Exploring India 2016

In May 2016, I began my first trip outside of Europe, and headed to India for 6 weeks.

Approaching the trip, the idea of this both excited and terrified me enormously.

I had wanted to visit India for a long time, and when there became an opportunity to attend an Indian Summer School through uni, I saw this as the perfect way to do it. 

The course (Media, Gender and Culture) was held at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, in New Delhi. It was two weeks long (40 hrs of teaching per week), with two assignments set to submit a few weeks after the course ended. I saw this a great way to dip my foot into a completely new, and different environment to the one I am used to. I had someone working on behalf of KCL in India, providing pretty much around-the-clock support, including guidance with transport, food, accommodation, and even help with planning my travelling after the course, which I am so grateful for. 

My pass to get into School

ZineZ

It turned out that I was the only person from London to apply for the course in India. So it really helped having someone who could help me settle in, without feeling completely alone. Sankalp and Ayushi are the main two people to thank for this. They helped me feel safe, and made me feel welcome straight away. 

My first meal in Delhi (mmm)

Sankalp and Ayushi in School

Jama Masjid (one of the largest Mosques in India)

Looking over Jama Masjid (I have never been so sweaty/hot)

Humayun's Tomb

The One and Only

A view from inside the Taj

There were about 40 students on the course and it was held by a tutor from KCL. I could have also taken the course in London through the summer but obviously that wouldn't have given me the opportunity to see India at the same time. I also thought that it would be super interesting to get the perspective of the course content from Indian students, and it was! 

I enjoyed the course, and it complimented my English degree well. I was already familiar with some of the theorists spoken of, including Judith Butler and ideas of Gender Performativity. Much of the content was new to me though, such as Rosalind Gill's ideas of Postfeminist Sensibility, which is both super interesting and relevant. 

When the course was over, I travelled around India for just under 4 weeks. I met and made friends with some students on the course, and one of which (Nandini) very kindly invited me to begin my travels by staying with her in her home with her family. So my travels began in Ambala, North India and relatively near Punjab. My appreciation for Nandini and her family knows no bounds, they treated me like a member of their own family when I stayed with them. They made me feel super comfortable, I had incredible food, met extended family, had hours of great conversation, and ate more incredible food. 

Nandini and I shared endless conversations about each of our cultures, about general life and quite often about feminism, the position of women in India compared with that in the UK and the West. I learnt so much from her, she made me feel as if I have a home in India and for that I will always be thankful to her.

Nandini and I at Lady Shri Ram College

Nandini and Milo

Visiting Nandini's family for a meal 

Henna hair dyeing 

Henna hair dyeing

Henna hands and feet

Mango trees in Nandini's garden

From Nandini's home, I headed to McLeod Ganj, in Dharmsala (in the Himalayas), where there is a Tibetan settlement. It is without a doubt the most beautiful place I have ever been to. I can't write about this trip without thanking my friend Sophie, who recommended McLeod and gave me so many more other amazing tips. Having also travelled India alone, Sophie was the perfect person to answer any questions I had, and so kindly did so. She recommended this place as one of her top 3 favourite places and I am so glad I chose to go. I met some more beautiful people, and the vibe of this place was just like no other I had ever experienced, its the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and home to many monks and nuns. Here is a short video of the view from my first hostel:

I think it makes sense to copy some of what I wrote in my journal at the time, to give a slightly more present account of my experience:

19th June 2016:

I have been in McLeod Ganj for 4 days now and I am starting to love it. The fact that it's a Tibetan settlement means that it doesn't really feel like India, but more like China. The vibe is completely different, and thats a good thing. It is very spiritual, there is a lot of yoga...I went to a film screening 'The Sun Behind the Clouds' and it was extremely poignant, telling the story of the Tibetans being exiled from China and the Dalai Lama's attempts to compromise with the Chinese government to get autonomy in Tibet. I found it very interesting that the spirituality of the Dalai Lama has so much impact on his political movements, and his 'middle way' approach is ultimately very compromised and fair approach to take... (later on)... Sophie recommended going to a restaurant called Shangrila, which is where I headed after a trip to the market, and it was the best advice. The food is so good and so cheap! I got veg momos are biryani, and I didn't realise that they would be huge portions and thoughts that they would be more like a small starter and a main. I also thought they would be smaller because the price was so cheap. It was around 80p for momos and the same for the biryani, crazy. 

Veg Momos (large fried dumplings) and Biryani in Shangrila

After this, I met some friends (Tara, Sofia, Lise, Vivek, Joana, Brigitte, and Sydney) and they kindly welcomed me into their group (they had also met in McLeod Ganj and were travelling independently). I began staying in their hostel from here on out so didn't write much more in my journal, but over the next few days I went to a yoga class, a mandala drawing class, helped in a Beginner English class, went to a meditation class, and trekked to Triund. All of which were incredible, here are some photos:

Mandala Drawing Class

Crepe Pancake Hut with Sofia

Lise and I 

Lise, Me, Tara, Sydney, Sofia

The view on the trek to Triune

Didn't think I would need suncream for the trek...

Me, Brigitte, Vivek, Sofia, Lise <3

Lisa, me, Tara before we said goodbye 

I left Mcleod with a heavy heart, but knowing that I would return one day, and I still intend to do that. 

From McLeod, I returned to Ambala to Nandini's. We continued on the trip together along with two of her good friends, Saurav and Mandeep, to camp in Rishikesh. 

On the way to Rishikesh we came across so many of these beautiful creatures!! (My heart was exploding)

The Campsite

Our tent! 

This was the first time that I really experienced Delhi belly... I think it was because I ate the salad (which I probably knew I shouldn't do). But we still had an incredible time. We went Water Rafting in the Ganges, swam in the stream next to the camp, and went for walks, and spent time in the city. 

Swimming in the stream next to camp (I was sick as a dog but it was so refreshing)

River Rafting

When camping came to an end, I went and stayed in a hostel, where I met Zach, and together we decided, regardless of the fact I still wasn't completely well, that it would be a good idea to do India's highest platform bungee jump. So we hired a motorbike, which was almost too easy, and scooted to Jumpin Heights, where the platform is. It took me forever to actually pluck up the courage to propel myself forwards (the operators aren't allowed to push you) but I eventually did it...

A screenshot of my jump, until I find the video of it

It was extremely exhilarating and I am so glad I did it! But I definitely didn't feel amazing after, would probably recommend not being ill if anyone was considering. 

The next part of my trip was a bit of a fail, which was completely my own fault. I headed South, which was experiencing peak monsoon season. I flew to Goa, got there at 2am, couldn't find my hostel, and when I did eventually get there, it was a complete ghost town. To add insult to injury, there were pretty frequent power cuts. It clearly isn't the best time for tourists to visit, but for some reason I still went, thinking surely it wouldn't be that bad. But it was honestly like someone was constantly pouring buckets of water out of the sky (lol at my naivety). 

I realised I couldn't really do much there, so I flew to Mumbai the next day, as Sankalp kindly invited me to stay at his home for a few days before I flew home. I still wasn't feeling 100% well, so having a friendly home environment to go to was appreciated, and I was very happy to see a familiar face. To tell you the truth I didn't really make the most of Mumbai, mostly because of the reasons I have just stated, and Mumbai was also experiencing monsoon season. But it was great to see Sankalp again, and we ordered Dominos, that's probably something really awful and something I shouldn't admit or put on a blog, but something I got real pleasure from, so oh well. 

I have put a lot of time and effort into this post because I want it to be something I can look back at. It is also something I thoroughly enjoyed doing, bearing in mind it has been nearly two years since the trip. I also wanted to thank, and show my appreciation for the people I met along the way who made me feel safe, loved, and who were integral to my enjoyment. Bearing in mind I was alone somewhere completely new, I realise it could have been a very different experience, and I do understand why my family were worried about me going, but I am so glad I did it anyway, because it was unforgettable. Most of the people I met along the way made it their mission to make me feel at home, and comfortable, and I am forever grateful for that. In all honesty, I did have some ups and downs, but I want this post to recount my cherished memories. I realise that, most likely, no travelling experience will be completely perfect the whole time, but when I arrived home, I returned remembering the lessons I learned from the 'downs' I felt, and how welcome I was made to feel, how much fun I had, and also, most importantly, how lucky I am.