Thank you very much for virtually traveling along with me. In this part, you will be able to follow me around the world on a regular basis. Click on the article below to read it and to enjoy the pictures.
Present location : FRANCE - Kilometers : more than 170,000       Last minute... - jeudi 17 janvier Tour of the world by hitchhiking 2003-2008. Final word : NEVER AGAIN - mardi 30 octobre Crossing Pakistan - Afghanistan - Thursday 13 September An Extraordinary Encounter! - dimanche 9 septembre India. Country of extremes - dimanche 9 septembre India. Impressions - mardi 12 juin Hitchhiking in China - dimanche 20 mai The most beautiful, the most difficult, the most sad. Journey from Chengdu (China) to Lhasa (Tibet)       Newsletters   dimanche 9 septembre 2007 : India. Country of extremes   dimanche 20 mai 2007 : The most beautiful, the most difficult, the most sad. Journey from Chengdu (China) to Lhasa (Tibet)   vendredi 27 avril 2007 : In the hell of North Korea   mercredi 31 janvier 2007 : Travel to Myanmar, a difficult choice   mercredi 31 janvier 2007 : The ambitious challenge "OLPC"   mercredi 13 septembre 2006 : Indonesia, the unfortunate   vendredi 13 janvier 2006 : Crossing of the Pacific Ocean   lundi 21 mars 2005 : Québec "on the thumb"   mercredi 12 janvier 2005 : 2 years already !   samedi 2 octobre 2004 : Embarking on a new adventure...   mercredi 21 juillet 2004 : For a better world   mercredi 21 avril2004 : Another look at Colombia   Tuesday 9 March2004 : Danger, Darien gap coming   Saturday 3 January2004 : One year already...   Friday 12 December2003 : A hitch-hiker in Antarctica...   Saturday 15 November2003 : The end of the world...   Monday 8 September2003 : In route to the extreme south   Saturday 14 June2003 : Back to car hitch-hiking   Friday 16 May2003 : Direction Brazil   Thursday 20 February2003 : Let’s go fot the boat hitch-hiking...   Monday 30 December2002 : When the dream becomes reality...   Tuesday 3 December2002 : The tour of the world by hitch-hiking     Drivers Drivers For a better world For a better world Media support Media support Photo gallery Photo gallery The tour as seen by JCB The tour as seen by JCB Ongoing newsletter India. Country of extremes dimanche 9 septembre by Ludovic Hubler Envoyer à un ami Imprimer cet articler In my last newsletter, I related my experience hitchhiking in China and crossing Tibet, which wasn’t easy but very interesting. Today, after 5 months spent on the Indian sub-continent, I would like to give you a quick synthesis of my experience. Those who are interested in more details will find what you wish for on my internet site at the following address : www.ludovichubler.com. [(|majuscules) Namaste everyone, I hope that you are doing well and that your summer was good. It’s been a while since I’ve sent any news, but I intend to fix that right away. In my last newsletter, I related my experience hitchhiking in China and crossing Tibet, which wasn’t easy but very interesting. Today, after 5 months spent on the Indian sub-continent, I would like to give you a quick synthesis of my experience. Those who are interested in more details will find what you wish for on my internet site at the following address : www.ludovichubler.com. India, country of extremes The biggest democracy in the world with more than 1 billion inhabitants, and soon to become (around 2030) the most populous country in the world, India is a place that doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. Its spirituality, its philosophy of life, the misery of a large proportion of its population, and its dirty and overpopulated cities are sufficient to make a strong impression on every visitor. India is impressive, but also exhausting. 5 plus months of hitchhiking in this country tired me out more than 4 plus years on the roads of the world, above all thanks to the untenable humidity and heat which sometimes reaches 50 degrees Celsius. Trucks were often like ovens, from which I emerged lighter by several kilos... During my time in India, I had occasion to see different facets of the country. Here is a quick synopsis. You will find more details on my internet site. Dynamic India With a GDP growth of more than 8% per year, India is progressively becoming a real world power. My stays in Bombay and in the South of the country (Bangalore, Chennai) allowed me to visit the India of tomorrow : the India that will count more software engineers than the Silicon Valley, the India that today does activities outsourced by American, English, or French companies, but that tomorrow will create them, etc. Notably, my time in the city of Bangalore, the world capital of outsourcing, allowed me to go and visit call centres and other business working for American clients at a cost 4 or 5 times less than in the West. I would strongly encourage you to read my report of my time in the world of the BPO (Business process outsourcing) by clicking on the following link : . Below, a photo taken in Bangalore during a course on "accent neutralization" that I attended, which enables young Indian to make themselves better understood on the telephone. Poor India Even if the emergence of a middle class of some 400 million people is indisputable, it cannot be forgotten that many hundreds of millions of others live in misery, piled up, one upon the other, in immense slums, with conditions of life which, sadly, are not improving despite current economic growth. During my time in India, I had the opportunity to interact with this population, notably by visiting numerous NGOs, but never more than during my time spent volunteering in Mother Theresa’s mission in Calcutta. This was a unique experience that was very rewarding. I would encourage you to read my summary account "the poorest among the poor" by clicking the following link : The photo below is of the centre where I stayed while doing a bit of volunteering. Below, a photo taken in the city of Calcutta   3rd "NGO discussion day" : Similarly to what I did in the cities of San Salvador (Central America, October 11th 2004) and Jakarta (Indonesia, September 16th 2006), I took advantage of my Indian stay to organize a new NGO discussion day. On August 11th 2007, 31 people coming from 17 different NGOs that work on the improvement of educational levels and quality of life in under-developed communities gathered in the city of New Delhi around a table. The objective of this one-day workshop was to enable NGOs’ managers to get to know each other and to help them find better ways to work together and possibly reach synergies (1+1=3). For further details about this event, please click on the following link. Photos taken during this NGO discussion day below. Spiritual India In India, spirituality is everywhere. Wander for a few minutes in the city centre of Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, or in any city, and you will pass numerous Hindu shrines on every street corner dedicated to Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesh, or one of the innumerable other gods of this religion. Find yourself in Varanasi (ex-Benares), important Hindu holy place, and you will see to what extent the spirituality is at the heart of the lives of uncountable Indians. Below, several photos taken at Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, a river which is both sacred and very polluted, in which the locals bathe themselves and from which they even drink without restraint. A photo of a prayer shrine in a house. Most houses in India have a place set aside for worship and spirituality. Below, a photo with the Sadhus, men considered holy in the Hindu world. India made certain I encountered her various faces. One one side, that of a welcoming country, where visitors, especially foreigners, are considered like veritable gods and treated as such. Below, several photos showing this excellent welcome ... On the other side, that of a country where the competition between locals is constant, and where the words "respect" and "organisation" have little meaning (line ups are not respected, driving is erratic, there is little politeness,etc). By clicking on this link you will find 10 aspects of India that pleased me, and 10 aspects that disappointed me : Below, the map of the route I travelled in India . I will now travel toward the North of India then enter Pakistan. I will update you on intended route through the Middle East in my next newsletter, which I will send next month. Before finishing, a photo of the incomparable Taj Mahal, architectural marvel situated in the city of Agra, to the south of Delhi, and several photos taken during conferences I gave in India. Have a great day Ludo Post a reply to this article Your comments will be displayed on the back of this page. You can also leave a message on the Golden Book.