Falling in love with India
Oh, the fresh breeze from the sea mending with the warm evening air…
The seducing sound of waves, crashing against the shore beneath the cliff’s edge. The swaying palm trees, the pretty hibiscus plants and the smell of cinnamon, ginger, clove and coconut…
Oh, Kerala.
It is not until now I have had a chance to sit down and breath it all in. To be honest, in some parts of India I prefered to hold my breath completely.
The last two weeks have been some of the most hectic in my life.
From arriving New Delhi at the celebration of Diwali, risking our limbs for the sake of firecrackers and traffic, getting up at 5 every morning to see the sunrise, the Taj Mahal, catching flights, trains or chanting the morning prayers in an Ashram…
To trying to sleep in stinky crammed forth class train compartments or on local buses, being the only Westerners, being starred at, hassled and hit on.
India really is as crazy, colourful, stinky, frustrating and beautiful as they say.
I already know I will be back for more. That a week spent between New Delhi, Varanasi and Agra and four weeks travelling the state of Kerala and Goa does not do the country justice. But it’s a start.
I am travelling with Mikaela now, another single traveller whom I met in a few different places in South East Asia. Besides being blond and from the North in Sweden, we share a lot of interests and ideas. In fact, travelling together has surpassed all my expectations and I feel really grateful and glad to be in her company.
Happiness is only real when shared, right?
We were physically and mentally exhausted when we arrived to the charming beachside town Varkala. We instantly knew this was the right place to put our heavy backpacks down for a while, settle into a nice little beach hut, pamper ourselves with some ayurvedic massages and delicious fresh seafood.
And meet other travellers!
As great and interesting as India is, a night spent amongst like-minded Westerners, drinking and laughing does miracles to the soul.
It’s just a shame that the drinks seem to multiply with the time and that the energy of the night before always seem so distant in the morning.
So that you say, miss the apparence of the holy Dalai Lama, in Varkala with just ten minutes!!? (big bummer!)
Oh well, gives me a reason to come back.
I didn’t fall instantly in love with India.
It’s been building up inside of me and growing every day since.
Like all everlasting love-stories.
I had a similar experience in India. Such an assault on the senses. I loved every minute of it, but only at times of reflection. Getting around was such a challenge, but stopping and feeling the rivers of cars and stop worrying about the other cars, carts, and bikes brought a new found perspective. There’s definitely more than one way to find order. There is order in the chaos.
I didn’t make it to Goa or Kerala, but some of my favorites were Jaipur, Jodhpur, Varanasi and of course seeing the Taj Mahal. It amazes me the wonderous and magical things that come from Incredible India. I was happy we tagged Nepal on the end of our India tour. There were enough similarities in the driving, but the local happiness factor seemed to go up as you move up in elevation. Something that Bhutan and Tibet seemed to care a lot about, something many Indian cities are missing out on.
O, I am very envy 🙂
Yes, it can also take time. My first four months in India ended with me running away promising never to return. I was back within a year and an half. and Maybe seven times more followed. Watch out – It is an old witch who might quietly steal your heart.
India never fails to enchant a traveller…
I’ve been travelling around India for years and this nation always offer something new to me every time.
I’m glad you visited Kerala, my home state…:)
My recommendation : Next time visit Kashmir and Ladakh…:)
Itz a place like no other…