Wow, what an adventure I’ve had so far! I mean, I’ve been in India for 5 ½ weeks so far and have seen, tasted, smelled, and experienced more than I could have imagined. Traveling alone was incredible, and I am so glad I actually did it. Now that I’m able to reflect on it, I am thankful for even the scary parts of my trip (i.e. being stalked in Jaipur). Through everything I experience, I learn more about myself and more about the world. I have now traveled in both Northern and Southern India, but have yet to travel in many states in the Western part of India. I will save that for my next journey...
In the last few weeks, I have been living in a two-story bungalow in a small town called Pen. Pen is located about 2 ½ hours southeast of Mumbai. The state I am in is called Maharashtra, and people here speak both Hindi and Marathi (their state language). I have been struggling to learn Hindi, which is the national language, as well as Marathi to appease the locals here. However, it is not too difficult to get by with English. This is unfortunate, because then I become lazy and only want to speak English. I am practicing Hindi and Marathi every day, though. Slowly but surely I will be able to communicate relatively well in one or the other, and maybe both.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Journey to Pune - Happy Diwali!
This morning, I woke up to the sounds of fireworks outside my room. Due to the official day of Diwali, fireworks were being set off the night before and then around 5am this morning. Thus, I woke at 6am, began getting ready for the day and then went downstairs and made chai and breakfast for everyone before we left.
We left the house at 7:20am, but right before that, Leena (from next door) brought over a plate of sweets and wished us a Happy Diwali – it’s custom to make sweets for the week before Diwali, in order to eat them and give them to others during the 5-day celebration. We had been told the bus to Pune would be leaving at 7:30, but apparently it didn’t arrive until 8:30. We waited for an hour and then hopped onto a PACKED bus. There were no seats, and some people were even standing! We had been warned that many people travel during the festival, but we didn’t take it seriously until we saw it for ourselves. So, we stood on the bus for over an hour and then found seats to squish into, where we shared two seats with three people (including our huge backpacks).
The trip to Pune took 3 ½ hours for the incredibly cheap price of Rs. 80 ($1.90) each. I met some wonderful people on the bus who exchanged sweets and nuts with us (we had brought some to munch on and also give to others for Diwali), and small talk, and Happy Diwali wishes.
Upon arriving to Pune, we transferred buses to Katraj (from the Swarget bus station). From Katraj, we found a rickshaw man who was willing to take us to our hostel (apparently, it was far away). It took us an hour to find it, because the driver kept stopping and asking for directions- not to mention, the hostel was way out in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill that was rocky and dangerous to drive up. On this dinky rickshaw, we were squished in the back and pretty dang sure we would tip over from all the potholes and bumpiness of the roads.
When we finally arrived to the hostel, the rickshaw man refused to drive us up the large windy rocky hill it would take to reach the top. So, we walked. It only took about 7 minutes, but I was so dehydrated and hot from the intensity of the sun. We were all thinking, “What the heck have we gotten ourselves into??” But, when we reached the top, I felt all my worries vanish. I could seem a magnificent view of the city and the wide lake below us. Plus, the breeze was cooler from the elevation change. When I entered the hostel, it was nothing like the crap hole I expected! For Rs. 300 ($6) per night, we stayed in a large room with three beds, and two couches, was served chai and snacks whenever we wanted them, and could climb the roof to see the view any time! There was a grass lawn outside (which, I haven’t seen in a really long time) and a swimming pool.
We all put our stuff down, downed our water bottles, ate our snacks, and then called the hotel’s rickshaw to pick us up and bring us back into town, because we only had one day to spend in the city. Despite our exhaustion from traveling, there was no time for rest. We made our way into the city (45 min.) and ate Domino’s Pizza! What an exciting lunch after eating Indian food three times a day for the last month!
Afterwards, my mission was to get as much shopping done for the best deals as I could in one day. We took a rickshaw to a place called Laxmi Road, where jewelry, clothing, handmade art, book, and more are sold for miles ahead. Jess and I bought tons of things for super cheap and found this block that had nothing but bookstores for at least a mile. This was just what I wanted, because Indian history, culture, religion, philosophy, spirituality, yoga, and diets books are all sold here for very cheap prices.
Afterwards, Jess and I met up with Reid at McDonalds. I would never resort to McDonald’s in America because of the variety we have, but this was so exciting to eat in India! After dinner, we waited outside for our rickshaw driver to pick us up. Many fireworks were being blown up on the streets, and it seemed like they were going off out of nowhere! When the rickshaw brought us home, we had to dodge so many fireworks because they were simply being thrown into the street! One of them actually went off as we were driving on it. I was surprised we didn’t blow up. The ride was dark and bumpy, and honestly a little scary. But, we arrived to our hostel with only a few burns from shards of fireworks blowing into the rickshaw. The driver had to take us up one by one up the hill. Luckily, Reid had his headlamp with him, so he easily walked to the hostel. However, I was pretty dang sure there were snakes everywhere and was not ready to encounter one. So, I took the rickshaw.
We got home and watched all the fireworks on the roof that were being lit below us throughout the city. They were constantly blowing up from everywhere! It was beautiful (from a distance, ha ha). What a magical time Diwali is.
The way home on the bus was just as adventurous as the way there, but I am pleased to say that I came home in one piece. What a great memory I will always laugh at!
We left the house at 7:20am, but right before that, Leena (from next door) brought over a plate of sweets and wished us a Happy Diwali – it’s custom to make sweets for the week before Diwali, in order to eat them and give them to others during the 5-day celebration. We had been told the bus to Pune would be leaving at 7:30, but apparently it didn’t arrive until 8:30. We waited for an hour and then hopped onto a PACKED bus. There were no seats, and some people were even standing! We had been warned that many people travel during the festival, but we didn’t take it seriously until we saw it for ourselves. So, we stood on the bus for over an hour and then found seats to squish into, where we shared two seats with three people (including our huge backpacks).
The trip to Pune took 3 ½ hours for the incredibly cheap price of Rs. 80 ($1.90) each. I met some wonderful people on the bus who exchanged sweets and nuts with us (we had brought some to munch on and also give to others for Diwali), and small talk, and Happy Diwali wishes.
Upon arriving to Pune, we transferred buses to Katraj (from the Swarget bus station). From Katraj, we found a rickshaw man who was willing to take us to our hostel (apparently, it was far away). It took us an hour to find it, because the driver kept stopping and asking for directions- not to mention, the hostel was way out in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill that was rocky and dangerous to drive up. On this dinky rickshaw, we were squished in the back and pretty dang sure we would tip over from all the potholes and bumpiness of the roads.
When we finally arrived to the hostel, the rickshaw man refused to drive us up the large windy rocky hill it would take to reach the top. So, we walked. It only took about 7 minutes, but I was so dehydrated and hot from the intensity of the sun. We were all thinking, “What the heck have we gotten ourselves into??” But, when we reached the top, I felt all my worries vanish. I could seem a magnificent view of the city and the wide lake below us. Plus, the breeze was cooler from the elevation change. When I entered the hostel, it was nothing like the crap hole I expected! For Rs. 300 ($6) per night, we stayed in a large room with three beds, and two couches, was served chai and snacks whenever we wanted them, and could climb the roof to see the view any time! There was a grass lawn outside (which, I haven’t seen in a really long time) and a swimming pool.
We all put our stuff down, downed our water bottles, ate our snacks, and then called the hotel’s rickshaw to pick us up and bring us back into town, because we only had one day to spend in the city. Despite our exhaustion from traveling, there was no time for rest. We made our way into the city (45 min.) and ate Domino’s Pizza! What an exciting lunch after eating Indian food three times a day for the last month!
Afterwards, my mission was to get as much shopping done for the best deals as I could in one day. We took a rickshaw to a place called Laxmi Road, where jewelry, clothing, handmade art, book, and more are sold for miles ahead. Jess and I bought tons of things for super cheap and found this block that had nothing but bookstores for at least a mile. This was just what I wanted, because Indian history, culture, religion, philosophy, spirituality, yoga, and diets books are all sold here for very cheap prices.
Afterwards, Jess and I met up with Reid at McDonalds. I would never resort to McDonald’s in America because of the variety we have, but this was so exciting to eat in India! After dinner, we waited outside for our rickshaw driver to pick us up. Many fireworks were being blown up on the streets, and it seemed like they were going off out of nowhere! When the rickshaw brought us home, we had to dodge so many fireworks because they were simply being thrown into the street! One of them actually went off as we were driving on it. I was surprised we didn’t blow up. The ride was dark and bumpy, and honestly a little scary. But, we arrived to our hostel with only a few burns from shards of fireworks blowing into the rickshaw. The driver had to take us up one by one up the hill. Luckily, Reid had his headlamp with him, so he easily walked to the hostel. However, I was pretty dang sure there were snakes everywhere and was not ready to encounter one. So, I took the rickshaw.
We got home and watched all the fireworks on the roof that were being lit below us throughout the city. They were constantly blowing up from everywhere! It was beautiful (from a distance, ha ha). What a magical time Diwali is.
The way home on the bus was just as adventurous as the way there, but I am pleased to say that I came home in one piece. What a great memory I will always laugh at!
Trip to Alibag - I swam in the Arabian Sea!
I visited Alibag, a city located 45 minutes from Pen, and went to the beach! Jessica was sick, so Reid and I took a bus to Alibag. We ate at an air-conditioned restaurant that served chicken and shrimp and beer! All of these things we had not had for SO long, it seemed. We had a feast, and the total bill was only Rs. 710, which comes out to a little over $14! Afterwards, we walked to the beach (the Arabian Sea), and took turns watching each other’s stuff while we swam in the ocean. The water was warmer than any other beach I had ever been in, the sun was shining, and everyone was having a blast. Here in India, with the exception of Goa, people do not wear bathing suits in the water. Men are aloud to remove their shirts, but women wear all of their clothing in the water. Although it would have been easier to tread through the water with a bathing suit on, or at least some shorts, my outfit dried after an hour in the sun! We walked along the beach finding seashells that you can only find in India. I kept many of them, including ones that were small and bright pink!! We went shopping, stopped and had a soda, and then made our way back home on the bus. What a great day.
Sunday, October 4th - I fried Banana Pakodas!
Sunday, October 4th – I fried Banana Pakodas!!
This morning, I woke up and fried some banana pakoda’s that Sheetal (our cook) taught me to make! They are a special Punjabi dish made in Rajasthan that Sheetal just happens to know the recipe for. In India, each state has their own specialty dishes, clothing and culture. Banana Pakoda’s are so sweet and delicious! Here’s the recipe, if anyone wants to try it!:
1 ½ CUPS OF WHEAT FLOUR, 2 SMALL BANANAS, ½ CUP OF BROWN SUGAR, 1 CUP WATER, ½ TSP. SALT. MASH ALL OF THIS UP TOGETHER UNTIL EVERYTHING IS MIXED UP AND SMOOTH, AND KEEP INSIDE A COVERED BOWL FOR APPX. 7 HOURS. THERE IS NO NEED TO REFRIGERATE IT. AFTER 7 HOURS, PUT 2 CUPS OF OIL INTO A PAN, AND BALL UP PALM-SIZE BANANA PAKODA’S THE BEST YOU CAN. THEY ARE KINDA RUNNY, SO THEY DON’T END UP BEING IN THE SHAPE UP A BALL AND YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SLIDE THEM OFF YOUR HAND. IT’S NOT IMPORTANT WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, THOUGH. PUT 5 OR 6 BALLS INTO THE HOT OIL AT A TIME AND FLIP THEM WHEN ONE SIDE IS GOLDEN BROWN. THIS SHOULD TAKE ONLY A FEW MINUTES TO COOK THEM! THEN, REMOVE THEM AND ADD ANOTHER 5 OR 6 BALLS. ALL TOGETHER, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE YOU MAKE THEM, YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 20 BANANA PAKODA’S! THEY ARE SO YUMMY! LET THEM SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES TO PREVENT BURNING YOUR MOUTH.
I was so afraid that they wouldn’t be cooked all the way through that I burned them, but I was proud of myself, nonetheless. Afterwards, Sheetal and I made chai and masala noodles for breakfast. We had to rush to get ready for the baby shower we were attending, because Sheetal’s husband was picking us up at 9:30! Sheetal left, because she had to cook for the baby shower, so her husband picked us up and brought us to their village. Apparently, I was inappropriately dressed, because I wasn’t wearing the traditional Indian Salwaar Kameez. Instead, I wore a long skirt, tank top, and a scarf that covered my chest, shoulders, and arms. I’m not sure why, but I think because I was wearing a tank top and my back was exposed more than normal, Sheetal was embarrassed. I felt so bad, because I had no idea it was inappropriate. Indians wear Sari’s all the time, and the blouses always expose their backs, but they always have sleeves. Something about the straps on my tank top probably seemed scandalous, so I felt really bad. So, Sheetal gave me a different scarf (“dupata” in India terms) that wrapped around my back and chest. But, I learned my lesson: any time I go anywhere in India, cover as much as I can! Sometimes, though, when I’m traveling to a different state or city in India, I just feel like wearing American clothing because the Indian outfits are so dang hot. And, I do this when I know people look at me as a foreigner who doesn’t know any better!
This morning, I woke up and fried some banana pakoda’s that Sheetal (our cook) taught me to make! They are a special Punjabi dish made in Rajasthan that Sheetal just happens to know the recipe for. In India, each state has their own specialty dishes, clothing and culture. Banana Pakoda’s are so sweet and delicious! Here’s the recipe, if anyone wants to try it!:
1 ½ CUPS OF WHEAT FLOUR, 2 SMALL BANANAS, ½ CUP OF BROWN SUGAR, 1 CUP WATER, ½ TSP. SALT. MASH ALL OF THIS UP TOGETHER UNTIL EVERYTHING IS MIXED UP AND SMOOTH, AND KEEP INSIDE A COVERED BOWL FOR APPX. 7 HOURS. THERE IS NO NEED TO REFRIGERATE IT. AFTER 7 HOURS, PUT 2 CUPS OF OIL INTO A PAN, AND BALL UP PALM-SIZE BANANA PAKODA’S THE BEST YOU CAN. THEY ARE KINDA RUNNY, SO THEY DON’T END UP BEING IN THE SHAPE UP A BALL AND YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SLIDE THEM OFF YOUR HAND. IT’S NOT IMPORTANT WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, THOUGH. PUT 5 OR 6 BALLS INTO THE HOT OIL AT A TIME AND FLIP THEM WHEN ONE SIDE IS GOLDEN BROWN. THIS SHOULD TAKE ONLY A FEW MINUTES TO COOK THEM! THEN, REMOVE THEM AND ADD ANOTHER 5 OR 6 BALLS. ALL TOGETHER, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE YOU MAKE THEM, YOU SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 20 BANANA PAKODA’S! THEY ARE SO YUMMY! LET THEM SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES TO PREVENT BURNING YOUR MOUTH.
I was so afraid that they wouldn’t be cooked all the way through that I burned them, but I was proud of myself, nonetheless. Afterwards, Sheetal and I made chai and masala noodles for breakfast. We had to rush to get ready for the baby shower we were attending, because Sheetal’s husband was picking us up at 9:30! Sheetal left, because she had to cook for the baby shower, so her husband picked us up and brought us to their village. Apparently, I was inappropriately dressed, because I wasn’t wearing the traditional Indian Salwaar Kameez. Instead, I wore a long skirt, tank top, and a scarf that covered my chest, shoulders, and arms. I’m not sure why, but I think because I was wearing a tank top and my back was exposed more than normal, Sheetal was embarrassed. I felt so bad, because I had no idea it was inappropriate. Indians wear Sari’s all the time, and the blouses always expose their backs, but they always have sleeves. Something about the straps on my tank top probably seemed scandalous, so I felt really bad. So, Sheetal gave me a different scarf (“dupata” in India terms) that wrapped around my back and chest. But, I learned my lesson: any time I go anywhere in India, cover as much as I can! Sometimes, though, when I’m traveling to a different state or city in India, I just feel like wearing American clothing because the Indian outfits are so dang hot. And, I do this when I know people look at me as a foreigner who doesn’t know any better!
September 29th- I step in cow dung!
Today, I did yoga at 7am and practiced some tough asanas. I am pleased to say that my glutes are so sore! After yoga, I enjoyed my walk home and took photos of the large lake next to the temple I have my yoga lessons at. After showering and eating breakfast, Jessica didn’t feel well, so she chose to stay home for the day. Reid and I left, and while walking, we stopped to photograph some gorgeous Indian flowers. I accidentally called Shane, and I heard “hello? Hello?” from my bag. Though accidental, it was really nice to talk to him.
When we arrived at the CFI office, we were told to go with the Mobile Van (a medical van that visits to a couple of tribal villages in the mountains and then return to the CFI office. The villages were AMAZING. Surrounded by spectacular views of waterfalls, lakes, rolling hills, mountains, trees, and flowers, these villages are in the perfect spot. There are rice patty all around, cows, chickens and goats walking around, and approximately 300 people residing in these villages. The first thing I did when stepping out of the van was step into a huge pile of cow poop!! Reid of course laughed, but we immediately began cleaning my sandal with water, scraping the poo onto a rock. Of course, soap was not available, so I was incredibly thankful for the hand sanitizer I religiously carry with me.
In the next village, just down the road from the first, there were many locals that came running to the van for treatment of symptoms, like: fungus, skin infections, fevers, coughs, and boils. One woman remained in her house, and when I peeked inside I saw that she looked quite ill. She was coughing a lot, and when she stood up I saw she was very frail. So, I asked for her to come out of her house to see the doctor in the Medical Mobile Van. The doctor’s name is Dr. Deepa, and she diagnosed the woman with a fever and cough. I wasn’t convinced this was the extent of her illness, but we had so many people to tend to that there was no time to do a full check up on her.
After this village, the van brought us back to our house where we had a quick lunch and then walked back to the CFI hospital. I found out we were going to watch some more tubal ligations, and I knew I would get sick if I saw another one. Instead, I headed back to the CFI office and talked to Akshata, the program manager of the Child Sponsorship Unit. She assigned a Social Worker, by the name of Suvarna, to show me the lay of the land. I read progress reports written about sponsored children and learned how to write one myself.
On the way home, I saw a large truck moving slowly with a statue of Goddess Durga on the back of it and many people dancing on the street behind it. It was part of celebrating the last day of the 9-day festival, Navratri, when they worship Goddess Durga, a warrior goddess. As I passed by, a man was lighting a firecracker and I, unknowingly, almost walked right into it. It blew my ears out! I wasn’t sure if I had gone deaf or not for a few seconds there. Then, I went to the market where Jess and I picked up our Indian outfits from the tailor. On our way to the internet cafe, we saw the truck again! It had been making its way through the whole town. We came across some older women that kept us from the crowd so we wouldn’t get pink powder thrown at us, as is tradition during many Indian festivals. They were so sweet!
When we arrived at the CFI office, we were told to go with the Mobile Van (a medical van that visits to a couple of tribal villages in the mountains and then return to the CFI office. The villages were AMAZING. Surrounded by spectacular views of waterfalls, lakes, rolling hills, mountains, trees, and flowers, these villages are in the perfect spot. There are rice patty all around, cows, chickens and goats walking around, and approximately 300 people residing in these villages. The first thing I did when stepping out of the van was step into a huge pile of cow poop!! Reid of course laughed, but we immediately began cleaning my sandal with water, scraping the poo onto a rock. Of course, soap was not available, so I was incredibly thankful for the hand sanitizer I religiously carry with me.
In the next village, just down the road from the first, there were many locals that came running to the van for treatment of symptoms, like: fungus, skin infections, fevers, coughs, and boils. One woman remained in her house, and when I peeked inside I saw that she looked quite ill. She was coughing a lot, and when she stood up I saw she was very frail. So, I asked for her to come out of her house to see the doctor in the Medical Mobile Van. The doctor’s name is Dr. Deepa, and she diagnosed the woman with a fever and cough. I wasn’t convinced this was the extent of her illness, but we had so many people to tend to that there was no time to do a full check up on her.
After this village, the van brought us back to our house where we had a quick lunch and then walked back to the CFI hospital. I found out we were going to watch some more tubal ligations, and I knew I would get sick if I saw another one. Instead, I headed back to the CFI office and talked to Akshata, the program manager of the Child Sponsorship Unit. She assigned a Social Worker, by the name of Suvarna, to show me the lay of the land. I read progress reports written about sponsored children and learned how to write one myself.
On the way home, I saw a large truck moving slowly with a statue of Goddess Durga on the back of it and many people dancing on the street behind it. It was part of celebrating the last day of the 9-day festival, Navratri, when they worship Goddess Durga, a warrior goddess. As I passed by, a man was lighting a firecracker and I, unknowingly, almost walked right into it. It blew my ears out! I wasn’t sure if I had gone deaf or not for a few seconds there. Then, I went to the market where Jess and I picked up our Indian outfits from the tailor. On our way to the internet cafe, we saw the truck again! It had been making its way through the whole town. We came across some older women that kept us from the crowd so we wouldn’t get pink powder thrown at us, as is tradition during many Indian festivals. They were so sweet!
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