where have i been?

the last month and a half of travel through india has been an incredible experience. i feel like i took a tumble through the looking-glass the night i arrived--and though it's just as disorienting and perplexing as ever, i think i've finally stopped looking for my way out. i'm better adjusted to the ropes here (and boy, did i need to learn them)...but india has a way of tossing surprises in your face just after you start to feel settled. just when you think you've got a grip on things your ego gets a hard kick in the backside. it's mother india's way of humbling you.

this country is mad. at first, it's bizarre. it seems contradictory....it balances between extremes. it's a sensory assault. it's serenity. it's heartbreaking. it's heartwarming. and what i call "heart-making". it tears you down then teaches you a different way of looking at things. it pushes you to new limits and just when you think you've had enough, it "gives you some sugar" as my travel buddy amy put it. it's rough on your body and your mind; it nourishes your soul. it jostles and shakes you from the outside-in, and then the other way around. it's rich in ancient spiritual and religious tradition that permeates even modern indian culture. india is heart-healing.

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and since the last post i've traveled through much of south india. from hill stations of munnar to kodaivattakanal; i spent much of my time in the southern state of tamil nadu, including a short stay in kanyikumari, the southernmost tip of mainland india. there, you can sit on a rock and watch the confusion of the waves at the only place in the world where three oceans meet. the waters from the bay of bengal, the arabian sea, and the indian ocean come from all directions and swirl into each other, creating a distinct color and pattern in the sea. because of it's location, there's a time of year when you can see simultaneous sunset and moonrise in kanyikumari, but i missed it by a month! i relaxed on the sleepy canals of the backwaters in kerala, then headed 2,000 km north to the capital of delhi. i'm now in north india; a much more aggressive place, or so i hear from the travelers i meet. so that's the geographical update of my journey thus far. stories, incidents, and my random ruminations to come!