I had many preconceived ideas of what India would be like; the colour, the chaos, the spirituality. It lived up to these stereotypes but was also so much more. In 6 months we only saw 3 states but they were all completely different and awe inspiring in their own way. From Himachal Pradesh (the ‘snow lands’ in Sanskrit) where the Himalayas sheltered sacred Buddhist communities; to the arid lands of Rajasthan, where every 100km or less we encountered a new tribe, a new way of being in the world; in Maharashtra we cycled along the coast, through Muslim fishing villages, Hindu pilgrimage sites and Catholic seaside towns, before finding ourselves in Goa, the former-Portuguese colony, now under occupation by western tourists. We only touched a fraction of this country and I have never wanted to go back somewhere so much.

Blog posts from India:

The Earth’s Road – An account of cycling in the Himalayas along the old Tibet Highway.

Into the Melee – Taking the train during Diwalhi and visiting Ajmer.

Life on the Edge – Meeting the residents of Pushkar.

Thar Tales – Experiences of cycling in the Thar Desert.

Be more Bishnoi – Getting to know the environmentally minded Bishnoi tribe in Rajasthan.

Under the Veil – Attending a Hindu wedding.

One Hour – How we ended up on a fennel farm between Mount Abu and Udaipur.

The Chronicles of  Nandia – Tales from our time exploring tribal areas of Rajasthan.

Leopard is Here – Wildlife spotting.

A Different Perspective – The power of vulnerability.