剛坐在hostel櫃檯旁的沙發與老闆聊天,突然有一對西方夫妻走進來,接在後面的是我在印度從未看過的外國青少年的稚嫩臉孔,雖然腦袋裡馬上閃過可能是家庭旅遊吧,但這背後的場景應該是在飯店或民宿櫃台旁才對, 隔天傍晚回到hostel我在櫃檯沙發區遇到這對家庭,抓緊機會與爸爸閒聊,原來他們來自法國,夫妻年輕時來過印度旅遊也愛上這裡所以決定帶孩子來旅行,至於選擇hostel當成他們在孟買的落腳處,爸爸說道: 「我希望讓我的孩子能與旅行中最珍貴的一部分交流也就是一路上遇到的旅人。」
他在我的筆記本上寫到
I've just completed my first trip through south India, with my two children(12 and 16). It was my second Indian experience. I already traveled in north India(Rajasthan)25 years ago. The north and the south are quite different: climate, landscape, food, clothes, religions..... I appreciated the desert in the south and the jungle in Kerala. But our most amazing experience in south was our visit in the temple of Tamil Nadu. India is so large that I'll have to visit it again to discover other Indian marvels.
Yves (from Paris, France) 25072017