When most people think of India, they think of a poor, overpopulated country. While that description may be accurate, there is also so much more that the country has to offer. The culture is completely different than that of the United States. While it is deemed inappropriate to show your stomach in the states, here it is one’s knees and shoulders that should always remain covered. Men walk down the street holding hands or with their arms around each other and it is considered normal. Their sexual status does not come into questions at all. It is a sign of beauty to wear a colored powder of a gem on your face, where at home, if you did that, you would get talked about and someone might tell you that when you washed your face that morning, you missed a spot. You can see a family of four on a motorcycle, not one person wearing a helmet, and the newborn baby is in the arms of the mother who is sitting sideways on the motorcycle so that her legs are together and not straddling the seat. There were cows walking the streets and laying down in the middle of the street. Driving laws do not exist and traffic lights and stop signs are at the most suggestions. Just because there is a cow in the middle of the road does not mean that the driver of a car will stop. I was in awe at everything that I saw. I could not believe that I was actually in India. Don’t get me wrong; the country itself was extremely dirty. There were piles and piles of garbage all around, people urinating all over the streets, the air was filthy and at times it was hard to breath. You could tell how dirty the air was when you blew your nose and whatever came out was black. There were awful smells in the air and a lot of the people smelled as well. Antiperspirant is not widely used here, and showering and laundry are not everyday occurrences. I did not judge and was very open to learning about the county and the culture.
Ok, so the first day I left the ship with Brenna and Kelsey, and we got in a rickshaw, an open air vehicle that somewhat resembles a golf cart but is smaller and goes on main roads and highways. We had him take us to what we hear was the best shopping in town, Spencer’s Plaza. We were prepared for them to tell us that the plaza was closed but that they would take us to their friend’s shop. This is exactly what happened. But since Brenna did her homework and knew this would happen, we knew Spencer’s Plaza was open and insisted that they take us there and not to their friend’s shop. If they take us to their friend’s places, they get 160 rupee even if we don’t buy anything, but we wanted to get to where we wanted to go. So after three different drivers told us that they would not take us, we finally found one who said yes. His name was Logan. He was an older man with very limited English skills. He dropped us off at the Plaza and said he would wait for us. He did not want our money then, he said we would pay him when he drove us back to the ship. We wanted to pay him them incase we didn’t find him, but he would not accept the money. If he wanted to wait, that was fine because we knew he was legit, but we felt bad. We did a good amount of shopping but I didn’t find much that I liked. The stuff is beautiful but it’s just not my taste. Brenna was leaving for Delhi later that day, so Kelsey and I took Logan’s rickshaw back to the ship with her. Kelsey and I were not ready to call it a day, so we said ok to having Logan take us to some shops so that he could make some extra money. It is not very time consuming and we felt like it would fun and a nice thing to do. We went to three, and then back to Spencer’s plaza where he again waited for us. We did some more shopping, ate at Pizza Hut, and then got back in Logan’s rickshaw. He took us to two more shops before taking us back to the ship.
We got back just in time to meet Kelsey’s friends who were going out to dinner. Terron and Derron were also on their way out so they joined us. We were a group of 7 and then there were supposed to be 4 more people meeting us at the restaurant. The restaurant was in a hotel right next to Spencer’s Plaza. The meal was long and stretched out and the 4 girls showed up late and it was expensive. It was good but I had not idea how much it was going to cost and I was a little disappointed especially in a country were that kind of money can get you so far. But oh well, I was in India so there was not much to be upset about. My SAS trip was leaving at 4:00 the next morning along with a few other people’s trips, so we went home after dinner. I packed and went to sleep.
I woke up at met up with my group. I did not really know anyone going on my trip, which was fine since I knew that I would meet new people. One girl Deb, I had hung out with a few times was on my trip, and Lindsey was also on my trip, who is a friend of a friend. There were 40 people in my group. We had the same itinerary as another group of 70 people. I knew several people in the group as well. So, we left for the airport, which was an hour away and boarded our flight. I had an aisle but I switched for the window. I slept the ENTIRE flight.
We had a great Indian buffet lunch at a hotel before we were transferred to the train station.
Our train was delayed two hours so were all sitting on the dirty ground with beggars all around. Some people played cards, other napped and others just talked. When we finally boarded our non-air-conditioned second class, I was pleasantly surprised. It started out great, we each got our own three seats to lie down on and I slept for a good part of the 3 and a half hour trip. I woke up to someone saying my name and when I opened my eyes, there were Indians standing and sitting all around. The cart was packed. It was not too hot though since the sides were open with bars and it did not smell too bad at the time. I sat squished among Indians for a little while before finding a new place to lie; the storage space. They were the same material as the seat and the same length and width, only they were located right about the seats so you had to jump to get up there. They were also just as clean as the seats. I was able to go back to sleep until the end of the ride.
We got in late so our shopping trip was cancelled and were taken right to the hotel. The hotel was really nice and I was roomed with Sami. I had never spoken to her but she was very sweet. We all showered before having a late dinner, which was followed by a little bit of shopping at the stores in the lobby. I was ready to go to sleep before Sami was so I took the room key, which was an actual key and there was only one. I know am I a hard sleeper so I tried to keep myself awake by reading, but I fell asleep. I guess I did not respond to her knocking or calling the room because when I woke up at 5:00 am, she was not there. I felt horrible that I had locked her out all night. She had a good friend on the trip so she slept with her, but I still felt horrible.
So, our wake up call was at 5:00 the next morning. We loaded our buses and took the short drive to the Taj Mahal where we were going to watch the sunrise. On a side note, the sun does not rise or set behind the Taj, which would have made it even more magnificent. If I had built it, the architecture would have been the same; I just would have changed the location slightly. Walking down the strip from the street the Taj, we were bombarded by beggars, some of which were selling anything from pens to keychains to peacock feather fans. I was the sucker who gave in and bought a ton of things from the children. If I could bargain with them down to 100 rupees, I bought it. It was $2.50 to me and it meant so much to them. I loved seeing the children’s faces when you said ‘yes’ because they were continuously going up to people asking if they wanted to buy something and they kept hearing ‘no.’
We arrived at the Taj and I immediately found Dannie and I was so excited! She had flown down independently with Eric. She originally was not going to go to the Taj Mahal and she was going to stay in Chennai, but in the end, a few days before arriving, she changed her mind and Eric decided that he wanted to go also. So I was so excited to see them!! Dannie and I walked around the Taj for an hour and then it was time for us to go. Dannie and Eric were going to head back to Delhi that day and stay at the hotel that we were going to be staying in the next night so that we could meet up again then.
We got back to the hotel, had breakfast, and then were taken on a shopping store. This shop was somewhat like the stores that rickshaw drivers had taken us too. It was very expensive and it was a factory where carpets were made. We thought we were going to village like stores. Oh well. We stayed there way too long before heading back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we were taken to Fatehpur Sikri. It is a deserted city 25 miles from Agra. Emperor Akbar built it as his capitol to honor a Muslim Saint who prophesized the birth of an heir. Its red sandstone palaces are still in a remarkable state of preservation. Then we went to Agra Fort, which contains halls and palaces of the Mughals. After that, we went back to watch the sunset at the Taj Mahal.
Our next stop was Pizza Hut, yes Pizza Hut, which I love by the way even in India. After a while everyone has had enough of the ethnic food. So, SAS decided to schedule us dinner at Pizza Hut and it was amazing. The waiters also put a show on for us with great music and great dancing. I have it on video but I don’t know how to post it on here so I will have to show everyone when I get home. So, after Pizza Hut, we went back to the train station to head back to Delhi on an express, much nicer train. I missed the old train though. I liked having my three seats to spread out on. This train had normal, slightly reclining airplane seats and no leg room. I didn’t sleep at all, and instead talked the whole time to two other girls. I was exhausted but uncomfortable and I knew I would get to sleep at the hotel.
We got to the hotel around 11:00pm and the first person I saw was Brenna! She came running up to me a gave me a huge hug and I was just as happy to see her. She had done India indy with a friend from school named Max. She had a good time but would much rather have been with me or Dannie, who she had also found earlier that night at the hotel. There were a bunch of SAS groups staying at this wicked nice hotel, and I had told Brenna and Max and Dannie and Eric to come stay there too. There was a bar and a club in the hotel, but Brenna, Dannie and I just spent the night talking before going to sleep. Brenna, ready for a break from Max, spent the night on Eric and Dannie’s couch. Fortunately, there were 2 keys this time so I could not lock Sami out again. It still seems surreal to me, bumping into friends in foreign countries, although I know they are there since we arrive on the ship together. It is really cool.
The next morning we got to sleep. Wake up calls were at 8:00 for an 8:30 breakfast, but I slept through it and went right to the bus at 9:15. We were going to have a tour of New Delhi. We drove past the war memorial, the Parliament House, the Secretariat building and the president’s house, before visiting the Gandhi museum. We only had a half hour at the museum, which was very disappointing because there was so much to see. I took pictures of a lot of the things that I wanted to read so I could read them when I got home. The museum was beautiful and there was a garden with his final footsteps to the spot where he was assassinated. I definitely would have skipped the other stuff to have more time there. We left the museum and went back to the hotel for some final shopping and lunch, before heading to the airport. It was the busiest 3 days of my life but so worth it. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back with the people that I love.
On my final day in India, I went with Dannie, Andrea, Kevin, Kelsey and a few other people back to the shopping plaza to get a few more things that I had wanted to buy. I hardly bought anything while other people were complaining that they spent way too much money. I loved the fact that I saved money, but now after the fact, I wish I had bought more. Oh well, I will just have to go back. We had dinner at the mall before heading back to ship. I loved India! I know a lot of people had mixed feelings because of the filth, but I looked through the dirt and saw the culture. Although I would not want to live there, I definitely hope to return someday to travel the country and see the Taj Mahal again.
Ok, so the first day I left the ship with Brenna and Kelsey, and we got in a rickshaw, an open air vehicle that somewhat resembles a golf cart but is smaller and goes on main roads and highways. We had him take us to what we hear was the best shopping in town, Spencer’s Plaza. We were prepared for them to tell us that the plaza was closed but that they would take us to their friend’s shop. This is exactly what happened. But since Brenna did her homework and knew this would happen, we knew Spencer’s Plaza was open and insisted that they take us there and not to their friend’s shop. If they take us to their friend’s places, they get 160 rupee even if we don’t buy anything, but we wanted to get to where we wanted to go. So after three different drivers told us that they would not take us, we finally found one who said yes. His name was Logan. He was an older man with very limited English skills. He dropped us off at the Plaza and said he would wait for us. He did not want our money then, he said we would pay him when he drove us back to the ship. We wanted to pay him them incase we didn’t find him, but he would not accept the money. If he wanted to wait, that was fine because we knew he was legit, but we felt bad. We did a good amount of shopping but I didn’t find much that I liked. The stuff is beautiful but it’s just not my taste. Brenna was leaving for Delhi later that day, so Kelsey and I took Logan’s rickshaw back to the ship with her. Kelsey and I were not ready to call it a day, so we said ok to having Logan take us to some shops so that he could make some extra money. It is not very time consuming and we felt like it would fun and a nice thing to do. We went to three, and then back to Spencer’s plaza where he again waited for us. We did some more shopping, ate at Pizza Hut, and then got back in Logan’s rickshaw. He took us to two more shops before taking us back to the ship.
We got back just in time to meet Kelsey’s friends who were going out to dinner. Terron and Derron were also on their way out so they joined us. We were a group of 7 and then there were supposed to be 4 more people meeting us at the restaurant. The restaurant was in a hotel right next to Spencer’s Plaza. The meal was long and stretched out and the 4 girls showed up late and it was expensive. It was good but I had not idea how much it was going to cost and I was a little disappointed especially in a country were that kind of money can get you so far. But oh well, I was in India so there was not much to be upset about. My SAS trip was leaving at 4:00 the next morning along with a few other people’s trips, so we went home after dinner. I packed and went to sleep.
I woke up at met up with my group. I did not really know anyone going on my trip, which was fine since I knew that I would meet new people. One girl Deb, I had hung out with a few times was on my trip, and Lindsey was also on my trip, who is a friend of a friend. There were 40 people in my group. We had the same itinerary as another group of 70 people. I knew several people in the group as well. So, we left for the airport, which was an hour away and boarded our flight. I had an aisle but I switched for the window. I slept the ENTIRE flight.
We had a great Indian buffet lunch at a hotel before we were transferred to the train station.
Our train was delayed two hours so were all sitting on the dirty ground with beggars all around. Some people played cards, other napped and others just talked. When we finally boarded our non-air-conditioned second class, I was pleasantly surprised. It started out great, we each got our own three seats to lie down on and I slept for a good part of the 3 and a half hour trip. I woke up to someone saying my name and when I opened my eyes, there were Indians standing and sitting all around. The cart was packed. It was not too hot though since the sides were open with bars and it did not smell too bad at the time. I sat squished among Indians for a little while before finding a new place to lie; the storage space. They were the same material as the seat and the same length and width, only they were located right about the seats so you had to jump to get up there. They were also just as clean as the seats. I was able to go back to sleep until the end of the ride.
We got in late so our shopping trip was cancelled and were taken right to the hotel. The hotel was really nice and I was roomed with Sami. I had never spoken to her but she was very sweet. We all showered before having a late dinner, which was followed by a little bit of shopping at the stores in the lobby. I was ready to go to sleep before Sami was so I took the room key, which was an actual key and there was only one. I know am I a hard sleeper so I tried to keep myself awake by reading, but I fell asleep. I guess I did not respond to her knocking or calling the room because when I woke up at 5:00 am, she was not there. I felt horrible that I had locked her out all night. She had a good friend on the trip so she slept with her, but I still felt horrible.
So, our wake up call was at 5:00 the next morning. We loaded our buses and took the short drive to the Taj Mahal where we were going to watch the sunrise. On a side note, the sun does not rise or set behind the Taj, which would have made it even more magnificent. If I had built it, the architecture would have been the same; I just would have changed the location slightly. Walking down the strip from the street the Taj, we were bombarded by beggars, some of which were selling anything from pens to keychains to peacock feather fans. I was the sucker who gave in and bought a ton of things from the children. If I could bargain with them down to 100 rupees, I bought it. It was $2.50 to me and it meant so much to them. I loved seeing the children’s faces when you said ‘yes’ because they were continuously going up to people asking if they wanted to buy something and they kept hearing ‘no.’
We arrived at the Taj and I immediately found Dannie and I was so excited! She had flown down independently with Eric. She originally was not going to go to the Taj Mahal and she was going to stay in Chennai, but in the end, a few days before arriving, she changed her mind and Eric decided that he wanted to go also. So I was so excited to see them!! Dannie and I walked around the Taj for an hour and then it was time for us to go. Dannie and Eric were going to head back to Delhi that day and stay at the hotel that we were going to be staying in the next night so that we could meet up again then.
We got back to the hotel, had breakfast, and then were taken on a shopping store. This shop was somewhat like the stores that rickshaw drivers had taken us too. It was very expensive and it was a factory where carpets were made. We thought we were going to village like stores. Oh well. We stayed there way too long before heading back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we were taken to Fatehpur Sikri. It is a deserted city 25 miles from Agra. Emperor Akbar built it as his capitol to honor a Muslim Saint who prophesized the birth of an heir. Its red sandstone palaces are still in a remarkable state of preservation. Then we went to Agra Fort, which contains halls and palaces of the Mughals. After that, we went back to watch the sunset at the Taj Mahal.
Our next stop was Pizza Hut, yes Pizza Hut, which I love by the way even in India. After a while everyone has had enough of the ethnic food. So, SAS decided to schedule us dinner at Pizza Hut and it was amazing. The waiters also put a show on for us with great music and great dancing. I have it on video but I don’t know how to post it on here so I will have to show everyone when I get home. So, after Pizza Hut, we went back to the train station to head back to Delhi on an express, much nicer train. I missed the old train though. I liked having my three seats to spread out on. This train had normal, slightly reclining airplane seats and no leg room. I didn’t sleep at all, and instead talked the whole time to two other girls. I was exhausted but uncomfortable and I knew I would get to sleep at the hotel.
We got to the hotel around 11:00pm and the first person I saw was Brenna! She came running up to me a gave me a huge hug and I was just as happy to see her. She had done India indy with a friend from school named Max. She had a good time but would much rather have been with me or Dannie, who she had also found earlier that night at the hotel. There were a bunch of SAS groups staying at this wicked nice hotel, and I had told Brenna and Max and Dannie and Eric to come stay there too. There was a bar and a club in the hotel, but Brenna, Dannie and I just spent the night talking before going to sleep. Brenna, ready for a break from Max, spent the night on Eric and Dannie’s couch. Fortunately, there were 2 keys this time so I could not lock Sami out again. It still seems surreal to me, bumping into friends in foreign countries, although I know they are there since we arrive on the ship together. It is really cool.
The next morning we got to sleep. Wake up calls were at 8:00 for an 8:30 breakfast, but I slept through it and went right to the bus at 9:15. We were going to have a tour of New Delhi. We drove past the war memorial, the Parliament House, the Secretariat building and the president’s house, before visiting the Gandhi museum. We only had a half hour at the museum, which was very disappointing because there was so much to see. I took pictures of a lot of the things that I wanted to read so I could read them when I got home. The museum was beautiful and there was a garden with his final footsteps to the spot where he was assassinated. I definitely would have skipped the other stuff to have more time there. We left the museum and went back to the hotel for some final shopping and lunch, before heading to the airport. It was the busiest 3 days of my life but so worth it. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back with the people that I love.
On my final day in India, I went with Dannie, Andrea, Kevin, Kelsey and a few other people back to the shopping plaza to get a few more things that I had wanted to buy. I hardly bought anything while other people were complaining that they spent way too much money. I loved the fact that I saved money, but now after the fact, I wish I had bought more. Oh well, I will just have to go back. We had dinner at the mall before heading back to ship. I loved India! I know a lot of people had mixed feelings because of the filth, but I looked through the dirt and saw the culture. Although I would not want to live there, I definitely hope to return someday to travel the country and see the Taj Mahal again.
Brenna, me, and Kelsey on the rickshaw in India
Dannie, me and Deb at the Taj!!!
me at the TAJ!
me with my peacock fan and my bindi outside the TAJ
me wathcing the sunset at the TAJ!
1 comment:
I love reading your blog, it makes me feel like i'm there with you. You look really cute with your bindi, and the pictures are great as usual. Te amo un monton y te extraño =(
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