"finally .... india, here i come!" a India Travel Page by ukirsari

When our days together
Came to an end,
My weeping would never cease --
I thought.

As flowers from a garland
Fall unheeded
On the dust of the road --
One by one --
So, memories fade,
Unknown to us,
Day by day.

No more tears
Would ever fall --
I thought.

We met on the wayside
All of a sudden --
And my crying I couldn't stop.

Under the mantle of forgetfulness
The tears were there --
All the time.

[Rabindranath Tagore, Geetamalika 1; Geetabitan, Prem ~ transcreated by Sovana Dasgupta]

Landed at Indira Gandhi International [IGI] Airport, New Delhi on a Saturday night, my sadness --which sometimes comes without any prediction, feeling blue or whatsoever-- just gone to a distant shore. And I found myself jump to the air; yiiipppiii, I am on a holiday again. Thank God! For a good karma to visit India. Want to do this, want to do that, reading poems of Rabindranath Tagore, books of Mahatma Gandhi, pictures hunting, old buildings, culinary trip ... dadeedadeedaa .... oh, @rie ... you just need to chill-out here, I tell to myself.
So, with a trolley for my red-black backpack and a daily pack on my back, I keep on walking to exit gate and ... here i go. india!

In a ticket box at Taj Mahal, Agra
@rie: entry ticket, please
The ticket-man : hindustani? pathkar? nepali? ladakhi?
@rie: aduhhh [in my own lingo]!!!! oh great, different price for ticket, isn't it? yes, i am pathkar [foreigner], so what?
The ticket-man : Okay, okay, okay. I believe you now, but show me your ID first, young lady.
@rie : Arrrrrrrrrgggghhhh!

Minutes before, using car-battery to enter Taj Mahal Complex of Agra. I can read clearly in that small bus written 'Free of charge for foreigners'. And local need to pay Rs3 per person.
The driver : Madame, sorry, I need to check your passport.
@rie : You don't believe me do you? I am Pathkar!
The driver : Just to make sure, I am on duty. I am sorry.
@rie : And I have to show my passport in front of public? For what?
The driver : We're thought you're Nepali.
@rie : Oho, great! Read this carefully and I will never ever leave my passport with you!!!

And there's not the only story. I got many many similar experiences like this. But I don't want to give up. It's just nothing if compared to the beautiful places in my destinations.
After 'melting' at Old and New Delhi, Agra and Mathura, heading to the north, about 300 km away from Delhi to a place so called 'queen of the snowy hills'. Shimla at State of Himachal Pradesh. Then to Kufri, a Himalayan National Park. And I already found my small heaven there, just like an unique birthday gift [090604] for myself. Attended Shimla summer festival is something great and meet my Ladakhi friends there. Gopi, Neshu, Norboo, Hussain and many kids around me [I dunno how and why, but seems kids love to see me and smiling, coming close and I already made pictures of them :) ]. They're Ladakhi, Kashmiri and Himachali. How colorful life here, as I already have beautiful life there in my own country. Thugzeychey [thanks a lot, in Ladakhi], Dhanyavad [in Hindi].