Hi everyone,
Our first trip to India was full of highlights but I've managed to choose 3 to share.
Firstly, we can't go past visiting the Taj Mahal. We were slightly sceptical about just how special it would be as there are many, many beautiful old buildings to visit. However I'm so glad we went because it is truly magnificent. Not only the scale of it, the beauty and the story behind it but also the feeling you sense when there.
Secondly, the food! I don't think I can even name a specific food...oh wait, yes I can, idli. A rice and lentil mixture that is ground into a paste, fermented overnight in flattened balls and then steamed ready for breakfast served with coriander or mint dipping sauce, coconut sauce and spicy sambal. Or if you want to put my twist on it, dipped in honey! Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of them but check out the photo on this recipe website to see what I mean. Even hubby ate vegetarian for the whole two weeks and said he didn't miss having meat at all because the flavours were so good.
And thirdly, we stumbled across what is now my favourite bookshop ever. A photo speaks a thousand words...literally!
So would I go back to India? Yes.
And did I come away with any shifts of perspective? Well maybe more of a reinforcement of something I easily forget. It was brought home to me on seeing a family of four on a scooter - Dad driving, toddler number one behind him, toddler number two behind him and mum bringing up the rear. This was not an unusual sight in itself until I spotted toddler number two happily having a nap amidst the truly chaotic and very noisy, horn happy traffic of Delhi.
My takeaway? We can't rely on our external environment or on other people for our sense of inner peace. Yes it makes it easier to feel peaceful when we're in a beautiful natural setting but ultimately we need to be able to create/recreate that feeling of peace whilst amongst the chaos. Otherwise we will forever be at the mercy of our external circumstances.
Happy inner peacing,
Carla :)
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