Hospitable India

One is never really alone in India. Not only is there the constant bustle of daily life - horns honking, animals calling, people speaking loudly (I don't think it's possible to whisper in Hindi; it must lose meaning somehow...) - but Indians always have time to stop and give directions or show you the way.

There is an Indian ambassador in every city in this country - no matter how remote or poor. These ambassadors aren't official, although you almost feel like it is their only duty - to show you their country, their city, their neighborhood, their life. I have now been in India for nearly two months and have never felt completely alone. If I am lost, most of the time, before I can even ask, someone is asking me if they can help me. Sure, sometimes they want me to go to their shop or eat at their restaurant or stay at their hotel, but in the end they will help regardless.

I have been at the mercy of my intuition and random acts of kindness throughout this adventure. I have gotten on the back of countless motorbikes, blindly followed strangers through poorly lit streets, stayed with people I met a day earlier, eaten curiously fresh food, and shaken curiously clean hands....Granted, my one gift in this life is an ability to read a person in a moment, and of course, I have asked many questions and left my 'trails of breadcrumbs' in my mind, so I always know my way back, but I never expected so much genuine hospitality.

I may not have gotten this experience if I hadn't traveled alone (although it's possible). Some Indians I met randomly (usually middle class Indians) have asked me why I didn't hire a guide, and I reply that I have a guide in every city. And it's true. I typically meet my ambassadors when I've just traveled for hours or when I'm hopelessly lost or at my wits end. They're always patient, as I'm not open to speaking with and trusting random people on the street, but eventually I begin to trust certain individuals and accept their help. And usually I'm happy I did. Whether we shared a conversation over chai, spent the day whizzing around on a motorbike, hung out with their family, or spent the night under their roof; I have many thank you notes to write and pictures to send to my ambassador friends in India.