A few last words on India
Fabien wrote a beautiful, all-encompassing, reflection on India in French. Sometimes when I read his posts, I feel like he captures the feeling better than I do. But for those of you who are only reading the English version, I will write some of my impressions as well.
When we arrived in India 3 months ago, we had no idea what we were going to do. We naively thought that we would visit Nepal, India and Sri Lanka in this short period of time. It didn’t take us long to realize how vast and diverse India was, and that we would be spending a lot more time here than we had planned.
From the bustle of Delhi bazaars to the immenseness of the Himalayas, the roar of city traffic to the trickle of mountain streams, the vibrant, colorful turbans and saris of Rajasthan set against the barren desert landscape to the tiny steam engine winding its way up the hillside to the lovely Darjeeling, India does not disappoint even the most demanding of adventurers. But in the same time, India takes its toll on the body and the psyche. The temperature extremes, the pollution, the long and uncomfortable bus and train journeys. Never being able to put your guard down because in a country of one billion, survival is the first and only priority. The poverty and the disparities between individual rights, it can drive you mad. But there’s something invigorating about it all. I met a Canadian girl, working in Delhi, who was about to finish her job and leave India. She told me she wasn’t ready to go, “I feel alive here, I feel like I’ve really accomplished something just by surviving each day.” I guess that’s what it’s really about. Just surviving each day.
Written from the Chennai Airport, January 25, 2006.
Tags: BIG TRIP 2005-2006, In English 2005-2006, India
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