I traveled through India and Nepal in late 1989 and 1990. I remember the bone-crushing poverty experienced by many Nepalese during my nearly six-week stay in August and September 1989. I saw poor health and public health conditions in rural areas juxtaposed against the stunning beautify of the country and its rich cultural and religious traditions. I also recall feeling deeply ambivalent about being a tourist and the tourist culture and how aid development operated.
I spent a longer time in India, almost three months. My travels took me from Darjeeling to Goa, and dozens of stops in between. It left a profound impression upon on me. Since that time, the country has taken great leaps forward, and its population has more than doubled. I cannot imagine what that means for the average Indian. My lasting memories were quiet moments, such as a family I traveled with in a sleeper car for nearly 24 hours. They had a young child. It never cried once. I felt a type of kinship with them I seldom felt in my country. It’s hard to explain. Perhaps it’s because we were strangers who took the time to learn about each other’s lives.
Keywords: India Photos, India Travel, India in the 1980s, Nepal Travel, Nepal Photograph, Nepal in the 1980s, Street Scenes India, New Delhi, Varanasi, Darjeeling, Kathmandu, Nepal Trekking, Amritsar, Golden Temple