The Darjeeling Limited and my 1998

The other night I watched The Darjeeling Limited and I really enjoyed it, particularly because… I DID THAT! I traveled across India by train! Way back in 1998 when I was a teen. I was so young! That film made me feel so nostalgic. Or natsukashi! as they would say in Japan. I didn't have the beautiful luggage or the first class cabin, more sleep-on-your-shoes-so-they-don't-get-stolen type travel in economy class with a chicken under the seat, but the film really evoked something of my trip.

So when I went to my father's house at the weekend I had to pick up my India photos and take a look. I seem to remember that these were taken with a disposable film camera. So low tech, I remember no one had email back then so I would have to actually telephone my parents each week to let them know I was ok across a crackly echoy line. Times have changed! I would be blogging my trip if I was doing it now.

We traveled the length of India from the South to the North in the hottest time of the year just traveling ahead of the monsoon. I seem to remember it was Mumbai to Goa to Mumbai to Varanasi to Agra to Jaipur to Dehli and probably some other places in between. There were not many other tourists as it was such a crazy hot dry time of year to be traveling. Here is a little selection of my photos from back then, 10 years ago:

The River Ganges. This was the view across from the City of Varanasi. Varanasi was my favourite place in India. At night the pilgrims would light candles and float them down the river on leaves. Magical.

Me and the Taj Mahal :) Backpacker clothing! You can see a square bulge around my waist of the money belt. You had to be quite covered up to be respectful of religious places. The Taj Mahal is even more spectacular in person than in photos or film.

Ah yes this is the infamous Anjuna beach. We didn't spend much time here as we liked another place in Goa better. I can't remember the name of it now.

Me! Cold Pepsi under a palm tree. Mmm.

My friends that I traveled with. We were all so young :) I remember Dominic of that Dominic Shack behind them. We would get fresh grilled fish for lunch from him and eat it while looking out to sea.

I am not quite sure where this is? Maybe Agra or Jaipur. I have loads of pictures of the wonderful architecture of Northern India.

India is such an interesting place. Thinking about what I learned from that trip foremost would have to be not taking money, health, water, food, or a mild climate for granted.

I am going to go through all my other traveling photos soon and put them properly in albums. I had a little look earlier and found one of me in Israel aged about 7? Visiting all these places has been such a privilege.

I can't believe it was 10 years ago! What were you doing 10 years ago?