When I’m asked what my favorite country is I say India without hesitation. Such a fascinating and chaotic place. It is not for everyone though; definitely varsity level travel. The first thing you notice is just the sheer amount of people. India’s population is over a billion. The word chaotic is the perfect word and theme for India. As you walk around, whether in big cities or small, your attention is constantly being pulled in different directions: the organized chaos of motorized and pedestrian traffic; the intricacies of a centuries old Mosque over here and astounding Hindu temple over there; ‘whoa’ inspiring beauty in one glance and an infant defecating in the street in another; opulent wealth on one end of a block and shattering poverty at the other end. So much cultural, historical, and geographical diversity; the world’s oldest religion; the excellent train system throughout the country; deserts, beaches, mountains, and river valleys; crazy tuk tuk drivers offering dirty hand-rolled balls of hash; delicious food; cheeeeap af; lassi lassi lassi; the charming head wobble; generally friendly and curious people; temples and forts galore; so much to do and see it would take years.
I was lucky enough to meet up with my friend Catalina who was on an around-the-world trip and we made our way to Mumbai to Udaipur to Chittorgarh Fort on the way to Jodhpur to Pushkar to Jaipur to Jaisalmer to Delhi to Agra and finally to Varanasi, all in 30 days. Such an intense and profound experience. Mystical and hypnotic.
