New Walks from Jodhpur to Narnaul (Feb 24) (page 5 of 5)

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Hi Jean François To answer you about the north and the south, for me they’re different countries. All the states are different too. I think in Rajasthan, young people are dressing more and more Western-style. In Tamil Nadu, most cities are only interesting for their temples—they’re even called temple towns. In northern Rajasthan (unusual travel journal in Rajasthan Nov 22), I passed through cities where you can stroll peacefully, with beautiful markets—I love the market vibe. Madhya Pradesh might be a bit less touristy, with hidden gems where it’s great to wander, same for Gujarat. I’ve posted travel journals for each of my trips. Karnataka is very different from Tamil Nadu, and in northern Karnataka, you can go from Hampi to Bidar—it’s really lovely. I adore Badami, where you can take a nice, little-known walk, and I talk about it in my journal again. It’s hard to say which part of India is the most interesting because it’s different every time—it all depends on what you’re looking for.

Actually, we travel differently but share the same travel philosophy. I love everything you just wrote.

Hi Marie Jo,

Thanks for your feedback. Okay, so the cities in the North are more suited for urban strolling 🙂.

Karnataka is very different from TN, and in northern Karnataka, you can go from Hampi to Bidar—it’s really lovely. I love Badami, where you can take a nice walk

I know that area... even though I didn’t keep a travel journal.

What I’d really love is to find colorful, lively Buddhist temples... but where are they? [;]

Colorful and lively Buddhist temples... but where are they? In Ladakh in July, you’ve got festivals in the monasteries that are really beautiful, and the landscapes are on point. There are monasteries around Darjeeling, in Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh (Dharamsala and its region).

Hi there,

I almost tuned out in the first few lines when I read them, when you "describe" your departure... especially when you talk about "customs" for immigration. Several of us here keep insisting and repeating that we go through Immigration, not customs. It’s not just a vocabulary issue. They’re not the same at all. Immigration checks if you’re in order with Indian administration and POLICE services: visa, number of days in India, places of stay, etc...... Customs checks—most often doesn’t check—what you have in your suitcases: cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, counterfeit items, etc... It’s like saying I’ve got a terrible toothache, so I’m going to the cardiologist. Or I’m taking the train to go from Marseille to Ajaccio.

Customs vs. immigration/border police—does it really matter? 🤪

Maybe we’re not from the same generation. When I was a kid, we’d sometimes go on vacation to Switzerland, and back then, my parents needed a passport. At the border, the sign read "douane, zoll, dogana." There was never any mention of immigration, and it was the same officers (the "customs officers") who checked both the documents and what was in the car trunk. So we got used to saying douane. Just like we’d say "fridge" instead of "refrigerator" or "radio" instead of "wireless." That’s all! 😉