Getting a Goggle Tan

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Reunited

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(Mini) Eurotrippin

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Goodbye India

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Train Travel in India

Traveling by train in India is an absolute must for anyone visiting the country. The ginormous railway system is actually relatively organized and well run. It is possible to make reservations well in advance. There are different cabin classes (ranging from Unreserved 2nd Class to 1 AC). And while the trains are often delayed by a matter of hours rather than minutes, you will arrive at your final destination (eventually).

When Anna and I found our seats on our first train (headed to Varanasi) we started laughing out loud because we were both thinking "40 hours of this? There is no way." Cramped, upright bench style seats...nothing like the Deutsche Bahn. However, the train ended up actually being pretty comfortable. In the 3 AC cabin, boards fold out from the wall to use as beds at night. We even got pillows and a sheet to sleep with. A diner car worker came by before every meal to take food orders. We had the option of ordering a vegetarian or non vegetarian meal (for about $1). In the food car, cooks prepared huge things of rice and vegetables which were then distributed to people who had ordered meals. Quite impressive when you consider how many people were on the train.

On our second train, we arrived to find people sitting in all of our seats. They scooched closer together to make some room for us. Thinking that there was some sort of confusion, I asked one of the men what his seat number was. He just said "no". Turns out half the people in our little section didn't have tickets. This did not seem to be a problem, even when the conductor came by. Somehow, five people (me being one of them) wound up sleeping in a space meant for two. I guess that is India.

I liked traveling by train because we met new people and had unexpected conversations with them. For example. there was a group of four medical students who had just finished giving free eye exams for a month in a rural area. I first thought that they were vendors of some kind because they each boarded the train with three or four bags filled with brand new winter clothing. Turns out they were bringing warm clothes back to their families. For the life of them, the students could not understand why the heck I was taking a gap year. They seemed to think I was some sort of screw up who hated school and couldn't get my act together. They kept asking me why I hadn't decided what I wanted to study in college my senior year of high school like I was supposed to. We wound up talking about all sorts of cultural differences. Very interesting.

Another thing about riding on Indian trains is that you will never ever be a)hungry or b) bored. There is constant action, both inside the train and outside of it. The landscape out the window is always changing. People selling everything from cell phone chargers to samosas walk back and forth between the cabins. And don't let me forget the chai wallahs. There are also plenty of people selling fresh coconut, salted guava, papaya chunks, you name it, at every stop.
It is all very fun!

India - Darjeeling

I was very excited to go to Darjeeling, mostly because I love The Darjeeling Limited. Well turns out, the movie has nothing to do with the actual Darjeeling.

Arriving in Darjeeling felt like arriving in a completely different country. The people, food, and culture of Darjeeling seemed a lot more Nepalese than Indian (which makes sense since the town is so close to Nepal).

In Darjeeling we:

• Stayed three nights at the Pagoda Guesthouse. No running water, freezing cold at night, and non stop dogs barking outside of the window. We got what we paid for at $2 a night. The owner was very friendly though. And we loved Tyson the guesthouse puppy. What a name.
• Took a tour of the Happy Valley Tea Estate. We even tried the signature Tippy Flower Orange Pico 1 blend. Happy Valley still uses the machines that they did when the estate opened...in 1854.
  
• Ate Tibetan momos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Woke up at four in the morning to head to Tiger Hill for a breathtaking view of the sunrise over the Himalayas. We even caught a glimpse of Mount Everest.
• Experienced a 24 hour, full town strike. The entire town was shut down. Restaurants, stores, markets, tourist attractions...everything was closed. The strike had to do with Darjeeling and the surrounding area's desire to become the separate state of Ghurkaland. The unity in Darjeeling was actually quite impressive. We were dissapointed that the Zoo and Mountaineering Museum were closed. We were also quite hungry.
• Strengthened our calf muscles by walking up and down hills so much.
• Regretted not bringing ski jackets, gloves, and hats to India.
• Visited a fun temple covered in Tibetan prayer flags and swarming with monkeys.
• Drank Darjeeling tea at every meal.
• Took the seven hour Toy Train down the mountain. The tracks run alongside the road for most of the trip. So we actually got stuck in traffic, while on a train. Though the non stop train whistle honking got a little old, the views over the hillside villages made the trip well worth it.
  

Getting from Darjeeling back to Udayan Care in Greater Noida took a full 72 hours! Our train's departure was delayed by a mere 15 hours. How does that even happen?! Living in India has definitely helped me to become more laid back and much more patient. Things that would have driven me absolutely bonkers three months ago are no big deal now. Like being stuck in the one city specifically mentioned as having "absolutely nothing of interest in it" (by my tour book) for 15 hours.

And after three weeks of traveling here, I feel like I could travel anywhere. I can make train reservations (which involves hours of waiting in line and passport numbers), find my way on a map (not necessarily a given considering my sense of direction, or lack thereof), find the cheapest possible hotel, bargain for rickshaw rides, ask for help. And most importantly, I can remain calm and relaxed while doing it. More than anything, traveling in India requires flexibility.

India - Varanasi

From Jaipur, Anna, Niklas and I took our first train ride in India, headed to Varanasi. India has the largest railway network in the world. 18 million people in India travel by train every day. Crazy. During our first hour of train travel, we looked out the window and saw the remains of a train crash that had happened the day before. Overturned train cars, people huddled in groups, and clean up crews. Not exactly the best thing to see at the start of our train journey.

For Hindus, Varanasi is the holiest city in India with the river Ganges flowing through it. It is said that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains immediate salvation. Children and pregnant women are allowed to be "buried" in the river. Others are cremated and have their ashes thrown into the river. Varanasi, like other places in India I have visited is bustling, colorful, loud, and very alive. At the same time, the focus on death in some areas was interesting to see. There were people so old, it was clear that they were in a sense, just waiting to die in Varanasi.

The Ganges is lined with ghats (stairs leading down to the river, used mostly by bathers). I loved walking along the ghats, each different in color and style. For many people living in Varanasi, life seems to kind of center around the river. They bathe in the river, wash their clothes in the river, pray at the river, earn money by charging for boat rides on the river...

One morning, we woke up super early to take a row boat ride in order to see the early morning rituals on the Ganges. Despite the pouring rain, hundreds of people were bathing in the river at 5:30 in the morning. We also saw full bodies being burned at one of the ghats. The Ganges must be one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It is full of garbage, urine, dead bodies, and heavy metals from upstream. I had no desire join the bathers. We were not along out on the river. There were tons of other boats with tourists, eager to see something so foreign and take pictures. I wonder how the Hindus feel, beeing watched like that every morning.

We also attended the evening pooja at Dashashwamedh Ghat, lit floating candles and sent them down the river, and explored the maze of narrow alleyways between the river and the main road.

India - Rajasthan

Along with German volunteers Paula, Anna, and Niklas, I spent 9 days touring Rajasthan (one of the Indian states). We visited Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Pushkar, Ranthambore, and Jaipur. Because we wanted to see so many places in so little time, we decided to go by car instead of by train. Driving around India is a great way to see all kinds of things going on. It is an experience not to be missed (see India Part 1 for a description)...driving in India is crazier than just about anything. It can definitely make me feel as if I'm putting my life on the line.

In Bikaner, we spent a day exploring. We walked through the maze of streets (getting somewhat completely lost), took pictures of beautiful havelis, tasted traditional sweets, and visited an impressive Jain temple. I loved exploring the old city because it had a small town feel. Very different from Delhi!

We went on an overnight camel safari. We had dinner in the desert and slept under the stars. Though I enjoyed riding a camel for three hours, I can't say it was the most comfortable mode of transportation.

We visited the Deshnok Karni Mata "rat temple", a temple swarming with sacred rats. Lives ones, dead ones...they were all over the place. And we had to take our shoes off to enter the temple. If a rat runs over your feet, it is good luck. If you accidentally step on a rat and kill it, you must bury the rat outside of the temple. You also must give the temple a golden rat statue.

In Jodhpur, the blue city, we stayed in an awesome haveli hotel, tasted world famous lassis, ate a tasty tandoori meal, and visited the very impressive Mehrangarh Fort. The wall leaving the fort has red vermillion handprints on it from the widows of the last maharaja. The widows made the marks as they left the fort for the last time, on their way to be burned on their husband's funeral pyre (remind me to watch the movie "Fire" when I'm home).

On the way to Udaipur, we stopped at a breathtaking Ranakpur temple. The temple is decorated with more than 1444 uniquelycarved pillars. It was incredible.

In Udaipur (supposedly the most romantic city to in India) we ate a beyond delicious $1 "all you can eat" thali meal. Finding the restaurant, which was well off the tourist trail, was an adventure in itsel. My travel buddies were good sports about my desire to explore the city by foot for hours. The "local version" of Udaipur that we discovered by walking around and the "tourist version" of Udaipur that most foreigners see when they visit were like night and day. Though we were plenty touristy, visiting the city palace, attending a traditional dance performance, going to a Hindu temple, and watching Octopussy (a James Bond movie partly filmed in the city) over dinner. We even made a stop at the Lonely Planet recommended Edelweiss Cafe. Nearly every shop and restaurant in Udaipur was adorned with a sign saying "Recommended by Lonely Planet"

We were all very surprised when we arrived in Pushkar, only to discover that the holy lake had gone dry. We hoped that the non stop rain while we were there would help to fill the lake up before we left. We spent most of our time in Pushkar wandering along a very fun, kilometer long, hippy market street. We picked out some fun souvenirs.

Throughout Rajasthan, it was interesting to see the different types of tourists in each town. Very few tourists in Bikaner,mainly families in Jodhpur, lots of couples in Udaipur, mostly young college age hippy types in Pushkar...

We went to Ranthambore to visit Ranthambore National Park, a tiger preserve. Unfortunately, we did not spot any tigers on our safari. We did see some creatures though, the most memorable of which were the baby owls snuggled together. We felt a little lacking in knowledge compared to our safari companions, who could all name each and every bird and plant we passed. For dinner, we went to a hole in the wall joint. I doubt that a single tourist had ever eaten there before, let alone four. My favorite things to do when traveling is to visit places that are as close to authentic as possible. Eating where the locals eat usually means that you a)meet interesting people and have interesting conversations with them and b)get a way better meal. One of my rules is to never eat at a restaurant with pictures of the food. Pictures of food mean one thing: tourist alert (since we tourists can't read the menu).

In Jaipur, we were looking forward to doing some serious shopping (all the guide books say Jaipur is the single best place to shop in India). However, the selection of souvenirs and trinkets wasn't quite what we were looking for. It was a bit disappointing. We did visit the shop of my friend Atul who sells typical Rajasthani handicrafts. I had already been to Jaipur with my mom at the start of my India trip, so I was content relaxing and taking a bit of a breather at our hotel.

I organized our tour of Rajasthan through Jolly, a friendly tour guide recommended by a previous Udayan Care volunteer. Though I specified budget hotels, the places we stayed in were super nice. Nicer than most places I've stayed with my family when traveling. I felt kind of spoiled. It is remarkable how far a dollar can go in India.

All in all, I loved getting to see parts of Rajasthan. It is a lively and very colorful state. The week was full of tasty meals (though I don't think I ever need to eat camel milk kulfi again), unbelievable sights, busy days, tired feet, and lots of laughs.

P.S. Did you notice the fact that I'm pretty much wearing the same outfit in every single picture? And no, all of these pictures were not taken on the same day.

India Part 5 (November 5, 2009)

Hi Everyone!

It's hard to believe I've been in India for a full two months. I'm really happy that I still have a month here though. I know that I still have so much to see and experience.

Last week, I spent three days in Delhi for Ruchika's wedding (I mentioned Ruchika in my second update). I spent the three wedding days with Ruchika, her closest friends, and her family. I know I can’t do the experience justice in an e-mail but I’ll try to mention the highlights.

The Sangeet Party was on Tuesday. This involved a ceremony where the bride's family welcomed the groom, a ring ceremony, and dance performances by both the bride's side and the groom’s side. I performed in two of the dances! I learned the steps (one traditional Punjabi dancestarted as Soulja Boy and turned into a Hindi song. So funny. Throughout all the dances, everyone in the audience was cheering, clapping, and dancing along. Dancing and seeing all the other performances was so a lot of fun.

On Wednesday, I got henna done on both my hands at a market with Ruchika’s friends and cousins. The bride traditionally also gets henna done on both legs. In the evening, close friends and family members packed into Ruchika’s home. We all sat together on the living room for hours, talking, laughing singing songs, and eating. This celebration seemed like a way of saying goodbye to Ruchika.

The real wedding started at eight in the evening on Thursday. Because the Hindu weddings here happen on days determined to be auspicious by priests, there were 30,000 weddings in Delhi alone that night. When we arrived, a parade of the groom’s side was waiting outside the venue. Amit was in a horse drawn carriage, everyone was singing, there was a marching band, and volcano fire crackers were spewing sparks. The wedding venue was a huge grassy area, elaborately decorated with lights, tents, multiple stages, tables, and curtains.

There were lots of ceremonies and traditions that took place throughout the wedding. For example, in the first ceremony, one person from each side of the family (an uncle and an uncle for example) went up on stage to formally greet and welcome each other. I really liked the emphasis on family throughout the entire wedding. The marriage was clearly a joining of two entire families, not just of Amit and Ruchika.

For what seemed like the main event, Ruchika joined Amit on a platform. As they stood holding hands, the platform raised up in the air and rotated slowly. Meanwhile, confetti was being blown out of huge tubes and there were fireworks. I felt like I was in the movie Fantasia or something.

After that, there was lots of dancing and eating. I love the music and dance moves here. To a foreigner, the moves seemed like a joke at first, which makes them all the more fun to do. And I think I would classify the extensive buffet with no fewer than 475 different food items as one of the top five greatest things that has ever happened to me.

The actual marriage ceremony took place at two in the morning. As part of the ceremony, Ruchika and Amit walked “seven circles,” each representing a promise that they were making to each other.

I walked around with my jaw hanging open in awe for most of the three days. I have never seen anything like this wedding. I had such an incredible time. And I feel so lucky to have gotten such an in depth experience of a traditional Indian wedding.

Things have been very busy at Udayan Care. In addition to the usual things like soccer and academic help, I've put on a few fun activities. Last weekend, we watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory after finishing reading the book in English. I handed out mini chocolate bars to everyone as well because watching that movie without any chocolate is pure torture. On Saturday, we celebrated Halloween. After all the girls had dressed up (most of them were fairies and princesses), we had a face painting session. Then we turned off all the lights and the girls came trick or treating at my door. After getting to celebrate so many Indian festivals, it was fun to teach the girls about an American tradition.

I have been cooking a bunch lately. I help in the kitchen nearly every day. I'm hoping that I'll be able to recreate a simple North Indian meal when I get home. Last week I learned how to make momos which are little steamed Tibetan dumplings. Anna and I made french toast and fruit salad for everyone for breakfast. The 'egg sugar bread' as the girls keep calling it was a huge success. Yesterday we cooked pasta and garlic toast for dinner. Making garlic bread without an oven, toaster, garlic press, or brush was an accomplishment. The girls really like trying food from other countries.

Today is my last official day at the orphanage. Tomorrow, I embark on two and a half weeks of travel around Northern India with three of the German volunteers. We will spend a week touring Rajasthan by car. Then we will head to Varanasi and Darjeeling by train.

I am definitely looking forward to this next part of my adventure but I don’t want to leave Udayan Care. I am really going to miss all of the girls. I am so used to living here and the daily routine. I have already decided to come back to Greater Noida for at least a couple days after traveling because there’s no way I can say goodbye to the girls for good. I am thankful that I have been able to become a part of this big family.

I miss you all and I hope you are well,

Emmiliese

India Part 4 (October 21, 2009)

Hi All,

I'm now in the middle of my seventh week in India. I feel more at home here every day. At the same time, I'm constantly seeing and experiencing new things. Getting the chance to really learn so much about another country and culture is such a privilege.

My volunteer work at Udayan Care is going really well. I am still running soccer practice every other evening. The team played another game, this time against a group of adults as a fundraiser. It was fun to watch them hold their own against people two or three times their size. Anna (the other volunteer from Germany) and I have started making posters to decorate the blank walls of the tuition I have been helping a lot of the girls with math, which seems to be a very weak subject for most of them. Many of the girls are missing the fundamentals. It's hard to teach someone how to simplify fractions when they don't know what multiplication or division is. I am helping a group of the younger girls learn their multiplication tables. I have also started running some arts and craft sessions. Right now we are experiencing a bit of friendship bracelet mania in the home.

Last week, I spent a fun (not so much) night at the hospital. Luckily, I was there as a friend, not a patient. Anna had to spend a day hooked up to an IV because of really bad food poisoning "Dehli belly" is a well known tourist warning for a reason. While at the hospital, my job was to walk downstairs every hour to buy medicine. Then I would bring it up to the doctors so they could administer it to Anna. The hospital requires every patient to have a "caretaker" stay the night with them to do this. Seem a little inefficient? At least I can now say that I spent the night in an Indian hospital.

Once she had recovered, Anna and I took a trip to Delhi for a volunteer meeting. Getting to Delhi from Greater Noida is quite the process. We have figured out how to take the bus (three different ones each way). Getting to our final destination is mostly a matter of asking every bus driver we see where they are headed. Before coming to India, I was warned about the buses here being extremely crowded, hot, and often smelly. This is all true. But the buses are also a lot of fun, with loud Hindi Bollywood music blasting and a steady stream of peddlars hopping on and off to sell coconut slices or roasted corn. There is so much to see out the window, from women clad in bright sarees to stands selling sweets for upcoming festivals. For some reason, whenever I'm sitting, or as is more often the case, standing on the bus (often with sweat dripping down my face and an elbow or two poking into my sides) I feel especially happy to be in India. I like knowing that I am experiencing something so different from what I am used to.

While in Delhi, Anna, another volunteer Paula, and I visited the Lotus Temple. As we were taking pictures of the temple, many of the Indian tourists were taking pictures of us. Some people attempted to do so sneakily. Others came up and asked us to pose with their families. I wonder how many family scrapbooks I'll wind up in...

This past Saturday we celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights. It is one of the biggest festivals here. Diwali celebrates the homecoming of Rama and Sita in the Ramayana. It also marks the Hindu New Year. Celebrating Diwali has been one of the my best experiences so far (so I'm going to explain it in a bit of detail)!

In the morning, the girls and I made colorful paper decorations which we hung up all over the home. The house was cleaned thoroughly. We also painted "rangoli" designs on the floor. Cleaning and decorating the house is meant to attract Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Breakfast was my all time favorite "aloo paratha" (a sort of bread pancake stuffed with potato). After breakfast, everyone dressed up in their best outfits. I got to wear my saree for the first time. At least 10 girls crowded into my room to help me wrap the saree, put on bangles, and apply a bindi. Next, we all went to the meditation room for "puja" (worship). Songs were sung/chanted, incense burned, and an offerring of sweets made. The puja ended with a "rasgulla" (a syrupy dough ball of a sweet) and a "tika" (red forehead mark) for everyone. Before lunch, a couple of the girls and I walked to the local market. I attracted more attention in traditional clothes than I do in my usual western wear. Grocery shopping in a saree was fun though.

We had a special lunch with "puri" (fried bread) instead of our usual "roti". Around five, we all went outside to start preparing "diyas" (little terracotta bowls with oil and a wick in them) to light up the house. By the time it was dark, the whole neighborhood was lit up. The Diwali lamps represent the lights that were lit to guide Rama home. Before dinner, we had a second puja where the God Ganesha was worshipped. This puja ended with more sweets and "kalava" (sacred red string bracelets).

After dinner, fire crackers were distributed to all the girls. Then the madness began. Incredibly happy, exciting madness. But madness non the less. 40 girls, many under the age of 13, in a smallish space with their own personal supply of spark spewing crackers... It was insane. There were crackers that shot sparks up like a volcano, ones that made incredibly loud booms, and ones that exploded with bursts of flame, just to name a few. The next couple of hours were spent playing with fireworks. It was great. (My little brother would have had the absolute time of his life). I fell asleep to the sound of fireworks.
And that was Diwali. All in all it was an awesome experience.

This update turned quite long. Sorry about that. I guess it makes up for not sending one out last week.

Thanks for reading this. Please keep on updating me on your lives if you get the chance!

Love, Emmo(liese)