At the End of the Tour

... when the road disappears
if there's any more people around
when the tour runs aground
and if you're still around
then we'll meet at the end of the tour

- They Might Be Giants


We just might tour again though, to some other corner of the world. But for now, Sigurd and Sigurd have returned to cold and wintry, but oh! so beautiful and pleasant Norway. As I am writing this I am sitting in front of the fireplace, digesting a long overdue Christmas dinner and sipping a beer.

Any attempt to summarise these last months in a few sentences, I have found, would be futile and something of an injustice to the many places and people we have encountered – so many of whom would go unmentioned in such an attempt. In truth, I am mildly overwhelmed by the vastness and diversity of the experiences we've had, and wouldn't even know where to start. It's been a truly magnificent time, in a truly awe-inspiring country. I do hope to return some time (though not any time soon - it is not a myth that India is an exhausting place)

Seeing how I have nothing profound to say, I settle for telling a little anecdote from a few weeks back, first day of the new year, when we were making our way from Darjeeling to Siliguri. The mode of transportation in these parts of India – besides yaks and your own two feet – is mainly jeeps. So, we hopped on a communal, which is synonymous to cramped jeep bound for our destination. Sure enough, the jeep filled up quickly. At the point where there was simply no more space, or so we thought, a man jumps in on the driver's side and sits down on the driver's lap. Not only did he sit there, they also took turns on the wheel, or better yet, shared the wheel using one hand each. Who knows how they worked the pedals. The really disconcerting part was that they kept a rather loud argument going for the better part of the 3 hours or so that they shared the driver's seat. The fact that we found this amusing rather than horrifying or even surprising goes to show, I believe, that we have adapted to Indian life in a very real way and to an extent that, truth be told, I could not have imagined six months ago.

Anyway. One thing I would like to say in this last post is a big 'thank you' to everyone who's been following us on our travels through this blog. I hope the ridiculous number of hits, about 2200, is an indication that you've found the recounts of our adventures somewhat interesting and entertaining – or at least a worthy distraction from your respective jobs and studies.

Well folks, that's all, I hope to see you all soon. Oh, and if anyone's considering going to India (something I hope this blog might encourage) any time soon: please do. And make sure you try a bottle of Bagpiper Whisky: the 14th most sold whisky in the world - though only sold in India.

And so, with a sigh of pensiveness and a sip of the much longed for Norwegian beer, I end The Chronicles of Sigurd og Sigurd i India.



All the best

Sigurd & Sigurd



"No matter where you go, there you are."

– unknown