Hasta Luego, India

I arrived back in Delhi yesterday morning on the overnight train from Amritsar more than a little sad about leaving India. What started as a spontaneous shopping trip to Mumbai somehow turned into seven weeks of exploring this fascinating country, and I know that India’s gotten under my skin. A friend and I were perusing a map of India in the Lonely Planet yesterday afternoon and I was shocked to realize how little I’ve seen of the country – seven weeks in Mumbai, the ashram in Kerala, a tiny corner of Eastern Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh in the north – I liken it to visiting Canada and managing to see one province, and a smallish one at that.
I know that when I was planning this trip, India was the one country that got the almost universal response, ‘what would possess you to go there?’. And I do understand that perspective. I've had my moments of wishing I was anywhere but in India. The poverty, the dirt, the crowds, and the leering men have been at times overwhelming. But I think that’s what I love about India the most - it’s ability to elicit such strong and contradictory emotions in me. Temples that resemble amusement parks. Naan bread that comes in many magical variations, each more tasty than the last. Bollywood music and movies that are equal part glitz and cheese – a fantastic combination that has me hooked. The unspoilt beauty of the Himalayas. Bouncing through the desert perched on the top of my camel friend, Rama. It’s hard to resist, so I don’t even try.

But just when you think you’re doing alright, India can kick the snot right out of you. I think it’s fair to say Heather’s more than a bit tired. Just a mere couple hours back in Delhi, trying to navigate around the city with some friends and dodge continual attempts by locals to throw us into rickshaws/sell us useless crap, I was completely overstimulated and ready to scream. As I sat in the backseat of a cab to the airport last night, trying desperately to stay conscious, I knew I’d reached that ideal place where my reluctance at leaving was outweighed by my eagerness to get on to my next destination.

So I’m having a very posh day at an expensive hotel in the Bangkok airport. I paid a stupid amount of money for a buffet breakfast. I spend the morning having a facial and foot massage, as seven weeks of dust and grime took a bit of effort to dislodge, but I do finally feel clean. I think I slept through most of the 2 hours of pampering and awoke during a spontaneous Thai massage manipulation that had the tiny masseuse whipping me around like a broken rag doll. Tomorrow I leave for Laos where I’m meeting a friend for 2 weeks of relaxation. I know that’s obnoxious for me to say, as I enter my fourth month of travel, but after India, I need it, kids.

An Indian friend of mine told me that people don’t say goodbye in India, but rather ‘see you later’, in the hopes that no farewell is ever final. So ‘hasta luego’ India, no worries, I will be back.