"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."
- Gustave Flaubert
It's another year, and time again for me to take to the skies and find myself in a land far, far away. I'm bound for India - the land of spice and intrigue, of gurus, gods and Ghandi. Also of castes, call centers and holy cows. Alliteration aside, this place to which I am about to venture is, I imagine without having stepped foot in the country just yet, overwhelming. Anecdotes and research tell me so, and that is exactly why I am so eager to get there. As my favorite SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll wrote: "India will find you." I'm due for my annual sensory overload, cultural immersion, artistic outlet. I leave in a mere two days.
My journey will take me to Southern India - alas, no Taj Mahal, Himalaya or the River Ganges for me this go around (saving a Northern India trip for another time when I can also get to Nepal), but rather, a whirlwind two weeks covering more than half a dozen cities and villages starting in Chennai and ending in Mumbai. From there, a week to the southern state of Kerala for some R&R on the famed Backwaters, where kayaking, yoga, massages and naps will fill my days (or so I say now... we'll see what reality brings). The first bit I'll be traveling with my "photo family" - a group of amazing and talented photographers with whom I've had the privilege to see distant parts of the world over the past five years. The Kerala extension will be a getaway with three dear friends from that group. I expect to eat a lot of wonderful meals, take hundreds upon hundreds of photos, be inspired daily, and even have my heart broken with the things I will see. It will be an adventure for certain. I'll document it here, so I hope you'll come along for the ride!
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