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Published: February 27th 2006
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Pues hoy tambien primero en ingles y mas abajo en espanyol.
We left Goa to Kerala on the 16th of February (I think) and here I am writing this blog the last day in Kerala, in fact the last three days in India. Today we leave from Ernakulam to Chennai and on Wednesday night we catch the flight back to Thailand. Do I want to go back to Thailand, I would say that I don't think so. Am I going to miss India? Yes, deeply.
What a country!!! the contrasts move you, make you think, reflect. You just cannot spend one day in India without having something in your insides stirred. I suppose that is what makes the difference between people who love India and people who hate it.
Come to India if you are up for the challenge, do not come if you want to see your own country with a different weather, different food and different architecture.
That is the reason why I am not sure if I want to go to Thailand, over there tourism is so easy, the government and the people have made sure that westerners feel comfortable. Well I don't care for comfort, I care for seeing the real country and while in Thailand you have to look for it, in India is in your face!!
About Kerala, what to say? Well is lush, the forests are amazing, the spice and tea plantations on the mountains are spectacular, although I am not sure how I feel about having all that forest claimed as agricultural land, I realised that some mountains had a fire not long ago, I could still smell the smoke and my heart was not happy. It reminded me of those periods in Spain when people use to burn the forest to later claim the land for whichever plantations. I am glad that this does not happen much at home anymore, if a mountain gets burnt the it gets cleaned and new trees planted.
Apart for the scenery another BIG difference between Kerala and the North of India is the people, they are soo chilled out, very relaxed and tranquil, they stop to talk to you, just for a chat, nothing else. They are very nice and friendly people, worth coming back a hundred times or more.
Of course I should say that another big difference is the religion, Christians
are in top numbers here and they show it with their impressive churches and Shrines? Yes they have got this strange thing, on the street suddenly you will see a shrine, something typically Hindu, but when you look inside there is a cross decorated with flowers that have been offered by people through the day and a very strong incense smell.
So as I said, today we are leaving Kerala and we will be back to chaotic Chennai tomorrow morning. I'll eat my last Dosa and drink my last sweet lassi until I come back to this enchanting country that will always be in my heart.
Cuando dejamos GOa nos dirigimos a Kerala que junto a Tamil Nadu forma el Sur de India. Keral es un lugar increible, verde y lleno de junglas con monos de color negro y con monos con flequillo. Ahora mismo estamos en Cochin y es el ultimo dia de nuestra estancia en Kerala, de hecho solo nos quedan tres dias en India. La idea de dejar India me entristece. India es un pais unico, lleno de contrastes y de sorpresas. No hay un dia que pase, en el que algo dentro de ti se halla revuelto en alegria/ sufrimiento/ rabia/ placer. India te hace sentirte vivo, pero tienes que estar preparado para sentirte asi. Aqui no hay termino medio, o amas al pais o lo odias, y sea cual sea de las dos opciones en el momento que recorres los primeros pasos a la salida del aeropuerto, India te ha cambiado, no hay marcha atras.
Pensareis que soy una exagerada y no os culpo, no voy a intentar convencer a nadie, si quereis comprobarlo, venir.
De Chennai nos iremos a Tailandia, pero no es lo mismo, Tailandia es un pais acomodado para el turismo, todo es facil, todo esta pensado para hacer al turista comodo y no tener que pensar mucho, no encontrar dificultades. Encontrar la Tailandia real? tienes que buscarla. India te mira a la cara y te pregunta: estas preparado? porque aqui llego!!!
En fin que manyana estaremos en Chennai y me comere mi ultima dosa y bebere mi ultimo sweet lassi hasta que vuelva a este pais que ha tomado parte de mi corazon.
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Dileep
non-member comment
Beautiful
Exactly beautiful photo.