Pilgrim's Progress

Pilgrim- 1: one who journeys in foreign lands : wayfarer2: one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee3capitalized : one of the English colonists settling at Plymouth in 1620


Why a blog? My first response, in the interest of transparency, is to use this blank space as a writer’s practicum, a testing ground for words, thoughts, ideas and impressions. The laboratory for this experiment is India, a country whose scale, history, and countless refractions of humanity offer an aspiring writer fertile ground for material. The Indian kaleidoscope, which I hope to convey, changes with each turn of direction, ever fresh, ever different.

My second response to the question- blatant ambition; I want to create something during this journey through India. This may come as a surprise as it flies in the face of my well-earned reputation as a “slacker”. If I feel any ambivalence with this creative tension, (and I admit that I do), it is whether the task of writing, which requires discipline, reasoned observations, and a certain existential separation, will impact my primordial pleasures of Indian travel; the joy of aimless wandering and time suspended. I don’t know yet whether I can reconcile these seemingly disparate activities.

Why India? This is a more difficult question to answer. Three times I have come to this country. I first traveled here in 1999, a journey begun after three years of delays and postponements. During the six-month journey, I meandered up and down the country, wading ever deeper into a rising wave of heat. Along the way, I gave rides to any number of parasites and freeloaders, which seemed to enjoy India’s food as much, if not more than I.

I returned in 2002, once again immersing myself in India’s chaotic, colorful, and unpredictable flow. This time, my immune system seemed better prepared for the rigors; illness was an after-thought, a minor hindrance to six largely healthy months. I spent most of this journey traversing the north, visiting some of India’s trademark destinations; Darjeeling, Rajasthan, and Punjab’s Golden Temple, among others, as well as stopping for prolonged stretches next to the wide banks of the Ganges River.

After nearly a cumulative year of travels, India continues to hold a grip upon my imagination and curiosity. There is something about this place, a quality of light and color, the constant transitions from beauty to decay, the fluid relationship between people and landscape, these are some of the beguiling charms that draw me back time and again.

Such rewards have their price; India is not an easy place to travel. The contamination, noise, and relentless intensity of (often unwanted) attention can be overwhelming and exhausting. Humor is often a traveler’s last defense, quickly followed by irritation or worse. And yet in spite of these challenges, I come back. Although I may not have a pat answer to the question- “Why India?”- perhaps these writings will convey some of the core elements of the attraction.

No where in the above definition does it say “one who writes,” but that is the nature of my pilgrimage. Over the next five months, I will add a few more words to the world, little synapses fired in this place called India. What a lucky, spellbinding treat.

Of course, I welcome your feedback. Thanks for reading- Marc