26.06.2018 - 10.07.2018 the first two weeks in India - Kolkata, Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar, Koraput

The last two weeks were intense. India is overwhelming for all senses and quite exhausting. On our last trip five years ago, we spent two months in India and yes, it was also tiring back then, but we seemed to handle it better. Now, after a few days, it was clear to us that we didn't want to endure it for another two months (as originally planned), the heat combined with 85% humidity, the crowds of people who mostly stare at us without any expression or smile, the constant honking noise on the streets, the strong smell of garbage and various waste, the confrontation with gender roles that seem strange to us, the stuffy and dirty rooms, the uncomfortable beds... all of this has been very nerve-racking for us in the past two weeks. Yesterday, after much deliberation, we decided to change our original travel route and fly to Malaysia in two weeks, after two more stops in India that we still want to see. This decision brings relief. That's our current mood ;)

Our time in India started in Kolkata, the third largest city in India with 15 million inhabitants, we had already heard how chaotic the city is, and yes, it was not an exaggeration. A tangle of different vehicles and a multitude of people characterize the whole city, not to mention the accompanying noise level. In addition to a few sightseeing spots, such as a huge monument for Queen Victoria, a 200-year-old cemetery, and various markets, booking the next train ticket was on the agenda, which is almost unbeatable in terms of bureaucracy in India. In addition to all this, we enjoyed Indian delicacies and during a visit to a social psychiatric organization that Lea had contacted, we gained insight into India's social system, which was very interesting.

Our next stop was Puri, a 'small' town on the east coast, which will turn into a spectacle of a religious festival in a few days, where the population will increase from 200,000 to 2 million for a week. We would be glad to narrowly miss that. In addition to a famous temple that we, as non-Hindus, were not allowed to visit, there is a long beach that is not inviting to stay due to its pollution. So we took a day trip to Konark to see the famous Sun Temple and spent some time at the train station again to organize our onward journey. But before we covered a long distance, the next day we first went to Bhubaneswar, 60 km away, where after more than 15 hotels and an hour of searching, we finally found a room, but it was really disgusting and expensive. Out of duty and relieved to be out of the room, we also visited some old temples and caves here, where we had to repeatedly explain to Indian tourists that we are not the tourist attraction to have photos taken with, even if they stop their cars at the roadside for that purpose.

After a relatively comfortable night on the night train, which also means a bed in India, even in the second class, we arrived at 800m in Koraput. Unfortunately, the desired idyll of the small town did not materialize. Indian chaos spares nothing, but at least we found some coolness here, which was really necessary, so we spent two days here without really doing anything. Also nice for a change.