Miscellaneous Observations While Traveling Through India

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#1 - The lack of road kill is amazing. Up to today, we've only seen one "smooshed" dog. This is incredible considering the amount of trucks, buses, jeeps, cars speeding along the road with cows, horses, mules and dogs just lying in the center, meandering slowly across, everyone's horns blaring...and they don't move, just look at you! Not to mention all the monkeys! I've seen more dead coons and skins around our suburb in one day then we've seen in all six trips to India.

#2 - Another "funny", entertaining read is the matrimonial section of the Indian Sunday papers. Page-after-page of "Grooms Wanted" and "Brides Wanted" along with detailed ads with exactly what is required!

Several examples (these are actual ads):

Groom Wanted - ...Alliance invited for slim, very fair, beautiful Grupta Girl, 38+/5'4" (looks 30 years old), Post Graduate, homely innocent divorcee belong to high and renowned industrial family of Rajasthan...

Bride Wanted - ...Extremely beautiful smart convented girl for smart Army officer, dowry immaterial, girl main consideration...

These were just two of the individual ads. Then there was an ad published by "India's #1 Marriage Broker" - ...healthy boys and girls welcome, any age - caste - status - issue - issueless - divorcee - widow - widower. Marriages are still arranged by the family in India and when the girl marries, she usually goes to live with the man's family. Every day, other newspaper articles detailed how, e.g. ...Mother-in-Law sets daughter-in-law on fire because she wasn't obedient!... If you are going to be burned to death, might as well be beautiful.

#3 - On Sunday's, Government Offices are closed so the Indian Police occupy themselves at checkpoints by stopping foreigners to check papers. Of course, it's just a shakedown to supplement their incomes. Our papers were always in order but the hassle-factor took time before we could get away without paying a bribe.

This being said, onward from the Kangra Valley into the Kullu Valley, famous for growing apples. Drove through Mandi, a big town with many temples and a British Raj Bridge from the 18th century...