Going places — An Elegant Sufficiency

We left Evolve Back Kabini just before 9 this morning to head back to Bengaluru for a couple of nights. Our journey was scheduled to take six hours - oh my.

We notice many differences in India since we first came here, many of them highlighted by the way people move from place to place. India is most certainly going places as a country and though small, rural villages such as the ones we passed through are still comparatively basic, all seem to have clean running water, healthcare of some kind and most importantly a school.

At this time of the day then, there were quite a few small groups of children in uniform, much as we’ve seen anywhere else, and younger children walking with their mothers.

Occasionally, we came across a rather different mode of transport, or at least, a personal driving style!

I’ve found myself wondering how far these people travel in their lifetime. Do they go as far as the city? Or is everything they need within a closer reach? The small town about ten miles away might provide enough resources for most, but it’s a long way to walk and not everyone has access to a motorbike or scooter. These seem to have replaced the pushbike, generally - we’ve seen just two or three people riding an ordinary bicycle this trip, whereas that was always the norm.

We have passed an awful lot of yellow bus stops and though I have no idea of the frequency, the fact that people are standing waiting suggests one will be along in a minute. Everyone at this stop seems to be on their mobile phone, too! (Live timetable information do you think?)

I was always on the lookout to see if women walking along like this - carrying something on their head or leading cattle - were wearing anything on their feet, but it’s hard to tell.

You’ll guess why I took this photograph, I’m sure.

Once in a small town, there’s an altogether different story on the road.

There are few private cars, but lorries, buses, mopeds, scooters, pedestrians (some of whom are none too mobile) - utter chaos for much of the time. And yet, we saw only one accident during the week, no-one shouted at anyone else and it all seemed to work.

Our knuckles might have been white for much of the time, however.

We were the fortunate few, travelling in air-conditioned comfort with space and everything we might need on hand. Most of all, we had the luxury of a professional driver, Sheka, who never let us down. His calm concentration got us through the trickiest of situations, believe me!

People living in anything but the tiniest of communities rely mostly on the auto rickshaws. These little things buzz about, weave in and out of traffic and their drivers sit patiently by the roadside waiting for their next fare in much the same way as our taxi drivers do. I might add that they add their personality to their vehicle rather more enthusiastically than our taxi drivers, though!

Carrying a load seems to be no problem

depending on the size, of course.

Transporting the family might not raise too many concerns either - though I can’t say I would be happy sitting sidesaddle, wearing a sari and carrying my small infant on the pillion of anyone’s scooter, however much I trusted them. I might also have something to say about the fact that only one person is wearing a helmet…

But it’s the way here. I wonder how far they would consider travelling like this?

After five and a half hours we’re in Bengaluru and there are immediate signs of a different type of population. Bengaluru is a young city, centre of the tech industry and relatively wealthy. No surprise to find more private cars then, more people out and about, more women driving - but in addition to, not instead of the mopeds, scooters, autorickshaws, lorries, buses and pedestrians!

Just the same traffic chaos, just with larger, more powerful vehicles. Lane discipline? What’s a lane? Everyone for themselves….weave in and out as you please and we’ll all get there in the end.