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)

New Year's Day

LGiven the night we had it was a miracle everyone was in great health the next day. But either way it didn't matter, we had things to do and people to see. Today consisted on visiting the world's largest sundial (Jantar Mantar) as well as the City Palace.

We started at the city palace. Our tour guide took us to a museum that housed royal clothing. My favorite items were from a king so large only an elephant could lift him. He was 500 lbs and 7 feet tall. I honestly thought this king was a myth, but Bandhana assured me he really did exist. His clothes were ridiculous. We couldn't take pictures, so I drew what it looked like:

After that we toured the palace grounds which have been repurposed to serve other purposes like coffee shops and other businesses.

Then we went to see the giant sundial. Oddly enough we never actually went close enough to it to actually see it. We just looked at about a dozen of other oversized sun dials and other astrological devices. The day was already beginning to feel long, so when we were given 15 minutes to explore I started to head towards a shady bench. (A lovely trait I got from my dad). But on my way to bench heaven I had a life changing though:

"I did not fly 14.5 hours to India to sit on a f*#€%ing bench."

So I didn't. I caught up to my friends, and we all found our astrological signs, and joined a random Indians family home video.

Many of us thought our day was done then, but we went back to the palace area to see more. On our way we saw snake charmers. Even though the snakes were defanged, I kept a safe distance; the snakes were terrifying.

Connor and Courtney with the snake charmer.

Once we got back to the palace, we saw artists at work and other rooms used in the past. Our guide also brought us to a room that held ancient weaponry. He must have really hated us because at the end of our tour he took us to a pashmina scarf shop. The "presentation" turned into a sales pitch real fast. It felt like a live QBC commercial that you couldn't leave. I actually considered fainting to get out of it. 

No one wanted to be rude and just get up and leave. Once again, Bandhana came to our rescue. We'd probably still be there if it hadn't been for her.

After leaving the scarf shop we had a choice: go to the Jaipur Market or go back to the hotel. 

Now I know I said I didn't come all this way to sit on a bench, but I also didn't come kill myself by shopping and exhaustion. I went home, because at this point we all wanted to go out later.

When I finally did wake up from my nap I was greated with food from a 300 year old resturant my roommate, Alyssa, thought I might. No one was going out, so I happily ate my food and went back to sleep.

एक कमबख्त बेंच पर बैठने के लिए भारत को 14.5 घंटे उड़ नहीं था (I did not fly 14.5 hours to India to sit on a f*#€%ing bench.)

Monkeys, camels, and elephants. Oh my!

Our second day in Jaipur consisted of us going to the corporate office of Jaipur Rugs, Jaigharh Fort, and we rode camels and elephants. 

Going to the office of Jaipur Rugs basically showed us what happens to the rugs after they are weaved. The attention to detail the workers put into the rugs is truly astonishing. They basically cut the rugs to give texture, restore rugs, and preform other grooming processes on these rugs before they are sent to the retail store, and ultimately the end customer. It is truly unbelievable how soft some of these rugs were. I could compare it to petting a baby animal.

The corporate office also houses the design department, and while Jaipur rugs collaborates with designers it always adds ensures their designers have the final say. However, one thing I found strange as a marketing major is that they don't sell their rugs under a universal brand name. They are actually in the branding process right now, which is generally the first thing a business will try to do.

Part of the design team at work.

Workers fixing mistakes and applying finishing touches to the rugs.

After Jaipur Rugs our group grabbed a quick lunch at Cafe Coffee Day, and then we made our way to Jaigarh Fort. The fort is basically on the top of a small mountain, and the road to get up it snaked around the mountain with 180 degree turns. Obviously the only way to drive up would be to floor it and hope other cars got out of the way. People were holding on to whatever they could get their hands on. It was easily the loudest/scariest bus ride we had taken thus far.

We saw our first monkeys up close at the fort, and as always were attacked by the local merchants to buy things like post cards or pens. Thankfully it wasn't long before we started our tour, and they had to leave us alone. Some people braved the bathrooms before we really got going, but after hearing the horror stories about the things on the floor I decided I didn't have to go that bad.

Our guide brought us through a dark doorway. I followed Meredith closely. In fact, it was too late for her to warn me of the "water" on the dark down step. I almost immediately stepped in the same spot she did. It was only after we looked all around and saw all the monkey droppings we realized we stepped Ina fresh pile of monkey shit. Excuse my French, but I am still livid over the fact that a monkey had the nerve to drop a deuce in a dark doorway.

Needless to say we were over the fort once that happened. I didn't pay much attention after that. I do know that this fort has the largest cannon on wheels. It was fired once and the cannon ball soared over 20 miles. It was fired around 1728. Yeah, that about it. Oh, and I hate monkeys. We saw one drop down two stories to grab a granola bar from a tourist. This monkey also had a baby attached to it. Go figure.

The largest cannon on wheels.

Once I was able to wash my foot and shoe I was in a vastly better mood. With that we went on a hunt for camel and elephant rides. I think I was the only person super excited for the camels. I thought riding a camel was way better than an elephant. My adrenaline was pumping went the camel stood up with Bridget and I on its back. (The camel and I almost budded heads.) Also, it felt like at anytime we could just fall off. It also walked a lot faster than the elephant. It wasn't anything too wild, but still I can check it off my bucket list.

I would actually say the animal keepers were scarier than the animals themselves. A large group of men surrounded Bridget and I saying we didn't pay when we obviously did. Thank goodness Bhadana was there to sort everything out while we hid on the bus.

Bridget and I with our camel, Lucky.

We rode the elephants after, which as I said before was alright, but not as fun as I was expecting. The place we went was pretty sketchy if you ask me. To set the scene, I would compare it to a back alley where a person would go to buy black market goods.

Sadly, all the pictures I have right now are of other people riding the elephant, but here she is.

Overall it was an eventful day, and many of us needed a nap, but there wasn't anytime for that. We had to be ready for The New Year's Eve part in two hour, and we all obviously needed a shower.

आगे अपने कदम, बंदर गोली चलाने की आवाज़ देखो (Watch your step, monkey poop ahead.)

Village life

Today basically consisted of a seven and half hour bus ride to Jaipur. Before arriving at our hotel we drove to a small village that is a part of a huge social awareness company named Jaipur Rugs. The company employs village workers and teaches them how to make rugs. This helps the men and women in the village to earn money to live off of. 

During this visit we not only met the weavers, but also played with the village children. I can't image living the way they do. They have limited electricity, no internet, and one working toilet. Yet, they seem so happy with their lives. Perhaps the minimalists were on to something, but I've already drank the technology kool-aid. 

One village family actually made us dinner, and it was by far the best Indian food I've had so far. I couldn't tell what we ate, but it was unbelievable. Some members of the village actually didn't eat that day so they could feed us, which I don't believe would've been necessary if they would stop feeding us so much food. They kept filling our plates. I eventually started putting my hand over my food, so they couldn't access my plate.

One thing that will stick with me over this trip is goose berries. They are a sour berry native to that area. We have them in the United States, but nowhere near as large as these berries. The berries themselves are disgusting, but they make water taste amazing after. I wish I could better describe the cool sweet flavor of the water after struggling to eat a berry. However, it is completely worth it. I might try to smuggle some home so everyone can try them.

Over after the dlong rive up a dirt road to the village I was more than ready to check into the Holiday Inn. The first thing I did was take a long hot shower.

Definitely an upgrade from our last residence.

(First world problems)

Also, it was been brought to my attention that the owners of the first placed we stayed photoshopped the pictures we saw and blatantly lied to Bandhana about the conditions of the hotel. She is currently trying to find us another place to stay in Dehli when we go back.

Dehli

After waking up from a terribly cold night of sleep, the group was ready to go. The 29th consisted of us going to visit the Humayun tomb, Qutab Minar, and Dehli Haat.

We were warned that people would want to take pictures with us because we were white, but I don't think any of us were prepared for it. Every trip we went on took an additional 20 minutes minimum because people would stop us and ask to take a picture. Some of them won't even ask they will just take creepy shots or try to take photos with us in the background. It is quite bizaar. 

The Humayun tomb is a huge tomb, as you probably guessed. The grounds had many different sections to it, but the main attraction was the Taj Mahal-sequel building that was the tomb for a royal family. 

The door way to a lesser section of the Humayun tomb. Ignore Andrew's big head.

This is the lesser section of the Humayun tomb. There is a dead family in there.

This is the main tomb, not to be confused with the Taj Mahal.

The Qutab Minar was the second cultural site we visited. It is basically a giant pillar constructed when invaders took over Dehli. After every conquering they would build another level. Two level actually fell off in an earthquake. 

Then finally we ended our day with Dehli Haat, which essentially is a huge market. They sold just about everything: clothes, food, jewelry, scarves, carved elephants. It's really overwhelming to be white here. Merchants basically, for lack of a better word, attack you. They also try to rip you off. And they succeeded. I am possibly the worst barterer. That being said I still got two pashmina scarves for about $20 USD. 

उस ते ताजमहल नहीं है (That is not the Taj Mahal)