(Part 2)

A month already had passed travelling a totally new world for me.

India considered as the home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization is a region of historic trade routes and vast empires. It is a journey in history when traveling the country. The cultural wealth is present everywhere. To appreciate every piece of it will take probably more than this life time.

In the state of Gujarat I visited 3 more cities: Anand, Vadovara and further south Surat. In Anand I visited friends. I had the opportunity to get close to daily life as I stayed with the family. It made the journey more personal while enjoying great meals and sharing interesting discussions. So I learned more about that city known as the Milk Capital of India. It became famous for Amul dairy and its milk revolution. We did a daily excursion to Vadodara where we visited the Lakshmi Vilas Palace that was once the residence of the Maharaja of Baroda and the royal family. The Palace compound is impressive and has been built according to the Indo-Saracenic school, an architectural style movement introduced by British architects in the late 19th century in British India, while next to it there is a museum where a huge collection of artifacts and works of art are being displayed. After one more night spent in Anand I took the train to travel to Surat where a friend was waiting for me. The journey way comfortable, though I was moving around with my luggage. It is said the city was first mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahābhārata, when Lord Krishna stopped there on his way from Mathura to Dwarka. It is a fast expanding city that has been declared in 2013 the first smart IT city in India. It was an overnight stay just to visit my friend. The next day I was on my way to Mumbai, the renowned Bollywood capital and the most populous city in the country. Indeed, this was very apparent while driving through the city: Traffic jam and crowded roads. It is a highly financial, commercial and entertainment capital of the country. I had chosen a hotel not far from the coast, so I was able to enjoy a walk by the sea, view the Gateway of India and the surrounding.

The day had finally arrived. (Part I)

"I must be on time at the airport", I thought, looking at the luggage in the living room. "What will I need more?" "Do I need this jacket too?" Again checking "My ticket, my passport!" Everything was ready. Flight departure, Qatar Airways 18:45, Business class.

I was about to enter a journey that would last 40 days, visiting several places in two different countries, India and Pakistan. Thinking of the weather change depending of the area I was packing the suitcase.

I was excited. I had been dreaming of that moment for months now. The sun shone brilliantly that day. It seemed to be even more than usual. I checked-in at the Elefterios Venizelos Airport of Athens. While walking in the international zone of the airport, my mind was already far away. I am used to travel solo. I had planned to take the opportunity to meet with friends and to visit places of interest. I was ready to take the plunge. I looked at the time, "Yes, boarding time is approaching!" My heart was pounding heavily. I went to the departure gate for boarding. I was really in high spirits while getting on board. I took my seat, enjoyed a welcome beverage and then not too long after the airplane took off.

I was leaving behind sad memories, hardships, years of stress at work. It was Thursday. Tomorrow I would be far away from everything. Due to time difference and to geographical distance I would be getting enough fresh space of my own. My new life was finally getting started. I was on a thrilling adventure. This was a defining moment in my life. "Awesome. I feel so blessed." I said to myself.

The airplane followed first the path over Alexandria, Cairo, and Riyadh to reach its final destination, Doha. Even at night, the view over the light-filled Doha was impressive. I felt inner joy to be on this journey. I wandered in the airport waiting for flight connection to Delhi. In a huge lounge, I went to get a coffee. There were many people around, all waiting for their connecting flight. Many were busy with their laptop or Smartphone. Some were quite chatty, while others were relaxing. At 00:35, the flight to Delhi was announced.

Upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, I was picked up for domestic transfer. I was overwhelmed and I do not think, I noticed anything at first. While waiting for my domestic flight, I felt the tension increasing. Finally, I was there where I wanted to be. At the time, though I was feeling sleepy and could no longer wait to arrive at my final destination, the Ahmedabad Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

At 14:00 local time, arrival at destination. "At last, here I am!"

Ahmedabad, located on the banks of the River Sabarmati in the northern part of Gujarat and the western part of India, is a very large metropolitan area as well as an important economic and industrial centre. From the airport to the hotel, my eyes were not big enough to register all the information. There was so much movement around. The streets were crowded with not only cars, auto rickshaw, taxis, bicycles, motorbikes, pedestrians but also cows were sitting quietly by the road. Not many people would recommend driving in the city. My first experience driving on the opposite side of the road was confusing. Driving on the left reminds of the British colonial time. However, beside the car being on the left side, everybody else was driving in all possible directions. In short, I best describe this situation as pulsing city. I was happy to have booked a driver to get me to my hotel. For the duration of my stay in the city, I fortunately had planned a pickup through the hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I was quite relieved. The hotel was nice, the staff courteous and I was able to let go of the stress and ready to change my mood. First, I needed rest.

Next morning I went downstairs for breakfast. The colorful choice of Indian spicy dishes, each bite was a guessing game and a temptation. I had a Chai masala concluding the tasty meal. I returned to my room. I was taking my time. I had a look at the local newspaper.

The state of Gujarat, known for its Navrati Festival, celebrates the nine-day fast festival in the honor of Goddess Durga, the goddess of power and strength, at the beginning of October. I had chosen as arrival date the time for the Navrati celebrations as I wished to experience such a fantastic atmosphere with nightlong dance and traditional music. 'Garba' is a devotional dance form that derives from the folklore of Lord Krishna singing and dancing with the gopis using 'dandiya' or slim wooden sticks. I had read about it before arriving and wanted to see such a festival. My driver picked me up and I went to the festival. Impressive location, huge decorated area with people everywhere. Obviously, people met to enjoy the hot night outdoors. I walked through rows of eating stands and reached a huge open space with the Goddess in the centre, seats all around and people reaching in time for the beginning of 'Garba'. It was my first experience hearing the garba music. The moment became even more intense when the elaborately dressed people in light clothing and bold colors walked to the open space to dance together celebrating the occasion. It was like magic. The wonderful traditional clothing, the music, the atmosphere and it went on for all night.

After a long night in the heat of the garba dancing, I returned to the hotel. I had planned the next day to visit the city. I was really in a good mood. The garba music is really a mood-lifter.

After breakfast, driver and guide came to pick me up. We started the day with a visit to the memorable Gandhi Ashram. Mahatma Gandhi established this Ashram on a quiet stretch of the Sabarmati River in 1917. During his lifetime, named then the Satyagraha Ashram, it was the center of India's freedom movement. The location is peace inspiring. There we can see where and how he lived. Attenborough’s film 'Gandhi' projected Gandhiji in his official residence that was this Ashram.  The simple cottage called Hridaya Kunj' is preserved as a National Monument. On the compound, I visited also the Gandhi Memorial Center and the Library about Mahatma's life and work. The guide provided historical facts in details and I really enjoyed the quality of his explanations. I learned about the Sabarmati River and the riverfront project in progress. The view is amazing. People enjoy the promenade and the relaxing surroundings.

From there we went to the heart of the city. After reaching by car to the closest parking possibility, we continued the sightseeing on foot. Sultan Ahmed Shah built Ahmedabad and made it a capital in 1411 A .D. Upon return from one of his campaigns, the young Sultan Ahmed Shah impressed with the scenic surroundings and climate of the formerly known town of Ashawal undertook the building of his new capital with a fort and twelve gates. Ahmedabad was this new capital. From this historical background, only the ramparts of the 600-year-old Bhadra fort as well as only one of the twelve gates withstood the ravages of time and the passage of man. Islamic aspects have contributed impressively to the architecture in India. The stone tracery on the windows of the Siddi Sayed Mosque (1571) reflects this kind of fusion architecture. It was a day full of history. We also visited the famous Shaking Minarets of the Sidi Bashir’s Mosque. I thought in that moment, this type of "shaking" element is an example of anti-seismic architecture, though I am not an expert in that field. When one minaret moves, the other resonates in harmony while the interconnecting terrace stands still. "Amazing phenomena!" I said to my guide. The Taipei World Financial Center came across my mind. For all tallest skyscraper worldwide, a new technology had to be developed. Flexibility prevents structural damage. The Shaking Minarets were already making use of this concept. We then moved to the Hathee Singh Jain temple (1848) with a distinctly different style of architecture. A then wealthy citizen started the construction but his wife Shethani Harkunvar could only complete it after he passed away and dedicated it to Dharmanatha, the fifteenth Jain Tirthankar. A completely new experience when I think of the European architecture and history. I have also traveled to Korea and Egypt. Moreover, I can only say how great this is to view the world from a new perspective.

How can I describe something so intangible? Those trips carry above all cultural and spiritual wealth. (to be continued)