4 friends discover a piece of North India (page 5 of 8)

We jump the queue. Bruno and I are a bit uncomfortable, but no one seems to mind that we cut in line like this

Just deserts, I told the boys, as Indians had regularly pushed past us. One day, one of them literally shoved me to get in front of me when I was right in front of the metro ticket counter.

The Prime Minister Modi made our President of the Republic his guest of honor in the name of Franco-Indian friendship. All over the main avenues, portraits of the two men arm in arm.

Few French people were fooled by this big show, but many Indians were. Indians really love the "Grand Spectacle." One needs money, the other needs warplanes. Those famous Rafales, which even my little neighborhood grocer in Calcutta mentioned to me when he found out I was French...

And then, it was just a "stopgap," since Macron was only invited because "the one originally invited" had REFUSED the invitation.😏 How embarrassing!

We jump the queue. Bruno and I are a bit uneasy, but no one seems to mind that we cut in line like this.

Wasn’t it free for locals and paid for foreigners?

No, we paid for our entry. It seemed normal—some guy was pacing the line, called us over, and waved us forward.

Probably, though, India must have changed a lot in 15 years...

No, India actually changes very little compared to other countries.

It’s more that *I’ve* changed...

I think the weather played a big part in this mixed second impression. Jaisalmer is a city made for sunlight, not rain.🙂

Hello to both of you (or all four of you).

I’m joining in this chorus of praise, which shows no sign of stopping as more seasoned travelers find their way back.

In your story and the little grumbles that come with it, I recognize the very reasons I’ve always given up on visiting this country. And yet, it’s not for lack of hearing enthusiastic feedback personally. Among those reasons, some can’t decently be mentioned, but I’ll highlight the noise. After traveling through several countries where the main purpose of a car seems to be its horn, I’ve become allergic to it. Now I’ve turned into one of those grumpy old folks who can’t stand noise after making so much of it myself!

I really enjoyed reading your posts, especially when you share your flaws and failures. I hope no one comes along to criticize your rants or disappointments because your stories feel genuine, sincere, and authentic.

While many travel journals are disappointing in more ways than one, this one has a successful alchemy. Honestly, I have just one wish: that the four of you set off again together.

Thanks for your message. You're absolutely right. India isn't a restful country, but it still radiates a real energy. If the word "dépaysement" has any meaning, it's definitely in India that it applies. Tomorrow, in the last post I'll send, I've tried to sum up this adventure with three others in this country that's so hard to grasp. And yes, the chemistry between us worked out. That's why we're heading back together in January—this time to the South. Thanks again for your comment. Have a good evening.

Hello Kola, hello everyone

An epic with meticulous descriptions that owe much to memory... and so little to sight, unfortunately hindered. 😉

A fresco painted with daylight or twilight, a kaleidoscope of portraits, temples, deserts, or street scenes... so, so much more beautiful against a white background! When talents take flight together on a blank page like two dancers tightly entwined, twirling across the floor without ever stepping on each other's toes...

When all around, the passionate, the devoted, the subtle connoisseurs return one by one, recognize each other, greet each other, linger, and applaud the duo's virtuosity...

... then you can say a travel journal is a success 🙂

Yes, yes, yes, a hundred times yes. But what I miss in this journal is interaction. Though the authors aren’t to blame—they had the courage to start their journal in the middle of the desert. Many people still don’t know this forum has reopened, or maybe they’ve drifted away? So I’ll take the liberty of sharing my own emotions while reading these pages. I relived my visits to Rajasthan, and it’s always an emotional moment to revisit memories, whether they’re good or bad. I didn’t experience Rajasthan the way you did. Your journal reflects my own approach to India. I envy you—and many tourists—for being able to keep that distance from India and Indians. I, on the other hand, fell into the pot, and it’s terrible. I’m no longer French. I mean, I don’t think like a French person anymore, yet I’m not Indian either. I’ll never be Indian. I’ll never, ever reason like an Indian. You’d have to be named Sonia Gandhi for that. I’m stuck between two chairs, and it’s very uncomfortable. I’ll never fully understand Indians. And Indians will never fully understand me. Someone said that India hasn’t changed *much* in 15 years. That’s a big topic of discussion and disagreement with a friend who’s a seasoned traveler in India. Maybe it’s the things a tourist’s eyes don’t perceive in a few weeks that have changed. Or the difference between the North and the South? I’d say India has changed deeply, seen from the inside, when you live there. Especially since the "Covid years" and our inability to visit. What hasn’t changed—or barely—are the mentalities. Though not all of them... Some have evolved in what we Westerners would call "the right direction." For example, the standard of living—see Indian tourism—the behavior of couples in public, arranged marriages, to name just one major example. But others, on the contrary, have evolved in the "wrong direction." For example, intolerance, animosity, and interreligious tensions. Again, just one example, but a major one!

Hi Marien 33 and hello everyone, First off, thanks for your post—it really adds to this thread, which has been pretty quiet, as you rightly pointed out. I think you nailed the reasons for that. From what I gather, you seem to really understand India from the inside after living there. For the average tourist—like me and my friends—it’d be pretty pretentious to think we could deeply feel a country as complex as India. Our perspective was obviously just scratching the surface. Like I said in the last post Kate’s going to share, we only "brushed the elephant’s back." Your take on how India has (or hasn’t) changed in 15 years matches what I think too. Rapid economic growth, a growing middle class, more engineers and researchers, better infrastructure—India’s moving fast and strong. But like all so-called "emerging" countries, it’s running with one leg shorter than the other. Endemic poverty, limited access to healthcare, still-too-low school enrollment rates... And then there’s the persistence of pretty archaic mental and social structures—though I’m not trying to judge or lecture from a Western perspective. The truth is, those same structures also lead to behaviors and practices we’ve left behind: strong family bonds, a certain detachment from material things, and a kind of patience in the face of life’s events. But to wrap up this (maybe too long) post, what worried me most about Indian society was the intense tension between religious communities and a form of intolerance. It’s not new, of course, but it seems to me that Modi’s rise to power—this nationalist-populist—has only made things worse between groups, especially Hindus and Muslims in the country. The guy who says, "To be Indian is to be Hindu!" "

Richard and I really enjoy your posts. Just like the delightful read your site is—I especially remember this quite personal passage that really amused me 😉 Chottannikkara... to oneself

Day 21. Goodbye India

We left the hotel early this morning for a flight scheduled at 10:30 AM. Just to be safe, we decided to give ourselves plenty of time. The taxi ride cost us 650 rupees—1,800 on the way there! We’re getting better at this. In the airport’s vast halls, I reflect on these three weeks spent in India. The human adventure was a success. The group worked well together, without a single hitch. Everyone seemed to find their place without ever feeling left out or frustrated. We were often amazed by India’s beauty, and we laughed a lot—always a good sign of a healthy group dynamic.

But what to remember about India and its people? How do you describe a country with a thousand facets, overflowing with energy? A young, noisy population, always on the move, and often very friendly? The sometimes challenging coexistence of all its religions? The massive traffic jams where, somehow, everyone keeps moving without too much stress? The spaces where humans and animals coexist in harmony? The dirtiness of the streets? The generally cordial but often money-driven interactions with people? The stark social contrasts? The very spicy food? The brightly colored women’s clothing? Of course, all of that—but I fear I’m just scratching the surface of the usual clichés about this strange, dizzying country that’s so hard to grasp. We managed well, I think. We knew how to travel. But we’re not backpackers, and it was difficult for us to go deeper in our connection with the people and this culture.

In the end, we only skimmed the elephant’s back. But even that brief contact makes us want more—deeper, more meaningful encounters. Maybe one day…

Richard and I really enjoy your posts. Just like the delightful read on your site, which includes this quite personal passage that really amused me 😉 Chottannikkara... until oneself

Thanks so much, Kate...

Thanks for this great time in India 😉

Thanks for this great time in India 😉

Thanks so much for reading.

Your conclusion (like your whole travel journal) explains why I said India hasn’t changed...😉

I could’ve written the same thing in 1995 as in 2010.

Besides, Kate’s photos remind me of the India I know. Not a very different country.

On the surface and as a tourist.

Deep down, I hope mentalities are evolving. 🙂

Goodbye India, and thank you both for this magnificent travel journal. The prose is excellent, the pace engaging, the photos stunning, and the emotions well captured. It brought back my memories, a touch nostalgic. For a first attempt, it’s a masterstroke! Can’t wait for the second trip—I’ll follow it with as much attention as if I return to India, it’ll be in the area you’re planning.

And I’ll be thinking of you while enjoying an apéritif 😛😉

Whoa, if we start mixing up the conversations, we’ll lose our bearings! Drinks at Le Chai Massala? 😄

Thanks so much, Bruno, for your really flattering comment. And even more so, given your background, since you seem to be quite the traveler-writer (or the other way around). 🙂

P.S. Savoie is where I spent all my childhood summers with the scouts—when we, little Mediterranean kids from the coast, discovered what mountains were really like. Deep down, I’m actually more of a hiker (a real one, I think) than a traveler. Have a great rest of the evening and thanks again for your messages.

Whoa! A bit of a traveler, not a writer at all! But for me, it's -Haute- Savoie 😄 Have a great rest of the evening