisting on selling me “pashminas” when it wasn’t.
Perhaps it was when I was in the bakery and no one was serving me, just to realize there is a women section and a men section and I happened to be on the wrong side. This truly helped me deal with the fascinating and complicated country like India. Furthermore, though initially uneasy, growing to understand why Egyptians would take pictures of my friend and I, namely because they saw us as being different from themselves, prepared me to love taking pictures of Indians in their colorful “Saris” and saw no problem with them (many of whom come from small villages and have never seen Westerners). taking photos of me.
Perhaps, it was my three hour drive to the desert realizing I had no Tour Guide and suddenly picking him up in a small village. It wasn't pleasant to meet this guide I believe he didn't want to be there, I think it's safe to say, I didn't want to spend the evening under the stars "in the middle of the desert," with him. I asked to be returned to Cairo.
This moment of OM was in the holiest city, Varanasi overlooking the Ganges where Hindus scatter their ashes changed me forever. I had chills all over my body, all the challenges I went through to be a tour leader of 22 YOGIS. It took all of my travels and experience as a travel consultant to make this happen.
However, it is not unreasonable to think that all of these countries, and more that I visited, helped me to deal with Unforgettable Memories of India which changed me forever!
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