It’s been long since I updated this blog. After returning from India, I had a lot of things to attend to. To name a few, defending my thesis, applying and eventually getting a postdoc grant, and getting ready to leave Switzerland to NYC.

I then found a gap time of two months, that I had to quickly decide what to do with it. Staying in Switzerland was not a good option as I did not have much to do over there (except skiing!), and it is damn expensive. So I decided to visit back my family in Iran for a few weeks, and then travel for the rest of it. But where? For me it was obvious: INDIA AGAIN!

Last time I did the north and west of India and I very much liked to go to the south and east, but I didn’t have time. So this time I’m going south! But there was a problem. My visa expires before mid-February, and I came to know that there is no way to extend the six months tourist visa of India. So for the rest of the trip, I decided to head to Sri Lanka!

This is a very exciting trip for me. South India is very different from the North: the faces, the language, the architecture, the climate, the vegetation, and the animals. Even though the religion is the same, Hinduism, the rituals and temples are very different between South and North. Sri Lanka is also a great holiday destination, and apart from photography, I intend to do some animal sighting and water sports.

As for photography, I’m going to do pretty much the same as I did in my last trip. I will focus on people and everyday life. I will carry the same gear as I did in my last trip, as it worked perfectly for me. The only thing I’m adding to my gear is a Polaroid PoGo instant printer. Last time, many people that I photographed asked me to give them their photos, but they didn’t have any email address. I was kind of ashamed that I was getting something from them, but not giving anything back. This time, I’m going to give them their photos. I think it’s the least I can do for their kindness.

Follow my blog to read about my experiences in South India and Sri Lanka during the next month!