Lost Luggage and Stray Dogs: Our Indian Adventure Part 1
As I sit here, reminiscing about our wild journey through India, it feels like just yesterday that Faye and I embarked on this whirlwind adventure. A year has zipped by, but the memories are as vivid as ever, each moment carrying its own weight of hilarity and chaos.
Our adventure began with a flight that was long, but relatively plain sailing. With a stopover in Doha, we thought we had everything under control. But as we landed in Delhi, exhaustion setting in after a sleepless night, fate decided to throw us a curveball. Walking towards baggage claim, my intuition was firing off, and Faye could feel it. I knew our bags wouldn’t be there, and without me even saying anything, Faye knew what I was thinking. And guess what... they weren't. Our luggage had been left behind in Doha, cue the beginning of our Indian escapade.
Attempting to navigate the labyrinth of airport bureaucracy, we found ourselves in a comedy of errors. The airport staff, armed with vague promises and random phone numbers, led us on a wild goose chase that left us more confused than ever. With only 24 hours in Delhi and no clothes to our name, panic started to set in. Faye in her black bottoms, me in my trusty tracksuit, and the Indian heat bearing down on us - fuses were getting shorter.
Upon arrival at our hotel with our hand luggage, we asked them to arrange a cab to take us for clothes. Faye had it in her mind we would hit some beautiful shops, to buy traditional silks and start living the Indian experience, but instead, assumptions were made about us and we were taken to a mall full of designer shops. Basically England again. We grabbed some items and some sun cream, but our mood was getting lower by the hour. After some horrible negotiations getting a cab back to our hotel, we just wanted to resume the mission of locating our luggage, as we were flying to Varanasi the very next morning.
I chuckle now at the momory of Faye wearing a crystal bracelet and amidst the chaos, fueled by fatigue and frustration, slammed her hands onto the bed. As she stood back up, arms flung in expressive annoyance, the bracelet snaps, launching crystals everywhere. Little did I know as I dodged the shrapnel, this comical mishap would be just one of the many anecdotes we would collect during our time in India.
Desperate for a distraction, we ventured out for a stroll, so heading in the direction of some banging tunes, we find ourselves face-to-face with a pack of stray dogs. Adrenaline pumping, we tried to maintain our composure and as much as we were nervous, I knew running would be the worst move. So we stood our ground and left respectfully.
“Leave it to us to find ourselves in the midst of chaos, under the light of a full moon, with stray dogs for company. Classic.”
Returning to the hotel, frazzled and exhausted, we were greeted by a beautiful moth perched on Faye's shoulder, a sign that perhaps things would start looking up. However, the next morning brought more frustration as our bags remained elusive, and the prospect of celebrating Holi Festival without our belongings loomed large.
Enter Faye and her magical wisdom (she’s literally magick but more of that later), disappearing into a meditation session while I continued to battle with the luggage situation. And just when it seemed like all hope was lost, she emerged with a revelation: we didn't need our bags. We had each other, we had our health, and we had the resilience to face whatever challenges came our way. With a newfound sense of gratitude and determination, we set off to make the most of our Indian adventure.
And make the most of it we did. The bags turned up at the airport, so with a hastily packed bag of hand-luggage, this time with some emergency clothes just in case, and a newfound sense of freedom, we boarded our flight to Varanasi, ready to embrace whatever madness lay ahead. Little did we know, our dream holiday was about to take a turn for the extraordinary, as we delved deep into the heart of India's spiritual and cultural wonders.
Lost luggage, stray dogs, airport chaos, flying crystals and Full Moon madness - our Indian adventure may not have started off as planned, but it was certainly one for the books. And as we reflect on our journey a year on, we can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. In a nutshell, as you'll come to understand in the next chapters of this blog, this is India in a nutshell. Wonderfully absurd, chaotic, beautiful, wild and incredible in every way.
Grateful for the memories that will last a lifetime.
