Who knew when leaving England, I would find myself on a personal journey to veganism, via an animal sanctuary, in India
Does anyone ever really know what kind of journey they’re going to have when you set off from home?
The journey begins
You have a pretty good idea when you’re planning a trip, about the great photos you will take in terms of the big bucket-list sightseeing. But you have no idea what adventures you will have, or the internal personal journey you’ll enter into.
Let alone how you’ll feel. When emotions may take you by surprise. Or, most importantly, what characters and potential new friends you will meet along the way.
We had given up our jobs to go travelling for six months, from Bangkok, via an elephant sanctuary, taking a slow boat down the Mekong into Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and then India for three months, from Madurai in the south to Amritsar in the north.
As it happens, I met Luisa aka The Born Wanderess in Udaipur. A place that (with hindsight) was life-changing for me.
We were staying at Chandra Niwas, an Airbnb. I liked nothing better than to go up on the roof at the end of each day. I would sit in a plastic chair and watch the sun set behind the hill, cold beer in my hand.
Before I set off on my travels, Udaipur was only vaguely on my radar. It had been a venue for some of the filming of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
It started with a video
A couple of months earlier, I saw a video on Facebook showing a dog who had maggots in his head. He was staggering and close to death. Thankfully he was rescued by Animal Aid Unlimited. A sanctuary in Udaipur. He was treated, cared for and made a complete recovery.
I put the animal sanctuary on the list of places I really had to visit.
Once there I found myself volunteering for 19 days. It was the most peaceful and therapeutic place I have ever been. My time was spent with injured, disabled and mangy dogs, dying cows, wonky donkeys, orphan calves, and a water buffalo called Flower.
Surrounded by these sad and sorry animals, I strangely found myself in heaven. Being able to care and show them the love and affection they deserved, filled my soul.
Travelling had given me both the time and emotional energy to also research giving up meat. It was around this time I made some personal connections.
What’s the difference?
I had seen dog on a spit in the streets of old Hanoi whilst in Vietnam. I had also seen tortoise on the menu. When I shared this on Facebook, people were horrified.
But my sister, who has been vegan for 25 years, commented: ‘What’s the difference?’
What indeed is the difference between a dog on a spit and the hog roast we have in the summer back home? What is the difference between a tortoise and a crab or a lobster in a restaurant?
A promise is made
In Udaipur, amongst the animals, I found myself promising a cow that I would never eat meat again. And I haven’t!
The journey continues through a new chapter (and book)
I had enjoyed documenting stories on my blog as I travelled. It came as a surprise that the travels had resulted in me being vegan and that a book came out of it. A new, energising chapter of my life at the age of 54!
I’ve named the book Ahimsa. Ahimsa means respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others.
It’s travel, it’s vegan, it’s some of my life experience as a parent of a son on the autism spectrum and a daughter with not inconsiderable teenage issues.
My son is about to embark upon some travelling, heading for India and Animal Aid Unlimited, which forms the first chapter of the book.
He will also stay at the same Airbnb and I have told him to always make time for Chai with his host after a sweaty day’s volunteering. Which will undoubtedly include him returning covered in sweat, sand, pee and poo.(we would often tell the tuk-tuk driver that we had on our favourite perfume, Kennel No. 5).
I just can’t wait to go back.
*Ahimsa: A personal journey, via an animal sanctuary in India, by Caroline Earle, is available now on Amazon for Kindle or as a paperback.