Beautiful India

Yesterday, after about 35 hours of travel, I reached Trichy, India, where my aunt picked me up to take me to her house in Kodaikanal. Although it may sound unusual, my first impression of India is that it is very green! There were some towns and some slums, but the majority of the scenery along the 4 hour drive from Trichy to Kodaikanal was of agriculture, forests, and undeveloped shrublands. I am aware that not all of India is like what I've seen so far, but what I have seen is gorgeous, luscious, undeveloped terrain.

Another notable fact that I have noticed about India is the terrifying way in which they drive! There is no such thing as traffic lights or traffic lanes here. Instead, the method of driving is to scream down the middle of the road, honking your horn at the cows, chickens, dogs, cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and people to get out of the way.

Finally, I have noticed that the people here have a different way of looking at life. In North America, the general idea is to fit in by owning the brand names, labels, biggest houses, fanciest cars and newest electronic devices. So far in India, I have seen that they have a simpler, less materialistic life. I'm sure that is due to the economic differences between a developing third world country and a rich first world country. But none the less, it is relaxing to be in this environment. When it comes to clothing, anything goes, from the traditional saris to blue jeans and t-shirts. In this small town, most people don't own cars, computers, or furnaces, as wood is gathered from the nearby woodlands to feed fireplaces. People in this town seem healthy and happy, living a simple life, free from the pressure to have more and more stuff. Again I'm sure that it is not like this everywhere in India, as I'll see when I go to bigger cities, but this town is peaceful and serene.

Bonnet macaque monkey on the drive up to Kodaikanal. Although they are super cute, they are India's version of a raccoon: they are troublesome in the town as they eat the garbage, spreading it everywhere.

A restaurant we stopped at on the way to Kodai, palm trees in the background. Coconuts from the palm trees are a huge industry here, both for the food and the clean, pure water from within the coconuts.

Houses we saw on a hike we went on this morning, very colourful and quaint .