India has been a big part of my life. Ever since I was a child, and my first visit when I was a year and a half old, I have felt that India was like a mother to me. The housekeeper where I stayed cooked and cleaned and took care of me, even doing my hair everyday, which she oiled with coconut. I lived by the beach in Goa on the West coast of India, and we would go there for breakfast of fresh sweet coconut water, freshly made peanut butter, papaya and bananas. I wore little ankle chains with bells like the Indian ladies so that I would be heard as I walked around, to scare away the snakes. There were many insects and interesting animals and beautiful birds, it was a paradise.
Later on I travelled to the Taj Mahal, and was chased around by people trying to take photos of me as I was dressed in Indian clothing. I saw the beauty of India but also the sadness, there were many poor children and people dying of diseases on the street. At Rishikesh on the holy river Ganges I saw people throwing the ashes of the dead on the river, and praying for their good journey in the after life. Everywhere there was colour and lots of movement. People always on the move, and the smells were so strong; mountains of spices, tumeric, cinnamon, garam marsala , fresh Indian Chai (tea) being poured into glasses, beautiful Jasmine and Franjipani flowers. To be continued……
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