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Dogs...

LAcheddar

I will be doing a Tauck Tour to India. We have been told to prepare ourselves for seeing animals going through trash, etc. I can handle the people side of things as I work in a trauma hospital, but seeing animals, especially dogs in need simply kills me. That said, I am looking forward to seeing the sacred cows mingling around.

Comments

British

Yes, be more worried about the plight of the humans you see. That was the more disturbing thing for me. Here are a few other things we saw…people going through trash, men peeing in the street all over the place. Women sitting by the side of the road making fire bricks out of cow pooh, dodging cow poo when walking the streets, all the beggars including women with small babies coming up to you with empty feeding bottles but you can see them pinching the babies to make them cry, all the funeral pyres with burning bodies on them, all the rats running around the train tracks…..just a few things to think about….are you ready for it all!

terrilynn

My college roommate is from India, she's a Physician here in the States now. I'd love to go with her one day - but I'm the same way about animals (I work in a Trauma Hospital too, so have seen a lot --- but dogs and cats get to me).

JohnS

You will see many dogs that appear to be homeless. If memory serves me correctly from our Northern India and Nepal trip a few years ago, we were told that these dogs “belong to no one but are owned by everyone.”

You will see all of what British mentioned and then some. To this day, however, this was probably our top trip. We have done 11 Tauck trips.

OurTravels34

British is correct. You will see everything from extreme poverty to the lavish beautiful hotels. You’re either wealthy in India or very poor. It is a humbling experience and a memorable trip. The cows are revered.

LAcheddar

Thank you all for your relatable responses. It has been truly helpful to hear it from a past Tauck traveler.

Gourmet Gal

Not sleeping for three days after seeing just a picture? Sounds like there could be some very difficult triggers for you in India. Are you sure you even want to go to India? If too late to cancel you might consider getting some therapy to help you cope with the unpleasant sights you will see.

Sealord

I worked on a contract basis flying for Air India for about a year. So I have seen the “non-Tauck” side of India. I’m reluctant to say much about it as I understand why many cherish the experience of a visit to India. I would only advise those with ‘sensitivities’ to stay inside the Tauck ‘bubble’. If you go exploring on your own, you may see things that will keep you awake at night.

Sealord

Yes, the ‘stench’ is quite amazing. When you have perhaps a billion people or a portion thereof burning dried animal dung as a fuel the effects on the atmosphere are profound. How many windmills will we need to compensate for billions of people burning dung? I could often see the airport at Bombay (Mumbai) from a hundred thirty miles away, but I would sometimes get down to fifty feet above the runway and it would disappear in the dung smoke. Fortunately, it is difficult to miss the runway if you are on the centerline at fifty feet.

One of my favorite stories is about Madras (Chennai). I would land there late at night to deliver and pick up cargo. One night the driver did not show up to take me to the terminal for my flight planning and weather briefing. It was only a short distance so I decided to walk. After I returned the driver finally showed up, and I explained that I had already filed my flight plan as I had walked to the terminal. (Which was full of people sleeping on the floor.). And he said, “Didn’t the cobras bother you. At night they come out on the ramp and taxiways because they like the heat.”. After that I waited for the driver.

OurTravels34

Sealord, I bet you have some fascinating stories to share. Let me know when your novel comes out!