Over a few two many glasses of red wine late one evening last year, I sat with my close friend Will, discussing life, the universe and everything again .... this is something we did on many occasions and it amused us for many an hour or two, usually when everyone else had long gone to bed!!! The more we drank the fullness of the grape, the more our minds were lubricated with enriched thoughts and desires. We decided it was time for a road trip, a trip of a lifetime, a chance to search new land and new experiences. Our conversation led to India and then and there the decision was made. I made a rough map of India on the back of a Marlboro packet and our journey began. Will commenced to research at great depth the many aspects of this unknown territory, health and safety neccessities and the most economic way of travel. Will was driven by his passion for colour to seek out the most desired places that would fill our eyes with a kaleidoscope of rainbows. I, in the meantime consulted the back of the Marlboro packet and dreamt of the possibilities. I have to say at this stage that it was a good job one of us had a reality check and pursued proper planning. The date was set for December 2008 with the prospect of a 6 week journey lying ahead of us. As the departure date became closer, we realised there was rather a lot to think about, we are both keen on photography so needed to make sure that all equipment was covered as well as serious issues like visas and immunisations. Our journey outward took us from Gatwick to Dehli and from that point everything changed.
We landed at Dehli and immediately soaked in the atmosphere, dry dust, intense heat, noise and extreme confusion and we obviously stood out. I am Portuguese, tall, with a mass of thick uncontrollable hair and generous in size. Will, standing next to me, is smaller with short hair and slim so we certainly attracted some glances and curiousity. It is difficult to write about everything we saw during our trip but some experiences made a lasting impact, some of which I will attempt to share.
I never realised the importance of rats until we spent a day in a temple that's sole purpose was the celebration of the "rat" and all it stood for, including it's rancid smell, urine and persistent desire to run all over you. I had to leave eventually as I could no longer stand the feeling of rat faeces squishing between my toes, desparately trying to understand why these stinky little creatures held so much importance.
One of the main lessons learned was the extreme economic segregation within India. On one side of the road, a baby would be crawling through the sewers with little clothing as the family looked on in resigned desperation, whilst across the street, foreigners sipped cocktails in their newly crisp white linen and talked about "the romance of India". It was apparent that this really was a country where fate laid a course that could then rarely change. If you were born on the wrong side of the street then that is where you stayed. The interesting point though is to distinguish the true meaning of happiness. Is it money and wealth that brings that or personal contentment and self belief. I feel quite strongly that without cultural belief, many communities would question more about their designated fate and not purely accept their existence.
Intense colour on a daily basis was consumed like a full course meal, there was never a moment that was not filled with some form of tapestry of life. Radjasthan was a prime example of this, cows passed through busy streets of red dust, sweaty bodies on bikes steered their way through this maze of industriousness. Eyes behind cloth stared back, a little unnerving. Never sure whether to return the gaze or not. There were a milliion possibilities for photography but when the time came to press the button, voyerism crept in and there was a feeling of trespassing into a secret life.
What has it taught us since, never assume, always try to tolerate and understand. India is a story of many stories, each linked through chapters of events, happenings and surprises. When you want to discover new horizons, dont ever underestimate those small drawings on the back of a packet late one night. Put it in your pocket and save it for a rainy day.
By Rachel Huyton
