Dreaming of India

I can't stop thinking about India. I've been devouring websites, articles, travel blogs, books, videos, and photos in an attempt to prepare myself, even though I know nothing can really prepare me. I know that all of my basic assumptions will be challenged, and that it is best to assume nothing at all. I know that for all of my travel experience, this will be my first true adventure. This will be the first time I leave the familiarity of the Western world.

Here are my favourite writings about India so far:

With the Kama Sutra Tucked Under My Arm: My Madcap Misadventures Across India - I started reading this book about a year ago and I'm finally getting around to finishing it now. Travel writing that reads like a novel.

Our two rupees worth - Hilarious blog belonging to a couple living in India for a year. Clear illustration of why you can't assume anything over there.

Nathan's collection of India essays - These were originally emails my boyfriend wrote to his friends while he was living in Ahmedabad 8.5 years ago. His descriptions are a feast for the senses.

And of course... a few photos (Also courtesy of Nathan. I haven't asked his permission yet, so I hope he doesn't mind!):

"There were several families of groundskeepers that lived at Sangath itself. This is one of their younger members. As much as I enjoyed the architecture of India, I found its people to be the real works of art."

"Palitana is a mountain in the Saurashtra region of Gujurat, topped by 863 Jain temples. There are almost 4,000 steps on the marble staircase which leads up the mountain. Here, two pilgrims return from paying their respect to the temples."

"Inside the temple complex, there are thousands upon thousands of shrines, all carved out of marble and other stones. The site has been under construction for about 10 centuries."

"The "Blue City" of Jodhpur, as one might expect, is exceedingly blue. Here I was only trying to take a picture of the calf wandering past one of the very blue walls, but after snapping the photo I saw that a rather taken-aback-looking woman had wandered into the doorway. I apologized as best I could in Hindi. But then her children (two fearless girls of about five and seven) discovered me and my digital camera, which they thought was the greatest things since sliced bread (though I'm not sure they would have ever had sliced bread, come to think of it). That broke the ice, and everyone went away smiling."

"From the enormous 16th century Mehrangarh Fort which looms above town, Jodhpur appears as a surrealist's ocean of cubicle blue dwellings. Originally the blue paint signified the house of a Brahmin, but in these modern times, everyone can paint their house blue.
This photo was taken during the festival of Diwali, which is celebrated as New Year's throughout much of India. The festivities involve insane numbers of fireworks and firecrackers, which would periodically be lofted above the city, exploding at eye level."

"A small village of wonderfully sculpted mud, home to perhaps half a dozen gourd-farming families."

"A grandmother in the village. She said that it was okay for me to photograph her, but I could tell that she was nervous. Still, this is perhaps the single best photograph that I took in India."


I can't wait until I have my own stories and pictures to share. T-38 days.