Why India?
1. It has been a dream since childhood and I am determined to experience the items on my “to do” life list and not just tabulate them.
2. India’s thousands of years of history and tradition has the anthropologist in me thrilled.
3. Because I have been yearning for patriotism and international travel helps me think more fondly of my own country. I need that right now. India will be magical, colorful and exotic, but I also expect to see things that will make me very, very uncomfortable. If I am seeking any kind of enlightenment from this journey, it will be how to balance the conflicting feeling of guilt and rage while living comfortably in a land with both extreme poverty and vast wealth.
4. Indian food is very complicated, and as an accomplished cook, that intrigues me. I know enough about Indian cooking to understand that, like Western cooking, if you deep fry it, or add butter, cream or rich meats you can make the most popular dishes. What I want to learn is how, through the layering of spices and flavors, I can transform a humble legume from simple nutrient into an explosive sensory experience.
5. Indian writers are some of my all time favorites. For decades I have been transported into Indian households and families by the stories of Rudyard Kipling, Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Vikram Seth, Vikram Chandra, Ayurundati Roy. I love the language of India.
Why Alone?
If you want to go on a trip that no one else you know wants to take, there seems to be only 4 resolutions. 1- you can sit around wishing things would change. 2- you can talk a reluctant traveler into pushing beyond their comfort zone. 3- you can go with an organized tour group. 4 – you can go alone.
Personally, I love to travel alone. (Of course, I also love to travel with friends and family.) Yes, some of my opportunities will be limited in the name of caution. But unlike many avid travelers, I am an observer and not a participant. I am sometimes envious of those I hear or read about who are fearless in striking up conversations with strangers on the road and become fast friends with locals in bars. That is well beyond my comfort level even here at home. So I have planned a trip where I can sit back and watch from a safe distance but with just enough adventure built in that I won’t have the feeling of being kept in a glass box.
The Tour –
Delhi –
Get my bearings and see some landmarks
Jodhpur –
Breathe in the desert air, shop for antiques, study Rajastani cuisine and maybe ride a camel.
Kochi-
Tropical paradise and hub of the ancient spice trade.
The Pimenta in Interior Kerala –
Mellow out at an eco lodge/spice plantation. Mingle with elephants. Learn to love coconut.
Goa –
Portuguese traditions and an Indian Easter, Hippie markets and authentic Vindaloo.
Kolkatta –
The Raj, literary history, milk sweets and mustard oil.
Darjeeling –
Cool down. Mt. Everest. Trains and Tibetan Dumplings
Agra –
Snap Happy at the Taj Mahal
Delhi –
Last minute shopping like a maniac!
Seattle-
Home safe with friends and family!
Next time -- I will answer the question people keep asking -- How did you find out about all of these places and people?
Cheers!
