India-incredible-India

I made it! After almost three months on the road and on the tracks, I finally arrived in India. Incredible. Incredible in many ways; a dream come true, but also amazing and fascinating and at the beginning a confusing experience. Intense. Am I really here? Seeing this or that? Suddenly, questions about trust (in whom and what?) and taking full charge of any decision made and potential consequences. Negative news stories and warnings all over make me hesitate. At least for a moment when instead of a simple oneway train ticket from Delhi further north I book a seven-day-tour with a personal driver towards the south…two more times I meet up with the agent to convince myself that I can trust him. Which also leads to interesting discussions about human beings in general and Indian’s hospitality.

And finally: I was very happy and lucky with the tour and that I let myself go with the flow. I had a fantastic driver (traffic is really a challenge, you get trucks,cars,rikshaws,tuktuks,peatons,cows,dogs coming from everyside anytime and often all together…and even when I thought we were drinving against a wall, magically and smoothly we made our path) and advisor (on how to deal with the many sellers and guides and beggars, where too eat good food, when to go to the safari and the massage, where to buy a dress etc.) and DJ (listening to lively sounds from all over India while driving on the road and watching all the beautifully dressed women and villages and other people on their way).

I saw the “of-beauty-stunning” Taj Mahal, two tigers in the National Park, many beautiful palaces, camels on the streets and many different colours and faces and  tastes of this country. And, it is only the beginning.