Overview
🦘My story will take you through my Army experiences including the dreadful inhumane mess that was the Vietnam War.
Vietnam was mostly unknown to Australia before the war and whilst it is now a popular tourist destination, litt...
Kerry and I have just returned (Nov 2024) from visiting an area in India known as the 'Golden Triangle' encompassing New Delhi, Jaipur (the pink city) although there is not much pink. As well we visited Agra and many places between these three major cities in an organised group of 24 persons, who were generally polite but not friendly apart from a few whom we made good friends with. We stayed in very good hotels during our short tour and had the very best guide and coach driver that you could wish for. Weather was foggy and smoggy by degrees however, not as bad as warned to be in our time. These cities are unfortunately normally smog bound with extremely urgent health warnings which top the country's highest recorded levels constantly. A Swiss smog recording system (app) recently recorded a level of 1,650 (whatevers) in the region, whereas the Indian level was at the same time showing 500 in most places. The Indian smog recording system doesn't exceed 500 which is an extremely unhealthy level however, there is no way of discerning the difference in the Swiss app. One of our hotels displayed a digital display of the smog level inside and outside. The cocktail of hazards include microscopic particles of suspended matter, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide and sulphuric Dioxide. Farm fires in the thousands are mainly responsible however, there seemed to be no mention of exhaust fumes from the millions of cars and trucks nor coal fired generators or the effects of a dreadful lack of sanitation and rotting garbage on the streets measured in thousands of tons. India has hundreds of coal fired generators. Delhi run water tankers fitted with misting sprays as well as some sprays fitted to telephone posts at large intersections, all in order to suppress the smog - it didn't appear to be working. India could afford to tackle urgent basic environmental problems, as there appears to be money that could be utilised or redirected. In 23/4 India had approximately 3.5 million students studying in the U.S. at a cost of $12 billion. Tourism to the value of $millions is subdued due to the smog. There is talk of ending coal power in India - it will definitely not happen in our lifetime, more power stations are continuing to be built.
An Amazing Country There is no way to encapsulate this amazing country of hundreds of years of history, many religions, faiths, dialects and customs. This is a country boiling over with population. In 1997 approximately 800 million and today in 2024 1.4 billion (1400 million) the most populous country in the world. How many millions will be added in the future? It is said that the country will reach its peak of 1.65 Billion in 2060. That forecast is a little slim.
Delhi, today has a population of 27 million and Jaipur 66 million. Unrest in the country is widely reported in their English language newspapers, the long standing problem with Sikh separatists continues in the north with thousands of police and military on duty in a number of strife torn areas. How could I not mention the roads!! Beyond explanation, except to note that there are no road rules obvious, and drivers simply do their own thing accompanied by mind numbing horns blown constantly when needed or not, no one takes a blind bit of notice and there is absolutely no road rage, everyone simply abuses everyone else. All roads are jammed with no apparent opportunity for any police or other service vehicles to access the mess, as well it was reported in one of their newspapers that police will not attend to certain situations involving government union vehicles as it is a superior organisation to the police. India like some other countries are championing electric vehicles ( 3 wheelers in their case) with tax incentives. Guess where the electricity comes from (phew)
Then there are the cows, sacred animals which are let loose to wander the streets and fend for themselves when they cannot supply milk. Monkeys bounce between the tops of buildings and swing on the kms of hanging and twisted power lines. Indians are very friendly people, I noticed constantly that they love to say hello and are thrilled to be photographed along with their kids.
We visited many of the famous sites of the tourist triangle and it simply was amazing to view the many Palaces, Forts and mansions alongside abject poverty. The jewel in the crown is obviously the Taj Mahal under construction for the years from 1651 and commissioned by Sha Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Very romantic as Mumtaz wanted to go to heaven however, it seemed to be the only thing Taj could not provide for her, so in building the mausoleum Taj believed it was as close as he could get in providing heaven for Mumtaz. A little of the romantic shine faded when we discovered that she was Taj's third wife and she passed away giving birth to their thirteenth child. The Taj's stunning architecture blazes in white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones which dazzle brightly under light. The mental and physical skills of artisans of so long ago is very hard to comprehend on viewing that jewel of India.
Other notable 'must sees' are the beautiful gardens of Delhi in great contrast to its more urgent needs, as well the Red Fort, Jama Masjid ( largest mosque in India) the India Gate and the palace of the President.
In the walled city of Jaipur, the Amber Fort, City Palace, the Observatory of Sawia Singh and the Palace of Winds.
In Agra, as well as the Taj. see Agra Fort and their Red Fort. A visit to a faith temple in Delhi, not on the usual tourist trek is the amazing kitchen serving meals to the needy, hungry and faithful free of charge. At this Temple Kerry volunteered to assist in the feeding of some of the approximately 35 to 40,000 people every day who arrive, eat in a regimented fashion and promptly depart in order that the facilities plan to feed so many is not interrupted. I was very proud of Kerry who volunteered to assist and was required to dress and feed the hoards in a certain traditional fashion. The food is paid for by the temple and from donations. Those fed may eat what and as much as they want from a limited choice but are not permitted to leave until they have eaten what they chose.
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Crime and Corruption Plenty in India like most places around the world, missing persons, some suspected of being kidnapped are common and dreadful stories of cruelty and murder abound in a scenario of opposing sects. Female babies are not overly popular and suffer by degree as a result, recently two baby girls were murdered by members of their family and buried because they were girls. Petty thieves and those other minor crooks wanted by the authorities attract a petty reward of a few dollars value as the government doesn't want the thieves to think that they are important. Garbage is a dreadful scene in areas visited, a large and wide water channel was almost filled to the top for as far as could be seen with rotting garbage bags, these bags pervade entire cities in giant heaps nosed in by dogs, goats and roaming cows. Along with a severe absence of sewerage systems there seems to be no way out. There is no shortage of money for travel in India, on 19 Nov 24, it was reported that on 'one day' Indians took 505,412 flights in 3,173 scheduled aircraft.
