Our arrival in India was not an easy one. Even for us veteran travellers, the first few days within the borders of the subcontinent constituted a challenge; and we dived directly into all of it, as we chose the overwhelming city of Varanasi, one of Hinduism’s holy cities, as our first destination. More than in any other country we have visited so far — and I daresay it will not get any bigger than India — the roads were crowded with people and animals, the scents ranged from the heavenly spices of a hot chai to the disgusting excrements of animals, the streets were flooded with waste and vendors permanently insisted in selling us their goods. The intensity of all those impressions and, especially, the poverty of the many, many people in the streets made me feel quite uncomfortable at the beginning. How would I cope with all this for almost two months?

But soon, I also realised what defines India as a wonderful country to travel in: the colourfulness of everyone’s clothes, the religious diversity, the sometimes almost tangible spirituality, the zest for life of many an Indian and, of course, their delicious food. A stroll along the Ganges river opened my eyes to the beauty of the country, and made me curious to discover more of it. Even though travelling through India may not reveal itself an easy task, and while I will certainly never get used to some of the realities you encounter on the streets, I know now that we will be rewarded.

Have a look at the pictures and soak in a bit of Varanasi’s atmosphere — and you will, hopefully, understand what I meant.