My husband was asked by a smart, professional Brazilian, does your wife have to seek your permission before she leaves the house. Is Sati still prevalent?
Stumped, we wondered while sitting in a jeep in the Bolivian city of Uyuni, why a guy from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, would ask a question like this. We laughed with amazement as we were told of a popular soap opera – produced by a Brazilian and acted by Brazilians – about a family in India. Who knew India would be so popular in Brazil, but maybe for the wrong reasons? As we travelled more we realized the adulation Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed and how Hare Baba was such a popular phrase. And we constantly wondered why did we not come across any Indians on our journey and why Indian food was not popular.
We decided to travel across South America, down the Andes this winter. It would be a backpacking trip. Yes, just carry bare essentials in a backpack, stay in hostels, live like the locals, interact with them and see what most tourists would not. We started our journey in Lima, Peru, and flew out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All borders were crossed on foot and most travel was done by bus, unless walking, rickshaw or train made better sense.
As we planned for this adventure and the word spread, we got various reactions. Most of it was positive, but some friends and family wondered if this was the best choice. There were warnings of unsafe countries, places, drug wars and even lack of vegetarian food. There was encouragement that we were following our dream. We were apprehensive, no doubt. Not about South America, but about how “un-Indian” we would be by doing this. As doubts continued to creep within our minds, we continued planning our trip. Renting out our present apartment, planning for the journey, booking tickets, getting visas – the list seemed endless.
Finally, after crossing various hurdles, we managed to leave. During our first few days in Peru we were pretty shocked. How different it was from the United States, and how similar it was to India! The feeling continued as we went past small villages, met locals and ate different cuisines.
Villages were as colorful as what I would see while travelling across Rajasthan. Does adversity become easier to deal with when one is surrounded with more color?
One morning, we thought we were dreaming when we heard a song from Ashoka. Stepping outside the room we see a Bolivian guy lounging in the other room and listening to the song. Out and about in La Paz, we were surprised to find a Middle Eastern restaurant. Even more surprising was sitting and eating while we were being watched by a giant picture of Sushmita Sen.
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| Crossing a scenic border while entering Peru. |
A very collectivistic culture, the warmth and generosity shown by locals in South America was similar to what you would find in the family-oriented, atithi devo bhava culture of India, in which a guest is God and should be treated as such. What else would justify our stay with a family in southwest Brazil? We were invited to stay with them when we were not able to find a good hostel in an unsafe neighborhood. Initially apprehensive, we ended up taking their offer and soon to realized that this would be one of the highlights of our trip. Of modest means, they nevertheless made us feel at home, and even used all the people resources they had to get all we needed delivered for us at their house. Of course, into the bargain, we got a ton of neighborhood folks coming to look at us and maybe try their hand at sign language, so we could exchange a few thoughts. Yes, we were the new animals in their zoo, but we were treated with respect and love.
Potatoes, rice, grains and vegetables – if given a kitchen, any Indian could dish up a wonderful meal with such ingredients. Yes, vegetarianism is not very popular in South America, and being vegetarian meant more time spent looking for food. However we never went hungry and, surprisingly, found some very delicious meals, too.
We did have to learn some key phrases to explain what we could eat and, in some places, justify why we could not eat meat. But after these initial hurdles we were able to enjoy good food. With some patience and perseverance, it seemed, a vegetarian Indian would do just fine travelling in South America.
Dazed by the wonderful experiences, we are now home and settling back into our routines. While looking for a job and getting used to the lack of crowds, sounds and hustle, we hope to spread the word of our delightful journey so that South America may becomes a destination on the list of globe-trotting Indians and, perhaps, more Indians are encouraged to travel with their backpacks.
