(Part 2)
A month already had passed travelling a totally new world for me.
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.