India is...

There is no one word to describe what India is like. I am getting my pictures developed as we speak, and I'll be getting more from the other people I was with, so I'll be posting those with more specific descriptions within the next few days. But for now some general thoughts...

India is chaotic. I would call it organized chaos because it does somehow work, but I don't think its organized so much as most Indians are used to the chaos and therefore function well in it. Our travels went fairly smoothly, thanks to our Indian driver, and our guides were very hospitable and knowledgeable.

India is crowded. Really crowded. One can definitely see that over a billion people live there. On top of that, there is still a lot of farmland and undeveloped land, which means that the towns are even more densely populated than the numbers would suggest. And the vast majority of people that I saw were extremely poor. Poverty like nothing I have ever seen.

India is cheap. 100 Rupee = $2.20, and I got more than one meal for less than 100 Rupee. It would be cheaper if you didn't have to tip almost every employee that you encounter everywhere, or if the shopkeepers didn't raise their prices as soon as they see a Westerner (but given the levels of poverty that I mentioned before, I really can't complain).

India is beautiful. The mountains and the rest of the land, the old architecture from the Mogul dynasty and the newer buildings from the British empire, the color of the women's saris - everything just makes your eyes light up... especially after living among sand, buildings that match sand, and women who wear only black. Oh, and the Taj Mahal is awesome.

India is historic. I've never been really interested in the history of the country before, but now that I've been, it makes me want to know so much more. There are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains - all with their history in India - and then there is the time of the British and the current Indian government. I know that I like history more than the average person, but I think its a place that everyone could find something that interests them.

India is big. We went to four towns, each was between 4 and 10 hour drive from the one before it. And we covered the relatively small area of the country that I've put a block around on this map.

All in all, I would definitely go back, but I would probably go to the south or east before I returned to the northwest. I would definitely suggest it if you are a somewhat adventurous and laid-back traveller, and if you appreciate history and architecture. More to follow, with pictures!