One of the few things I love about Facebook is when my fellow travelers finally get around to posting their photos. As you’ve surely noticed, I’m terrible at keeping you up-to-date on my travels, whether it’s here on my blog or on my Facebook wall. But I’m not alone. Of course there’s the hardcore blogger and the obsessive tweeter who’s always online, but I’d say the majority of long-term travelers I met on the road in 2009-10 were like me: no mobile phones, no iPads, etc. If we could find an internet cafe, we might spend an hour catching up on emails and updating our Facebook pages. But it’s a rare occasion that we have the time to upload photos. Most of our time is spent doing stuff.
So by the time any of my traveling friends get around to uploading photos, often times it’s months, even years later. Sometimes they’re photos I’ve already seen, sometimes not. In any case, they always bring back a flood of memories.
Gaurav, one of my Couchsurfing hosts in Mumbai, just uploaded this photo, and it really took me back.
It’s a simple photo, however, it represents a day filled with intense joy, yet distressing pain; a day that brought out my youthful side, yet scarred me with memories that left me a bit hardened; a day that showcased the beauty of humanity and faith, yet also revealed the harsh reality of humanity’s dark side.
This photo was taken in 2010 on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi, an annual Hindu festival. You probably can’t tell from the photo, but as I’m squeezed in between Guarav, Maja and Dev, my face is puffy from uncontrollable tears – tears of pure happiness over a spiritually uplifting experience, yet also of pure anger over a violation of my rights as a woman (not by the guys pictured here – these guys are awesome).
And coincidence or not, Gaurav uploaded the photo this week which happens to be when this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi takes place (it’s this Wednesday, September 19).
So I’m writing this now 1) to say “ganapati bappa morya!” (no, I don’t know what it means) and 2) to invite you to read about my experiences at Ganesh Chaturthi, which I wrote back in 2010.
| ••• The Bad and The Downright Ugly ••• |
Wow! I just read both posts. That’s horrifying! I think I would have had a nervous breakdown. Good for you for not letting the bastards get you (too) down.
Hi Bess! Thank you. I’m fortunate that having been on the road by myself for so long, this was the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. Could’ve been a lot worse.