Our first full day in Chennai, India was a much need opportunity to rest and to adjust. Traveling over several time zones is demanding on anyone, even the seasoned traveller. An equally big adjustment is to the heat and humidity.
We were warned in advance that we chose one of the hottest seasons to visit India. However, our particular circumstances dictated that this was the most convenient time for us. We found that the temperature is in the low 30s, when it could be 40 plus Celsius.
This will be a challenge for us, but I am sure it will be OK. Still I am grateful for AC.
An adjustment I did not prepare for was the city traffic. I had heard and read about it, but believe me, you have to see it to believe it. I am not a seasoned traveller so I accept that this is probably similar in other parts of the world.
After a relaxing day at home with Mathias and Sujatha and periods of deep sleep, we were taken on a drive to a place called Tower Park. The few streets it took to get there offered us an intimate exposure to driving practices that are hard to describe.
First, the city (and probably all of India) is jam packed with motorcycles. There are rows and rows of parked motorcycles on the streets, and parking lots are full of them.
The reason soon became obvious. There are already too many cars and inadequate streets. So who would want to be stick in traffic when you can squeeze through any available two-feet opening.
The other surprising aspect of this for me is that motorcycles is general and family transportation. People of every legal age, gender, status are driving motorcycles. And only some are solo occupants -- many have single, double and triple passengers. A common combination is father and mother with baby stuck between them. In some cases children share the front with the driver and babies are held in arms in the rear seat. It is normal to see male driver and female, sari-draped passenger. And there are women in saris, shalwas and burkas driving them with great ease.
A big adjustment is the driving style of everyone. Two things come to mind -- never ease up on the horns and don't leave any space unoccupied for more than a few seconds. If there are defined lanes, I did't see them. So cars, trucks, buses, auto rickshaws, motorcycles, bicycles were all going in multiple directions. As a passenger it made no sense to me, but I am sure it did to the drivers.
I guess the rule of thumb is that everyone gets used to it in a few days. I understand that becaus that what happens to me when I drive in Trinidad.
In Trinidad, some drivers still use hand signals - after they have completed their manoeuvre. In India, the heat is so high, that many vehicles are equipped with AC, so not many hands dart through the windows.
Just to clarify, none of this is meant to be criticism as much as descriptions of what are. And there a good reasons why traffic is what it is. Not the least of the factors is population density. Change is happening but often very slowly.
The city is in a state of confusion because there is a massive construction project to build a light rapid transit system. Traffic flow has been significantly disrupted.
There is also no suggestion that there are safety issues. In this short time, I have not observed a single accident. Drivers certainly know how to look for each other.
Our plans for the rest of the week include some exploration of cultural and historic sites in south India. Watch for an update in the coming days.
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