Delhi - Goa
28.07.2016
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“If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!” ― French scholar Romain Rolland. Since I was a teenager I've always had a fascination with India - the beauty of its landscapes, the humming of the busy bazaars, the sights, sounds and smells. For me there has always been the fascination of exploring this beautiful, exciting place that is so far from where I grew up. "There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won't go. For me, India is such a place. When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beauty and exotic architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colours, smells, tastes, and sounds... I had been seeing the world in black & white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolour," explains Keith Bellows, writer for The National Geographic.
A Rough Guide to India states: "It is impossible not to be astonished by India. Nowhere on Earth does humanity present itself in such a dizzying, creative burst of cultures and religions, races and tongues. Enriched by successive waves of migration and marauders from distant lands, every one of them left an indelible imprint which was absorbed into the Indian way of life. Every aspect of the country presents itself on a massive, exaggerated scale, worthy in comparison only to the superlative mountains that overshadow it. It is this variety which provides a breath taking ensemble for experiences that is uniquely Indian. Perhaps the only thing more difficult than to be indifferent to India would be to describe or understand India completely. There are perhaps very few nations in the world with the enormous variety that India has to offer. Modern day India represents the largest democracy in the world with a seamless picture of unity in diversity unparalleled anywhere else."
Many people may have their own preconceived ideas about India due to what we are shown in the media – as with everywhere in the world sadly there is some strife amongst the beauty, which can sometimes shroud all of the positive things that you hear about the country. But I am lucky in the fact that I don’t have to listen to any preconceptions as I am going to explore this beautiful country at the end of the year, and will be able to discover its rich tapestry for myself. My plan is to travel from North to South, from Delhi to Goa over 28 days, to discover the vastly different areas the country holds. At the same time I will be volunteering in some of the smaller villages, perhaps helping to teach English to school children, and I am excited to have the chance to help people who may be less fortunate than me. We all need to do things in life that scare us a little and I’m sure if you yourself went to explore India too you wouldn’t be disappointed. “Time spent in India has an extraordinary effect on one. It acts as a barrier that makes the rest of the world seem unreal.” ― Author Tahir Shah.