As I write this last entry about my journey in India,
I thought about the 2009 India tourism board commercial,
A traveller holds a pen thinking about his adventure in India and what to write on a postcard.
At the end of his recollection, he wrote merely two words
Incredible India.

This clever slogan sums up my India experience aptly.
I woke up to a nightmare in Kolkata;
I was frustrated by red tape in Siliguri;
Thrilled to see India's highest peak in Darjeeling;
Almost threw up in Pelling;
Culture shocked in Varanasi;
Mesmerised by Taj Mahal in Agra; and
Conned in Delhi.

Apart from these intense emotions,
I discovered a new-found appreciation for so many things I have taken for granted.
On my first train ride in India, I scrubbed my berth and laid it with toilet paper.
In Pelling, I watched students walk to school carrying books in their hands.
Locals eagerly waiting to collect gas tanks and carefully filling up their pails from a water tank in Darjeeling remain deeply etched in my mind.
It's ironic we complain about 7% GST in Singapore when India's VAT is 12.5%, minimum 20% on liquor and fuel, 3% on patrons dining in restaurants selling liquor, regardless whether you order alcohol or not.

I felt relieved to be home,
Thankful to be living in a clean and cosmopolitan city.
Secretly proud of our efficient government and infrastructure.
More importantly, I must not forget the enlightening moments.
I found my moral compass in Pelling.
I believe in karma ever since.

That's my incredible journey in India.