Du Pont in the morning, Hyderabad in the afternoon

This morning we went to a Du Pont innovation center, which is basically code word for we make really cool things here. The office itself seemed like it could be straight out of any major US city; unlike most of the places we've seen. I wish we were allowed to take picture, but sadly we weren't.

The best way I can explain this business is they work to improve car parts by using different materials to create car parts. I was mostly distracted by the touch and feel of all the plastics they had. I am fairly certain that I had my hands over ever thing they had on display. 

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one. The other people in my group were just as mesmerized as I was, but we did creep out our tour guide a bit. One of the more interesting things that happened is Amdrew ripped an "unrippable" business card. He also broke a glass shortly after... So it was a bit of a draw.

After that we had lunch at the hotel next to Du Pont. The Du Pont people took us there to continue our discussions about international marketing and how we are enjoying India. I, however, was more concerned with eating. The food was delicious, and for someone who was getting sick of Indian food it was a nice break to see foods and know what I was eating. I seriously regret not taking any photos of the restaurant because the set up was beautiful. The dessert table looked especially delicious. 

After that the rest of our day was devoted to traveling to Hyderabad. We arrived late that night and went straight to the rooftop bar and ordered a few drinks and some appitizers for dinner. Bridget also ordered some pizza, but I didn't have any of it. I focused on the Indian version of mozzerella sticks. They were similar to the American version, but with extra spice. 

Exhausted from all the traveling, we went to bed fairly early. Well there's that and the fact that the bar closed at 11...

स्पर्श न करें (Please don't touch)

First night flight in India

So I normally take plane rides to update this blog. However, this ride is different. It's our first night flight, which might not seem that interesting. That being said, I looked out the window as we flew out of Bangalore, and the sight was bizzare. Well, it was for me anyway.

I have flown out of many cities at night, and the sight I saw tonight does not compare to any of them. Chicago, for example, has lines of lights expanding from the city as far as the eye can see. This is not the case in Bangalore, and I would imagine the rest of India. 

Instead of defined lines leading to the heart of the city there are clusters of light; usually 2-5 defined orbs of light in one spot. I would never have guessed that the city was home to millions of people. I am still in awe of what I saw. I knew India had an electricity problem, but I never imagined it was this severe.

The view from the plane.

अंधेरा करना (Blackout)

Mountain Song

Today was the first day we were allowed to sleep in. The only thing planned was climbing the mountain  Singh gad Fort. This was easily my favorite day. Not only did a get a manicure for about $5.80, but I got to sleep in, and we finally got some exercise. 

The view was amazing! I can't wait until I can transfer the pictures to show everyone. We climbed for almost 3.5 hours. I wish we could've started at dawn and stayed til dusk, and not just because they were the first place to sell American popsicles. 

Just chilling on top of a mountain in a mini temple.

A view from the top of the mountain

Another view. I can't get over how beautiful and peaceful it was up there.

However, this left everyone exhausted. Some people went to a different restrung in the hotel, but Alyssa, Meredith, and I were so exhausted and frustrated from last night we just ordered room service and watch Jurassic Park III. We're wild ones.

On thing we did notice is that few Indians understand the concept of leftovers. We tried to save some pizza, and I swear they thought we wanted to order another pizza. The language/cultural gap is huge to say the least.

किसी आदेश कक्ष सेवा किया (Did someone order room service?)

The princess and the palace

One four hour train ride later and an hour long car ride to get on the other side of the train track we made it to our hotel. The only way I can describe the Pune hotel is that it is a palace. Guests have to pass through a metal dector and have their bags xrayed just to get inside. The lobby is beautiful. I never want to leave. 

Meredith can't believe were actually staying here!

Since we had a free night we figured we would go to the rooftop resturant and then hit up the night club in the hotel.

Once again all I ordered was white rice, but this time I more than compensated with alcohol calories. I was the only person who felt comfortable ordering a Sex on the Beach, and boy was it delicious. After savor ing every last drop I ordered a Long Island with dinner.

My dinner wasn't anything elaborate, but everyone else enjoyed their traditional Indian cuisine. The only real issue that came about involved the checks. First off, they took over an hour to give us our checks. When we did get our checks many of them were wrong. I swear these people must think were dumb. They tried overcharging everyone. I think mine was the only correct one. However, when I tried to leave a waiter grabbed my arm and tried to tell me I didn't pay for my drinks. 

I was not having any of it. My buzz was gone, I had waited an hour for my check, I just wanted to dance. The last thing I was going to do was have this guy mess up my night anymore than he already had. I walked right up to all the men working on the checks and showed them my bill.

I told them I wasn't angry that they messed up, but that I would not pay for their mistake. I also told them I was leaving, and never coming back. I stormed out of that resturant like a bat out of hell with the pose in tow.

We went straight to the night club ready to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, the drinks were more expensive there than the resturant. That wasn't going to stop us though. The fact that we doubled the club goers when we walked in wasn't gonna get us down either. Once again, we started the dance party.

From there things got funny. I would divulge more details, but a lady never tells.

हम रॉयल्स कभी नहीं होगा (We'll never be royals.)

Slum laundry, Gandhi house, and Elephanta caves oh my

If you didn't guess from the title, today we went to slum laundry, Gandhi house, and the Elephanta caves. When I woke up this morning I didn't think I would be able to go to these cultural sites. I could barely get out of bed let alone stand for hours. I will say DayQuil is an amazing drug. I can't say I felt bad to normal, but it numbed my symptoms enough for me to function like a normal human being. I also have to give a shout out to Alyssa and everyone else who refused to let me miss out on this adventure because I was feeling miserable.

We started off our day at the slum laundry. The place is unbelievable. They wash thousands of items of clothing and everything ends up in the right place. However, considering the working conditions I can't imagine the clothes are as clean as those washed in a machine. Fun fact: the slum laundry is in the Guinness book of world records for something. I'm not sure what though.

This is how they wash thousands of clothing items a day.

Next we went to Gandhi's house. He actually lived and work in the building, which is now a museum. It was interesting to see Gandhi not only as the man who became the father of India, but also the life events that helped to shape him. The museum had photos of him as a child, and had a figurine collection that showed landmark events in Gandhi's life, from his birth to his assassination. 

Where Gandhi lived and worked.

Gandhi statue.

Finally we took an hour long ferry ride to the Elephanta caves. The caves were a hike to get through, and we had to dodge merchants along the way, but it was worth it. The caves were magnificent. I still cannot believe humans carved them. However, this place was also the most troublesome to travel around. Allie was harassed by a monkey for her Fanta soda pop, and we were hounded for photos by Indians more than usual. Bandhana actually yelled at the large crowd that gathered to take our picture when we took a group photo.

Outside the elephant caves.

Crazy monkey that stole Allie's Fanta.

After finishing up with the caves, we braved the merchants again. Only this time with the goal of shopping. I can't say I'm getting any better at bargaining, had it not been for Alex, I'm sure I would've overpaid for some of the gifts I bought for friends and family back home. We meet at the dock and boarded the ferry back to Mumbai. It was at this point Alex and I decided to go back with Bandhana to the hotel while the rest of the group went to a rooftop bar. 

Needless to say, both of us were feeling pretty awful. The way I see it though is that I can sacrifice one might at the bars to get healthy, or a can be miserable for that much longer. I did struggle with my decision to go back to the hotel, but considering the amount of DayQuil I had taken today I decided I probably couldn't drink anyway.

The taxi ride back was really fun. I hadn't had much time to talk to Alex or Bandhana. We all talked about how yoga changed our lives. It sounds corny, but we bonded over this ancient exercise.

Namaste.

Mumbai

Arriving to Mumbai was bitter sweet for me. It was the first enjoyable hot weather city we had visited. However, after arriving it was becoming painfully clear that I was suffering from a fever. I had no appetite, body aches, and while I was freezing my body was hot to the touch. Needless to say I was not thrilled.

I would like to say I soldiered on by my own motivation, but truthfully I think I would've spent the whole rest of the day in bed had it not been for everyone on the trip. It's like I said to myself the other day, 'I didn't fly 14 hours to sit on a bench in India.' Only this time I wouldn't let a fever get the better of me. 

A couple of us went to the Arabian Sea beach. To say the beach was different from the beaches in the United States would be an understatement. The beach was disgusting. There was trash everywhere, and we even found a needle on our way to the water. I got close enough to get my feet wet to say I've been in the Arabian Sea and live to tell the tail. 

Meredith and I then spent the remaining time drawing thing in the sand while the other ventured further into the water. 

After heading back from the beach we rested and showered. I got ready for dinner, still struggling with my fever, and we headed to a Thai restaurant. I wish I could say more about the food, but due to my lack of appetite I only ate steamed white rice, but I didn't hear anyone complain that their food tasted bad. 

In fact the only complaint I heard was from one of our group leaders, Ty. They messed up his order, and the funny thing is that this actually happened to him last year as well. Some people went out for drinks after, but after nearly fainting after I stood up I figured it best for me to head back to the hotel,

I crawled into my pajamas and geared up for a long night of cold sweats, headaches, and water breaks to make sure I didn't get anymore dehydrated. 

समुद्र तट जीवन (Beach life)

Happy New Year from India

This past New Years was amazing. At first it was a little odd, because the majority of the people we were celebrating with were not from the United States. Many of them were from India, but a few were from Europe. Also many of them were families with small children.

So, add in a bunch of rowdy college students with an open bar and you have quite an interesting dynamic. The party started off with some libations and food, both traditional Indian and from other countries around the world. However, the party really got poppin when Joe G. hit the dance floor.

He began with the worm, and gradually more and more people began to join in on the shennenigans. But most people were from our group. As it turns out our moves were so good that other guests were too intimidated to dance. In fact, the hotel workers actually gave Joe G. a gift for "starting the party", but really it was to get him off the stage.

The dance party continued until the midnight countdown. One interesting thing I found was that they turned off the lights at midnight so couples could kiss. After that the fireworks show began. And we danced some more.

Overall, New Years Eve was amazing. I had a blast, and so did everyone else. I'm sure every has their own stories to tell friends and family, so I'll just keep my lips zipped on the details.

I will say that I hope I can bring the many lessons I've learned here in India with me this year and for the many to follow. Just maybe not the driving...

Our lovely bartenders. I can only guess why this is the only picture I took of the night.

नया साल मुबारक हो (Happy New Year)