India: Spanish woman enjoys Karnataka village life after she got stuck due to COVID-19

Tresa Soriano, is a Spanish citizen who has been staying in Karnataka for four months, enjoying the village life, learning the local language and culture, after her trip to India completely changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 34-year-old industrial designer from the Spanish city of Valencia, is now able to speak a few sentences in Kannada.

Soriano, who is visiting India for the first time, has been staying at a friend’s house in Heranjal village, in the district of Udupi because she in unable to fly back home.

“I was lucky to be in a rural area during the lockdown. Compared to cities, people are safer in the villages. We have more freedom to enjoy and involve ourselves in the natural environment,” Soriano was quoted as saying.

Trying her hand at farming

“I like to learn and live new experiences. In Heranjal, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in various activities: peanut cultivation, milking cows, transplanting paddy, fishing in the river, collecting leaves from the forest, creating rangoli patterns and preparing brooms from coconut fronds,” she added.

According to Indian media reports, Soriano had planned the India trip for almost a year after hearing great things from her brother, Carlos, and his colleague and friend, Krishna Poojari, who hails from Heranjal.

She landed in March with plans to tour India and Sri Lanka with her friend before flying back in May.

However, the duo had to change their plans as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Her friend, who flew in separately, could not leave Mumbai airport because of the nation-wide lockdown in India and returned to Spain. Soriano was stranded in Karnataka. Poojari and his family then offered to host her in Heranjal.