We had noticed in Orchha that our abilities to say no or to refuse offers we feel are not right have gone increasingly. But we were thinking then that it is mainly because Orchha is a smaller city and because people started to know us.
As the journey goes on, we see that it is our attitude that has transformed. We trust our own intuition and experiences and the immediate consequence of this inner confidence is showing itself in any occasion. Even if we are lost and need to look up at the map or to ask our way, we are not being tricked any longer. The vegetable and fruit sellers tend to give us immediately the right price (with a few ruppies extra, but it is only fair) and not the crazy 3 times the value of anything. And in case we find a tourist trap, we have no trouble saying it out loud and go away, before we feel obliged to anything. It happens many times in Bundi that we leave a restaurant after seeing the menu. This would have never been possible 2 weeks earlier. We would have sat down and eaten with a bad feeling, certain that digesting would consequently be more difficult (eating with regret in a place is the most easy way to stomach blocks). The more we trust ourselves, the more people respect us. The rickshaws are not harassing any more and those who own a shop hardly ask more than once.
And because we have learned how to say no, we are also able to say yes, to stop for a moment and to really meet individuals without having to fear being trapped. If ever we trust the wrong person, it is just fine since we can always refuse when it goes wrong. So we can enjoy peaceful and happy moments, being there, simply being.
Bundi is a lovely city, to be recommended to anyone who travels out of the main tourist tracks. Probably our favourite city. People are extremely genuine here. Children constantly ask questions, just because they want to know the answer and are happy to use the few English sentences they have learned. We hear about 30 times a day “Hello, what is your name ?” and are happy to respond “Cécile”, “Perrine ”, “And you?”. The adults teach their children at a very young age to say the magic “Hello” and to shake hands. But this has no extra meanings than to greet adults coming from far far away.
The streets of Bundi are wonderful to wander in. The walls are painted in a soft blue, spreading a sense of welcoming rest. In the main streets we find numerous craftmen ateliers, all organized according to their art. The fabric merchants in one place, the mattress makers in another, the smiths, the jewellers, the mechanics, the pharmacists, the knives sharpeners, the shoemakers, the dry fruits sellers, the millers, each in a different district. They all fit in their very tiny space, the width of a garage door for most of them, and display tools that are meant for human hands. Machines are absent. Life seems to be so simple and enjoyable here. People take the time to live and excel in their craftsmanship. Children laugh and run around. Women watch over them while getting some water or bringing in the animals. Men work without hassle or seat somewhere, sipping a tchai. Bundi has something of Orchha but in a city scale. A pleasure.
But what strikes us most is the overall happiness that surrounds the place. And this happiness is simply shared with us through smiles, greetings, exchanges. They radiate happiness and give it away as if it was the most natural thing to do. Maybe Europeans should all take a trip to Bundi. Being part of humanity can be fantastic.
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