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Travelling in India for three months gives you quite a few experiences - experiences that I indeed have learned a lot from.
I have learned things about myself, about different cultures and religions, about getting along with different kinds of people, about making decisions (do I go right or left, do I stay at this guest house or do I look further, where do I want to go next, can I trust this guy etc. etc.), and about life.
I have seen different types of nature and climates (from desert to backwaters to deserted paradise islands), different types of people dressing according to the tradition of their culture, huge luxurious hotels, disgusting small hotel rooms, horrendous toilets, beautiful and colourful sceneries, wild animals, extremely poor people who use their days to do their best to find food and survive, extremely rich people who use their days finding a way to spend all their money, garbage all over, cows in the streets, colourful saris, men with moustaches and neatly ironed shirts, huge food bazaars, and plenty of festivals.
I have met people from India, Nepal, England, Wales, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the US, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Chile, France, Norway, South Africa, Spain...
I have eaten in private homes, in luxurious restaurants, in the desert of dishes cleaned with sand, in westernised restaurants with pizza and pasta, and in local dirty-looking restaurants with brilliant thalis, dosas and samosas.
I have definitely been in a land of contrasts. And I have definitely learned from it. I went on my travels to experience cultures different from my own and to get my perspective on life expanded.
Being in only India provided me with meetings of so many different cultures. Because India has not only one culture. India has more than 20 states all with different languages, nature, traditions, food, way of dressing, and culture. The states are very different from each other but they still have the overall touch of India; the mentality of India; the mentality that makes Indians Indians.
So I have indeed succeeded in the goal of experiencing different cultures. And as a result of my entire journey and all my experiences there is no doubt that my perspective on life indeed has expanded.
The following characterises India in short sentences or simply just words:
- Contrasts
- Colours
- Festivals
- Traditions
- Diversity
- Women in saris or salwar kameez with long black hair and plenty of fake but beautiful gold jewellery
- Men with moustaches and always wearing neatly ironed shirts no matter the occasion
- Cows in the streets
- The sound of car and motorbike horns all f****** day (using it is compulsory)
- Men and women being apart (sleeping, eating etc.) - even when married
- Lovely food (not too spicy)
- Different religions living side by side
- Many people! crowded streets, buses, trains...
- Garbage all over
- Beautiful children
- Rickshaws all over
- A lot of hassle and bargaining when shopping
- A lot of attention when being white foreigner (good and bad)
- Disgusting toilets
- Always noise
- Safe to travel (in general - of course there are exceptions)
- Beautiful nature
- Very friendly, hospitable and not at least helpful people who are very interested in you (in a good way) and loves a small chat over a chai (tea)
- You feel welcome: in India there is space for everybody
I am back in Denmark, and it feels lovely to be back. But during my travels in India I lost a part of my heart to the country and it has definitely not been my last time there. I'll be back for sure!
The same can be said about travelling in general: This was my first big journey and it will not be the last!
I hope you have enjoyed my blog posts and photos.
Signe
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