So this weekend, I took a trip to the countryside. I will make this a three-parter because I've got a lot to say. So part 1 goes like this... Get ready. If you ever wondered what the Indian countryside looked like, it looks like this:

I was trying to put together a description that you all could picture, but all I ended up with was a collage of sorts with magazine cutouts of cows and trucks in the middle.

The countryside from Bombay to Nashik is a NY State foreground with an Arizona background. So two rurals smoshed together. The animals are just as smoshy. On the way there, Sahil (one of the dudes we were in the car with) says "You want to see monkeys? Ok... now you'll see monkeys." So I was looking for monkeys in trees out my backseat window like I used to look for koalas in Australian cities. Both yielded no wildlife. But the possibility was EXCITING.

The cool part about the highway was that no matter how dirty the roadside seemed, someone planted flowers in the dividing dirt between the two lanes. So that was a nice touch.

There were trees that reminded me of the Lion King, even though we weren't in Africa.

There were trucks trucks trucks trucks. But not our kind of horn-honkin' teeth grindin' muscle-wieldin' trucks. These were trucks that had flowers and designs painted on them and INDIA IS GREAT painted on the bumper. Their horns sounded like "deedle deedle deedle deedle." And on the back of every truck is written "horn OK please." Whatever that means. I'll blog about what that means later.

We passed a Buddhist monastery off in the distance.

There was one green house in the middle of white and brown shabby ones (maybe the mayor's house).

There were HILLOCKS - Jack and Jill, cow grazing hillocks.

There were motorcycles with Indian women on the back with their sarees blowing in the wind. There were scars on the mountains where creeks go in the rainy season. Roadside food shacks and their chickens and their chicken dinners. Temples painted white.

Factories! For cars, wine, and Samsonite.

Oxen. Buffalo. Cows.... I don't know. Some form of cattle product.

And hotels. In the middle of nowhere. I know it's beautiful out there, but what do you do with a hotel like that? Sit in it? Maybe make a dirt castle outside or walk to a nearby hillock? It's all mismatched. It was funny how it all seemed like a "what object doesn't belong?" picture.

But it was a good ride. And that's what I did... enjoyed the ride.

Oh... why did I go to Nashik? That's for Country Grammar pt. 2.