Explore. Dream. Discover. -- Last Post

       Hello Everyone. Unfortunately while I have been here in Jaipur I have not been able to keep up with my posts like I would have liked. I can't believe I leave here in 3 days. Tomorrow I have my last exam, Indian Philosophy, and then I am done my third year of university! The time has just flown by and this trip will be one of a lifetime. I have met so many amazing people while I have been here and I appreciate everyone's kindness. I also wanted to thank everyone who has been following this blog and joining in on my journey. I hope that I have been able to reflect India properly. A concern of mine was that my posts were coming off to "nice". I have loved my trip to India and I would love to come and see more of this country at some point in my life. There were obviously some adjustments and some uncomfortable times. When I was leaving for this trip I had many different questions and opinions based on the question "why India?". At the time I was unsure of how to answer this question as I was not one hundred percent sure myself. I can now say in full confidence that I am one hundred percent sure as to why I chose to go to India. India is rich in history, religion and culture. This type of rich history and diversity is lacking in Canada. I can live my life in Canada with the same type of people who have the same beliefs, same desires, and same world outlooks. It would have been easy for me to go to Europe and stay inside my comfort zone. India was definetly a travel trip and not a vacation as there is a big difference. Sometimes people tend to equate the two but when you are travelling in countries that you are not comfortable with and where you are unable to communicate because of language barriers it is difficult. India has pushed me to question my beliefs, how I react in situations, pushed me to be open, and aided me in appreciating what I have.

       I am excited to get back to what I have. I am so lucky to have such a large and supportive family that at times I take for granted because they have always been there. I would not have experienced what I have without the help of my friends and family, especially my parents. I am excited to return home and share my experience with them.

Thanks again for reading and I hope to be writing another travel blog again soon,
Kellen


I had to add a few travel quotes I wanted to add:

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page" - St.Augustine

 “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

New Update: Jaipur adventures, more school, and pictures!

So I thought I would do another update :)

     So after Jaisalmer we headed to Jodhpur where we saw an amazing fort that overlooks the entire city. It was a long bus ride to get there and we only had the day as we were leaving in the morning to go to Udaipur. We made the most of our time by getting up to see the fort which took a long time but was definetly worth it. We headed back around dinner time, ate, and really just headed to bed. Early in the morning we were on the road again. We didn't arrive in Udaipur until 5pm so we literally had a full day of driving. After spending so much time in the bus we headed straight out to see some of the city. We saw a major celebration that was at the centre of the city to celebrate the coming of Holi, a big event in India. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the festival and headed back. The next day was Holi and Holi is a day where everyone celebrates and throws coloured powder at eachother. It is meant to be fun but unfotunately at times people can get overzealous and be aggressive with the event, especially when it comes to foreigners. Because of this our professors had us stay in the hotel until 3pm. It was really too bad as it is a large event that would have been amazing to see. Many people headed straight out at 3pm to see if they could catch the end of the celebration but unfortunately I was not feeling well and ended up having to stay in the hotel. The next day was our last day in Udaipur before we headed home. I was able to make up for the time lost the day before and saw a lot of the city. We took a gondala ride and boat ride to see more of the city. After we headed down to the major part of the city and ate at a bakery. We also were able to see the city palace where the royal family of Udaipur still live.

     All in all that weekend trip was awesome and it sucked having to take an overnight train ride back (our last) to the reality of classes. This week has been class all day leaving the house at 8ish and getting back around 6ish. It is like a full-time job or something and it sucks haha. Anyways we leave again this weekend to visit the city of Khajuraho. I also wanted to let you all know that I have posted the first portion of my pictures on my facebook account. Please feel free to look through them. So far all I have are my pictures from the start of my trip to the Rainforest retreat. More to come :)

Thanks for Reading

Sitting In a Jaisalmer Internet Cafe

Hello Finally !

     So so much has happened I will get right in to it. Varanasi was amazing! Anything you have heard read or have seen can not compare to the utter awe the city of Varanasi gives you. If you have not heard of the city before please look it up and see some pictures as I am unable to post any at the moment. We left Hyderabad on a train headed to Varanasi and spent four days there. This was our first Northern Indian city that we had experienced at this point in the trip. The north is very different from the South as it holds all of the history and cultures that we are normally aware of in Canada. The south was an amazing experience but I am so excited to be in the history-filled North and to experience all the things that I had been reading about before the trip. Varanasi is known for the river Ganga. The river is a very holy river for Hindus and bathing in it is said to bring one much fortune. Unfortunately the river has become very polluted over time as it was the sole spot for all bathing and excrement for so many people over so many years. On a positive note, we were told that there is a lot of work going on now to clean the river by the local government. The river is also the hub for the dead of idea. The burning ghats (steps leading into the water) are located along the river where bodies are burned and placed in the river. As you can believe Varanasi is a very holy city for all Hindus. It was an amazing experience to be on the Ganges and see the sun-set and watch the many religious ceremonies happening, and that happen every night. I wish I could have been there longer or had more time to expand on my experience in Varanasi but unfortunately time is not on my side.

     After leaving Varanasi the group headed to Jaipur where we were to start the second portion of our schooling. It is here in Jaipur that we are all placed with local families and attend school. I was placed in an amazing home with two of my friends on the trip Paul and Lauren. We were placed at the home of Delilah and Yogesh who are the head of a large family home of one of the coordinators (her sister) of our time in Jaipur. I unfortunately got sick after arriving in Jaipur and was therefore unable to complete this post as I had hoped. Fortunately though my family has been very kind and did a great job of helping me get better. I was out of school for a few days but returned on Friday. I completed school on Friday and that night (at around midnight) or group was leaving the train station and headed for Jaisalmer.

     Jaisalmer is located on the North-western portion of the Indian subcontinent near the Pakistan border. The landscape again had changed and we had now been transported into an Arabian desert. It is like nothing I have ever seen. There is sand absolutely everywhere, it is like this town is out of a movie. It is centered around a very old fort. The fort is amazing and although it has many shops now catering toward all of the tourists, the architecture is like nothing I have ever seen. I spent the first day in Jaisalmer exploring the city and the fort. Our second day we had some free day in the morning and early afternoon before we headed out to the desert! We took a bus out into the absolute middle of nowhere and pulled up to a few dozen camels lying at the side of the road waiting for our arrival. I must note that although it was beautiful the sand was blowing hard and we all had to bundle up our faces to provide some protection for the harsh winds. Anyways e got out, hopped on our camels and headed for the desert. This experience, although not entirely comfortable, was amazing and something I had been looking forward to. We were able to see some sand dunes and other camels and took a short stop to race our camels before arriving at our tent city where we were to stay the night. Some of the girls and our professors stayed in plush rooms with outfitted bathrooms and TVs while another group of us faced the night out in tents. After brushing off the sand on our beds, our accommodations were quite comfortable. Our night consisted of a show with live music and dancing, a busy buffet-styled dinner, and a night of talking and more music. In the morning we had breakfast and promptly headed out back to our hotel in Jaisalmer to wash away the sand of the night before.

     Today is our last day in Jaisalmer and tomorrow we are headed for Jodhpur. I am not sure what to expect next but I am sure it will be amazing! Hope everyone is doing well at home and I will hopefully be making my next blog post sooner then the previous.

Talk Again Soon :)

So Much to Say in So Little Time

     So Varanasi was amazing and will need a lot of time to describe and talk about. Unfortunately I did not find much internet in Varanasi to update the blog while I was there. I wanted to write a quick post saying I have now arrived safely in Jaipur, am placed with my host family, and just finished my first day of school! I am doing great and now that I know where an internet cafe is I will update the blog with my adventures in the next couple days. This weekend I am headed to Jaisalmer! So much to write in so little time. 

Last day in Mysore! Off to Hyderabad

     So the terrible week of exams is over. It was a good wake up call to remind all of us that even though we are doing this amazing trip it is apart of school.I studied my butt off and we will see how it turns out :) I think in spite of this, most of us have the mindset that this isn't simply school it is an experince and all though doing well in our classes is important it is not the ost important thing. We all finished Friday afternoon and went out one last time in Mysore. A large group of us including the two professors went to a rooftop restaurant that overlooks the restaurant that we have frequented while we have been here. Today I plan on simply doing a few errands like geting to a bank and I wanted to get a blog post in because I knew that internet will be unreliable when we are on the road again. I promise I will try and get some Hampi pictures up, I just need to get to a computer that can read my memory stick. We leave today at 3pm to head to Bangalore, where we have a few hour layover inbetween trains, and then we will jump on n overnight train to Hyderabad. We are staying in Hyderabad for a couple days where we will be visiting a few NGOs inclusing ICRISAT. Other than that there is not much to report. I have told my parents that I may be travelling for a bit after this India semester. Past the initial shock they were supportive and I will start looking into that. I believe that if I do travel afterwards I will go to Nepal with a few people from the trip. It won't be for very long as I do miss home, but I am thinking that I should take advantage of being over here while I can because who knows when or if I will ever be back. I will try and kep in touch while we are on the road. Hope everyone is doing well and I will talk to you soon :)

Last Day of Classes!

     I had my last day of class today! Well my last day of class in the South. Tomorrow we are headed to Hampi, an ancient city that I am told is amazing. We head there on an overnight train, stay a night there, and then head back Sunday night on another overnighter. Once we are back in Mysore we have Monday to study and exams Tuesday through Friday. This semester abroad is split into two sections, the North and the South. Therefore we take courses in the South, write exams; and then take courses in the North and write exams. Two course marks are placed together to make a full course that the University of Guelph recognizes. We actually complete the same amount of class time that is necessary for Guelph courses, just in a shorter amount of time. I am a bit apprehensive about the exams so I will be studying on the overnight trains. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. I have been in India for 5 weeks already!

      My time in Mysore has been great. I was ready to finally settle after travelling non-stop for two weeks. The longer I am on this trip, the more I appreciate how well it has been organized. We are able to travel and see many places, while at the same time, have the opportunity to stay and learn one location. The living arrangements in Mysore can be acquainted to that of residence in first year. It is great to be able to see everyone all the time but at the same time I see everyone all the time haha. When we are in the North we live with local families. I have billeted before when I was in Katimavik, so I am really excited to do it again. Although there is always some apprehension about entering someone else's place whom you do not know, it will be the best way to actually experience life in India.

      Mysore has brought many fun times! We have been able to explore some of Mysore in the minimal free time we get outside of classes. I have visited the local zoo and an "American" mall. I have also had many trips downtown to see the palace, the local market, and so much more. Many girls on the trips have had sari's tailored and one of the guys recently got a suit tailored.We have also had a few meals downtown at some local "touristy lonely planet" restaurants that have all been really good. I also should not forget to mention the monkeys. They have terrorized the group a few times by stealing bannanas from rooms or going through our garbage. They can actually be quite aggressive. A few days ago a few monkeys were going through garbage outside of our classroom. We tried to simply scare them off with no luck. A local worker actually had to grab a pellet gun to scare them off.

     I will try to post a few pictures in my next post. I am still having a great time and have been (knock on wood) quite healthy. Will update when I get back from Hampi :)

 Thanks for Listening

Chamundi Hill

     The Chamundi Hills are close to the palace city of Mysore where we are staying. The hills' average elevation is 1,000 meters. Yesterday we visited Chamuni Hill after seeing two amazing NGOs. One worked with children who are deaf and the other worked with people with mental disabilities. According to legend (Wikipedia), the demon Mahishasura, king of the area that is currently Mysore, was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari (also Chamundi) after a fierce battle. The hills are named after the goddess, and a temple honors her in the hills. Chamundi's main hill features a long stone stairway, in which we climbed, that leads to the top of the hill. There are 1,180 steps in all, with the first 600 steps being steeper than those higher up. En route to the top, the steps pass the large statue of Nandi the bull. I am pictured with the bull above.The statue is about 16 feet high and 25 feet in length. Nandi is the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Shiva.

Mysore!

Hey Guys,
     So the rainforest retreat at the organic coffee and tea farm was amazing. I touched upon it a bit in my previous post but it definetly is worth mentioning again. I was with five other people in this really cool cabin in the western gats. Weeventually had to leave our paradise and face the reality that we are in school, so off we went to Mysore. Mysore has been great so far. We have had a few opportunities to go into town but most of our time is spent where we sleep and learn, at the Organization for the Development of People. It is a christain commune almost that is housing us and has another building where we take our classes. Professors come in to teach us our classes. For the first part of this semester while we are in Mysore I am taking Hindi, Indian culture and civilization, World Issues, Economics, and Natural Chemicals (a science course I am taking simply because my prof is teaching it). The days are very long and restrictive. A majority of the group has also decided to pay for a yoga instructor to come teach us in the morning which has been very cool, but just makes me fall into bed after dinner. I believe we still have another two weeks here. Everything is still going well. So much to say in so little time. I will hopefully be able to continue posting about how my trip is gong and share more stories with all when I return.

 Thanks for Reading

 P.S. I posted 3 pictures below. The first is at a fort in Kanyukamari, the second was taken in Turtle Bay while pushing our boat into the water to go see dolphins, and the last picture is our ridiculously long hike at the Rainforest Retreat.

A few more pictures!

Turtle Bay and the Rainforest Retreat

     So I have been unable to update the blog for about 10 days and so much has happened! Last time I checked in I was preparing to get on a train to go to Turtle Bay. The overnight train was long and cramped but effective as we arrived safe and sound. It was a thirty minute bus ride to our resort which was amazing! We stayed in cottages right on the water. Very picturesque! I was able to swim in the Arabian sea, lie in a hammock and read a book, and play beach volleyball. We had a lot of time to relax while there, but were also able to do a lot. I was able to get an Ayurvedic massage and we all learned about the practice of Ayurveda. One day was dedicated to snorkeling. I decided not to snorkel along with nine others so instead we were able to go to 4 local schools to give out teddy bears and tennis balls that we had brought with us. This was so much fun! After we had chai (tea) and then went out on a fisherman's boat to got see dolphins.The rest of the group who went snorkeling sounded like they didn't enjoy it as much as they thought, and even not knowing this I was so happy I chose to stay back. While there we were also able to learn about the area and talk with a local NGO. They were teaching the locals the importance of toilets and proper sanitation. From some of the money we raised we are going to be able to pay to have a public washroom installed. The group is unsure of what to name it up to this point. Any suggestions? The last night we had a bonfire on the beach and watched the stars. At the time I did not want to leave and would have been totally happy staying there for a few more days. That was before I arrived at the Rainforest Retreat.

     The rainforest retreat was suppose to be only a 6-8 hour bus ride away at most but it turned into a 12 and a half hour bus ride. The bus we were on was pulled into a stop at one point for a "routine check". This was no routine check as our bus was literally breaking down. I could not believe we actually made it to the next location in that bus. Our professor was getting very frustrated with these bus drivers as they had no idea where we were going or what he was saying but still wanted to try and show us around the area to get more money. We did arrive late that night. Rainforest retreat could not hold everyone which was known in advance so six of us were chosen to go to the Golden Mist retreat up the road. I was one of the six and we had so much fun. We dropped of the others first and then drove to our own resort .... well to the top of the road at least. When we got off Ludwig, the owner of Golden Mist, picked us up in a jeep. I have never been so squished before in my life. The six of us and our packs were stuffed into the back of the Jeep (pics to come). Ludwig was originally from Germany and had moved to India 20 years ago. He had established this organic tea and coffee farm about 8 years ago. He was very interesting and accommodating. While there we were able to see how each retreat ran and explored some of the western gats and learned about the local area. There is so much to say, but unfortunately only little time at an internet cafe. I am now in Mysore where I will be completing the first part of my semester in school. I will be here for 4 weeks so I will try and find a way to communicate more and hopefully post more pictures. Hope everyone's winter is going well :P

Talk to you soon

Crazy Cochin

     So the day train was the worst train ride yet and it was half the time of previous trains. I have found out that I much prefer night trains to day trains. The train from Coimbatore to Cochin was packed. Each compartment has seats for eight people yet by the end of my trip there were 16 people in my compartment. Just another experience that I can look back on and laugh but at the time I was more just tired and sweaty. The train station was not located in Cochin (Kochi) so we had a bus take us to our hotel. The hotel is very nice with free wifi (albeit slow wifi) and was located in the centre of the town. The town was quite touristy but was a nice contrast to Coimbatore which didn't have much to see. The six guys went out for fish and chips when we got there. We were all very hungry because we had not eaten in a while. The rest of the day was spent hanging around the area. That night we ate at a terrible rooftop restaurant that had a great location but terrible service. After two hours we had only received 1 of 10 meals. After the third hour we had another two. We had told the server to just bring out whatever they had because we had to go. There was nothing else yet on the grill. We left and went across the road where we were served drinks, food, and the bill in an hour.
     The next day we got up early to do a backwater tour of Kerala. It was very cool and a nice chill way to spend the morning. We got back around 2:30pm and didn't have much time till we went back out to watch a traditional dance performance. Overall it was a great day. Today we are leaving around 6pm to get on the last overnight train of the trip in Southern India. I believe we have another eight to go in the North. We leave this city to go to Turtle Bay. I am told it is quite remote but very relaxing. There will most likely be no internet in Turtle Bay or at the rain-forest retreat that we go to after Turtle Bay. After these two areas we go to Mysore which is where we start classes. We stay in Mysore for around three and a half weeks.
     That is all for now. Wish me luck on this next train as it is 12 hours. Hope all is well back home and I will talk to you again in about nine days.

The Southern Most Tip - Kanyakumari and Coimbatore

After leaving the lovely restaurant with free wifi the group that I was with left to go back to the hotel. We wanted to hit up a market, bank, and a restaurant before we actually went back to the hotel. At the time this seemed like a manageable undertaking seeing as we were not leaving the hotel until 7pm to go to the train station. After leaving the restaurant to go back to the hotel, which was very close, we learned that we were wrong. Since we had been out all day we were never informed that the departure time had moved up to 5:30! Thankfully we headed back around 5:45pm to get ready and so were able to get on the bus. Unfortunately that meant that I was unable to pack my own luggage or have a shower before we left to go on the overnight train. The train didn't leave until about 8:30pm but it took a while to get to the station and get where we needed to be. The train was an experience in and of itself. This particular train was very full and there were actually more people than there were seats. There were 8 people to a compartment and when people were ready to sleep they converted their seats into beds. This was definetly not my favourite part of the trip up to this point, but it was an experience I would want to have before I left India. Unfortunately I will have it 11 more times but I am sure I will adapt and it will become better. 

We arrived around 7am in Kanyakumari which is a city that attracts many tourists and is located at the southern most tip of India. The rooms were not ready for us but we were able to grab breakfast and then head out and explore the city. It was beautiful! Our hotel was located right off the water and had beautiful views. This city was unlike Chennai and Pondicherry in that it was less of a bustling city and more of a coastal laid back town (in India's standards). We all walked along the coast and took pictures. Us guys were going to be placed in a "suite" so we had to wait longer than the girls for our room. Once we got it we found out that it was simply conjoined rooms located on the top floor. On the plus side it had three balconies that looked out to the water and the front of the hotel. Kanyakumari was quite laid back and we had quite a bit of free time to spend as we liked. During the two day stay we visited the Gandhi shrine that holds his ashes, went to the southern most tip of India, and walked around most of the city. On the second day, around the same time, we headed out to again catch an overnight train. 

The second overnight train was better than the first. Although it was longer it was less crowded, therefore more enjoyable. I was also placed in a compartment with only people from Guelph so it made me feel comfortable. That morning we arrived in Coimbatore. This was an addition to the trip and our professor had not been here before. The reason we were in this city was because we were to visit an agricultural university that works with CIDA and the University of Guelph. It is highly respected and multiple professors from Guelph studied at this particular university. The tour was a bit boring and the town has little to offer tourists. The second day was much better than the first. Today we drove to a research site located at the top of a mountain. It took two and a half hours to drive up the side of the mountain to our destination. The views were amazing but the driving was mad. The roads were hard to be on, especially when you get motion sick. A few people had trouble with them, including myself. It was so worth it in the end. We visited the research site as well as a rose garden and a botanical garden. We also had lunch in the area at a very posh restaurant. We felt so out of place. It was a long drive home but we are finally here. I am headed to bed as we have to get up and be ready to get on a bus for 4:15am. We will be taking another train but this one is only 5 hours and will bring us into the west coastal town of Cochin. 

That is all for now, talk to you soon :) 

Arrival - Chennai and Pondicherry

      So I survived the crazy flight! Seven and a half hours to Brussels, Belgium; Two and a half hour layover; and finally a nine hour flight into Chennai. I heard from many people that the smell would be the first thing to hit you but surprisingly I did not find this. The smell did take some getting use to but it was the heat that has taken a while to get use to. Learning to be sweaty all the time. Anyways I arrived around midnight in Chenai (their time) and we all went back to the hotel and all tried to go to bed. Breakfast was provided the next morning by the hotel. It was definetly not your traditional breakfast. I have found that there was not been a ton of difference in food between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Chennai was a loud and busy city. We went to a fort that was built by the East India Trading Company and after headed across the road to the beach. To get to the fort we took rickshaws which was a crazy experience in and of itself. I have since taken many rickshaws and it is a great way to see a city in a short amount of time. We only had the day in Chennai and around 3pm headed to Pondicherry. I am currently in my second and last day in Pondicherry. Pondicherry is an amazing city with great french history. While here I saw a lot of the town by walking and richshaw. Had some french food and Indian. Almost was blessed by an elephant and experienced my first Ashram (amazing, anyone interested in yoga would be jealous). A group of us had drinks at "le cafe" on the Bay of Bengal and are currently accessing the free internet in an amazing restaurant on the veranda. Internet cafe's have been very small and unreliable. A good amount of people in my group purchased internet sticks so hopefully I will continue to have the ability to post frequent updates. I am having a great time and it was nothing that I expected. India is such a diverse country in arcitecture and culture. Can't believe it has just begun. Sorry I am unable to respond to posts but I appreciate them! Tonight we will be on a overnight train and I am a bit nervous but it will be another experience. I will try and keep in touch as much as I can. Thanks for reading :) 

And A Happy New Year

January 1st 2012? I can't believe another year has already past. In approximately 30 hours I will be sitting in Pearson airport getting ready to head out. I leave from Toronto and head to Chennai with a layover in Brussels. I have been packing my travel backpack and a carry-on and realized I have no idea how to pack for a 4 month trip. I have decided to pack what I can, try and remember everything, but in the end all I need is my plane ticket, passport, and money. I don't know if anyone has seen the headlines concerning India recently, but it has given cause for my parents to continue to worry. Chennai was hit by cyclone Thane that resulted in a number of deaths and a lot of structural damage. May have been uprooted from their homes and villages and relief is needed. India's cyclone season traditionally lasts from April to December so no need to worry. Being in this area right after the destruction of the cyclone will be an experience in and of itself. I am very excited, anxious, and nervous for this trip. It is well structured and has run for many years by the University of Guelph. I am going with a great group of people who I hope to better get to know. I hope everyone has an awesome new year, try and keep those resolutions, and I will see you when I return.