To those who have come back

indiapeat · Sep 25th, 2003, 01:06

BIG PROBLEM!!!

I went to India in 1997/98 for 4 months and this was THE trip of my life. Everything was so exciting, new, great, wonderful,... everyone was so friendly, interested, interesting, strange,...
I just loved it! And I want to go back, but I am afraid it will not be as delightful as it was. Whenever I think of India, whenever I see Indians, whenever I eat Indian I have a wonderful feeling all over body and mind. Will this be gone after my second trip? Will it grow? Or remain unchanged?

What are Your experiences? Should I go back or stay with my private India in my mind?

Thanx and Happy Travelling!!!

Peat

Tomi · Sep 25th, 2003, 01:50

What an interesting question!

It partly depends on you, of course. How have you reacted to going back to other places before?

I have sometimes experienced this second-time-wasn't-as-good feeling before, but I didn't at all with India. I don't profess to know why, as I haven't thought about this issue before (I will now that you planted it in my head!), but here are a couple reasons why an India repeat would not be disappointing:

India is a big place, so if you go to other places you'll have different experiences. And India is about interaction; it is a difficult, involved travel experience, not just passive intake. So going to India is like going to work, or like writing, or like interacting with your spouse or friend, a complex process that should not involve much repetition.

If you are a big time romantic and your first trip was perfect, there is always the chance of having a bad experience with touts, with bad hotels, etc. which, if you are too sensitive (as romantics often are) could devastate you. You will then hate India and travel and yourself and the world and everything there is. But romantics are also protected by their own imagination, so I think this is a small danger compared to the likely thrill.

This isn't much help, is it?

rab · Sep 25th, 2003, 02:36

Tomi is right ... just go to places you never went to last time. Are you going alone or with someone else - same or different to last time???

I went in 1997 by myself and loved it for what I saw where I went and the travel experience alone.

In 2001 I went with my wife and it was even better than the first time which I would never have imagined - the same India, friendly, interesting, aromatic etc etc but to share it with Angela was ace.

Go for it! It gets better!!!

paan wallah · Sep 25th, 2003, 02:59

every time will be different..

first time memories of india? Oh I really love them!!

it s a bit like remembering having sex the first time,you never forget

as rab said go for it!!!

indiamike · Sep 25th, 2003, 03:24

I will sum it up like this.

I had sex with this girl once and it really rocked my world. The best I ever had.

I knew the next time we made love it wouldn't be like that and I thought about not going with her again because I knew there was no way it was going to be that good again. I did, and it wasn't as good, but it was still sex and I wasn't disappointed.

And I guess that's the answer....it was still sex.

Of course by the third time her husband found out and .......well I think your starting to see the point I am making here.

steveribs · Sep 25th, 2003, 04:55

I read this book by Paul Theroux who's been to India many times. It was called My Secret History and maybe it was true and maybe it wasn't but basically at one time he had a wife in England and another woman in the states who was also acting as his wife. He took the lover all round India and then went back with his wife and did exactly the same trip meeting exactly the same people. Needless to say, his wife found out and was not particularly thrilled. But apparently he enjoyed the second trip much more than the first. I've no idea what this means but I hope it helps. I could do with some help.

IainC · Sep 25th, 2003, 05:14

Stop fucking around and get a ticket to Delhi as soon as you can. You know you want too......................
IainC.

bijapuri · Sep 25th, 2003, 12:06

you're one of us, admit it and get on the next kerosene bucket!

BiJ

Dakota · Sep 25th, 2003, 12:48

It won't be like the first time, but then again it never is. Don't expect anything (too much). Be open and you will have an amazing time.
NO problem at all. If you want to go. Better to go than to regret it latter for not going.
Happy travels!

steveribs · Sep 25th, 2003, 17:30

Yeah just get back there ASAP, otherwise you'll end up addicted to Internet chatrooms about India just to remind you. Not that I have that problem. Oh no, not me.

LonelyWoolf · Sep 25th, 2003, 17:45

I just came back from india.....and it's always the same...if you wasn't there for a long time u miss india more and more...and if u r there u love it, sometimes u hate it, then u love it again!

and in your memories, when u r back home, loving and missing is growing and growing again....and u have to go there again, noway to resist!

thats my india relation for 28 years now.. (realizing that time passing by

)

LaContessa · Sep 25th, 2003, 21:53

The first time was odd, strange, scary, brilliant. After 3 months I loved the place.

But the second time was like going home. It was familiar so I felt settled almost instantly, instead of having to acclimatize for weeks.

I hated leaving that time, I was almost dragged screaming to the airport.

Get back there and if you don't like it.....well I'll eat my keyboard!

indiapeat · Jan 23rd, 2004, 18:05

Thanx to all of You - just booked my flight to Trivandrum in March!
Can't wait...
Anybody down south the second half of March?
Happy Travels!

Peat

rab · Jan 23rd, 2004, 19:09

... and don't you now feel better for it? You knew you wanted to go all along.

Have a great time Peat! Gute Reise! rab

Sep 25th, 2003, 01:06	#1
indiapeat Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bavaria Posts: 17	To those who have come back BIG PROBLEM!!! I went to India in 1997/98 for 4 months and this was THE trip of my life. Everything was so exciting, new, great, wonderful,... everyone was so friendly, interested, interesting, strange,... I just loved it! And I want to go back, but I am afraid it will not be as delightful as it was. Whenever I think of India, whenever I see Indians, whenever I eat Indian I have a wonderful feeling all over body and mind. Will this be gone after my second trip? Will it grow? Or remain unchanged? What are Your experiences? Should I go back or stay with my private India in my mind? Thanx and Happy Travelling!!! Peat

Sep 25th, 2003, 01:50	#2
Tomi Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Cambridge, MA, USA Posts: 448	to go or not to go... What an interesting question! It partly depends on you, of course. How have you reacted to going back to other places before? I have sometimes experienced this second-time-wasn't-as-good feeling before, but I didn't at all with India. I don't profess to know why, as I haven't thought about this issue before (I will now that you planted it in my head!), but here are a couple reasons why an India repeat would not be disappointing: India is a big place, so if you go to other places you'll have different experiences. And India is about interaction; it is a difficult, involved travel experience, not just passive intake. So going to India is like going to work, or like writing, or like interacting with your spouse or friend, a complex process that should not involve much repetition. If you are a big time romantic and your first trip was perfect, there is always the chance of having a bad experience with touts, with bad hotels, etc. which, if you are too sensitive (as romantics often are) could devastate you. You will then hate India and travel and yourself and the world and everything there is. But romantics are also protected by their own imagination, so I think this is a small danger compared to the likely thrill. This isn't much help, is it?

Sep 25th, 2003, 12:06	#8
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,598	you're one of us, admit it and get on the next kerosene bucket! BiJ __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

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Sep 25th, 2003, 02:36	#3
rab Honorary Mod Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: McLaren Vale, South Australia Posts: 1,216	Tomi is right ... just go to places you never went to last time. Are you going alone or with someone else - same or different to last time??? I went in 1997 by myself and loved it for what I saw where I went and the travel experience alone. In 2001 I went with my wife and it was even better than the first time which I would never have imagined - the same India, friendly, interesting, aromatic etc etc but to share it with Angela was ace. Go for it! It gets better!!!

Sep 25th, 2003, 02:59	#4
paan wallah kitchen guru Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: universe Posts: 344	every time will be different.. first time memories of india? Oh I really love them!! it s a bit like remembering having sex the first time,you never forget as rab said go for it!!!

Sep 25th, 2003, 03:24	#5
indiamike Retired Admin Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: New Joisey for now Posts: 1,759	I will sum it up like this. I had sex with this girl once and it really rocked my world. The best I ever had. I knew the next time we made love it wouldn't be like that and I thought about not going with her again because I knew there was no way it was going to be that good again. I did, and it wasn't as good, but it was still sex and I wasn't disappointed. And I guess that's the answer....it was still sex. Of course by the third time her husband found out and .......well I think your starting to see the point I am making here.

Sep 25th, 2003, 04:55	#6
steveribs Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 18	I read this book by Paul Theroux who's been to India many times. It was called My Secret History and maybe it was true and maybe it wasn't but basically at one time he had a wife in England and another woman in the states who was also acting as his wife. He took the lover all round India and then went back with his wife and did exactly the same trip meeting exactly the same people. Needless to say, his wife found out and was not particularly thrilled. But apparently he enjoyed the second trip much more than the first. I've no idea what this means but I hope it helps. I could do with some help.

Sep 25th, 2003, 05:14	#7
IainC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London Posts: 194	Stop fucking around and get a ticket to Delhi as soon as you can. You know you want too...................... IainC.

Sep 25th, 2003, 12:48	#9
Dakota Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 72	It won't be like the first time, but then again it never is. Don't expect anything (too much). Be open and you will have an amazing time. NO problem at all. If you want to go. Better to go than to regret it latter for not going. Happy travels!

Sep 25th, 2003, 17:30	#10
steveribs Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 18	Yeah just get back there ASAP, otherwise you'll end up addicted to Internet chatrooms about India just to remind you. Not that I have that problem. Oh no, not me.

Sep 25th, 2003, 17:45	#11
LonelyWoolf Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Austria Posts: 53	I just came back from india.....and it's always the same...if you wasn't there for a long time u miss india more and more...and if u r there u love it, sometimes u hate it, then u love it again! and in your memories, when u r back home, loving and missing is growing and growing again....and u have to go there again, noway to resist! thats my india relation for 28 years now.. (realizing that time passing by )

Sep 25th, 2003, 21:53	#12
LaContessa Diabla Supreme Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 122	The first time was odd, strange, scary, brilliant. After 3 months I loved the place. But the second time was like going home. It was familiar so I felt settled almost instantly, instead of having to acclimatize for weeks. I hated leaving that time, I was almost dragged screaming to the airport. Get back there and if you don't like it.....well I'll eat my keyboard!

Jan 23rd, 2004, 18:05	#13
indiapeat Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bavaria Posts: 17	Thanx to all of You - just booked my flight to Trivandrum in March! Can't wait... Anybody down south the second half of March? Happy Travels! Peat

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Jan 23rd, 2004, 19:09	#14
rab Honorary Mod Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: McLaren Vale, South Australia Posts: 1,216	... and don't you now feel better for it? You knew you wanted to go all along. Have a great time Peat! Gute Reise! rab