A friend mentioned recently that she describes India with “the three C’s”: color, chaos and contradiction. We couldn’t have said it better. There is literally nothing in the world that can prepare you for this country – not the noise, the heat, the traffic, the pollution, the incomprehensible number of people, nor the breathtaking beauty. India is almost too much – too much to absorb, to photograph, to process – but we’re doing our best. This is not easy travel, that’s for damn sure, but it is amazing and completely unlike any place we’ve ever been.

The iconic sacred cows are found just about everywhere, most often in the middle of the street.

Chickens on their way to market.

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata.

The hill station of Gangtok, plus efficient solar drying of laundry.

Milk delivery.

Mandala prayer wheels at a Buddhist monastery.

Outside of New Market, Kolkata.

Car and motorbike parts for sale.

We have been absolutely amazed – both in India and in southeast Asia – at the sheer number of tiny storefronts and street stands selling all manner of goods, from food to housewares to fabric. The typical American “big box” store definitely isn’t part of the lifestyle here.

It’s election season in India and there are lots of flags, posters and rallies.

Tractor repair shop.

A ferry on the Ganges.

See those apples? They’re from Washington! The U.S. is not the only country importing produce from thousands of miles away.

Street scene, Kolkata.

India’s classic Ambassador taxicab.

Spices and aromatics for sale at a basement shop.

No room to build? Just put it on top of something else.

A monk at Rumtek Monastery in Gangtok.

Much like geisha culture in Japan, families often rent traditional costumes for photo shoots, like this group at a temple near Darjeeling.

Prayer flags at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Darjeeling.