OCTOBER 19, 2004
Dan and I are wealthy. You would be too if you lived in India but had been making money in Europe or America. If you went to MacDonald's for a meal, then took in a movie with popcorn, soda, and candy, you'd have spent as much or more than the average Indian makes in a month. In Rajasthan, a state in India, farmers we have met make 500 rupees ($10 USD) a month. A servant in a home works seven days a week without a break and gets 1000 rupees ($20 USD) a month. A worker in a hotel earns about 150 rupees ($3 USD) a day. If your family moved to India, you would probably be considered wealthy. Each US dollar is worth 47 rupees. The cost of items in India is so much less than the US or Europe, so your money goes a long way. For example:
| Bar of soap 4 rupees, $0.08 Bottle of 7-Up 7 rupees, $0.14 Loaf of bread 5 rupees, $0.10 Movie ticket 20 rupees, $0.40 2.2 lbs. bananas 10 rupees, $0.20 Watermelon 5 rupees, $0.10 2 qts of milk 12 rupees, $0.24 |
A number of shopkeepers have doubled or tripled the prices of items when they see Dan or I enter their store. They assume foreigners are wealthy and won't mind the extra cost. Dan has done much of the shopping and has learned to look for prices marked on items (although it doesn't do much good when it is in Hindi as neither of us reads Hindi), ask locals what the price should be, or offer half the price when something seems out of line. Haggling over prices is common when shopping, although it often doubles the time it takes to make a purchase.
The last couple of days we've ridden along dry river beds, through grass above our camels' heads (about 8 feet), and down narrow country lanes. Right now, we are camping in a dry river bed with an ancient fort on the ridge to our right, a quarter moon just above the temple on another nearby ridge, our camels munching Nim leaves, and a chant from a local monastery drifting across the valley.
Going on an adventure like this you have to be a little crazy. Next, Dan will give you a thumbnail sketch of Jim and Jim will do likewise of Dan. This will include some of the strange quirks that allow these two adventurers to get along.