Travel has a tendency to change your perspective on big things: landscapes, cultures, history. Yet, often, it’s the small, mundane things that stick with you. Not the things you planned on, didn’t read about in depth, but the things you’re paying attention to over and over again. They seep into your daily life when you’re on the road, and before you know it, they start to seem rational. As if they should be a part of everything.This was evident in Nick and Rachel’s stay in India. The Vancouver-based couple, who have been documenting their trip on Instagram, didn’t just hop from one place to another. He observed how things worked in daily life, how people ate, how they traveled, how they cleaned up after themselves and even how they finished the meal. And somewhere along the way, he started paying attention to things that, in his words, “make perfect sense.”“
fennel or fennel
Fennel seeds – the perfect end to a meal
It was often served at the end of a meal. Many restaurants, as they were about to leave, would have a small dish of fennel seeds mixed with sugar on the table. Initially, they may have thought it was just a nice touch, something worth seeing, maybe even optional. But after a few tries of eating it, they realized that it’s not just about the taste. It was refreshing, good for digestion and ended the meal on a good note.
train travel in india
Trains – They take you everywhere
Traveling across the country also made him realize the interconnectedness of things. India’s railway system was not only vast; It had also become an integral part of people’s lives. Be it a short trip between two cities or a long trip between two or more states, trains seemed to go anywhere. For Nick and Rachel, it will be a change from the pace they’re used to back home. Instead of frequent flights or planning long journeys, they could rely on trains to get from one place to another, often watching the landscape slowly change outside their window. Not only was it efficient – it felt accessible.
Indian Thali
Trying the plates – because, why not?
Of course, food is an integral part of their experience, but not in the way they had imagined. Indian thalis with their well-arranged selection of food had attracted his attention from the very beginning. It seemed like a lot – several bowls of different textures, colors and tastes in one dish. But as soon as he started eating the plate, he saw the structure of the food. Each had its own place and balance with other foods. They did not need to think about which meal they would choose or whether the meal would be complete; It was already there.
Hand washing stations – yes
Some comments were even more immediate. In many restaurants, especially informal restaurants, they noted the presence of hand-washing stations. Not in the toilet, but in plain view, so that one can wash one’s hands before or after a meal. This was practical, especially in a culture where eating with hands was common.
Kulhar Tea
Kulhar Tea – Yes
Their tea breaks got them addicted to one of the simplest yet most memorable aspects of the experience: clay cups. Tea was not just tea; This was hot tea served in small clay cups called kulhars. It was different from the first sip. It had a taste, a taste that would not be present in a paper or plastic cup. But that wasn’t the most memorable part. Once the tea is prepared, the cup will not be thrown into a landfill or reused in a way that harms the environment. It will return to the earth from which it was made.
leaf plates
leaves for plates
Street food, which he embraced with a mixture of enthusiasm and caution, had shown itself to be at odds with its logic. One of the things he noticed was that many street food vendors were serving their breakfast on plates made of dry leaves. This was something that he observed during his travels. It certainly wasn’t something he saw with the label of being eco-friendly; It was just something that was a part of the system.
Vegetarian friendly travel
Even something as simple as reading a menu was made simpler than they could have imagined. One of the things he noticed while traveling to different places was that vegetarian food was clearly marked on the menu. This was something that removed any kind of confusion that they faced while eating something new. It was something they weren’t really looking for but they saw it and it made a difference. What tied all these events together was not only how useful they were, but also how well they fit into the way of life. There was nothing in them to impress or cater to the visitors. They were simply processes and behaviors that were formed over time based on cultural influences, utility, and perhaps outlook on life.As Nick and Rachel described their trip, it didn’t matter where they went. It was not just these small conversations that took place between them again and again. Finishing a meal, taking the train, drinking tea, stopping immediately to use the hand-washing service – these were not personally important. But they come together to create the idea of a place where many things were done in a simpler way.And it was that, perhaps more than anything else, that they took away.
