Taj Mahal and Home

The best part of my trip was going to see the Taj Mahal. It literally took my breath away. They say it is one of the seven wonders of the world. I could see why! Its name is as beautiful as its structure. Taj Mahal means "the epitome of love." It was built by the Mugahl Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife. (How romantic!) Made of white marble, it is the most exquisite thing I have ever seen in my life.

It was the perfect way to end my journey. Saying goodbye to Alaina was difficult, but she will be home in a couple of years. I was tired when I got on the plane, but I was able to sleep the whole way home. Switching planes in Chicago I began thinking to myself. The images of India remained in my head. The country is a character in itself, one of beauty and history. I can't wait to share my experiences with my students tomorrow!

Looking back at an Ancient and Modern World

Alaina and I decided to sign ourselves up on a tourism trip. We began our journey at the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and worked our way up to Uttar Pradesh where we visited ancient tombs and cities. The caves were amazing. Like the temples we visited in Tamil Nadu, these caves were decorated with such refined details. They had been here for centuries. I do not remember learning about them at college, so I was really glad to experience this history lesson in real life. I took lots of pictures to bring back to my students at school.

 Next we went to Delhi where we saw the Ganges River. I saw many people washing themselves in the river. My first reaction was "are they bathing in there?" The answer was yes. "The river is holy" one Indian man told me. "It cleanses and purifies us." I felt uncomfortable going in there without a bathing suit, so I just watched from afar.

After that we went to the Indian Gate, which was a large arch that looked like it did not belong in India. That is because it was not the ancient people of India who built it. It was a memorial for the soldiers who died in World War I fighting for the British. The statue was a wonderful piece of architecture. Little did I know that the best was yet to come!!!

Nashik Wineries

Today was the last day we spent in Mumbai. In the past three days, we have gone to the sacred village of Shirdi, visited the slums of the city where we met with some Christian missionaries and today went to the Nashik Wine Festival. The festival was fantastic! There was a parade, lots of great food and a wonderful tour of these romantic fields. It got quite a bit hot out. This surprised me since Alaina told me that we were in the Fall season. Being a little backwoods girl from NH, I was a little shocked. We ate our lunch and drank our wine on the beautiful porch at the restaurant. There was no air conditioning inside, so we went outside where there was a slight breeze. I will miss these views when I go home!

Hollywood or Bollywood?

Today Alaina and I took the train up to Mumbai in Maharashtra. The Guptas were not able to leave because they had to take care of the animals and Alaina and I would be taking a few days. It was very nice to get back to a city. We had been very rural for a long time. This is not to say that Tamil Nadu and Kerala were not filled with people, because they were, however life seemed more fast paced here in Mumbai. Alaina keeps reminding me that I need to call it Mumbai and not Bombay. The city had changed its name, yet the memory of my history textbooks has not. We are staying at a hotel while we sightsee. Today we went to go see Bollywood!!! This is also known as India's Hollywood. The coolest thing happened to us while we were touring the set of a new and upcoming movie (which I cannot remember the name of...) Anyways, we were asked if we would be willing to be extras in the show! I was so excited. We only walked down the street, but we were able to get our 3 seconds of fame!

Elephants, Tigers, and Birds, Oh my!

Today, the Guptas brought Alaina and me to the region of Kerala. It is here where in a little town called Thekkady, a wildlife reserve is placed. It is like being in Animal Kingdom, only better, because these animals actually belong here. This habitat was preserved for them, not created for them. There are beautiful creatures here. My favorite would have to be the Tiger. This place does not lack for them. I saw three on my tour! The tour guide we had was able to speak very little English, so I was not able to comprehend most of what he was telling me, but from what I understand, the park is a way to save the tigers because their habitat has been almost completely destroyed by the people of India expanding and becoming over-populated.

On the way back to Tamil Nadu, we stopped in Munnar to drink some tea! I have never had tea as fresh as this! It was a really interesting experience. It was here in this region that the British East India Company held their "tea empire.' Britain must have been making a ton of money for how much tea this place produces! On top of harvesting this abundant crop, they also gave Americans an unfair tax on it. Now that I am seeing this operation, I see the entire thing as completely unfair! The people here do not like to mention the British in a popular tone either. The British held India for several centuries before it became independent in 1947



Here are some of my pictures from today:

 Here is one of the beautiful tigers I saw on the tour

This is what our "tour bus" looked like. I tried to get a shot of the one behind us so you could visualize it a bit better!

Temples

PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE

BRAHADEEWARAV TEMPLE

Today I went to go see the temples in Chennai and Thanjavur. It was a nice trip as I was able to get out of the house and really get to know Alaina's host family. Their last name is Gupta. There is a husband and wife with us today. Their oldest son is studying at college in Delhi. I got to learn a lot about the family by going to these temples. I learned today that there are many more Hindu gods/goddesses than I could ever imagine and it seems as though half of them live in the Parthasarathy Temple! The outside of the place is gorgeous. Each statue is hand carved, I would say, almost to perfection. The details are incredible. I could not have imagined how many hours the temple took to build. The Brahadeewarav was another interesting temple. While it was not as extraordinary like the Parthasarathy temple, it was beautiful in its own way. Mrs. Gupta told me this afternoon that this is a place of peace and comfort for her. Her grandmother used to take her when she was young and now she takes her children. Indian people are very family oriented. They are also very welcoming. I myself feel as though I am part of the family already. 

I made it!

Well, I have finally reached my destination! It is so good to be able to see my friend Alaina. It was a long and very uncomfortable ride (I refuse to tell you my way of transportation!!) to the house from the airport. It does not matter how I got here, but that I am already here. The house is very small, yet very welcoming at the same time. The people Alaina stays with have a large farm. Agriculture is one of the largest industries in Tamil Nadu, she tells me. Inside the house, I am overwhelmed by how many things are unrecognizable to me. There are several statues of gods and goddesses whom I do not know the names of. Alaina's landlady tells me not to worry though, she will teach me and bring me with her to the temples Arulmigu Parthasarathyswamy and Brahadeewarar tomorrow! For now, all I want to do is sleep. Unfortunately, my circadian rhythm is off due to the flight and I will be sleeping during the daytime.

This is where I am staying!

Follow Me On My Journey Through India!

Hello fellow travelers! Welcome to my travel blog! Today I will be flying out of Chicago International Airport to none other than the country of India! I could not be more excited! I have a friend named Alaina who moved there last summer as an over-seas journalist and asked that I, being a historian and one who has a passion for culture, would like to come over and meet her. She is going to bring me on a journey through India beginning in Tamil Nadu and ending in Delhi! I could not be more excited! I am sitting in the airport right now waiting for my plane to fly in. I think I see it! Stay tuned in to find out more!