The senses are on high alert in India. Either I’m fascinated or repulsed with what I hear, smell, touch, and see. As others have noted, visiting India is a “full-body” experience.

Visually, I see what I normally don’t see in the states. Garbage is everywhere. Even with signs reminding individuals “Keep Delhi (insert other places such as Kolkata or Chennai) Clean”, the garbage is everywhere. Dogs, goats, pigs, cows, and even individuals might be rummaging through it.

Speaking of animals, as one fellow American put it, “India is a public, outdoor zoo. Not of small dogs and cats, but of large animals!” The cows are everywhere. Standing in the middle of traffic, not fazed by traffic speeding by them. Sitting on the ghats near chanting sadhus and bathers. Even if they are not to killed, people don’t give them the benefit of the break.If a cow has to be moved, then a person will hit them. Jeremy told me that the cow’s hide is so thick that it hurts the person who smacks the cow more than the cow itself!

Since I enjoy public art, I have not seen much public art. Religious art, paintings of Vishnu or Shiva, is apparent, but not much street art or graffiti.

The smells are ever present. ‘ll be walking down the street and be overwhelmed by the smell of engine exhausts. Or, an overwhelming smell of urine hits me. Apparently, almost any wall or post is a men’s urinal. I imagine that I’ve seen a hundred men relieving themselves on highways or alongside walls. When nature calls…. In Varanasi, the public urination was so bad that to control the practice, officials and building owners began to pain many pictures of gods and goddesses. No self-respecting Hindu would urinate in front of Vishnu or Shiva! A creative way of urination control!

In contrast to the revolting smells, there are some delightful and wonderful smells. I’ll be walking by a shop or into a hotel lobby and be greeted with fragrant incense or powerful, fragrant floral smells. In a country with so many offensive smells, incense and flowers helps disguise the other smells.

My ears are constantly picking up sounds. Hearing temple sounds at 4AM is jarring; hearing the more muffled sounds of Buddhist monks chanting is refreshing. While exploring a Hindu temple, I’ve realized that I’m hearing the Muslim call to prayer. Sounds intertwining with sounds! Then there are the horns. Every moving vehicle has a horn. Bicycles. Scooters. Motorcycles. Rickshaws. Tuk-tuk. Private cars. Taxis. Buses. Trucks. There is a hierarch of pitch. A small tinkling bell bicycle bell can’t complete with a dull, low blast from a truck.

The foreigners of Hindi is one sound to which I have trouble adjusting. It isn’t French; it isn’t Spanish; it isn’t German. I also know that there are different languages and dialects. People in Kolkata familiar with Bengali may not be familiar with the Delhi’s Hindi or the Chennai’s Telugu or Tamil. To me though, it is all very, very striking!

There is also the touch. I’m tired of sleeping on top of plywood covered with a three-inch foam mattress. I do find the semi-warm shower water wonderful after a full day of traveling and touring. By later in the day, I need to get rid of several layers of filth. A good shower is so good! In a different vein, I’ve found that Indians generally avoid contact when walking on a city sidewalk. However, in a pushing crowded street, be prepared. As small as some of the men are, they can be quite strong. A brushing of the shoulders, can be more like a collision!

Finally, the sensation of taste. Since I’ve already written a blog on eating and food, I’ll simply add that I’ve had only a few “over-the-top” tasty dishes. While the food has been good, I don’t think that I’d adopt the Indian diet given the meals that I’ve had, usually at hotel restaurants. I do mentally prepare myself for hot spices. The few times that I’ve said “Wow, that is spicy”, I usually find that it takes ten or fifteen seconds for the spices to kick in.

India isn’t for the faint of heart. You see India; you smell India; you hear India; you feel India; you taste India. Quite a place!