My time in India

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So my time in India has come to an end for a while... I know I'll be back here again, maybe on business (I'm convinced I need to branch out some sort of enterprise to India at some point, the land of opportunity..) or for pleasure to visit Gujarat which I regretfully didn't have time to see on this visit.

The past week has been jam packed with travelling but, thankfully, not as much as the week before. It was certainly a good decision of ours to pack the first week with more places in order to give ourselves more time to see the two big cities, Mumbai and Delhi, and also to allow ourselves to relax just a little bit more before we fly off to our next destinations.

Mumbai was breathtakingly beautiful. We spent an evening watching the sun set while walking along the famous Marina Drive (see photo) in Andheri and a whole day in Colaba visiting The Gateway of India and the Prince of Wales Museum (the name has changed recently to something more Indian sounding but it's much easier just to remember it as the PoW Museum!). I, much to my dismay, was unable to get into a Bollywood film and, indeed, we missed Bollywood altogether. We did try but our taxi driver spoke zero English and by the time we realised he'd already driven past it, we were a couple of hours away and well on our way to Colaba. Next time eh?

Delhi has been great too. On the first day we spent hours walking around the seriously impressive Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple which is only around 10 years old, but which had no fewer than 7,000 artisans working on its construction. It's full of interactive rides / activities so we were well entertained all day learning about Bagwan Swaminarayan whom the temple was named after. Unfortunately no cameras or phones were allowed inside so if you wish to see what it looks like, you'll have to Google it or come and see it for yourself!

I actually found the Akshardham Temple more interesting than the Taj Mahal which we saw the next day as it's so much bigger and grander, however, Kate prefered the Taj and I can't blame her (maybe I've just seen one temple too many... if that's possible?!). The Taj is, undoubtedly, one of the most impressive sites either of us have ever seen - even more so because of the time when it was built - and you can't come to Delhi without seeing it (and the Akshardham!).

The trip as a whole has been completely unforgettable and I am utterly in love with India. The people here are the friendliest on the planet and the landscapes are just incredible. It seems on every corner there is an awe-inspiring temple or artifact that is so impressive even now, that I wonder what the British must have made of it all when they landed all the way back in the 1700s.

It's evident that India is making good, steady progress towards becoming a fully fledged developed country but it is still a good 50-70 years behind in certain things. It's understandable given that it's only been a country in its own right for just over 60 years and I can't wait to come back in 20 years to see how it's progressed further. Fundamental issues such as corruption, law and order, infrastructure, electricity and drinking water will catch up and it's so fascinating to see that in other aspects, India is so far ahead! For example, in my host family back in Madurai, they had a new mobile phone every few weeks. And not just any new mobile phone... wireless charging phones, waterproof phones, retina recognition security protection phones.. and the list goes on. India is certainly a technological grow bag and it's exciting to think where it may be in just 10 years time.

A little while back I posted a blog called '80% Indian'... well this week I've been asked where in India I am from more than where in the world I am from. Probably - almost certainly - due to my darkened skin from the relentless sun, but maybe also because I am now so comfortable in India that when roaming the street / eating in a restaurant / flagging down and haggling with a rickshaw, it all comes so naturally. I have certainly found my roots here and I'm very proud to be Indian. It has never occurred to me (until now) how lucky I am to be from India, Spain and England - 3 very culturally diverse nations, yet 3 undeniably, historically successful and incredibly impressive countries (albeit not all at the same time and not all right now! - sorry Spain..).

Next stop, The Seychelles.

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Photos

Marine Drive in Mumbai
Watching the sun set.