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To reach our next destination we jumped on a train, where we found out that Indian people are as tolerant with cockroaches as they are with cows. Hordes of them moved up and down the wagons freely and unscathed under the indifference of our fellow travellers. After getting rid of a few of them we realised the futility of the task and we decided to apply the maxim 'When in Rome, do as Romans do'. After this trip we will have seen it all before : it is not the sight of a rat or cockroaches coming out from the shop where we just bought a packet of biscuits that will make us shudder. As for mosquito-eating geckos, they have become our best friends. As we say in Spain “what does not kill you makes you stronger”.

Since our arrival we have been following mainly a vegetarian diet, partly because restaurants serving meat are scarce, and partly because it is the best way to avoid the Delhi belly. However, Indian vegetarian food is so tasty and varied that finally we do not miss that much the meat. The tea is another treat, it is served with milk and flavoured with different spices and sugar.

The train left us close to Bandhavgarh National Park. As per Lonely Planet, it is one of the places in India where you have most chances to see a tiger in its natural habitat. If you get really lucky, you can even spot a leopard. But in our case, we scored a big zero in cats, even after two safaris. The only thing we saw were a few footprints and, according to our guide, we heard the distress warning call made by a deer when looking a leopard at close range. Luckily, there were plenty of other animals to liven up things : wild boars, foxes, peacocks and even plenty of Bambis. The long drives by jeep also gave us time to meet and discuss with Franck and Marie, a very nice couple from South France who have been working for years for a humanitarian NGO, but that are currently taking a few months off to travel around Asia. It was really interesting to learn from their organisation from somebody involved in field-work.


This leads to mention the hardest aspects of traveling in India, that will shock you even if you have prepared mentally for it : the extreme poverty of an important part of the population and the general lack of cleanliness. It is crazy to think that a country that has got the money and the technology to send missions to the moon and that has produced 3 of the 5 biggest fortunes in the world can keep such levels of misery. If Gandhi is looking at his country from the hereafter, it must really be difficult for him to rest in peace.

Next stop : Khajuraho, known by its spectacular 10th century temples finely engraved, among others, with erotic Kamasutra figures. Everywhere in India you have to put up with touts that lie in wait of potential customers and that prevent you from visiting peacefully. But in this particular town, there are so many and they are so insistent that it is a real nightmare : even Karim, that grew in Morocco and is supposed to be vaccinated against them, lost his calm. But the saddest thing of all is that most children here will approach you to ask you for 'chocolate', 'school pen' and 'rupies'. Even when the mother is present she will not say anything. If I had dared do the same as a kid, my bottom would still be hurting from my the spanking I would have received.


We leave this town with mixed feelings and we head for the Mecca of Indian tourism : Agra and the famous Taj Mahal.

Bea