Indian Summer…
February 2, 2009
My best friends from University and I have this tradition of going on holidays together. At first it was Barcelona, Crete and Paris and the last holidays was Barbados and now we’ve done India…
What can I say about India? We traveled to the region in South India called Kerela and it’s a beautiful, almost untouched area along the coast with beautiful sandy beaches and lush greenery that takes your breath away.
1. It’s full of coconut palms – everywhere even in the cities. Most dishes are made with coconut – coconut with dhal, coconut with potatoes, coconut with okra – you get the picture right?
2. You can’t eat anything else apart from curry and if you have the infamous ‘Delhi-Belly’ like I did, this means a dry, tasteless diet of rice and chapattis.
3. The trains are very long and only stop for 3 minutes at the station – try dragging on 4 suitcases and baggsying seats in 120 seconds flat.
4. The sun is very beautiful and the sun sets / sun rises are magical.
5. They do not openly sell alcohol so after 9 days of drinking duty free mango vodka (damn the bottle was heavy) we check in a 4 star hotel and find a basement bar where we literally camp for the last day drinking cocktails that cost the equivalent of a weeks wage or GBP2.50.
6. They take security very seriously. It took us an hour and a half of security checks in order just to check in on the way back.
7. Indian people think oriental people are funny. They like to take photographs and point and stare. They don’t think it’s rude either.
8. On the subject of rude, they have no concept of queuing. Several obnoxious people at train stations endured the wrath of Harajuku’s hand (note to self, must stop referring to myself in 3rd person. Feedback just a tad narcissistic).
9. Hindu temples are beautiful and one of the highlights of the trip – but the neo-Classical Christian Churches wouldn’t look a miss in France or Italy whilst the Muslims Imans chanting the faithful to prayer, 5 times a day was a bit annoying especially when you’re trying to sleep!
All in all India is amazing,the beaches are beautiful and the waters are warm & clear. Most people are friendly and charming and some of the unspoiltness of it takes your breath away. Would I go back? Not sure as yet, a different part maybe but curry isn’t my strong point and coupled with my ‘illness’ (you try surviving on nothing but Imodium for 5 days) I’m not going back in a hurry!
