Namaste India

I can't believe I am leaving tomorrow! This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Of all the places I have been, I must say India is the least like home! Every once in a while we would come across a McDonalds or a Dominos that would remind me that we are till on the same planet as America! Other than that, it may as well have been another world!
I would come back to India in a heartbeat. I haven't even left yet and already I miss the craziness of the streets, the smell of flowers and curry and the beauty and culture all around me. I will however, be looking forward to a nice shower, less humidity and some fresh fruit!!
The people of India were so beautiful and welcoming, I have made some wonderful friendships that hopefully I will always carry with me. India is not for the faint of heart. It is very busy, crowded, loud and dirty. But on the flip side it is also spiritual, colorful, inviting and never boring! I recommend to anyone, if they ever get a chance to see India, to embrace it for all its worth with open arms!

A pefect example of the FAST AND SLOW of India

A Special Place

I saw many amazing places in my time in India. I have made a Wordle showing some of them! I think two of my favorite places in India where The Taj Mahal In Agra and the Ganges River in Varanasi.

The Taj Mahal is basically a gorgeous tomb made of marble and jewels for a princess, built by her love! I have seen pictures of it for years but nothing would prepare me for just how grand and HUGE it is. When we first turned the corner to see it, it looked fake. It looked as though there was a painted background of the Taj Mahal. But as we got closer and closer it got bigger and bigger! It was so beautiful and had so many tiny details. What a labor of love!

The Ganges river is the most holy place in all of India. We took a sunset boat ride down the river along the steps called Ghats. We saw people practicing yoga, praying, washing their clothes and swimming. We rowed by some very beautiful temples and also light a few floating to candles to remember loved ones that had passed. It was a very spiritual moment that I will never forget. India is a very special place.

Gorgeous, Colorful People

I have been so lucky to meet so many wonderful people in India. Most Indians have darker brown skin and dark hair. The women wear beautiful wrapped dresses called Saris.  We visited many textile stores where I got to try some on! In India it is tradition that the women's skin be covered, even at the beach! I saw women fully clothes in the ocean! Men wear every day attire like you may see here.

How To wrap A Sari

The Textile Shop

My host family is so wonderful. The father works in construction and has helped to build many buildings. The mother works in a shop where they sell textiles, like blankets, wall coverings and pillow covers. You have never seen so many beautiful colors!

My Host sister loves to dance and spends most of her time at dance class when she is not in school. My host brother loves to play cricket! Cricket is the most popular sport over here. It is played in teams and sort of resembles baseball because it is played on a field with a bat and ball!

Here in India the main language is called Hindi, though depending where you are in the country there are many other languages and dialects. I am working had at understanding it but it is not easy! Namaste means Hello! Alvida means goodbye and Water is Jal.

My Host Sister Dressed For A dance recital

Old Friends and New

I sure do miss home! Especially my family and my hound dog Hurley Van Lou! Being in India has been amazing though, and I am making lots of friends! My host family is so kind. Though their home is simple it is very beautiful. My bed is low and hard which is taking some getting used to and I have to share my bedroom with a ghecko but he is tidy so I don't mind!
Life here is very busy and yet also very relaxed. There are so many people in India sometimes it feels like you are jammed in like a sardine. Here in Goa there are lots of places to escape though. I love being by the ocean and things are a little slower here than in Delhi or Jaipur! There are markets right across the street which is nice!
All of the houses are so colorful and have lots of windows to let in the fresh air - it gets VERY hot here! I used an SPF 60 sunblock and still got a sunburn! It's because we are so close to the equator (and also the antibiotics I have to take to be here make me very sensitive to the sun!)
I help with the family restaurant which is right on the beach! I get to serve delicious foods and drinks to all the hungry and thirsty people that are playing and relaxing on the beach.
Here is an Animoto of my life in India.
Here is an Animoto of my life in New England.



This is the View from our restaurant on the beach in Goa.



Holy Cow!



Cows right in the middle of the street!

In India the cow is sacred. That means it has a very important religious meaning. It is frowned upon to eat or even harm a cow! You will see them everywhere in India roaming free! Sometimes they even cause a traffic jam because nobody will move them out of the way! Elephants are also a very important animal with religious background. The deity Ganesh (A Hindu God) is shown in the form of an elephant. Elephants are often decorated and used in ceremonies.

An Elephant decorated for a parade.

Indians do not generally keep pets, though many families own animals to raise as food or to help in the farm such as chickens or ox. Though the people of India do not keep pets it is common to see MANY stray dogs running around. Here in America we have dog catchers and shelters that help give stray animals homes, but they do not have those things in India so they are left to roam the streets. In fact many animals roam the streets from peacocks to pigs to water buffalo! So far we have rode an elephant and a camel!

Riding a Camel In Jaipur

Because India is so large it has many different climates which make it home to THOUSANDS of different plants, trees and flowers. You can see everything from pine trees to palm trees. The flowers of India are bright and beautiful, Spring and summer are the best times to see them. Often we have seen Marigolds and Lotus flowers. We are now in a place in southern India by the ocean called Goa. Here we have lots of coconut and palm trees! And because the weather is so warm it is the ideal place for growing spices! Did you know that cinnamon is the bark of a bay leaf tree?



A Saffron plant



A list of animals we have seen so far...

Elephant, Baboon

Ox, Camel

A Real Tiger in the wild! NOT IN A ZOO!

Water Buffalo, Ghecko

Peacock, Pig
Goat,Deer
Dog, Horse
Cat, TIGER!!
Monkey, Cow
Lots of bugs and birds!





 

Coconut trees and Beautiful Flowers By The Ganges River



Monkeys at A temple in Jaipur

It's all About the Spices!

Gorgeous Spices in The Market

You wouldn't believe the food here in India! The smells and colors are unbelievable! It's a good thing I like spicy foods because Indians LOVE to use spices! A very popular one is called Garam Masala. It is a mixture of spices including cloves, cumin and cardamom. Curry is a traditional India food that can be made with meats or vegetables. You see it everywhere from breakfast to street food. There are such beautiful flavors in Indian food from sweet coconut and nutmeg to spicy peppers and anise tasting fennel seeds (It tastes like black licorice!)
One of the most fun things about Indian food is that you can eat allot of it with your hands. There are so many different types of breads,crackers and pancakes and most foods are scooped up or dipped! I love dipping so this is the place for me! Also many meals are served with a delicious rice called basmati.
We have to be careful about what we eat here in India, because some of it could make us sick! There is different bacteria in the water here so we can only drink bottled water and we have to avoid the ice! Also if we have any vegetables they need to be so hot they are steaming and our fruits must be washed with bottled water. We have been sticking with thick skinned fruits like bananas just to be safe!
The people of India believe in their traditions and as such there are some for eating. You must always eat with your right hand as the left hand is thought to be "unclean." Because of the Hindu religion pork is not served and they do not serve beef because cows are sacred - no cheeseburgers on this trip! Dinner is generally the largest meal of the day and tends to be eaten on the later side.
Here is what a typical menu looks like...

Scrambled eggs & toast! We found Mickey on our juice!

Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs and lots of white toast with butter (Just like at home!)

or Baked beans, sausages and toast (India has a lot of British influence)
or
Aloo (potatoes, cauliflower and spices all mashed up) with Poori (a puffed up deep fried pancake)
Lunch
Mulligatawny soup
Or
Dal (Lentils) with Rice
Dinner
Tandoori Chicken (Chicken marinated in yogurt cooked in a special oven) with Cucumber salad

Tandoori Chicken - it's wrapped in a sugar web!

OR
Chicken Tiki Masala (Red Curry Sauce) with Naan (Flat bread) and Biryani (A Rice Dish)
Snacks
Pakoras (Vegetable Fritters)
Samosas (Fried pastry filled with meats and vegetables)
Mango Lassi (A sweet yogurt drink)
We drink Chai Tea with every meal! It's yummy and sweet!

Every day I try to taste something new. Even though many of the flavors are the same, each dish is different! The food here is very different than the food in America. The only thing that reminds me of home is when we have eggs and toast at breakfast!
Here is an amazing recipe for Aloo Gobi. Try it with your next meal!

Delicious Pakoras! I could eat 100 of them!

I am off to India!

I leave for India tomorrow and I am so excited I'm not sure if I will be able to sleep!! I have always wanted to go to India. The vast landscape and all of the spirituality really make it appealing to me. The steps of the ghats on the Ganes River has been a place I have wanted to visit for many years! I think I have everything packed but just to be sure I will go through my packing list one more time! When I am in India I plan on doing lots of yoga, seeing many sights such as temples and the Taj Mahal and eating lots of curry! Because I will be traveling with a backpack I need to keep my packing to a minimum and learn where I can do laundry!
According to Weather.com, Delhi, India where I am flying in is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That sounds lovely compared to this cold New England weather! Agra and Jaipur have very similar weather and in fact it may get a bit warmer throughout my stay. I need to remember that it will get cold at night though! I will be doing lots of walking on roads and sidewalks so I will need good shoes! Because of the Indian Culture I will need to make sure that my arms are covered and that I wear modest clothes. (that means no tank tops or short skirts!) I'll need a good book to read this is going to be one long flight! It will be about 17 hours in the air from Boston!

Clothes

Scarf to wrap around my shoulders
10 pairs of socks and undergarments
1 pair of Jeans
2 long skirts
2 long sleeve light shirts
2 short sleeve t-shirts
1 set of yoga clothes
1 set of pjs
zip up sweatshirt
sneakers
sandals

Other Stuff

Passport, money and important papers
Camera and charger
Picture of my dog and family in case I get homesick
Journal and pen to write down thoughts and remember facts I learn
A good book to read while traveling but can leave behind for someone else to enjoy
Laundry soap and a rope to make a drying rack
Tuba my stuffed moose - he goes everywhere with me!
Sunglasses

I think I am all set! I am most excited about seeing the Taj Mahal and riding in a Tuk Tuk! This is going to be one crazy adventure!