Our latest adventure – two bonding weeks

India

Last year, I took four weeks off parenting to fly back to Australia alone. This year, guess what? I did it again. Now, that might seem like a lot for some people, but it’s also something that comes with the territory of moving to another country.

The distance, the cost, the jetlag… it all adds up. Two weeks would be tiring, but doable. Three is better. Four is… well absolutely fantastic with a trace of indulgence.

So, I’d been encouraging hubby to take a break of his own. Not because it was owed – because I have a right to go see my family – but because he can. And since we’re not keen on taking a small child to India, off he went on his own.

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Breaking the rules of India

streetfood - delhi, indiaThere’s plenty of info out there about things you definitely should not do in India. From wearing inappropriate clothing, to limiting PDA and not bad-mouthing cricket, the list is long. Now, I don’t feel like I put myself in any undue danger in India, but I didn’t necessarily follow all the rules to a tee. Here are the ones I broke.

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Delhi belly – the suffering, the indignity

India Delhi belly chaiHaving travelled Sri Lanka and southern India, and pretty much eating whatever I liked, I was pretty confident about the constitution of my stomach while I was in northern India.

Here’s what I learned:

  1. I’m not as tough as I thought
  2. Delhi Belly can strike anyone
  3. You can’t really do anything but ride it out

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Northern India – go or don’t go – it’s your choice

northern india - coconutIt seems like on the subject of India, the world is divided into two halves. The ones that can’t wait to get there, and the ones that absolutely, positively never want to go near the place.

“Keep your expectations low”, our tour leader kept saying on our latest adventure to India. I’m not sure if it was a ruse to ensure we were never disappointed, but it worked for me. I remained pleasantly surprised for most of the trip. From the transport and roads, to the hotels we stayed in, to the experiences we had, everything was either as I expected, or better. At least, when compared to what the trip had promised.

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A Huge Pain in the Back!

southern india foodIn early March, I was happily touring around southern India with my hubby when I noticed my lower back was sore. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought – the bumpy roads, the beds – it makes sense. That evening I headed for a massage, hoping to find relief. But when I, grimacing, crawled onto the massage bed, my masseur promptly advised me to see a doctor.

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Longer Trips – Southern India

Southern India is not as hard core as northern India – it’s slower, safer, friendlier – the poverty is not as confronting – the dogs and cows are better cared for. Naturally there’s rubbish everywhere, the hygiene and toilets can be questionable and the feeling of being unclean never seems to quite leave – covered in sweat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and just the humidity that clings to the air like a limpet.

southern india

From last week’s post I’m continuing my southern India posts with some more details of our adventure.

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Southern India – Reflections

Southern India is a hot, sticky mess. Houses slant huddled together, hacked into sharp edges, snuggled by the encroaching jungle and its mess of fronds, tangles and branches. Sand seeps relentlessly through bare earth and discarded rubbish litters the landscape like moon rocks.

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