I’ve been surviving my first India mountain experience.  Under other circumstances I could probably say enjoying, but between my nose running from my cold or me running to the bathroom, combined with overnight buses that make airplane turbulence seem like nothing, to large bugs and dank moisture hanging in the cool air, it hasn’t exactly been pleasant.  Our second night in Dharamsala Matt and I were getting ready for bed when a gigantic spider appeared in the corner of the room above the armoire.  It was at least the same size as a tarantula, but unfortunately not in a cage.  It was too high for us to reach, and we had no bug spray.  Hysterically I ran outside of our room into the lobby to get some help from the staff.  I frantically pointed to the abnormally large spider and asked if they had any spray, all the while making crushing motions with my hands so that he would be sure I wanted it dead.  The hotel guy took a long duster and brushed the spider from the ceiling to the floor where, being a good Hindu boy, he did not kill it but tried to capture it so he could take it outside.  It appeared that it had gotten away because he was having trouble locating it in the bristles of the duster, but then he got up, took it outside and shook it out over the balcony.  Uncertain of his success, I asked if he got it to which he replied, “Yes.”  I didn’t believe him.  Matt and I closed our door and conducted an unsuccessful search for the pest, and even stuffed newspaper in a cranny we thought it might have hidden in.  Sure enough, about an hour later the beast resurfaced, but this time Matt and I were ready.  We didn’t want to have to use any the spider bite antivenoms the guidebook wrote about so instead of seeking help from the hotel staff, we took matters into our own hands and used a shoe.  Even though the spider was dead, I had a hard time sleeping that night.  I was finally able to fall asleep with my sleep sheet pulled up around my face, leaving just a small space to breath.  We changed rooms the next night.  I saw many more spiders in Dharamsala, but none as big as that first one. 

To the credit of the mountains though, they haven’t been uninteresting.  The small community where we stayed outside of Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj, is where the Tibetan government is set up, and the Dalai Lama lives there next to the Buddhist monastery.  For the first time in India, the majority of the people I saw were not Indian, they were Tibetan and to my surprise many of them were dressed pretty normally (not in the western style many young Indians unsuccessfully attempt to imitate).  Also interesting was the organization of the Tibetan community and comparative wealth to the Indian communities I’ve seen.  I figured at least two of the reasons for this may be: 1.) Outside support—how many universities don’t have a Students for a Free Tibet?  Not many.  2.)  A strong, cohesive community that has bonded together through many hardships.  Our first day there Matt and I took a walk through the Tibet museum where I was able to learn about the Chinese occupation and the Tibetan’s long journey across the Himalayas to seek refuge in India.  One of the days we were in McLeod Ganj, almost all of the Tibetan run shops (i.e. most of the town) were shut down.  In the morning there was a protest march down the hill, and in the evening a candle light vigil.  Both events were to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet, and specifically targeted the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Many people had t-shirts for the event, and the leaders passed out slick informational flyers—like the kind the college clubs pass out for events back home.  You may be thinking, so what?  A flyer?  Who cares?  But you must understand that this is India and many of the things I have seen here appear to be extremely inefficient, like the guy at an internet place who took Matt’s ID down the street to be photocopied rather than scan it digitally using his own equipment.  Or at the Indian Airlines office where only one person could get you fares, the other desks were for bookings, even though all had access to the same information and many of the booking desks were open. Or that you can’t even book/pay for a flight from Indian Airlines on-line.  And these are just IT related examples, but the list could go on.  Anyways, my point is is that there definitely seemed to be a contrast between the Tibetan community norms and the Indian norms I’ve seen so far.

Back to the beginning of this post, I hope to more than just survive my India mountain experience.  Tonight we leave for a higher and drier destination.  I will do my best to stay hydrated on my electrolyte solution and hopefully other things will start drying up thanks to Cipro.  Until then, happy wishes to you where ever you are—at work, at home, at school.  Remember, when times get rough, at least you’ve got hot water and a toilet you don’t have to pour a bucket of water in to flush.  J

 

It’s been a few days since either of us has written anything, but we’re now in Dharamsala. After a hectic last couple days in Delhi, we finally escaped to my favorite region on the planet: the Himalayas. It’s the beginning of what I think will be an epic month. There’s just something mystical about the Himalayas. I’m not sure what it is; perhaps its scale and natural beauty of the world’s highest mountains, or maybe the foreignness of the region, or perhaps it’s the people. Whatever it is, I love these mountains. I could live the rest of my life living and exploring these mountains, from the Hindu Kush in northern Pakistan/Afghanistan to the high plateaus of Ladakh and Tibet to the ancient kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan and down to the verdant foothills towards Southeast Asia.

            We’re beginning our Himalayan adventure in the old hill station Dharamsala. Famous for being the residence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, it’s a mecca for monks, hippies, Tibetan refugees and activists. I’ve visited several times in the past and chose it as the first stop for several reasons: it’s a socially-interesting place, has a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere, and is a good first step altitude-wise on our journey to higher elevations.

            While Delhi had some noticeable changes since my last visit (like the Metro and different businesses opening and closing), Dharamsala has remained much the same. The same guesthouses, same restaurants with the same menus, and same eclectic demographics. Still a ton of backpackers and hippies walking around enjoying the cheap accommodation and chill atmosphere. There’s always been a lot of monks here, but we’ve seen them interacting with and coordinating a lot with the activists, in the run up to the 2008 Olympics. I was mad at myself yesterday for not carrying my camera, as I missed a hundreds-strong marching protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet and a candlelight vigil for the Tibetan political prisoners that China is holding. Even in Delhi there were demonstrations, flyers, and a hunger-strike demanding any of the following: a free Tibet, an autonomous region of Tibet, the release of political and religious prisoners, the inclusion of Tibetan athletes in the Olympics, the cancellation of the Olympics from China. I have pretty strong feelings/opinions on the whole issue, but I’ll keep them to myself until after we visit China.

            Besides our relaxing routine of eating, walking, talking, reading, and writing all day every day, we watched Borat and hiked to a nearby waterfall. Borat was funny, the waterfall fun. We hiked up to just under it and dipped our feet in the cold water. It was cold enough that a nearby snack stand had siphoned off part of the stream to fill a makeshift cooler full of cold drinks. The view from the falls looking down the narrow gorge was amazing, with clouds floating around within the valley. Unfortunately, this was the same aforementioned day that I didn’t carry my camera. Regardless, it was great- just sitting on the rocks, feet in the water, talking and enjoying the Himalayas.

            Other than all that, we haven’t been doing too much. We spent our first night in The Yellow Guesthouse, which was my favorite place to stay a few years back. Unfortunately, they’ve doubled their room rates since then and Joylani was kind of grossed out by the mold and lack of hot-water there. So we’re now staying on the other side of town at Holiday House. Both places have amazing views; the Yellow Guesthouse looking south down into the Beas Valley (whose river of the same name marks the eastern-most border of Alexander the Great’s empire, as his troops refused to cross the river) and Holiday House overlooking the westerly downward slopes of these Himalayan foothills down to the green plains of the Punjab.

            Tomorrow, we’ll head deeper into the mountains before setting out for higher latitudes and altitudes.

For all those who have thought we were crazy to go on a trip like this and crazy in particular to start it with several months in India, I would have to agree with you. As the nature of our trip and the realities of our new lifestyle begin to sink in, I have two competing thoughts running through my mind. The first thought is that what was I thinking when I decided to do this, I must be partially out of my mind. And the other thought is that I feel like my life is like reading a good novel—one that I have no idea where the heck the author is going with the story line, but it is interesting enough to keep me turning the pages.

Delhi is more or less how I remembered it, if not more—hot, crowded, dirty, and polluted. But somehow my reaction to it has matured since the last time and I don’t feel overcome by the elements, and crossing the street isn’t as intimidating. On my first morning in India as I stood scrunched under a waist high water spicket for a refreshing, though not refreshing like a hot shower at home, “shower” of water and I realized that India would teach me to have joy in all circumstances, good or bad, clean or dusty. Though I know my experiences won’t run the gamut of human experiences in terms of good and bad things, I know God will still teach me through experiences that are tough for me, such as adjusting from western amenities, which wasn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things.

On a lighter note, Matt and I spent 5 extra hours in the district of Kamla Nagar waiting for my new pair of prescription sunglasses to be finished. Why wait in the same area? Because we were all the way across town from our hotel, so rather than travel an hour back and forth each way, we hoped to find enough to keep us entertained until my sunglasses were done. In a nutshell, we got EXTREMELY bored; there’s only so much one can do in a place that mostly has clothing and accessory stores when you aren’t looking for either. We probably passed by the same kid with her scale on the sidewalk at least 8 times during our wanderings throughout the afternoon which went something like this:

M: What do you want to do?

J: I don’t know. Go somewhere with AC.

M: Ok, but we’ll have to buy something.

J: Ok. As long as there’s AC.

(wander around a little bit looking for a place, go inside, order a snack or drink)

J: Mmm. Doesn’t this feel nice?

M: Eat slow, we’ve still got 3 hours to go.

(I somehow managed to make one cup of tea last an hour. The last sip was like the last 2 minutes of a basketball game, strung out over way more than 2 minutes.)

The day left me with a question of whether spending 5 mindless hours wandering around hot Delhi was worth this pair of $20 stunnas (prescription!) that I can’t figure out if they make me look like either a grandpa or that my shades should be accompanied by gold chains and 20” rims on my rickshaw. What do you think?

One thing that always jumps out at me here is the transportation. Seeing it in action is the only way to believe any of it. Here’s my lighthearted guide to getting around Delhi:
For short distances, walking works. It may seem simple enough, but not in Delhi. Walking is an exercise in awareness and reflexes. You must get across streets and intersections without getting hit, for pedestrians are lowest on Delhi’s transportation food-chain. You always have to be careful to not step in cow dung, puddles, or trash too. And on top of watching where you’re going and where you’re stepping, you must avoid scooters, motorcycles, bikes, ad buses- it is, of course, the pedestrian’s responsibility to get out of the way- there’s something very Darwinian about it all. One of the funniest things I’ve ever heard was my roommate Rushi tell me a few years back: “You how I know there’s a God? There’s a God, because I get across [the street next to our flats] everyday and haven’t died.” And even Joylani, who is generally clumsy, is pretty adept at walking and dodging her way around Delhi now.
Bicycle rickshaw are fun because you don’t have to do anything, but get to experience your surroundings first-hand. The downside is the guys always seem like they’re about to die when you reach your destination. Just tip a little more.
One step up, auto-rickhaws are quicker and more expensive than their bicycle counterparts. You don’t feel quite as bad as on a bicycle though, because nobody is killing themselves to transport you. They’re still small enough to ignore most traffic laws here; direction of traffic, illegal turns, stop lights. Yet, they’re zippy and get you to where you want to go fairly quickly. And while there’s nothing funner than zooming down a road in a rickshaw, wind in your face and hair, watching the city go by (first photo below), there’s nothing scarier than being in a rickshaw that’s loud and bumpy with a driver that you swear will crash you, blow-up his engine, or flip the thing on a pothole (as my friend Payal and I did once) (second photo below).

I usually don’t recommend buses, because while they’re cheap they are not door-to-door like rickshaws. They’re crowded, dirty, and you gotta watch your wallet. Upside: its fun to watch people run and jump in the door of a bus, as they often only slow down instead of stopping. Downside: if you don’t look both ways before crossing a street, a bus will end you.
This trip, I’ve also had the pleasure of taking the new metro a couple times. It’s new and consequently clean. It’s cheap and fast, but you often must take a rickshaw or bus from the station to where you want to go. And while police keep the homeless out of the station, those that can afford the ride pack those cars more than the buses! Its good to take if the stop is near where you’re going. Otherwise, it may be better to just rickshaw it.

My view, when I follow Joylani around shopping

Another day of errands for us. It may seem boring, but India is one of those places where it’s exciting to just be there. It’s great because stuff is always going on all around. Life is moving. Even a boring day of errands is exciting, because we see all sorts of crazy stuff. I took my camera with me today to try and capture some of the madness. Rather than walking today, we took a lot of bike-rickshaws which allowed me the freedom to concentrate on my photos. You can look for a little bit of artistic experimentation with my photos the next few days, mainly being more creative with depth-of-field and shutter speed.

We spent our day just doing routine things: picking up stamps at the post office, shopping at Sarojini Nagar, taking care of admin stuff and emails at an internet café. I think today is representative of how much of our trip will be: just doing everyday things in foreign and exotic places. I lived in Delhi and have seen all the sights already. Joylani’s visited here before, seen quite a few sights, but like me doesn’t have a desire to sightsee after a month of sightseeing. It’s nice because we’re in no rush to do anything. We’re just trying to rest for a few days, before we head up to the Himalaya. On the other hand, I feel like we should start to set some goals or get back into a routine in some areas of our lives. Its nice to travel non-stop, but I also think its bad to just be idle bodies and minds.
One thing we’ll be doing a lot of is hanging out. Alvir’s departure marked the beginning of a long stretch of time where it’ll just be Joylani and I. Tonight at dinner, I told Joylani we should go out on a date one of these nights, maybe see a movie or something. But then we realized we were kind of on a date and that we’ll be having dates almost every night for the foreseeable future. It’s kind of nice to think that we’ll be going out every night for a meal and conversation. At some point, it might be nice to be at home and eat. But for now, it seems great that we can go see a movie, eat out, or do anything we want together anytime. I guess we’re beginning to realize one of our goals for the trip: spend quality time together.

We began our day by switching hotels. We were paying approximately 13.75 USD for a triple, with a non-functioning bathroom, squatter, and cooler. But we’re now paying approximately 16.25 USD for a larger double, with a functioning bathroom, western toilet, and AC. Its not that we need AC or a western toilet, but for 2.5 USD, it was worth it to us. Especially for our first few days here. For those of you who know how cheap I am, it is nice to be in a place where money isn’t a much of a factor in most decisions. A shave and massage cost me .50 USD. A big dinner may cost us 6 USD. Yesterday I bought a soft serve at McDonalds for .20 USD. A combo meal would’ve cost between 1.50 and 3 USD. Europe would’ve been about 10 USD. I bought a Financial Times today for .06 USD. Six cents, compared to a couple dollars at home. I really noticed that my paradigm had shifted when I checked the rupee-dollar exchange rate before I checked the stock tables.
On the other hand, the same economic forces that allow me to travel without working for several years, works against those born into less desirable circumstances. Although Delhi is the capital and a relatively affluent city, the poverty is still constantly visible. Of course some countries have higher standards of living than others, but there’s people beyond poor here. The photo above is a toddler that was trying to hawk cheap necklaces. Barely able to talk or walk, she was already working. There’s the bicycle-rickshaw wallahs that pedal us around town- men and boys with skeletal physiques that strain their bodies to the limit for next to nothing. We rode by my old school today (Delhi University, Faculty of Arts) and it looked beautiful. But I remembered the construction workers that I saw building the new courtyard a couple years ago. Families- men, women, children, and toddlers- who worked all day for approximately 1.50 USD per adult. That’s nothing. How do you live on that?

Of course, there’s those that cannot work. The lepers and amputees that beg at stairwells and on sidewalks. The ones that tap us as we wait at lights in auto-rickshaws. The people that we try not look in the eye when approaching and pretend not to see as we pass. I realize that we’re the people Jesus spoke against in his “The Good Samaritan” parable. Joylani and I are no different that the millions of people that ignore the problem everyday here in Delhi. The more I think about the poverty, the more hopeless it seems. And so I ignore it. What am I going to do? Give to every beggar that approaches us? Tend to every person that needs help on the street? When I lived in India, I came to the conclusion that the only thing I could do are little things. Tip a little more, pack my leftovers at restaurants to give away, buy begging kids a snack if there’s a food stand around. Joylani and I (and you too, if you know how to read this, use a computer, and the internet) are infinitely more fortunate than hundreds of thousands in Delhi. We cannot solve the problems or help everyone. But we can help a little, perhaps one or two people a day. I tried to wrap this topic up quick, otherwise I could write pages and pages. This is just a brief snapshot of the poverty and my thoughts on it.

We made it to India last night and couldn’t be happier! After a three-hour delay in Helsinki and a six-hour flight, we landed in monsoon-soaked Delhi. One of my best friends, Alvir, picked us up from the airport and took us back to the hotel he had gotten for us. He had arrived in Delhi earlier in the day from Ahmedabad and left this afternoon for Kolkata on his way home. We didn’t have much time together, but we made the most of it since we haven’t seen each other in over a year and probably won’t for at least another. Through IndiCorps, he’s been living and volunteering in a Rajasthani village for the past year. It was a cool rendezvous in the sense that we met up in the city that we both lived in years ago and shared so many memories, but it was odd in that we were coming from Europe and he from a third-world village.

Coming out of our hotel this morning was a shock. I haven’t been to India in a few years and we’re just coming off of Europe, so I was not prepared at all. Last week, I began thinking Turkey is similar to India in some ways and noticed we were getting farther East. But after today, Turkey seems like Britain or something. India is crazier than anywhere. I’d forgotten just how crowded it is, how poor it is, how miraculous transportation is, how dirty, how noisy, how hot, how humid, and how amazing it is. There’s no way to describe it, but it felt good to be back. I was a little intimidated at first, but luckily we had Alvir to navigate and arrange everything for us. It was a good introduction back to the country.
The first thing we did after waking up was take the new Metro north to Civil Lines, to try and say hi to the director of my old study abroad program. The Metro is super fast, cheap, clean, and crowded. I was amazed by how quickly we got to where we were going, compared to the time and cost of the rickshaws we took everywhere just two and a half years ago. Our old director wasn’t around, so we headed to the neighborhood where we lived a few years ago to hit up our favorite restaurant, Grand Plaza (or GP for short). We sat and enjoyed their world-famous chai (at least to us) and a simple Indian meal of dahl makhani and palaak paneer. It was just one of many things we did that day that brought back so many great memories. Then we headed to south Delhi, because Alvir hasn’t smoked in year and was craving some hookah. We couldn’t find one hookah place and the other one we knew of closed, so we settled for some coffee and ice-cream instead. We talked for awhile until Alvir had to leave for the airport. Then it was just Joylani and I again.

While we were with Alvir, I was in disbelief that I used to get around Delhi by myself. Having poor Hindi and sense of direction, I doubted I’d be adept at getting Joylani and myself around. But once Alvir was gone, my Hindi came back. Words and phrases that I forgot I even knew just came out of my mouth as I negotiated rickshaw fares and spoke with touts and waiters. It was amazing. On our way back north to central Delhi, things began feeling familiar again. It felt good to be back. It felt good to be in India once we arrived at the airport. It felt good to see Alvir and hang out with him. But once we were on our own, Delhi really felt like home again.

At first, Delhi was a shock. But throughout the day, with Alvir’s help at first, I found my groove again. Part of that was doing some of my favorite things. We enjoyed chai at GP, where we used to chill every night. We took a bike-rickshaw along Mall Road towards Model Town, just like we did back from school or Muhkerjee Nagar. We crisscrossed the city in auto-rickshaws, trying to find Shalom (where I had an awesome birthday party) or Mocha (or favorite hookah/coffee shop). We walked around CP. It was just the little things that brought back memories, places, and a language I’d forgotten. It was also the little things that made this my best day of this adventure yet. Today solidified India’s position as my favorite country too (in case you’re curious, the Maldives is my number two, with several competing for third). It was a day full of memories, but its even more exciting that Joylani and I get to spend the next few months in such an amazing place.

I’m excited about today. We have one flight left this afternoon; seven hours on a plane and we will step out onto hot, humid, Indian soil. Our return is a sort of pilgrimage to our travel mecca, the place where the plan began. Three years ago Matt and I each journeyed to India for the first time. Matt went first with a group of students from the University of California for a six-month study-abroad program. I came two months later for a three-week visit. If travel were a swimming pool, Matt saw the water and dove in. I walked to the edge and dipped in my toes, and then I sat on the steps for a while to get used to the water.
One of my last days in India three years ago was on an overnight train from Udaipur to Delhi. Matt and I shared a cabin with a British couple who were on their way home from a seven-month trip through Asia. They had quit their jobs before starting their travels, and were faced with the decisions they would have to make when they returned home in a few days. Matt confided in me that he thought what they did was awesome and that he hoped to do the same. I thought he was crazy.
Now, as we return, Matt and I are going in the water together. Time and other trips have brought us to the same chapter in traveling, and since we got engaged two years ago, we’ve eagerly awaited to commence this part of our life. So much planning has gone into this trip, as well as the anticipation of how it would impact our lives. Certainly I am excited by the prospect of travel, new experiences, and learning. But I am most excited to begin this adventure with my husband and to go through crazy things together. Even though India is the foreign country we are most familiar with, we still have no idea what is in store. Last night we ended up getting a hotel for our 20+ hour layover in Helsinki. Savoring the stay, I took a long hot shower (best of the trip so far), and slept under clean sheets without a fan or AC for what will be the last time for a while. India, here we come!
First of all, Joylani also thought I was crazy when I asked her out- it just takes awhile for her to come around J

Today is our final international travel day for awhile. And I can’t say that I’m not a bit relieved. I’ve written already about how much we’ve see and experienced, but it’s been tiring too. We’ve only slept in beds 3 out of the last 5 nights and last night would’ve been a night in the Helsinki airport (where we had a one-night layover), except that Joylani convinced me to get a hotel room. The past month has been like CBS’ Amazing Race, a different country almost every day. This wild blitz through Europe has been a great way to kick-off our journey, but our trip is only starting now in many ways. We don’t plan to travel that quickly again. We really want to delve into and experience places, rather than just sightsee a bunch of places. But Joylani got to see Europe for the first time and I got to see some new countries. The European portion of our trip was planned like a military operation though, as its expensive and we were traveling in a larger group. But it was a good scouting trip, if you will, to see where in Europe we’d like to visit in the future.

Here are a few facts about our July:
26 days, 12 countries, 9 flights on 4 airlines, 3 boats, dozens of trains and buses.

Joylani’s favorite country: Turkey
Joylani’s favorite city: Copenhagen
Overall best thing Joylani saw: Hard question, but I really liked Notre Dame
Joylani’s favorite meal: Gyros with some white wine, in Athens
Best Surprise: seeing Nora Jones at the Acropolis

Matt’s favorite country: Turkey
Matt’s favorite city: Istanbul
Overall best thing Matt saw: Ephesus
Matt’s favorite meal: Every lamb kebap I ate
Best Surprise: Estonia

After such an amazing month of travel, it feels weird to continue on. It’s really unfathomable for me that we’re going to continue. I mean it seems like we should go back to work. We could have plausibly taken three and a half weeks off of work and returned with no vacation time for the remainder of the year. But we’re not returning, we’re continuing. As the reality of this whole thing dawns on me, I think “it’s” finally hitting me. What are we doing? Did we really quit our jobs? Are we crazy? What were we thinking? Is this really happening? Of course, we’ve been gone for nearly a month, but it’s only now that I’ve had a few days to really think and reflect. We’re actually doing this.

Our last night in Istanbul, Joylani and I sat with Jackie and Alex as they enjoyed some hookah on the rooftop terrace of our hotel. We were just talking about highlights and funny stuff from the past month. As Alex and Jackie began lamenting their return to home and work, they said how they couldn’t believe we get to keep going. They were incredulous that such an amazing trip was coming to an end, yet it was just the beginning for Joylani and I. Alex added, “You know I’ve been thinking about how everyone says they wish they were doing what you were doing or had done what you’re doing. And they say you’re going to have an awesome time. Well, I’ve been thinking about all that and they’re right- you ARE going to have an awesome time!”

The ironic thing about all of this is the more I realize what we’re doing, the more it hits me, the only word that comes to mind is “unbelievable.”