A Thousand Steps of Courage: A German Woman’s Transformational Journey Through India
Prologue: The Wait
For ten years, Hanna Grube from Hamburg, carried India in her heart and zeal to travel one day. She first felt the pull after watching travel posts from her friend in Switzerland and watching vivid documentaries about the country’s mysticism and contradictions. But fear—rooted in media portrayals, family concerns, and her own reservations as a solo female traveler—kept her dream on the back burner. “India is not safe for women,” she had been told time and time again. But something about that kaleidoscopic land would not let go of her.
On one fine evening Hanna at the Elbe River and whispered to herself: “If not now, when?” She booked a flight to New Delhi.
Chapter 1: Delhi – The First Breath
New Delhi hit her like a sensory tidal wave. The dusty air, honking rickshaws, marigold-scented temples, and chaotic kindness startled her. But she met Lalit, a local guide and also her tour planner, who helped her navigate Old Delhi’s spice-laden alleys and the calm grandeur of Humayun’s Tomb. Her fear began to melt as she saw how curious yet respectful people were when they learned she was traveling alone.
“Madam, you are brave,” they would say, and their smiles felt sincere.
Chapter 2: Mandawa & Bikaner – Stories on Walls
In Mandawa, she wandered among faded frescoes and grand havelis, feeling like she had stepped into a forgotten chapter of time. In Bikaner, she visited the Karni Mata Temple where rats were revered. “Only in India,” she laughed to herself, bewildered but somehow charmed. A local woman invited her home for chai and told her about her daughter studying in Germany. This human connection—the unexpected trust—began shifting Hanna’s narrative.
Chapter 3: Jaisalmer & Jodhpur – Desert Dreams and Blue Cities
Golden sand dunes in Jaisalmer offered solitude she hadn’t known she needed. Under a night sky full of stars, she listened to folk songs beside a bonfire. In Jodhpur, the indigo walls comforted her. She bought spices from the market, befriended a young shopkeeper named Arif, who taught her how to make masala chai the traditional way. These were not tourist transactions—they were friendships.
Chapter 4: Jawai & Ranakpur – Of Leopards and Silence
Jawai brought her face-to-face with India’s wild heart. At a luxury camp, she joined a leopard safari and saw the elusive cat lounging atop granite hills. There, she also met another solo female traveler—Ayesha from Morocco. They bonded instantly, sharing stories over locally cooked millet roti and curry.
In nearby Ranakpur, the marble Jain temples stunned her. Intricate, serene, symmetrical—it was unlike any spiritual place she’d ever seen.
Chapter 5: Udaipur to Pangarh Lake – Romance and Reflection
Udaipur stole her breath. The Lake Palace shimmering in the middle of Lake Pichola seemed surreal. She took a boat ride at sunset and felt a stillness inside her for the first time in years. From there, she traveled to Pangarh Lake—a hidden gem with lotus-covered waters and few tourists. She journaled every morning from a tent by the lake, writing letters to her younger self.
Chapter 6: Chittorgarh, Bundi & Ranthambhore – Valor and Vulnerability
The legends of Chittorgarh filled her with awe. She traced the footsteps of Rani Padmini, imagined the siege, and contemplated female resilience. In Bundi, murals and baoris (stepwells) delighted her. She took a sketchbook and started drawing again—a hobby she had long abandoned.
Ranthambhore gave her a taste of wild royalty. She saw a tigress with her cubs and wept quietly in the jeep. There was something maternal and fierce about the moment.
Chapter 7: Jaipur to Agra – Colors and Contrast
In Jaipur, she stayed in a boutique haveli, wandered the bazaars for gemstones, and felt regal at the Amber Fort. Bharatpur’s bird sanctuary brought serenity. Then came Agra—the Taj Mahal, shimmering in morning light, moved her to tears. It wasn’t just the monument but the journey that led her to it.
Chapter 8: Central India – Forgotten Temples and Living Faith
Orchha felt like a fairytale. Empty forts, poetic decay, and the Betwa River under moonlight—it felt untouched by time. Khajuraho challenged her worldview. The erotic sculptures were bold and unapologetic. She realized how India held space for everything—sacred and sensual, sacred and profane.
In Prayagraj, she watched the confluence of holy rivers and learned to meditate under a banyan tree. Locals joined her in silence, and she realized—spirituality here wasn’t about rules, it was about presence.
Chapter 9: Varanasi – Death, Rebirth, and the Holy Flame
Varanasi shook her. She witnessed cremations at Manikarnika Ghat, the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh, and candle-lit boats drifting into the night. It was life and death on display, and yet not morbid. It was acceptance.
She sat at Assi Ghat at sunrise and wrote, “India doesn’t hide what it is. It invites you to see—and be seen.”
Chapter 10: Kerala – The Green Rebirth
Kochi welcomed her with art and sea breeze. Fort Kochi’s colonial charm and spice warehouses were calming. In Munnar, rolling tea gardens offered cool air and solitude. Periyar introduced her to wild elephants, and in Alleppey, she cruised through the backwaters in a houseboat, listening to the lull of water and cicadas.
It was here, sipping coconut water and watching fishermen cast nets into golden light, that she realized: she had let go. Of fear. Of judgment. Of the voice that said “you can’t.”
Epilogue: Return to Delhi, Return to Self
When she returned to Delhi, the chaos no longer overwhelmed her. It felt familiar, like a friend who had taught her tough love. On her last day, she lit a candle at the Lotus Temple and whispered thanks—not just to the country, but to herself.
Back in Hamburg, Hanna started leading women’s travel circles, encouraging others to explore India—not blindly, but bravely. She knew now that the stories she had once feared were just fragments. India was not perfect—but it was whole. And it had made her whole, too.
“Ten years of waiting dissolved in 30 days of walking into the unknown,” she would say.
“And every step was worth it.”
If you are also the one who is thinking over about India and something is stopping you to travel in our incredible India. Get in touch with us for the proper guidance & consulting we can make your dream come true. Email us: info@theepicjourneys.com