"A passage to India" a India Travel Page by MichaelFalk1969

As I write these lines down, I have just finished one of the best and most memorable journeys in my life. I went to South India from the 28th of December 2008 to the 20th of February 2009 and had the the chance to visit the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. I always had in mind to go to India sometime since I read the "Jungle Books" decades ago, but had only a vague conception on what it would be like then. As I found out, the slogan "Incredible India" is perfectly justified. There is probably not one country in the world that has as many surprises in store for an open-minded visitor like India. South India has amazing natural sceneries, historical and colonial heritage, buzzing temples, and some of the friendliest people in the world.

My account is based on the travel diary I kept, which turned out to be the most useful posession in my backpack. It is almost impossible to memorize all that happens, the interesting things you see, the people you meet, the memories that accumulate, if you donīt keep track on a day to day basis. You can find my South India story in the eight travelogues I have dedicated to the journey. I left them more or less unchanged since my return in order to give an authentic (even if sometimes superficial) picture.

I have long considered which picture to use as an intro pic, but this orange seller from the Mysore fruit market has won the competition. It captures best the beauty, colour and grace that so many scenes from everyday-life here posess. Of course, not all is well here: there is pollution, too much traffic, poverty, as we all know from the media, but believe me, this sure is not the whole picture. There is much, much more to India than that. If you are inclined to find out, please read my diary, which starts here: ...

"Namaste !!!

Though I have yet to set foot on Indian soil, I have decided to create a travelblog that shall serve as my travel diary when I`m in South India, from 28th of December 2008 to February 2009. The main preparations are finished, I`ve got the backpack, read the guide books, finished my packing list, got the rabies shots, worked out my itinerary, found some nice homestays for the first leg of my journey, even booked some trains on the internet in advance. Above all, I`ve got no specific expectations on how this trip will be like and I am open to surprises.

18th December
Only two working days left till the holiday starts. Today I got a complimentary fortune cookie for lunch, and the message on the hidden paperslip was: "You like travelling and contacts". A very good omen for my journey ! I am a firm believer in the wisdom of fortune cookies.

19th December
Last day at work before my India journey. Leaving my office at about 8 p.m., it was quite a strange feeling to know I will not return here for the next two months. Felt a bit like retirement, if only temporary.

Also, I reserved the last accomodation I needed for my trip and there`s nothing more to prepare than packing my backpack. That`s a good thing, because I noticed I already memorized whole passages from the Lonely Planet Guide Book. Time to get started.

20th December 2008
Need a haircut and decided that I will get one in India. Probably much cheaper than in Germany, he can't do worse than the last one, and my wife promised she will still love me regardless of the result.