SOMEONE ONCE TOLD US THAT YOU had to have a reason to visit India—a yoga retreat or a meditation seminar—maybe a hip replacement. I had to keep reminding myself our reason was birding—especially amid the dust and squalor, 4AM wake-ups, spicy food, 8+ hour travel days and freezing open jeep excursions.
We really got around
In 2½ weeks we traveled 350 km by train, 550 km by plane and 2500 km by road. We stayed in barely basic cottages, former British colonial villas, semi-authentic Indian palaces and modern hotels. We had some scrumptious breakfasts but ate many others on the road—brown bag lunches, too. Rice was a dinner staple along with nan and whatever else we thought our stomachs would accept—even so, both of us got a touch of “Delhi Belly.” We mostly drank coffee, tea or just water; Diet Cokes were a rare treat.
Plum-headed Parakeet
Purple Sunbird
We hadn’t expected to see as many birds as on other trips but still managed nearly 300 species. Many of the rare species are dull and are found only in this region of India, others more common and brightly colored.
You don't want to miss the REAL India
Lest you think I have been trashing India, other than Delhi and Mumbai, where we flew into and out of and Jaipur where we changed from a train to our bus, these weren’t places a tourist would generally see. True, India can be a filthy, overcrowded, and noisy country. The language is impossible, the customs and religion are strange, getting around is difficult and the food is either bland or fiery hot. And don’t even think about drinking the water!
Home Sweet Home—culture shock for many travelers
Still there are so many wonderful places to see—Agra, Goa Jaipur, Hampi, Udaipur, Varanasi and Khujaraho, plus tiger treks in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Jim Corbett National Parks. You can see it all and avoid most of the unpleasantness with a packaged tour but you won’t experience the soul of India.
Drawing water from the well—a twice daily event
This is how to carry water home
Giving new meaning to "Wash in Cold Water"
You won’t have much contact with real Indians struggling to make a life under conditions unfathomable to most Westerners. You won’t see the shy girl smiles, hear the laughter of the kids as they push for a squint through your binoculars or stop and stare at your baby blues.
But kids still giggle
Connie and her binoculars are always a hit with the kids
In any case, you may be a tourist but you really can’t call yourself a traveler until you have been to Incredible India.
