Part eight – India: a summary

Oh wow. That’s how I’d like to start this blog. I have just left the hallowed ground of Mother India. It’s been a whirlwind 4 months and 17 days!

I feel very lucky right now to experience, see and meet all the people I met. Even though I was in the country for over 4 months, I barely scratched the surface. And even though I saw a lot, I stuck to the touristy areas, mostly for safety reasons as a single woman, but also because the infrastructure in these areas is setup for the backpacker. It makes travelling so much easier! As a reminder I travelled to:

Goa – Hampi – Mysore – Goa – Rishikesh – Dharamsala – Manali – Kalga – Delhi.

Remembering my arrival in Goa back in January, I want to laugh about how green I was. Everything made me nervous, which wasn’t exactly helped by the taxi strike which I found out about when I landed. It meant having to take three local buses as it got dark to get to my hostel. Of course, it was fine; before boarding bus number three, I met a Dutch lady who was also heading to Arambol, who was as chilled as can be about the busy bus station, the noise, the crowds, the dark. She had travelled India alone in the 90’s, earning her some true travelling points! I decided to channel her whenever I was feeling overwhelmed. Meeting her was pretty useful!

In no particular order, here’s some of my favourite memories:

1. Seeing the elephants and the bear in Masinagudi national park, near Mysore with Gisella and Jorge.
2. Attending workshops such as the ones at the Love Temple in Arambol whilst listening to the waves crash to shore and the Social Om meditation in Bhagsu – now that was crazy!
3. Riding up to the mountains behind Rishikesh on the scooters with Susannah, Kunal and Prakash.
4. Learning to play the didgeroo in Prakash’s “cave” at Rishikesh.
5. Riding around Rishikesh with Mai on her scooter and enjoying the food at Pumperknickel (best food in town!)
6. Arriving in Hampi and being treated to the wildlife along the river – the first time I’ve seen otters in the wild!
7. River rafting along the Ganga – watching Emily getting repeatedly pushed in the river was a giggle.
8. Tushita and the ten-day silent retreat – a much needed moment of reflection.
9. Trekking to Kareri Lake with Susannah, Sangam, Robin and Shani.
10. Meeting everyone at my yoga TTC, discussing yoga philosophy and hearing everyone speak at our final philosophy exam – a powerful and somewhat magical moment!
11. Hanging out with Emily in Bhagsu / Dharamkot, reminding me how much I missed the English sense of humour!
12. Our sunset moments in Kalga, a north Indian village and the last place I visited before heading to Delhi and home.

There will be plenty more I have forgotten for now, I have no doubt; expect to see this list grow over time…

Now I have left India, I am already missing its raw energy and the feeling that anything can happen at any moment. My last day was spent in the markets in Delhi, feeling frenetic and bleary-eyed after a night bus from Kasol, but I loved the vibe and the energy and random encounters.

I’ll be back I have no doubt.

The last thing I’d like to reflect on is the number of loving, smart, humble, interesting people I met in those months, from all over the globe, all trying to make this world a little better. At a time when the world has gone a bit topsy-turvy, I find it heart-warming and will always remember them, particularly if I ever need reminding about humanity’s innate goodness.