Thread: Train Ride

There may be something to Muslim poverty in India. When the British left in 1947 the country broke down into massacres between the two religions. The country then split apart into East and West Pakistan with India in the center and Muslims were relocated into East and West leaving most of India to Hindus except for a few Muslim enclaves (like Ajmer). The 1971 War saw East Pakistan liberated and it became Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh had a ban on land border crossings until 2006. When I crossed the border both times it was by air.

Anyway.....the utter poverty, the many crippled children I saw about, the open sewers, the starving "holy" cows.....one thing you won't see in India are coins laying on the ground! I didn't see the first penny in 8 weeks.

Some things the very wealthy just couldn't get....like window screens. Very strange. I slept one night without a bed net and I counted 40 bites the next day. I never scratched the first one and a couple of those bites scarred. I may have come down with a slight case of dengue fever the first week. Later, I rather wished I had gotten the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine also (I have it now).

In India, no matter were you go, you will see people. Even in the rather barren wastes of the west, where there is nothing, you see people.

My malarial pills were prescription only, "Larium" is the trade name. I doubt I could have found replacements while there but you were there longer albeit 11 years later.

There was no apparent security at the Taj in 1997. I just wish we had more time to see the building, it has been the only man-made thing to "move me" on a spiritural level.

There are mosques on either side and we tried to walk over to one BUT the red bricks were so hot those burned our feet and we had to run back to the cool white stones of the Taj.

I read the Bible nearly every day while I was there and I had a life-altering religious experience while in the Durga in Ajmer. All I can say is I reached a state of prayer meditation that the Holy Spirit came over me unlike anything before or since. What It said to me I wrote into my diary and that sentence both answered one of the questions I had going to India and provided an inspiration and comfort until I die and face Judgment. It was that powerful and wonderful.

I had just finished a course in Microbiology before deciding to go, so I was particularly concerned about disease prevention. Were you so concerned?

I kept a daily diary of the trip, did you do anything similar?

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

My malarial pills were prescription only, "Larium" is the trade name. I doubt I could have found replacements while there but you were there longer albeit 11 years later.

I had just finished a course in Microbiology before deciding to go, so I was particularly concerned about disease prevention. Were you so concerned?

I kept a daily diary of the trip, did you do anything similar?

Too many things in your post to reply to them all
My first few days were in a state of near-paranoia. I felt everything was going to get me.
Mosquitos by day - dengue. Mosquitos by night - malaria. Dogs - rabies. Water - hepatitis, diarea.
Autorickshaw drivers - wallet emptying. Big crowds of people - risk of pickpockets. The mumbai train - risk of not getting _in_ the train. Etc.

I eventually learned what all the locals know - the risks exists, but no need to go crazy about it.

Some malaria pills are not on sale in India. However, that doesn't mean no pills exist. They have the weekly ones that may cause hallucinations in rare cases That's what I ended up getting prescribed, and I had zero hallucinations.

Originally Posted by malaverdiere

Too many things in your post to reply to them all
My first few days were in a state of near-paranoia. I felt everything was going to get me.
Mosquitos by day - dengue. Mosquitos by night - malaria. Dogs - rabies. Water - hepatitis, diarea.
Autorickshaw drivers - wallet emptying. Big crowds of people - risk of pickpockets. The mumbai train - risk of not getting _in_ the train. Etc.

I eventually learned what all the locals know - the risks exists, but no need to go crazy about it.

Some malaria pills are not on sale in India. However, that doesn't mean no pills exist. They have the weekly ones that may cause hallucinations in rare cases That's what I ended up getting prescribed, and I had zero hallucinations.

"Too many things..to reply to..."? If you are using a smartphone that is likely true. I only use computers and laptops for the internet....typing is much easier.

I suspect you were on your own all of your time there. The entire time I was there I was either in the care of an experienced native or staying with some very wealthy people. I never experienced any fear, just anger when I realized those three punks were about to rob me and ditto with the three jackasses on the 1st. Class train.

While in Darjeeling (mountains) I left the hotel and my companions and was given a tour of the city by an employee of the hotel. He was a Christian and we did a bible study together in the room. I kept in touch with him via mail for some years after. I guess I should have been more concerned being off alone with him but I wasn't. He was a good man.

I had planned ahead and was vaccinated against most threats plus I had potable water tablets. Hardest to find was toilet tissue but I never ran out of that either. My bowel movements were very solid there and I had no need for the amount of toilet tissue I use in USA. I always had bottled water or water I could trust. Other than the one night of bites I always had a bed net or slept with a coating of DEET on exposed skin.

Larium is known to cause halliucinations, panic attacks, and even murderous behavior, it was banned in UK for just that or so I was told. I had two panic attacks while on it, something that had never happened before the trip or since. Larium is 90% effective against malaria. And there are some strains that will kill you. Getting malaria is a life-changing event as you are never completely free of it. You are barred from ever donating blood again for that reason.

Next time, get a money belt and decoy wallet......if anyone had stolen my decoy I would have laughed.

I'm finally getting some time to breath!

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

"Too many things..to reply to..."? If you are using a smartphone that is likely true. I only use computers and laptops for the internet....typing is much easier.

I think that we're going to accidentally write an encyclopedia if we're not careful

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

I suspect you were on your own all of your time there. The entire time I was there I was either in the care of an experienced native or staying with some very wealthy people. I never experienced any fear, just anger when I realized those three punks were about to rob me and ditto with the three jackasses on the 1st. Class train.

Yo - its a yes and a no. I had the chance to have wonderful friends - roomates (one of whom invited me to his wedding), expats and fellow Christians.
But I needed more than buddies. And that need got met later in the story!

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

While in Darjeeling (mountains) I left the hotel and my companions and was given a tour of the city by an employee of the hotel. He was a Christian and we did a bible study together in the room. I kept in touch with him via mail for some years after. I guess I should have been more concerned being off alone with him but I wasn't. He was a good man.

Brothers and sisters have been some of the the best tour guides ever. I found that the arrangement , generally speak, is greatly encouraging for both parties.
As an added bonus, when a foreigner (who is presumed to be of high status and very rich) hangs out with respect and curiosity, it broadcasts the equalitarian side of the Gospel message very loudly. This is something that no everybody who reads this will appreciate, understand, but those who experienced the Indian culture will.

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

I had planned ahead and was vaccinated against most threats plus I had potable water tablets. Hardest to find was toilet tissue but I never ran out of that either. My bowel movements were very solid there and I had no need for the amount of toilet tissue I use in USA. I always had bottled water or water I could trust. Other than the one night of bites I always had a bed net or slept with a coating of DEET on exposed skin.

Paying extra for a reputed bottled water brand is a good investment. Whenever I visit, we'll have cheapo bottled water for washing dishes and cooking, and more reputed water for the drinking. This has been keeping us healthy so far.

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

Larium is known to cause halliucinations, panic attacks, and even murderous behavior, it was banned in UK for just that or so I was told. I had two panic attacks while on it, something that had never happened before the trip or since. Larium is 90% effective against malaria. And there are some strains that will kill you. Getting malaria is a life-changing event as you are never completely free of it. You are barred from ever donating blood again for that reason.

Next time, get a money belt and decoy wallet......if anyone had stolen my decoy I would have laughed.

I've got a money belt since then

Brother,

I love to type and I get wordy fast. *Several times the graduate studies term paper had a page limit I couldn't meet....not because my paper was too short, but because my paper was too long! *I turned it in anyway.

I never thought of the "he's American so he must be loaded angle" but it had to be there. Very good point!

What It said to me I wrote into my diary and that sentence both answered one of the questions I had going to India and provided an inspiration and comfort until I die and face Judgment. It was that powerful and wonderful.

It may be deeply personal, and if so, I apologize for the imposition, but could you please share the sentence? What inspires and comforts one may inspire and comfort others.

To answer that I must explain one of my reasons for accepting the invitation to India. I wanted to go to see one thing: the Taj Mahal.

My friend wanted to go to "pray"---at the Durgah in Ajmer. He was a fairly strict Muslim. I was (at the time anyway) a fairly strict Christian and I was worried about him. He and I had become very close and I was worried about his salvation.

The feeling seemed to say "you belong to Me and nothing can change that and don't worry about these Muslims."

The second part was unfortunately vague; but there was no denying the first part was clear.