Extract from the February Newsletter of Sustainable Couch:
"I am writing this text from Italy. I am back home after spending
nearly 6 months in “incredible India”, as the country is officially
defined by its tourism department. Many thoughts cross my mind but,
first and foremost, is the gratitude I feel towards such a wonderful
country who welcomed me for the last half a year. India is so complex,
unlike any other country (at least from the ones I have visited) that it
will take me a long time to “digest” and understand what I have seen.
On the bright side: the natural beauty, the generosity of the people I
have met, the great spiritual tradition. On the dark side: the extreme
poverty of a huge part of the population, the ecological devastation,
the deep-rooted problems connected to gender and casts. It would take a
lot of space to describe them all.
For this reason, I would like to just present a few topics related to sustainability that could be of interest to Sustainable Couch members. This is a purely subjective point of view as I don't claim to be an expert after only a few months in India!
For this reason, I would like to just present a few topics related to sustainability that could be of interest to Sustainable Couch members. This is a purely subjective point of view as I don't claim to be an expert after only a few months in India!
Tourism: boon and bane
During my trip I had the chance to visit some of the most beautiful places in the south of India: the beaches of Kerala and Goa, the ancient ruins of Hampi and the temples of Tamil Nadu, among others. I noticed both good and bad aspects associated with tourism throughout. The positive news: more and more travel agencies offer tours which aim at limiting the ecological impact of the visit, whilst improving the economic situation of local people. But I often had the impression that “eco” and “green” were just empty words added to “tours” to make them more appealing, even if they were not sustainable at all. For example, in the “backwaters” region of Kerala, hundreds of houseboats offering this very cruise ended up causing traffic jams in the rivers, considerably polluting the area. Most of the population here still work in the fields and see no profit whatsoever from the area’s tourism. What’s worse, they will be the ones suffering the most if the fragile ecosystems are abused and damaged further.
A wonderful encounter in decadent Goa
Goa is famous for its wonderful beaches and its wild electronic music parties. During the 10 days I spent in the smallest Indian state, the word that kept on coming to mind was: decadent. This is because Goa has become the main destination for mass tourism, both Indian and foreign. The beaches are packed with ugly hotels and resorts which ruin the landscape. The tourists only move around by taxi or motorbike and the beautiful coastal paths have been turned into waste dumps. Most come to Goa to party and don't take the environment into consideration during their stay. In this frustrating situation, it was a pleasant relief to meet my old friend François, who travelled by bicycle from Holland to India (his incredible story was presented in the past two newsletters: January 2013 and July 2011) and is now teaching yoga in Anjuna. I hope that he will be able to inspire people in the area about ecological and social topics, in order to improve the situation. Every little step in the right direction counts!
Back to Mumbai: end of the road
After 4 months of travelling around, I went back to the place where my stay in India began: Mumbai. As in September 2013, I worked as a volunteer in the Don Bosco Shelter, an institution which looks after ex-street children. Spending time with the boys was the best way to complete my Indian experience; I will never forget their smiling faces. My trip is now over but I hope to be back one day!"
