March 6, Jaipur India

How many total can a tuc tuc take

If a tuc tuc took it's total?

And a word picture on the crazy driving in India

There are no apparent rules or speed limits in India,

Except drive as fast as possible,

And pass if possible.

If it is not possible to pass,

Pass anyways but always use your horn.

Recently we have spent several days and one evening,

In contested stop and go traffic.

Often trucks approach us head on,

On our side of a divided highway.

Most trucks are heavily decorated

And have no rear lights.

Some have rear lights painted on,

And often small painted signs that say "stop"

Or "blow horn" or in one case "good luck".

The trucks are piled high with 

People, cauliflower, everything else

And once an elephant!

There is a stench of sugar cane, manure

And smog.

This is broken by the wonderful fragrance

Of road side curry.

(Unfortunately, I love the smell

But not the harsh, eye watering taste.)

Cars and trucks and silver noise machines

Are in abundance.

Monday was a lucky day to marry.

Huge cloth wagons, filled with animal feed,

Are pulled by buffaloes or camels,

And accompanied by white kurta clad drivers.

Bicycles, over loaded with huge sacks

Are peddled by old men.

Motorcycles are used like trucks.

Sometimes carrying entire families

And milk cans.

They weave  and dodge

between the cars and trucks.

Rickshaws and buses carry 

As many people as can hang on.

There seems to always be room 

For one more passenger.

Cows are sacred.

They lay or stand in the road,

Watching everyone 

Trying not to hit them.

Amid all the confusion,

Are the women in colourful saris.

Sparkling with gold and silver embroidery,

They ride on the backs of motorcycles,

Or cross the crazy traffic

With large loads of

Water, sticks, animal feed

Or bowls of manure on their heads.

My camera clicks continually as I try

To capture the excitement, the fear

And the energy.

A couple of days ago,

There was a sobering sight.

A cluster of men, one in a uniform,

Stood roadside, talking on cell phones.

In front of them lay a small pile of clothes,

A dark head and one brown arm extended.

Did he die a natural death?

Was it an accident?

Or was it murder?