India Ends & Questions

In north india, I traveled more than 1800 miles with my driver Balkar. In south India, I have traveled more than. 1,650 miles with Mohan my terrific driver for the past 2 weeks - the pic is of us having our last masala chai together - the Cochi airport is in background.

Since arriving in India, I have traveled a total of 3,450 miles. I have seen one of the 7 world wonders & many other amazing things! These combined with experiencing a very ancient/historical/mixed culture, incredible wildlife, & amazingly friendly people has made this month-long trip memorable!

Many of you have asked many questions about India. Because tomorrow I depart for an all-day journey to Sri Lanka, I thought now would be a good time to answer some of the most asked questions;

Weather? Now is the monsoon, "off season" for both north and south India. However, I encountered no rain in north India & very little in south India. North India was very hot - south India's temperature has been very mild - even cool! Many Indians travel during this time of year because all costs are lower.

Food? Indians are primarily Hindu & they are vegetarians. Yes - curries are prominent. I am NOT a vegetarian & really didn't & still don't like Indian foods. But - I've survived.

Smoking? Non-smokers would/do love India. Smoking is forbidden in ALL public places (including on many public streets - especially in Kerala) & this law is enforced by police, rangers & soldiers! I've been told that < 15% of the Indian population smokes. Btw - all animal sanctuaries/national forests are considered "public areas" & smoking is prohibited! Cigs are expensive @ $2/pack. But packaged, hand-rolled cigs called Beedi (poor man's cigs) are only about 1 cent each - very strong & disgusting taste!

Poverty? The doctors that invited to join them in discussions/debates explained to me that 30% of the Indian population is "well off", 30% are middle class & the remaining 40% are poor - very poor. They further explained that the primary economic problem in India is that the percentage of these very poor Indians remains constant. & is unlikely to change for decades if not centuries. I have seen many of these poor Indians. Fortunately they are not starving but they are prone to many medical problems. At the same time they have a high birth rate <- a Hindu custom.