India

Last year I travelled to Goa in India and found that my view of the world changed forever…

I found the experience of travelling in a country lacking so many of the creature comforts that we take for granted in the West to be very liberating. I quickly found I could buy whatever I wanted and do anything I could think of without having to worry about money. For example, a delicious meal including a drink would cost no more than the equivalent of £2.50 in rupees, motorbike hire was £2 a day and fresh fruit could be bought for a few pennies.

The scenery in Goa was fantastic – with palm trees and beautiful sandy beaches a short motorbike ride from my hotel. The colours were amazing with women often wearing garish clothes shown off by the bright sunshine. It would not be unusual to see a painted elephant parading around the town or a herd of goats to walk into the road while riding in a rickshaw.

One thing that really struck me about India was the poverty. Upon travelling to Karnataka (the state adjacent to Goa) by train, I was greeted by large numbers of beggars. The most upsetting thing was that many of them were children. It made me realise that whatever problems I faced in England, they were so insignificant in comparison. I don’t think anyone can understand the meaning of poverty until it stares them in the face in such a way, but I was glad for the experience as I believe it made me a stronger person.

One of my happiest memories was of a beach in the Northern part of Goa which I found by chance on motorbike. It was stunningly beautiful, almost completely deserted apart from a couple of beach cafés, and I spent the afternoon with my wife and a good friend reading, sipping on a soft drink and occasionally staring out to sea. Bliss. Whenever I am feeling stressed I just need to think of that place and it will bring calm…