Hi all,

I’ve heard back from quite a few folks on my email list. The most often heard comments were: thanks for taking us to India; we really enjoyed the trip; but that’s as close are we are going to get to India, and thanks for saving us the money to travel to India. Maybe I should start charging and become a full-time traveler. Perhaps my favorite comment came from a former fellow traveler, Bill Brookes, who likened me to Will Rogers saying that he thinks that “I never took a trip I didn’t like”. Bill should know since he was with me in the Amazon jungle where I got the sickest I’ve ever been in my life and then Bill’s wife Doris out fished me when we went fishing for Piranha. Of course, she out fished Bill and everyone else on the trip too.

Q. Did I really enjoy India? A. YES. Vicky and I had a great time in India. The sights you saw in my emails speak for themselves and were fantastic. The culture was so very different from any other and it was fascinating to experience firsthand. The Hindus and others letting animals wander at will. I’ve read that the city of Delhi alone has some 40,000 cows wandering around inside the city limits, and that doesn’t count the buffalo, pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, chickens, etc. They have some 1.1 billion people in India. Over 95% of all marriages are arranged. I was amazed by a culture that puts so much stock in “karma” and the gods and fate and reincarnation in their daily lives. The public cremations, urination, cooking on the streets, the constant smell of incense, hand pulled rickshaws (Calcutta only), rickshaw school buses, the Old areas of the ancient cities were as wild, fun, and exciting as anything I’ve experienced, the British influence, the colorful saris which women wore everywhere, the Taj Mahal, all the ancient forts and palaces, the step wells, Mother Ganges, friendly people – even if sometimes too friendly, experiencing the caste system, and their great greeting: “Namaste” (with hands folded together and a slight bow - while not having to touch anyone).

Q. Would I still go, knowing what I know today? A. YES. It was hard at times but I still would want to experience it for myself. India is a fascinating place and an incredibly different culture.

Q. Would I go back to India? A. Vicky says, “we haven’t seen southern India yet?” Vicky insists that we need to go to southern India and when she has a trip put together, I’ll join her. NOW you know who the tough one is in this family.

Q. Did I get sick? A. Is the Pope a Catholic? YES, but I survived. Vicky got sick first and it wasn’t too bad. I got sick a second time before I was fully recovered from the first time and that second time was a real bugger. But my sinuses have never been clearer in twenty years and I wasn’t even doing anything to help them.

Q What were the highlights? Going through Old Delhi and Old Varanasi in rickshaws; experiencing the Indian culture; the Taj Mahal and other ancient palaces and forts; being in the land of Tigers, Elephants, and Camels; being in a Hindu majority society; boat rides on the Mother Ganges; the friendly people and especially the friendly kids with big smiles, sometimes living in utterly horrendous conditions.

Bill

PS Maybe the most asked question was “how are the tantric yoga classes going?” Just fine. My instructor has now had time to fully analyze my flexibility and said that with dedication and genuine effort, I should be able to attain my desired positions in about eight to ten years.