Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Darjeeling
So our first excursion has brought us to utopia, ie Darjeeling. This town is in the north, on the border of Nepal. We took a 12 hour over-night train (we came along some broken tracks and had to sit it out for a bit), an autorickshaw, and a land rover type jeep. The jeep ride, and final leg of the journey, had 12 people and one child packed in and we road up a windy, narrow road for a couple of hours to Darjeeling. The terrain was exactly what I think of when I imagine what SUV's and jeeps should be used for; rough-riding. Needless to say, this type of travel is right up my alley... I love it. So I am at the foothills of the himalayas where some of the world's finest tea is cultivated. I have to tell you that as I type this I am smiling. Each day I think about how fortunate I am. After expressing a lot of hesiation to my traveling companions about traveling right away, I am fully embracing this time away from Kolkata. I hope to get in some trekking and we plan on staying for about a week. The knot that had me laced up tightly and uncomfortably in the city has dissintegrated literally overnight.
A couple of anecdotes just for fun:
I experienced my first flash flood this past week in Kolkata. It is the end of the monsoon season and usually rains hard each afternoon for maybe a half hour, but the other day it would not let up. We sat in a restaurant and watched the water rise on Sudder Street. We walked back to the hostel, sloshing through almost a foot of water! Crazy and dirty fun. I immediately washed my legs =)
I am working on my Hindi. Much of the time here I am wishing that I had read just a little bit more before I hopped on the plane. I feel pretentious traveling around and everywhere I am asking for english. Why am I so fortunate to be born into this nearly universal language?
We went to an information session at the Motherhouse in Kolkata, where Mother Teresa's body lays. I am looking forward to begining some sort of routine of volunteering. After just a few days in the city I felt restless and frustrated. I need to get involved if I am going to stay there. I will not be chaning anything, I question if I will be helping, but I know it is something I want to do. I have something to give and that's good enough for me.
As I type there is a buddhist monk (or monk in training, I'm not sure) hooked up to the internet on a computer behind me. Not something I see everyday.
Okay, I hope you are well. Happy October and I will be in touch!
A couple of anecdotes just for fun:
I experienced my first flash flood this past week in Kolkata. It is the end of the monsoon season and usually rains hard each afternoon for maybe a half hour, but the other day it would not let up. We sat in a restaurant and watched the water rise on Sudder Street. We walked back to the hostel, sloshing through almost a foot of water! Crazy and dirty fun. I immediately washed my legs =)
I am working on my Hindi. Much of the time here I am wishing that I had read just a little bit more before I hopped on the plane. I feel pretentious traveling around and everywhere I am asking for english. Why am I so fortunate to be born into this nearly universal language?
We went to an information session at the Motherhouse in Kolkata, where Mother Teresa's body lays. I am looking forward to begining some sort of routine of volunteering. After just a few days in the city I felt restless and frustrated. I need to get involved if I am going to stay there. I will not be chaning anything, I question if I will be helping, but I know it is something I want to do. I have something to give and that's good enough for me.
As I type there is a buddhist monk (or monk in training, I'm not sure) hooked up to the internet on a computer behind me. Not something I see everyday.
Okay, I hope you are well. Happy October and I will be in touch!
# posted by Kate @ 2:37 AM 
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KTP! Wow....sounds like things are amazing over there...flash floods, crazy taxi rides, and commercial like jeep rides! I cannot wait for Thanksgiving when you come home and just start whipping out some Hindi! You will catch on to a bit of it quickly so no worries. And as long as you help one person (which I am positive you will if you not already have) then
this trip is completely worth while. My friend and I just saw Hotel Rwanda last night (which was one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen...I have never felt so sick and inspired by one film.) But after watching it my friend and I were talking about how it was a movie that made us say "okay what do we do?" Then one of my friends said "it starts with the thought, with the spreading of knowledge, with the spreading of love to wake up the world." For some reason I could think of no one else but you when she said that. So now that I have written a novel, I will stop but you are amazing and I miss and love you LOTS!!!
this trip is completely worth while. My friend and I just saw Hotel Rwanda last night (which was one of the most amazing movies I have ever seen...I have never felt so sick and inspired by one film.) But after watching it my friend and I were talking about how it was a movie that made us say "okay what do we do?" Then one of my friends said "it starts with the thought, with the spreading of knowledge, with the spreading of love to wake up the world." For some reason I could think of no one else but you when she said that. So now that I have written a novel, I will stop but you are amazing and I miss and love you LOTS!!!
Kate -- I like the image of you "working on your Hindi." It makes a language sound like a motorcycle. I'm sure our mother could make a good metaphor out of the two.
Hey Alicia, It is great to hear from you =) A mango lassi was the first thing I ordered on day 1 in India... and I was instantly hooked. I can never get enough mango in my New England life! I hope school's still going well and I will write you soon.
Te amo!
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Te amo!
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