Bundi: Extra, extra - foreign tourists found eating red chili peppers

February 26, 2010

The last day in Bundi we walked the city streets and took in their quintessential markets. One whole street was dedicated to the RED CHILI PEPPER with pile after pile of dried chili peppers. I sneezed just walking down the street. One of the venders stops Steve and asks if he wants an Indian chocolate (red chili pepper). Steve plays along and says sure and starts chewing on it to their delight and big laughter. (Steve has a way of attracting interaction through humor and enthusiasm which has brought us many rewards on this journey.) So then we continue to walk the market streets, Steve with a chili pepper still hanging out of his mouth, and a guy runs up to us and wants to take our picture. Sure, why not. Then he takes our names and says we’ll be in the next day’s newspaper. Sure enough, the next day we are in the Bundi local paper (sorry bad copy) with the caption: “Foreign tourists are also a fan of the chili pepper. Steve and his wife Laurie. Steve said “they’re delicious”.

As we are walking through the outdoor food market we get invited to join four men over a cup of chai. We had a lot of fun joking around, but the one older man was sure fascinated with me and my blond hair. He kept telling Steve how lucky he was to have me – like I was some kind of object. Strange. Foreign, white, blond women get a lot of stares and attention in India – some unwanted. By the way – it doesn’t seem to matter what age you are.

We continue the day with me getting a massage and Steve hanging out on streets drinking chai. The chai by the way is excellent, even though the spices are sometimes crushed on the rock pavement right next to their feet.

Laurie