Karuna Around the World..Strike 1, India

It was the prison system in Nepal and my relationships with inmates living within it that led to a resolution, a resolution that wherever I travelled in the world I would attempt to visit a foreign prisoner. The purpose being to brighten their day and make life a little easier, whether it was bringing them food or supplies, sending off an email to a loved one back home, or just breaking up the monotony of their day.

 

After leaving Nepal in March 2009 I headed to India where I had booked a tour of the South. After the 3 week tour, which was excellent, I headed off on my own to Goa, a coastal paradise. There the plan was to meet up with my friend and fellow volunteer from Nepal, Allison. Plus, I had done some research before going and learnt that there was a prison in the area. So I planned to take my chances at visiting.

 

Well, looking back it was a dumb idea. I should have known that the completely open prison system that I had experienced in Nepal was not so in other countries. In Nepal (at that time), anyone could simply show up, look at a list of foreign prisoners on the wall and pick who they wanted to see. So I expected that it would be that easy in India as well.

 

Luckily the place where I would be meeting Allison was close by the prison. After finding a hotel I hired a taxi and off we went. On the way I stopped at a little store and picked up some basic things to give to the person who I expected to meet such as toiletries and some snacks.

 

We drove along the beautiful coast and arrived at a stone, fort-like prison on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was so bizarre that a prison had been built in such a beautiful place. I remember thinking that apart from the fact that these prisoners were locked up, they sure were lucky to have such an amazing view!

 

I had a really good taxi driver; a young guy who spoke good English, and bless his heart he went and talked to the military type guards that were standing at the entrance of the prison. I knew it didn't look good when I noticed the visiting hours posted on the gate, and I wasn't there on one of those days. On top of that I learnt that only family members could visit, so it didn't even matter that it wasn't a visiting day. It was pretty clear that there was no Canadian girl charm that was going to get me in, so disappointed and dejected I left with my bag of goodies, all bought for nothing.

 

I think the taxi driver felt bad that I had hired him for nothing, so on the way back he played tour guide, taking me to a fort that was popular with tourists. I had no desire to tour this fort after the failed prison visit but went along with it given how kind he was being. The pictures are the prison and scenery on the way.

So India was a bust...

Hygiene in India

I miss India. I've missed it since the day I left for Nepal, even though I was over the moon excited to be going back to see my friends and favourite places again. There's just something about India that makes me yearn for it and which prompts me to write about it again.

 

My most recent trip to India was my third. I'm often asked "why would you want to go there?!`` People just don't get it. Unfortunately many people still have the perception that India is nothing but dirty, polluted and overpopulated. Now sure, India can be those things depending on where you go, but I hope from my pictures that one can see the beauty of the country; not only in terms of the landscape, but also the culture, customs, traditions and people (minus stalkers) which makes this country so amazing. I can admit that it isn't for everyone, but for me it's a fascinating place that can both overwhelm and stimulate your senses, that provides non-stop learning about a different world and life and which makes you think differently about your own.

 

 

I'm going to try and give you a glimpse of India as I see it; the endearing, unique, odd, and fascinating things about India....

 

Well, why not start with the ol' butt hose! Now the butt hose isn't unique to India, as I have vivid memories of freezing my ass off (literally) when I used it in Nepal. Seriously, that water was as cold as if it had come from the Antarctic (although in all actuality it was probably from the highest point of the Himalayas). Now imagine getting a high pressured spray up the ol" arse with that!! As my mother would say....."BITCH!!" Sorry if that's too graphic, but you should know by now that this blog is not so PG.

 

 

Ok so the deal is, Indians don't use toilet paper. In the little suburb of Mysore where my homestay was, no toilet paper could be found. You literally had to take a bus into the city or another suburb where tourists live to buy it. Instead, they spray and drip dry. Now, in my opinion, the butt hose plus toilet paper is a better idea to ensure you don't walk away with a wet crotch, but hey, it works for them. And personally, I love it.! It may put some plumbers out of work here in North America if it caught on, with all those plugged lines from the 4 ply toilet paper that we use, but I think we should give it a try. I'm not too shy to admit that I can't wait to get hosed on my next trip :)

Well that's a good segue into talking about squat toilets. Nothing scares tourists in India more than toilets; specifically squat toilets. I don't think I need to explain what those are. Now granted, if you're the type that likes to take the ol`National Geographic to the can and sit for a half hour, then the squat isn't for you, but otherwise, I would say it rocks! Once again, it's very hygienic. I think we can all agree that sitting on a toilet seat is a bad idea no matter where you are in the world. And when you put toilet paper down on the seat it always falls off (plus there is none in India). And finally, squatting over the toilet is just plain hard to do.

With the squat you can get down on the ol' haunches and giver like you're from Swan River. And, once again, it's very hygienic cuz you're not touching anything. Now, for girls, trying not to pee on yourself can certainly be a challenge. That I will admit. Especially when you're on a moving train that's rocking from side to side while you're grabbing on to a hand rail (that you need to sanitize your hand from a few times after finishing) and trying to get it in the hole that leads to the train tracks that you're watching go by as you do your business. Now that's an entertaining visual for you I'm sure, and just as entertaining for the person involved I can assure you. It's kinda like being on a Bucking Bronco. Bottom line is that I still love the squat.

Now I'm not quite done with the bathroom because the other unique thing about India is the bucket shower. Unlike Canada where we are privileged to have (in our minds), an unlimited amount of water, Indians aren't so lucky. First of all the demand for water is huge with a population of more than a billion people. And some areas, like Northern Karnataka, barely have any. So they have to conserve water in any way they can.

For those that have their own home and water supply (I say that because millions don't have that luxury either), the common practice is to use the actual shower space to "shower" but not via free falling water like we are used to. Rather they fill a bucket of water and rinse themselves off with it using a measuring cup.

Now I reallllly love showering..it's surely one of my favourite things. So I wasn't the most excited about showering for months with a bucket. Well I'm proud to admit that I adapted easily and grew to appreciate it, also taking pride in that I didn't even need a full bucket. Really, as long as I have hot water I'm good. I can admit that I have gone back to a "normal" shower back in Canada but, I am always mindful of water and try and use as little as possible. So if you see someone giving you the evil eye in a public washroom for running water while you're busy doing something else, it's likely me!!

So, that pretty much covers toileting and shower issues. I'm certainly not done with India yet though...and with Pumpkin Spice Lattes being in season at Starbucks, there will sure to be more to come. It's great to be back!