Stress, sleep and motorists

In India as an independent traveller, often it can all get a bit much. Walking along a road in the small city of Ajmer a few days ago, I got the unusual urge to punch a human in the face. The offending human was one of a number of candidates whom my rage could have been directed at. This is due to the Indian driving habit of using the horn near constantly.

Walking, as I have already eluded to, is one on the activities I find most pleasurable in this world. But in Rajastham it is just so difficult to have anything resembling a peaceful walk since every 20 seconds, a motorist behind you blares their custom horn to let you know they’re there. It is not like, as a padestrian, you cannot hear their engine, so my only guess is that most locals have had their hearing so irreversably ruined that it takes a horn the volume of small arms gunfire to alert them to the presence of a vehicle.

Much of my recent stress has also come from the illogical, disorganised and illogicial transport systems. My plan of travel through northern India is being constantly chopped and changed to accomodate cancelled trains, booked up trains and trains that just don’t exist.

However, waking up this morning after an overdue 12 hour sleep, these struggles which were tantarmount to a crisis have become my challenge. I will get to Calcutta, but it will just be difficult and challenging.