It is hard to give a straightforward impression about India because we only visited a few cities (in the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra & Jaipur) for eight days. So, we've decided just to weave together a series of events that describe a typical day so you experience a bit of what we did and make up your own mind.

You've just paid for the "premium" bus and board a smart-looking minibus with an interior from the 1970's (at least that seems as though when it was last cleaned). You sit uncomfortably upright trying not to touch anything, despite not having armrests, and continually bathe yourself in hand sanitizer. You bump along the road for four hours dodging uncovered coughs by your fellow passengers and cringing at the "hawk-a-loogie" sound that is made every 15 minutes as locals part with their unwanted mucous. The bus jerks to a stop. You get off the bus and begin to walk the gauntlet of people vying for your attention. First, you pass the taxi and tuk-tuk touts aggressively trying to take you anywhere you want to go for a "very cheap price." Next, the vendors try to bait you in with their seemingly friendly "Hellooooo" or "Excuse me." It is instinct to turn and respond to these calls, and they know that, but if you hope to get anywhere, you must resist. For if you stop, you invite infinite sales pitches or hoards of begging children with their sad, dirty faces. It is tough but you must be strong.

The sidewalk seems like the best option to avoid the most people because nobody is up there. You mount the curb but quickly jump down to street level because it has now become evident to both your eyes and nose, but luckily not your sandals, that sidewalks are often used as public toilets, and not just for number 1. On the street you can move quickly but have to be very careful because not only do signals and street signs not mean anything. The sounds of car horns are ever present, but none of them are out of aggression, just constant warnings like, "I'm passing you" or "Get out of my way." You've learned by now to tune them out as well as appreciate the ones that are in disrepair and thus, quieter. Every now and then though you get a high-pitched, eardrum buster. You cringe, clear your ears, and just keep going. Finally, you arrive at your hotel, exhausted. You inspect the room (especially the mattress, no creepy crawlies), barter for a good price, and sit down at their restaurant for a meal.

Despite what you've just gone through to get here, you are happy and excited to eat. India has some of the best food we've experienced so far. You scroll down the long list of house specialties with a guide book by your side trying to translate the menu. You read names like Dum Alu (stuffed potatoes in a tomato curry) and Paneer Tika (soft cheese marinated and cooked in a tandoori oven served with a tangy green sauce). It is hard to decide because everything smells good, not everything looks good, but just about everything tastes good, so you close your eyes and just point to one. As you wait for your food, you look out over the city (most restaurants are on rooftops). The view is amazing. You can see some of the temples that you visited earlier in the day and pick out a few more that look interesting. The sun is setting now and the city has a nice orange glow. You can watch the markets and people thrive on the streets moving around like ants seeking out grains of sugar. No hassle up this high. You sip a delicious masala chai and smile because tomorrow you see the Taj Mahal. This is the India we know.