I'm in India!

I've just seen the Taj Mahal so I figured now would be a good time to add a post to our blog! It's an amazing sight and my pictures will definitely not do it justice.

I've been in India now for over two weeks and I thought I would post another "things you may notice" message.

So here are things you may notice if you come to India:

1- Cows are everywhere - mostly in the streets blocking cars, etc. You really have to keep your head down to avoid getting the "sticky feet syndrome". There are also lots of goats, dogs, camels and monkeys. If you're lucky, you'll spot an elephant.

2- The food is incredible. Although I haven't had a dish yet that is as spicy as I expected it to be - and that's even when you ask them to make it spicy.

3- Cottage cheese (Paneer) is in almost every dish. Vegetarian food is very popular here since most people are not allowed to eat meat. Every single thing you buy has a symbol on it to say if it's Veg or Non-Veg.

4- We didn't get "Delhi Belly". I got "Udaipur Belly".

5- It smells absolutely awful in some places. It smells great in other places.

6- Another unusual but common sight in the streets is men peeing. They'll do it anywhere. It explains a bit of point #5.

7- Cows eat cardboard and basically most of the garbage that is everywhere in the streets. Speaking of which, there is no garbage disposal or pickup services.

8- Indian religion is a huge limiting factor in the development of the country.

9- People just sit around apparently doing nothing all day.

10- Men hold hands here as a sign of brotherhood. You see fewer women in the streets as many must remain in their homes.

11- The drivers here are suicidal! I thought China was bad but boy was I wrong. The speed limit for trucks on Highways is only 40km/h but cars can go up to 80km/h. So you can imagine how popular passing is. Now imagine a 2 lane highway with cars and motorcycles passing all the time - even when the oncoming traffic is dangerously close. It's terrifying! The drivers also honk at everything and anything. I guess they can't be bothered to look at their mirrors. All the big trucks have "Honk Please" and "Stop" written on their hatches.

That's it for now! In the next few days we'll be taking a train to Varanasi and another to Kolkata. Then we're going up into the mountains (Darjeeling) and South India. If things change, I'll post another one of these. If not, you'll hear about Thailand!