Wanna go to India?
This trip came about when I was chatting with my friend Christiane in Germany, who I met in Morocco as part of Cous Cous Crew 2010. The conversation, as they so often do, turned to travel. We were comparing notes on our “lists” — places we’d been, places we were going, places we wanted to go. And we both determined that at some point, we wanted to do an India trip.
Well, hey, let’s talk.
Anyway, Chris pinged me late last year when she was planning her vacation days for the coming year. Was I still interested in India? Um, yes.
What followed was a whirlwind of research, looking at tour itineraries and flights and travel dates. And before I knew it, we were booked and confirmed and ready to go.
Yep, that’s right, folks: My next destination is South Asia, or more specifically, parts of India and Nepal.
An epic, crazy plan
After all, in my opinion, you can’t really say you’ve seen the world unless you’ve been to the part of the world where more than half of its population lives. So last year, I went to China. And this year, I’m off to see the “other” most populated country in the world, India.
Currently in second place but expected to overtake China for first within the next decade or so, India looms legendary among backpackers, spoken of more as a challenge to be conquered than as a destination to be seen. Unlike China, which certainly has its share of issues, but at least things more or less work there, India has a reputation for being daunting, frustrating, and providing the maximum of culture shock to first-time travellers. Some people who go there speak of overwhelming religious or spiritual experiences. Others wax poetic about the food, the sights, the colours and sounds and scents. Some focus on the negative, going on endlessly about poverty, dirt, noise, traffic and chaos. Many succumb to Delhi Belly or other travel-related illnesses. Some swear never to return. Others decide not to leave.
The one constant through all of this is that everyone I know who’s been to India has said that, for better or for worse, the experience has changed them.
And you know me, I’m not the kind of person to sit back and take someone else’s word for it. For a long time, I’ve wanted to see the country for myself. To set aside preconceived notions and expectations, and to experience the sights, sounds and places for myself and to form my own opinions. Well, here’s my chance.
Obviously, India is a huge country. Even if I had months, I wouldn’t be able to see all of it. I had to pick and choose. We opted to book a tour with the same company that I travelled with to Central Asia last year, with an itinerary that followed one of the most popular tourist circuits, the “Golden Triangle” of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, with a couple of other stops including the holy city of Varanasi. Other parts of India, like Mumbai, Goa, or the south, will simply have to wait for another trip.
As for Nepal, it started off as a ‘well, while I’m in the neighbourhood, I may as well…” (That sentence, by the way, is the single most dangerous sentence in the English language for a traveller, and is responsible for some pretty crazy itineraries. But anyway.) However, at this point, I might even be more excited about the Nepal part of the trip.
After the devastating earthquake that struck the country in April 2015, a massive rebuilding effort has been underway, and Nepal is slowly getting back on its feet. But tourism is so important to the country’s economy, and it’s been down since the quake. I see the timing of this trip as not only convenient, but also important, to visit one of the world’s poorest countries in terms of income but one of its richest in terms of culture, beauty and natural wonder.
This trip will take in some epic sights that are on pretty much everyone’s bucket list. Sights like, oh, say, The Taj Mahal, the Palace of the Winds, sunset on the Ganges in Varanasi, Chitwan National Park, and even Mount Everest (seen from the air, hopefully; no, I won’t be hiking it). Oh, and did I mention all of those and more will be crammed into a trip of a little under three weeks?
Okay, okay, so I’m a bit crazy. That’s well established already. I’m accustomed to stretching my vacation time as far as it will go. And just to add a bit to the fun, I was able to secure free flights on points in both directions, with day-long stopovers in Amsterdam on the way there and Istanbul on the way home. ‘Cause, obviously, two countries in three weeks isn’t crazy enough, so why not four?
Are we there yet?
The only problem with all of this was, all this whirlwind planning took place months ago. Everything was booked and paid for by mid-February. And what has followed has been the longest, most excruciating 9-month countdown ever experienced by a woman who isn’t pregnant. I’ve never booked a trip so far in advance before. I’ve felt like a little kid during a car trip: Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
Well, almost. A little over three weeks to go.
So I’m starting to get organized: Packing lists, visas, a couple of vaccination updates that were definitely the most difficult part for needle-phobic me. I dealt with the frustrations of flight schedule changes — always an issue when you book so far in advance. (Delta Skymiles: wonderful to deal with. Aeroplan: not so much. But then, you probably knew that already.)
Because of how long I’ve had before this trip, I also feel like I’ve done a ton more preparation than I usually do. I’ve spent hours reading blogs, articles, looking at photos and scanning forums. I usually do my best to filter travel advice pretty heavily, since there’s a fine line between being prepared, and coming in with too many pre-conceived notions and expectations. I like to keep an open mind.
So, bring on India. Bring on the crazy sights, sounds, colours, smells and tastes. Bring on the chaos. I’m ready.