I had this idea of sharing another person’s experience by now, but contrary to what I believe, not everyone wants to blurt out their embarrassing travel stories, or how culture shocked they were, let alone how they end up studying in India. Anyway, I have plenty to keep us going…
My department has this one professor who has taken it upon himself to show the students that India is beyond Himachal Pradesh. He told me one of his best memories from during his college days was travelling with the class to different regions around India. Unfortunately, due to the amount of work it takes to plan a trip for students and the responsibility that it comes with it (despite everyone being well-above 18 and technically adults and responsible for themselves), our next trip to Mumbai and Goa may be the last of these excursions. Too bad for future students. I am way too excited about this trip than I was the last time. They call it the “Pearl of the Orient”, who wouldn’t be excited?!
In any other day in my own country I would never have agreed to this, ever. I mean I do not even remember the last time I was on a traditional train, let alone for 54 hours! I kid you not.
The idea of being on a train as group seemed like an adventurous one. I imagined we would break into some karaoke hits, play cards, and other road trip games and the whole thing would be over before we know it. And we would get to experience different scenery along the route, which we kind of did. I remember there was the rich green farms of Punjab covered with fog at the time and in distance you could see women hard at work and little ones playing just in sight. Then there was Delhi, a completely different situation. You could feel the buzz of the city even before you arrive at the New Delhi station. And then there was hours of just brown, like Kruger National Park without the wildlife (random analog I admit). However, all these were very hard to enjoy especially after the first night. I am not going to get into the details, but take my word for it, not a good idea overall.
After 3 days and 2 nights on the train everyone was eager to say hello Kucheveli! By evening time we had forgotten about the long journey and how tired we were suppose to be. Kerala had a lot to offer, people there are friendly and laid back. The city had a kind of a hippie vibe, like a Reggae town. The best part, especially for foodies, you can find different cuisines of seafoods. The Cochin Fish Market has all that your heart desires, and it overlooks the sea so its a complete experience.
The South, unlike my Northern home has a lot of Christians and that is also reflected in the number of catholic churches you will find in the city. Their architecture is pretty cool, reminded me so much of Barcelona. One other thing, you are going to see men in white skirts, correctly known as “the mundu” attire, so don’t ever tell me that skirts are strictly feminine. I also noticed that majority of the females in the South are constantly in sarees, unlike here in the North where your everyday attire is typically salwars or suit with dupatta.
The second day was my favorite, we had the traditional breakfast of the South, Idli and Samba (the name is more enticing than the actual meal, at least for me), then we took a walk along the Chines Fishing nets neighboring the market, and from there we were off to “the Venice of the East”- Alleppey. We found ourselves on a houseboat for the night and caught the sunset taking in the palm trees and golden atmosphere of Alleppey. Next day we were off to Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India, where the Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean meet. Are you imagining what it’s like? Yeah you totally are! Apparently, there is some distinction in the color of the water, but I could only distinguish two.
Overall a successful trip, the South welcomed us with such warm hands that we are planning to return- off to Goa and Mumbai soon! This time, however, I will opt for the 2hr long flight. 54 hour train ride was a one time adventure for me, so maybe I dare you not!
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