All good things must come to an end
Day 30? Wow, well that's come around quickly. So I find myself here on our last day, thinking about the diverse experiences we have had on our travels through Nepal and India.
It has certainly been tough at times (a number of train journeys and some particularly unfriendly food spring to mind), yet the harder the journey, the more rewarding it can be. And the good here has far outweighed the bad - highlights to the trip have been plentiful. In Nepal, riding an elephant through Chitwan National Park in the early morning, watching rhinos and birds bumble about really captured the spirit of the sanctuary for me. Spirits were also observed in a slightly different way on Christmas day in Varanasi, with the sunrise ceremony and a boat ride along the Ganges.
Rajasthan then erupted in a burst of noise and colour, it's vibrancy demonstrated through intricate forts and the Taj Mahal, as well as bustling cities with their street art and bright bazaars. Even the desert of Jaisalmer retained this character, with riding camels at new year being the definite highlight of my time in this region.
Kerala, the next destination, introduced itself with a tropical wave of humid heat, as well as luscious green forests and a more chilled-out pace of life (despite the high temperatures!). The tea plantations of Munnar offered us our first real fresh air, and wandering the trails was a much needed leg stretcher with incredible views. A nature walk in Periyar gave us our last dose of big mammals, who seemed to all come out to greet us in the morning mist. Our final stop was the backwaters around Kumarakom, and how beautiful these were. The perfect place for us to spend our final days, with a new freedom of being able to explore by bike, hike, canoe and houseboat. The Keralan people were much less opportunistic than those in North India, and somehow came across much more friendly and open, which only added to the homely feeling I experienced in Kerala.
Overall, I have had a fantastic trip, and have so many good memories to reflect upon as the sun sets on our time here.
NB - a few things I would not have been without:
Day 30? Wow, well that's come around quickly. So I find myself here on our last day, thinking about the diverse experiences we have had on our travels through Nepal and India.
It has certainly been tough at times (a number of train journeys and some particularly unfriendly food spring to mind), yet the harder the journey, the more rewarding it can be. And the good here has far outweighed the bad - highlights to the trip have been plentiful. In Nepal, riding an elephant through Chitwan National Park in the early morning, watching rhinos and birds bumble about really captured the spirit of the sanctuary for me. Spirits were also observed in a slightly different way on Christmas day in Varanasi, with the sunrise ceremony and a boat ride along the Ganges.
Rajasthan then erupted in a burst of noise and colour, it's vibrancy demonstrated through intricate forts and the Taj Mahal, as well as bustling cities with their street art and bright bazaars. Even the desert of Jaisalmer retained this character, with riding camels at new year being the definite highlight of my time in this region.
Kerala, the next destination, introduced itself with a tropical wave of humid heat, as well as luscious green forests and a more chilled-out pace of life (despite the high temperatures!). The tea plantations of Munnar offered us our first real fresh air, and wandering the trails was a much needed leg stretcher with incredible views. A nature walk in Periyar gave us our last dose of big mammals, who seemed to all come out to greet us in the morning mist. Our final stop was the backwaters around Kumarakom, and how beautiful these were. The perfect place for us to spend our final days, with a new freedom of being able to explore by bike, hike, canoe and houseboat. The Keralan people were much less opportunistic than those in North India, and somehow came across much more friendly and open, which only added to the homely feeling I experienced in Kerala.
Overall, I have had a fantastic trip, and have so many good memories to reflect upon as the sun sets on our time here.
NB - a few things I would not have been without:
- Osprey Fairview women's bag - just the perfect bag for travelling, so well thought out, I would not be without this.
- Andrex "on the go" loo roll - compact and self-explanatory
- Nike Frees - worn all day, every day, no pain and just so comfy
- Anti-bacterial hand gel - I have no proof to the success of this, but even if it was the placebo effect, I think it was worth it!
- Surge protection plug - there are some dodgy electrics going on in India
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