March 21, 2009 - Alwar

Our family friend and taxi driver, Amerpal Toor, grew up in the city of Alwar so we decided to veer from the schedule and make a day trip to visit his town. On our way we stopped at a Hindu Temple way off of the beaten path. The people in the village were staring at us like they had never seen a white person before; maybe they hadn’t. The legend surround this temple site is that 200 years ago a giant man came to this place and gathered up three stones and tossed them to the ground. These stones fell and settled on each other creating a small mountain. He also stomped on the ground below the mountain which resulted in an indention that quickly filled with water and became the well for the local people. The temple is located at the top of the stacked rocks. We journeyed up the many steps to the top of the mountain. As we approached the top we removed our shoes and entered the temple to offer a monetary donation and received a small puffed rice snack in return from the local temple worker.

Tonight we had a famous snack from a street vender. It was a little hollowed out ball that was then dipped by hand into a round bowl filled with spicy water. I was told never to eat or drink anything from a street vender, but I didn’t want to offend Amerpal. I had two of the snacks and hoped the entire time I didn’t get sick from them. They actually didn’t taste too bad, besides a little spice they were actually quite bland. But I have found out it is not how things taste it is what they do to you afterwards. Luckily there were no ill effects.

As we were traveling through the streets we stopped by the home of a woman who had worked in Amerpal’s home when he was growing up; which wasn’t much of a home as you can imagine. The area reeked of urine and sewage. She was sitting on the ground, crippled by years of work. Her skin clung to her petite frame. She is 90 years old and she wore her years on her face and hands. Amerpal graciously hugged her and gave her some money. Her only son lay on his cot toward the back of an open area; his eyes glazed over and in a drunken stupor. Flies were buzzing around him like he was already dead; landing on his eyes and face. Words cannot even describe the conditions of this place.