An Early Mid-Trip Crisis

The Jaipur Intercity train had frequent stops at the towns and villages along the way.  I slept for about an hour until a pack of loud Marwardi grandmothers boarded and of course sat on my bench.  And they really got up close and personal Practically sitting on my lap.   Luckily very few people on this train spoke English, but It did mean that I was stared at by just about everyone for the entire 10 hour ride.  When I got to Jaipur I got a bad feeling for the place, it was crowded and had little discernible charm.  I figured I will move on the next day.

I'm coming up on the 1/3rd point on my trip and coming to realize that it's completely impossible to see and do all that I would like in just 3 months.  I've kept up a frenetic pace so far, with just one or two nights in each city, sightseeing all day and covering impossible miles on foot and local busses.  I try to do most of my travel at night so I can use my time as effectively as possible.  Everywhere I go I hear about another place I would love to add to the itinerary.  I wonder if I tack on another month will I be able to check out more of the country, or would I use that time to fully experience the pace of life in a particular local.

India is unfathomably large and varied, there's no way to see any representative cross section of the lands, cultures and communities no matter how long you devote to exploring it.  As fascinating as it all is, life on the road is hard.  I wake up in a new city which I then have to navigate.  I make and have to say goodbye to a new friend in each town.  The inconveniences of having to negotiate every interaction, deciding who you can trust and who is wasting your time and the constant fear of dehydration make the simplicities of home life seem so gratifying, like being able to trust your food, smooth roads and open spaces.

I'm going to try to find a spot I like and spend a week there to decompress.  Right now I'm thinking possibly a yoga Ashram in the Himalayas.

No Photos - Camera Lost!