ALONG THE WAY: THE VIEW FROM THE BUS

Early in the morning we wandered through a nearby wholesale flower market in Delhi; later in the afternoon we had lunch at a maharaja’s palace, now a “heritage hotel,” in the countryside outside Samode; and, in the early evening, we stopped by a village to visit with a band of itinerate snake charmers.

However, the real highlight of the day was surely our eleven hour journey by bus between Delhi and Jaipur. Outside the bus window the everyday world paraded by in endless variety, illuminating contemporary India in ways incapable of expression or comprehension otherwise.

The narrow four-lane-plus-access-lanes divided highway we were on much of the day wound from the city into the countryside, passed through rural villages and over mountain passes, across fertile farmland. Seldom encountering crossroad intersections and with nary a stop light in sight until reaching the outskirts of Jaipur, traffic was constant and heavy, consisting of every imaginable form of transportation known to humankind.

Sacred cows lingered in the middle of the roadway along the median shoulder, the breeze stirred by passing vehicles shooing away annoying flies. Lush green fields were enlivened by the brightly colored sari worn by the women weeding the newly emergent crops. Tiny shop after tiny shop interspersed with al fresco restaurants, truck stops, motor vehicle repair facilities and stretches of market stalls lined the roadway.

When, around mid-day, we got caught in a nearly two hour traffic jam, we were perfectly positioned to observe the village life surrounding us in all its amazing detail; cameras seemed to click much of the time we were stopped, recording it all. We observed richly decorated truck cab interiors, the plying of trades, the marketing of fruits and vegetables, social gatherings for tea and conversation.

We paid the price for the delay, not having lunch until nearly 4:00 p.m. and arriving at our Country Inn and Suites accommodations in Jaipur not until a little after 7:00 p.m.

And, one must admit, the view provided concerning the true reality of “everyday Indian life, culture and custom” seldom penetrated the air-conditioned reality of our elevated “glass bubble” of a bus. Nonetheless we observed a lot and learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the entire day’s fascinating journey, a fraction of which the following pictures might illustrate for your viewing pleasure …