I guess it was fitting that for my last trip of 2011, I went straight from one of the world's most populated countries to one of the world's least densely populated places on earth.

From the semi-arid deserts of Rajasthan to the open spaces of New Zealand, you couldn't ask for starker contrasts in what you see, smell, eat and feel as a traveller.

Mother India hits you full force in the face wherever you go. Its cities teem with life as humans and animals share space with each other. My friend from Singapore said, "What I can't handle is the livestock on the roads," as our tuk-tuk swerved to avoid a huge cow sitting in the middle of the road in Bikaner.

In New Zealand, the livestock outnumber the humans but, like the approximate four million inhabitants, they live in wide open spaces, free to graze freely but within their boundaries.

In India, when you drive, you are encouraged to "please horn", so everyone does it. It's a matter of courtesy. In New Zealand, you long to "please horn" on certain stretches of road because you are not used to being so alone.

Full story:

www.webintravel.com//blog/from-incredible-to-pure--a-journey-into-the-new-year_2915