So I’ve been here since Jan 6th, and yet it seems so much longer….’Incredible India’ is the catchphrase everyone quotes, from the strikes/marches which halt the buses, to the power outages, to the heat, and the spectacular sunsets…..
It’s certainly been an incredible experience, and with only a day or so to go before I leave for Sri Lanka, I still feel overwhelmed, there is so much to see, learn, experience and absorb. But it’s also incredibly hard, from the sheer number of people, the dirt, the smells, the constant battle to stay safe and well…oh I miss the luxury of running water, power, a bath, and clean anything/everything!
The whistle-stop tour of North India was fabulous, every day packed full of superb sensory overload. The week in Goa is a memory of sun, sand and rest, films under the stars, long walks along the sands, meals with friends.
Kerala, going solo, has been the hardest, but also the most authentic, I’ve experienced every aspect of Indian life, from the relative wealth and cosmopolitan Kochin, to the poverty of Alleppey town, and the wonderful calm, indescribable beauty of the backwaters. Varkala leaves a legacy of red cliffs, golden sands, great company, good food…and also the sight of beach pilgrimages/ceremonies, very moving.
Finally here in Kovolam I’ve found a gentle beach, again great friends, and fallen in love with the city, Thrivandrum, from the posh a/c malls where uniformed ladies want to sell silk saris, to the hectic bedlam of the bazaars, the splendour to the temple, the history of the palace, and the ‘city’ park of the zoo and art galleries.
Tomorrow is my final day here, yet it feels as if I have been here for ever!
It’s certainly been an incredible experience, and with only a day or so to go before I leave for Sri Lanka, I still feel overwhelmed, there is so much to see, learn, experience and absorb. But it’s also incredibly hard, from the sheer number of people, the dirt, the smells, the constant battle to stay safe and well…oh I miss the luxury of running water, power, a bath, and clean anything/everything!
The whistle-stop tour of North India was fabulous, every day packed full of superb sensory overload. The week in Goa is a memory of sun, sand and rest, films under the stars, long walks along the sands, meals with friends.
Kerala, going solo, has been the hardest, but also the most authentic, I’ve experienced every aspect of Indian life, from the relative wealth and cosmopolitan Kochin, to the poverty of Alleppey town, and the wonderful calm, indescribable beauty of the backwaters. Varkala leaves a legacy of red cliffs, golden sands, great company, good food…and also the sight of beach pilgrimages/ceremonies, very moving.
Finally here in Kovolam I’ve found a gentle beach, again great friends, and fallen in love with the city, Thrivandrum, from the posh a/c malls where uniformed ladies want to sell silk saris, to the hectic bedlam of the bazaars, the splendour to the temple, the history of the palace, and the ‘city’ park of the zoo and art galleries.
Tomorrow is my final day here, yet it feels as if I have been here for ever!
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