Dear Fellow-Riders
Almost half a Century ago, I visited India. At this Time I was about 20 and Indira Gandhi was at the Top of Your Country.
I was amazed how large India is, I think my home-country has about 10 percent of the area and 5 percent of the population of India.
And in my imagination I saw India as the Land of the Tigers and Maharajahs.
I have seen many beautiful but also loads of ugly things, like poverty and diseases, we don't even imagine here.
And the funniest thing is, back in Berlin, where I lived at that time, I met an Indian. This young Man was the same age, around 20, and studied. I invited him to my home, often we ate together and I invited him to my marriage. I only had about 6 Guests to my marriage, since I am from another part of Germany and had no relatives and not many friends there in Berlin. My wife only had her old Mother there. Imagine how surprised I was when my friend, back in India, invited me to his marriage.
We didn't go there, but he sent us a video-tape. About 20 huge tents full of people, one week of continuous celebration and festivities. He never told us he was from a rich family.
In my simplicity, I thought most Indians were poor, and he surely is, too....
Anyway, I am almost 66 now, retired. My wife is sadly sick, no chance it will ever become any better. We don't have children and since all of my life I had only been a gardener, my old-age pension is not that much. Maybe in India I would be rather well off, but here I am - relatively - poor, now. So I can't afford a car, but bought a motorbike instead.
This is the point, after that long "Introduction" (sorry for these plenty of words).
Best Regards and good rides for all of You
Uwe