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