Location India

Calcutta%20Flower%20MarketCalcutta Flower Market

Calcutta Flower Market

Location: , 4 min read

Arriving in India I waited for the famous Indian culture shock for quite a while. Visiting Kerala, the most southern province of India, was a bit overwhelming, but there was nothing that was too much for our senses. My first true culture shock came while visiting the Calcutta flower market also known as the Mallik Ghat market. It was a very powerful experience and still is one of the activities I’ll recommend when visiting Calcutta or Kolkata in West Bengal, India. Just as I’m putting it on your to-do list, it was praised to us as a true local experience by a friend of a friend and, he was right. This flower market is, just as most things in India, unlike any other flower market you have visited before. I went thinking of Columbia flower market in London or the local foreigners market (aka vreemdelingenmarkt) in Antwerp and quickly had to adjust my expectations. First of all they don’t sell flowers to put in vases and you will most certainly not find any plants. What you will find is fresh flower petals, flower heads, flower decorations and garlands in all colors and shapes. Most of these flowers will be used for ceremonial purposes and only a small fraction of the flowers will be used to decorate a home, unless there is a ceremony held within. The most important flowers are yellow and orange marigolds, roses, orchids and several other flowers that all serve a different religious and/or medicinal purpose in daily Indian life.

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Surfing%20for%20Charity%20in%20IndiaSurfing for Charity in India

Surfing for Charity in India

Location: , 4 min read

Surfing in India, it’s a thing? No really? Ok I was a bit surprised when I heard this, I didn’t take India for a place where you could surf, let alone as a country with a surfer’s paradise. However in Kerala (which is in the south of the country) the sport is becoming more and more popular. Some of the local surfers are even turning it into a careers as they’re competing on an international level (including my surf instructor, Sha). Right before sunrise you see them coming out, eager to catch the biggest waves of the day. It’s quite a spectacle to watch as most of the Indian tourists and locals also head to the beach when the sun is going under. Together with these surfers, the beach really is the place to be at this time of the day.

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Marble%20PalaceMarble Palace

Marble Palace

Location: , 1 min read

Getting up at 5 am to watch the sunrise is not something you do when you’re not traveling. When you are traveling however, it is so often worth it. Don’t get me wrong it still hurts but watching the world come to life had a certain magic to it, more than the sunrise will ever have.

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Why%20You%20Should%20Do%20The%20Touristy%20ThingWhy You Should Do The Touristy Thing

Why You Should Do The Touristy Thing

Location: , 3 min read

Contrary to what the title of this article might suggest I’m the last one to encourage you to behave like a stereotypical tourist or backpacker but stay with me here. I actually like to see us more as visitors of a country, observers of a new culture or just passers-by. I believe in having respect for the culture that you are visiting and for nature in which the country resides. Even if the locals don’t have that same respect.

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It’s%20Been%20A%20WhileIt’s Been A While

It’s Been A While

Location: , 2 min read

Wow, I never expected to leave the blog behind for so long. It started with one bad WIFI connection and then another and another (not that I have been able to locate excellent wifi since) and then came the preparations for a new design for the blog. That new design looks amazing and will come really soon but I didn’t want to leave the blog alone for much longer than I already have so here it is, finally a new post! I created so much content already traveling through India, Maldives, Laos and Cambodia already that I didn’t really know which post to start with first. I decided to go for one of the outfit shoots that I did right at the beginning. These photos were taken on the houseboat that we took to travel through the Kerala backwaters around Alleppey. This was truly a beautiful start to get to know India and I’ll show you more about this soon.

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Hello%20From%20IndiaHello From India

Hello From India

Location: , 2 min read

Traveling on the ‘superfast’ train (hint: it’s not fast at all) from Kottayam to Kovalam I wanted to put a quick post online. India so far has been fascinating and beautiful. I should actually say Kerala has been fascinating and beautiful because the provinces of India are quite different from each other. Internet connection however has been difficult to find. I’ve been hoping for hotels with WiFi but that is not a given here (me, an internet addict?). Apart from my internet connection it has become quite clear that India takes control over a lot more. Time is one of the main things, India is going to decide what your life is going to look like. It’s no longer in your control, so lay back and enjoy.

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