Paula Broome
‘wanderlust’ photo series
5. India, Asia
The children of India were everywhere. I’ve never seen so many. They
eyed me with caution and wonderment and, when a hand extended
towards me, it was usually to touch rather than to ask for money.
India is one of the most exhilarating places I have ever been, and, along
with China, the place where I’ve had the biggest culture shock. I was
there for six weeks but never once lost my amazement. It was chaotic, it
was dirty; it didn’t function at all efficiently. But it was magnificent. The
smells of the street vendors and markets intertwined with the pollution
from the hugely overpopulated roads. I felt heady with excitement and
fatigue. The poverty was striking but, unlike Cambodia, people didn’t
seem despondent about it. The slums had an air of calm and most
people had a ready smile.
We travelled by train, which was long, unpredictable and wonderful.
Windows became doors and roofs became seats. We took a tuk tuk to
an abandoned temple that we had read about, keen for a rest for all the
senses. As the wind whipped my hair across my face, I appreciated the
relative quietness.
As we parked up, we joined the few other tourists that clearly read the
same travel blogs as us. This was quiet for India and we relished the
tranquillity. Even though it had been disused for decades, the calmness
of the temple was still there and monkeys now owned the ruins. We
were miles away from Jaipur, deep into the countryside.
Then a flash of orange caught my eye – I looked over to where a small
group of children were gathered, on the roof of