Photo Journal : India | Part I

India for me, is like a tough hike up a steep mountain, I don't realise how wonderful it all really is until I've reached the very top and look down on what I've just climbed. India is an adventure. It takes it out of you, it peels off your layers, it makes you cold, and then it burns you. It's a strange feeling that is hard to understand until you've been there and experienced it. It is such an intense journey, a beautiful one, one that leaves you wanting more. Always.

Your senses are at times attacked, in the best of ways. The colours, the smells, the noise, the crowd, the kindness, the pollution, the poverty, the beauty. It's a sensory rollercoaster.

It is very hard to translate via pictures, I wish I could add textures, noise, smells and the power of it all in every single photograph but that is unfortunately impossible, as of yet.

I am going backwards on my journey, leaving Australia I actually flew to Bali for 10 days with some girlfriends, and then I flew off to India to meet my mama who had been waiting for me on the East coast for a couple of days. I have given up on giving you a chronological order of what happened, so it's a bit all over the place but that's exactly how this month of adventure was.

volontariat children pondicherry

One of the goals of this trip was to go and visit the Volontariat in Pondicherry which is an organisation my mum has been following for years, she has been sponsoring a child there for the past 10 years. We got the chance to go around the place, saying hello to all those sweet faces who are learning and playing in a beautiful environment. I was in awe of all the things the Volontariat has achieved and how many people they are helping on a daily basis. You can read more about them over here - they are definitely worth a visit if you're ever in Pondicherry.

Pondicherry was one of my favourite, the 'old French town' is particularly beautiful with colonial houses, beautiful little streets with so many colours you don't know where to look at.

indian traffic pondicherry
palm tree india
stray dogs india

Had to toughen up and control myself not to come back with suitcases full of puppies. They are EVERYWHERE.

Kumily Shops Kerala India

We met on the East Coast near Pondicherry, and then made our way across land towards Kerala. Our first stop in Kerala was just over the border, up high in the middle of the tea plantations, in a little village called Kumily (known for its natural Tiger reserve called Periyar) We'd been there before, 7 years ago, it's one of my favourite places because it's much cooler than down on sea level, it's beautiful, 'cleaner' and the people are especially lovely.

train india
train india

This time around we travelled a LOT by train (and buses) which in itself is a whole novel. If you've ever been on an Indian train, you know what I'm talking about! Often very long hours (this one in particular was relatively 'short' a mere 7 hours) with a lot of stops, the trains are crowded, it's loud, it's hot and stuffy.. but everyone is so calm and relaxed. When you're *this* close to lose it, you look over on your left and there sits a little girl, no more than 6, who's been sitting quietly for the past 5 hours on her mama's lap. It put things into perspective, that's for sure.

samosa seller train india
rice fields india

Travelling by train means you get to go through the most beautiful scenery. Rice fields, palm trees, cows and little villages.

indian boy volontariat pondicherry
indian light
indian goats on the street pondicherry

Cows are often the source of many traffic jams, so are goats. 

palm trees from train india
children volontariat india

I have many more photos, despite the fact that I left Australia without my charger. My trusty camera lasted an entire month - I did shoot like it was film, one photo at a time, I had to control my paparazzi habits, but it worked! I will come back with more...