K : It certainly was incredible! I had always wanted to visit India but was maybe a bit apprehensive, given all you hear about poverty, congestion, filth, etc. Those conditions persist in so many parts of the developing world, and I did not find it to be more or less so in India.
What I did discover was a country so rich in history, architecture, and culture that one should be compelled to visit. It is also one of the most heterogeneous places in the world with great diversity of religion, races, language, customs, and cuisine; it is fascinating. In addition to the history, the place that India plays in the world today and that it will play in the future is certainly another reason to visit.
We saw a great sampling of at least a quarter of the country from bustling Bombay, the stunning beaches of Goa, the ancient city of Mysore, national parks, the Nilgiri Hills, the remote backwaters of serene Kerala, to the coastal towns of Varkala and Kochi. The friendliness and hospitality of the people was just wonderful. Smiles are prevalent. And even in the markets and stores when you must negotiate price, it is a different style than I have experienced in other parts of the world -- more civil and business-like.
Why can't every hotel in the US offer a welcome drink and a cool towel when you check in?
I would go back to most of these places in a heartbeat or sign up to explore the rest of this fascinating country.
V: We could never have gotten around India without the skilled driver we had, Murugan. He was an incredibly talented driver, negotiating the insane traffic in the cities and traveling the bumpy roadways in the countryside. (We highly recommend his services should you find yourself in India.)
One thing that struck me, as evidenced by one of the photos, is the overwhelming usage and littering of plastic water bottles. India is not, of course, a country alone in this situation. Perhaps some day a reliable, clean water system can be established throughout the country (and the world) that will help alleviate this reliance on all those plastic bottles.
The rich history, evidence of India's pivotal place as a crossroads of civilizations and cultures, is profoundly seen in the monuments and temples throughout the regions we saw.
It's a strange place, indeed. At the New Year's Party we attended, as we were dining the dancing music was starting up, and my ears heard not the droning strings of a sitar, but a pop melody with lyrics sung ... in Norwegian. I was stunned, for who would have guessed a Norwegian pop song would be played at a New Year's fest in the midst of the Kerala backwaters?! (Alas, I didn't know the song, but perhaps my Norwegian-speaking friends know a song whose chorus translates to "as the dawn breaks, so too we rise," or something like that.)
Many people are devoutly religious there, from the Jainists to the Hindus to the Christians in Kerala, whose computers often seemed to have an image of Jesus as their screensaver. Interesting, I thought. I rarely see that in the USA. And I was struck by the Jewish signs and symbols in Cochin.
The Brits, enjoying their old colonial holding, and other Westerners I expected to run across. But all of the Russians?--surprising indeed.
There seemed to be a palpable atmosphere of religious tolerance. The Jainists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and animists seem to all get along, everyday, and in every way. (At least in the places we visited.)
I echo Karen's thoughts on the absolute eye-opening, awe-inspiring wonders that India presented. Yes, we didn't get to the northern reaches of the Himalayas or the Kashmir region, nor did we set foot in Delhi, but perhaps some time. What we did see certainly makes us think of returning.
One thing that struck me, as evidenced by one of the photos, is the overwhelming usage and littering of plastic water bottles. India is not, of course, a country alone in this situation. Perhaps some day a reliable, clean water system can be established throughout the country (and the world) that will help alleviate this reliance on all those plastic bottles.
The rich history, evidence of India's pivotal place as a crossroads of civilizations and cultures, is profoundly seen in the monuments and temples throughout the regions we saw.
It's a strange place, indeed. At the New Year's Party we attended, as we were dining the dancing music was starting up, and my ears heard not the droning strings of a sitar, but a pop melody with lyrics sung ... in Norwegian. I was stunned, for who would have guessed a Norwegian pop song would be played at a New Year's fest in the midst of the Kerala backwaters?! (Alas, I didn't know the song, but perhaps my Norwegian-speaking friends know a song whose chorus translates to "as the dawn breaks, so too we rise," or something like that.)
Many people are devoutly religious there, from the Jainists to the Hindus to the Christians in Kerala, whose computers often seemed to have an image of Jesus as their screensaver. Interesting, I thought. I rarely see that in the USA. And I was struck by the Jewish signs and symbols in Cochin.
The Brits, enjoying their old colonial holding, and other Westerners I expected to run across. But all of the Russians?--surprising indeed.
There seemed to be a palpable atmosphere of religious tolerance. The Jainists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and animists seem to all get along, everyday, and in every way. (At least in the places we visited.)
I echo Karen's thoughts on the absolute eye-opening, awe-inspiring wonders that India presented. Yes, we didn't get to the northern reaches of the Himalayas or the Kashmir region, nor did we set foot in Delhi, but perhaps some time. What we did see certainly makes us think of returning.
