Fragrances and flavors of India (1)

The pungent smell of freshly cut onions, the enveloping fragrance of masala and curry, the theme song from a Bollywood movie, the vendor peddling breakfast and chai, the man screaming (literally) into his mobile phone -- you know, the distance -- and the ear-piercing cries of a baby, were the smells and sounds that greeted me as the night compartment of the train from Agra to Jaipur was lazily coming back to life after the long night ride.

I just love it. Traveling across India by train is the best way to taste the myriads of flavors that the country has to offer.

From the green and hilly landscape of Uttar Pradesh to the dry desert of Rajastan it is like going to sleep into one world and waking up on a different planet. The only thing that makes you realize that it is just another facet of universe India is the omnipresent seller of chai (spiced milk tea), the national drink. Chai will keep you warm early in the morning while you wait for your -- usually late – train; chai will be there to greet you when you wake up in the morning; chai is the spark to a brief conversation with your fellow chai drinkers; chai will kiss you goodnight after a day of tribulations.
(A chai stall outside the Taj Mahal in Agra)