Any long term traveler knows that if you have been on the road for any length of time, standards shift. Standards in hotel rooms, safety concerns and, well, it has to be said, personal hygiene. While we have never been particularly fussy regarding our accommodations, by the time we arrived in Goa, India, we were simply thrilled to have a beachfront room, even if it was of questionable design.
The doors of the world are varied and exotic. I could fill calendar after calendar of photos of them I have taken from all over the world, but many of my favorites belong to India. The one is particularly interesting in that it is both a very large door and a very small one! A predecessor of our modern dog door, perhaps?
India, a magical, life changing place. For months, everywhere we went, we were mobbed by Indians wanting to take their photo with us, invite us to dinner, and chat with us while we tried to take in a serene sunset. What to do? Surrender to the power of India and embrace the chaos!
No, You did not read that wrong. This post truly is about finding solitude in India, an oxymoron to be sure. India is chaos personified. Everywhere one turns there are bustling throngs of people, thousands of cars and rickshaws, camels, cows, and endless shops and spice markets.
Rajastan, India. A fascinating, frustrating, amazing part of the world. The exquisite workmanship and carvings make for a photographers delight.
A Beach. A Sunset. Two of the things that are required for my perfect day. Place that beach in Goa, India and perfection has been achieved.
Traveling in India is tough. It’s chaotic, challenging, intoxicating, gorgeous, disgusting, fantastic. The one place where I have felt more alive than any other, all senses on full overload at all times. It can inspire and invigorate, but it also often leaves you lying, helpless, in the dust, thinking, how does this strange and amazing place even exist on the same planet as home?
I miss India for many reasons, not the least of which how fantastic my feet looked while there!
My breath fogs the air, mixing with the morning mist, as I climb out of the camper. The morning sun is peeking through the trees, causing flashes of light to reflect off the lake. Jim and the dogs are still asleep and I stand in wonder at the absolute silence surrounding me.
At moments like this I’m always struck by the beauty of the simple things in life, and astonished by our continuing ability to ignore it’s power. We spend our lives fighting a simple life of happiness as we strive for more, bigger, better. As I sit alone in the still of the morning, my mind wanders away from this scenic lake in Oregon to reminisce about some of my favorite memories, all of which had nothing to do with grand monuments or fancy lodging, and everything to do with meeting the locals, good food, and unexpected magic.
The carving detail of so many of India’s temples are truly astonishing and have earned them the description of “stone as lace”. This Jain temple in Rankapur is a perfect example of the perfection in craftsmanship.
