Goa

Ahh warm weather at last. We have finally reached the south after a rather comfortable 27 hour train ride from Delhi. Stepping off the train we were greeted with hot, humid air, a refreshing breeze, and the smell of coconut tanning oil. Palolem beach here we come! After a sticky hour bus ride to the beach we flipped off our sandles, buried our feet in the sand and marveled at the palm fringed paradise. We quickly found a suitable bamboo beach hut and within a half hour of our arrival we were popping the top of a refreshing, cold Kingfisher beer.

Goa is India's smallest state and is famous for its beaches. It is unlike any other place in India, in fact it doesn't feel as though you're even still in India. You might as well have stepped off the plane back into the western world. Skimpy bikinis were everywhere in sight. Booze and blonde hair were the norm and European accents and reggae music mixed with the sound of breaking waves. We love India and all, but Goa was just the break we needed.

After a couple days of endless lounging and body surfing we decided we need to step up the adventure and try out a new sport called canyoning. Simply put, canyoning is trekking through the jungle and finding waterfalls to jump off from. What you cant jump off from you abseil (or repel) down. Why not right? We were in the jungle of India so we might as well take advantage of every chance for excitement.

Mr. Emanual is by the craziest french man I have ever met. He stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and has a stalky frame. His curly blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail and look as though it hasn't been combed sense he arrived in India 15 years ago. He is the Goan Bear Gryls and his hobby's include catching poisonous snakes and kissing them in the head, pushing Asian tourists off waterfalls when he knows they can't swim, and sleeping in the jungle living off from delicious red ants. Mr. Manu was going to be our canyoning tour guide. My first thought was I don't think our travel insurance is going to cover this.

The next day we were thrown a waterproof backpack which included a wetsuit, a harness and a helmet and we set off for the jungle. Thank God Manu brought a chopping knife to clear a trail for us and protect us from the black panther we jumped. Once we got to the river the first couple jumps and abseils were fairly easy but still exciting. The 3rd jump was around 30 feet and we only had a small pool that we could to jump into, avoiding a huge rock and the waterfall that we were jumping off from. Naturally I was feeling some small butterfly's. I had jumped from 30 feet many times but I always had a huge, deep lake below me, not some small pool. Right in the middle of a deep inhale I was pushed from the cliff by none other than my friggin guide! Don't worry... I lived :)

The rest of the day was full of similar excitement. Manu caught a water snake that was poisonous, but there was no need to be afraid because it was still a baby and you could live for 24 hours if it happened to bite you. Our friend Dave was extremely scared to abseil down the 115 foot waterfall so instead of giving him words of encouragement, our guide flapped his arms and made chicken noises. As a whole the canyoning trip blew us away and was by far the coolest thing we had done in India so far. We were exhausted by the time we reached the jeep so we let our hair and wrinkled skin dry in the wind while we were pelted in the face by bugs. Yet another wonderful journey in incredible India!

The Snow Storm

Our main reason to go to Manali was to snowboard. We were practically missing a whole Maine winter (which believe it or not is one of our favorite times of the year) so what better place to fill that void than the Himalayan mountain range. We couldn't get the idea of a virgin powder expedition out of our heads and thought we might be gaining a once in a lifetime experience (not to mention it would be at a fraction of the U.S. cost). Our hopes were high on our arrival in Manali because there we massive snow covered peaks in every direction.

The next couple days we bounced around from tourist information shops to trekking and expedition companies. We were asking about the conditions at a nearby ski resort called Solong Nallah. We were getting mixed reviews, most of them negitive. How can we be in the worlds highest mountain range in the middle of the winter and there not be any snow on the only ski resort in the state? We had to remind ourselves that yes we were still in India and nothing is ever what it seems. Taking matters into our own hands we planned a day trip to Solong to see for ourselves. The next morning we crammed ourselves into an overcrowded minibus (and by overcrowded I mean a bus that is meant to uncomfortably seat 20 passengers, had 40 plus in it) and arrived in Solong to feast our eyes on the muddy trails and the green grass. That's right no snow at all... you couldn't even tell it was winter. Slightly disappointed, we decided to enjoy the scenery and walk the 13km back to town along the breathtaking Beas river.

Arriving back at town we caught word of "a chance of snow" in the next couple days. The online weather report listed 1-3 inches but 1-3 inches in lower elevation could mean a foot or more up higher. With time on our side (and a $2 per night room doesn't hurt) we waited for the flurries.

Two days later the rain came. Heavy downpours mixed with thunder and lightning came crashing down for 8 hours straight. These monsoon-like rains took the power with them and left us reading in our room by candlelight. Later that night a group of foreigners gathered around our room for a little late night BBQ. Why not right? We sat and talked and watched the rain slowly turn to snow. The snowflakes were as big as cotton balls and they quickly turned the dreary night into a white dreamland. I had never seen anything like it. My body rushed with excitement. Two of the foreigners were witnessing their first snowfall and I was thinking to myself "it doesn't get any better than this girls."

The next morning I jumped out of bed at the first sight of dawn and what awaited for me outside was unbelievable. Three plus feet of fresh white stuff. "Perfect snowball snow" is what we would call in in Maine, and it was still spilling out of the sky. We could have never imagine the events that were about to take place over the next 3 days...

To be continued...

Gold

the temples
the shimmer in the sand
the hearts of the people
the rings on their hand

bangles decorating every wrist
the contrast on dark skin
sari's twinkling in the sun
karma preventing every sin

India is gold everywhere you look
outlining scripture and every holy book
how a country so poor can represent such precious metal
happiness is the future on which their simple live settle

When a good man becomes great :)

Most people go through an important change in their 20's. The searching, learning, experimenting, and living starts to come together and your individual is found. Life starts to make sense and you purpose becomes clear. Your direction and motives are far less selfish and a different sort of love emerges from you soul. You start to understand yourself and your emotions and moods. Compassion, forgiveness and acceptance come easier and you feel yourself being, well, happy :) This process can be brought upon by relationships, love, or life experiences, or like with myself, with all three.

This trip has been a great personal and spiritual growth journey for me. I've learned a lot about myself and have developed strategies and awareness to improve upon my flaws. I've really developed a love for myself and I am proud of the woman I have become. I credit the majority of that to my soul mate, Kendrick. He has really taught me so much about myself and he completely brings out the best in me. He minimizes my weaknesses and enhances my strengths. He brings out a great confidence in me and together we could conquer the world. Perhaps you could say we have already begun to do just that.

The past couple weeks I have noticed this overwhelming genuine kindness coming from Kendrick. He is just radiating love. Not just toward himself or me, but toward every man, woman, and child he comes in contact with. India has brought out his pure heart of gold. The random acts of kindness are endless and he lights up with a huge smile at every stranger that makes eye contact with him. The cocky, tough guy image had completely vanished. He is protective but not aggressive or dominate in any way. Kendrick has this strong positive aura radiating from him like a single candle lighting an entire room. His expressive eyes and goofy smile make you feel warm and fuzzy and at ease in any situation. He is a true diamond in the rough and I couldn't feel luckier to be his life companion and best friend.

We both have benefited so much from this trip and from each other. We have built a strong foundation full of love and respect and we can't wait to come home and spread what we have learned into all the other relationships in our lives. We want to thank all of you for following our journey and sending your love and best wishes. We have one more part of our trip to conquer and it is waiting for us in the Himalayas in Nepal. After that we will travel back to our favorite place in the world... MAINE! We love and miss you all and we can't wait to see your smiles when we arrive home.

Sulfur Hot Springs

One of the most moving and personal experiences I have had yet in India is bathing in the hot springs amongst Indian women. It's strange how such small day to day experiences can have an enormous impact on your life.

The female body is sacred in India. They do everything they can to cover their bodies and sometimes will be married for years before even their husbands see them nude. I didn't know what to expect entering in the hot springs. The female section was not visible from the outside so I was unsure of the social norm on bathing apparel. Was a western 2 piece bathing suit acceptable or did I need to be fully clothed? As I entered the hot spring I couldn't believe my eyes. There were about a dozen nude women, all shapes, sizes and ages, laughing and slashing about, scrubbing each others backs and just having a grand old time. I had never seen Indian women in this light before. They had completely let loose and were acting almost European, going without shame or insecurity with their naked bodies. The energy reminded me of an American beauty salon. I couldn't understand what they were saying but I could tell they were gossiping about everything and everyone. A huge smile dominated my face. It made me so happy to see that these Indian women could have a moment in their day to be unglued from their societies social restrictions and just do and say whatever they like. Children were running about, old women were dying the silver out of their hair with some homemade concoction, and women were sharing their personal herbal skin remedies. I was welcomed as one of them, I didn't feel foreign at all. They made space for me and immediately starting splashing water on my back to help begin my bathing process.

They didn't stare st me as I thought they would. I couldn't help but stare and they didn't seem to mind. Himalayan women are some of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. They are this tribal Indian/Chinese mix and they ended up with the best genes from both races. Their almond shaped eyes are darkly lined with long, black lashes and they just pierce you with kindness. They are built and rugged yet completely feminine. They have absolutely flawless skin no matter what age they are, and their long, black silky hair reaches past their butt. Their faces and bodies are decorated in simple gold and wool jewelry. They are strong, independent and hard working and I envied their confidence completely.

Bathing with those women in the hot springs day after day I felt my attitude and self image shifting. Being a young woman growing up in American culture you have societal pressures placed on your body image. I never thought of myself as being insecure about my image but I found myself subconsciously judging others. Not on purpose, but just as a result of our societies labels on beauty. I always wanted children, a lot of them, but I did worry about the toll child baring would take on my body. What I saw in those hot springs was pure, natural, unmanipulated beauty. Everyone of them was perfect and there was not even a glimpse of judgment or shame. It was so inspiring and erased and fear of aging I may have had. Their confidence was beautiful, their smiles were beautiful, the love in their eyes was beautiful, and every curve on their body was absolutely beautiful!

Manali

Manali is a small Indian town tucked away in the massive Indian Himalaya's. If we were feeling any sort of homesickness it was swept away by the magnificent beauty that surrounded this town. Kendrick and I still think that Maine is the greatest place on Earth, but Manali just might be second best. It reminded us of home with its laid back vibe, cool, crisp mountain air, and rugged terrain. Everyone seemed to be working hard. The women had children strapped to their backs while they carried heavy stones up from the river. You were always greeted with a smile and rarely heckled. There was also a sense of pride in personal accomplishment we had yet to see in the Indian people. We immediately felt at home and it was in Manali that we no longer felt like we were traveling in India, but we were now living in India.

After a couple nights of staying in the main town of Manali we decided to pack up and move deeper into the woods to a near by village about 3km away. We found a small guesthouse to stay in for 100rs a night (about $2). Our room was perfect- we opened the door to be engulfed by massive snow covered mountains and we were 10 steps away from natural sulfur hot springs bubbling from the Earth. I could have moved in right then and there and made that guesthouse my home :)

Narinder Singh

Chandigrah is a "modern" Indian city serving as a transportation hub to other Indian Himalayan destinations. Most backpackers don't stop in Chandigrah because by Indian standards its expensive and there isn't a whole lot to see. We chose a one night stay in Chandigrah because I wanted to see the fascinating rock garden. Karma seemed to be working in our favor because we were blessed by bumping into Mr. Narinder Singh. At first you might think of Mr. Narinder as just another heckling Indian but there was something more about his kindness that made us disregard our Indian generalizations and trust this old man.

Born in 1936 Narinder is 74 years old. The average Indian barely makes it to 60 so Narinder was eating his veggies and practicing his yoga. You couldn't help but love his charismatic energy, toothless smile, bottle cap glasses, and tightly tied purple turban representing his sic religion. He walked at the pace of a wall street businessman and was as recognized as Brad Pitt.

When we first met Narinder when we were looking for a place to stay. Overtired from another hellish train ride and sore from carrying our packs around town we weren't giving him much of a chance. After his first presentation of an information booklet and a generous favor of writing in his notebook filled of hundreds of letters from foreign tourists, we agreed to meet him for tea at the bus stand later that night.

After only a couple minutes of sipping chai with this old man we realized we had been blessed by the tourist Gods. He pulled out article after article that had been written about him over the years. The articles were about Narinder's so called "hobby" of helping foreign tourists around Chandigrah while getting them the lowest price for everything they purchase. The cost of his services? The sheer pleasure and enjoyment he got out of putting a smile of the face of a foreign tourist. He was the first Indian we met that actually enjoyed helping us out at no cost or benefit to himself. The next day at 9am sharp he was at our doorstep overly excited to show us his city. He showed us where to buy the cheapest bus tickets, the cheapest beer, got us free admission to the rock garden, presented us with numerous gifts, all while teaching us Hindi on the way. He also managed to slip in a quick visit to the town's Bollywood office where they tried to recruit us to be in the next big Bollywood film. At the end of the day we were exhausted. We had seen more of Chandigrah then perhaps we wanted but we were entertained by our new friend. Unsure of what I should do with the numerous gifts I had received (an information booklet, a satchel, a guava, a banana, a pink KFC balloon, and an orange) I made one gift presentation of my own- an American one dollar bill :) At 8pm we were shown to our bus and just like that Narinder Singh left our lives just as fast as he came. We were touched by this old Indian man, he left his footstep in our hearts and a smile on our faces.

We are safe :)

Sorry there have not been any new posts. We have been stuck in Manali for over a week now because of a huge snow storm. The snow was very wet and heavy which has been very problematic and caused many avalanches that have blocked the roads. We were stuck in a small village about 3km outside of Manali with no power and no heat. We were able to ski into town to get food and warmer clothing. We will be posting about our adventures soon. I just wanted to let everyone know we were safe and despite the conditions we are having a great time. Talk to you soon :)

Desert Trek

Camels groaning in protest, a blanket of star studded sky's, the ripples of sand dunes, a perfectly rounded fireball that dominates the sky, and good home cookin over an open fire. Words cannot describe the effects the desert can have on a human being. It surrounds you and engulfs you and makes you experience its power entirely. It is difficult, effortless, simple, and complex all at the same time. It's one of my favorite places I've been in the entire world. The Thar Desert overwhelmed me. It gobbled me up, chewed me up, spit me back out and somehow left me wanting more. It's the most honest place I've ever been. There is no hiding or manipulating its beauty, what you see is what you get and the product is exhilarating.

We started our 3 day camel trek with little to no expectations. If we have leaned one thing so far that is India always takes you by surprise and you can't expect anything. What you get is what you get and you just have to somehow find humor in everything. Our English friend Gordon gave us the best advise on our first night in India. "You cant take anything for granted!" We didn't realize how much truth was in those words until we experienced India for ourselves. So we left our hotel not knowing where we were going to sleep that night or what we were going to be eating for the next 3 days. Our only request was that we didn't want the typical tourist camel safari. With Jaislamer city in the rear view mirror, we glanced at each other, crossed our fingers, and with a smile said a little prayer.

The car ride into the desert was interesting. Our driver was flying down the winding roads occasionally slamming on the breaks to go over a random speed bump or honk at a crossing herd of goats. There was nothing but wide open desert sprinkled with a few mud huts and a couple of unfinished Indian construction projects. It seemed like there was no end in sight until we quickly slowed down and took a hard right onto the desert floor. After we stopped we were instructed to grab our packs and exit the car. I took one look around... there were no people, no cars, and only one camel in sight. Without question we followed our Indian driver up over the sand dune which revealed a couple more camels, 2 western tourists, and taa-daaaa... our camel master. Things looked hopeful as we got excited about spending 3 days with some fellow English speaking adventurers. We mosied down, gave a quick introduction and despite refusal, were forced to sit in the shade away from the other tourist couple. I felt as though I was in time out. We then realized the British couple was just finishing their desert trek and it was just going to be us, the camel master, Johnny Walker, and Mr. Rocket for the next 3 days. Joy, joy. A couple of blankets and a small box of food were tied on to our camels, we mounted with no instruction and away we went.

After about 10 minutes of strolling into the unknown (and EVERYTHING was still unknown at this point, even our nameless camel master) I came to realize it was going to be a long 3 days if I was already feeling a burn in my inner thighs. Thank God our camels were considered "small". With no conversation at all we stopped once at a nearby village well to get some water and then we were left with the desert silence and the occasional camel (or Kendrick) fart. A couple hours into our journey our camel master finally spoke. Eureka! And he spoke in English too :) He asked us if we like the sand dune we were crossing. Well yes we like the dune, it looked like every other sand dune we had seen. Well if we liked the sand dune then here is where we will set up camp. When we said here he meant it and we dismounted and waited for instruction. After a few minutes of waiting we were told to go gather firewood. Confused Kendrick and I just looked at each other. I don't know if you have ever been to the desert but collecting firewood is not like at home in Maine. Our camel master pointed his finger and we obeyed. I was collecting some small sticks that were hallow and so dry you could snap them with a flick of a finger. I looked over and of course Kendrick comes over the sand dune with a huge trunk of a tree that still had waxy green leaves on it. We Americans always have to do things the biggest and the best. Little did we know the fire we were making was only a single flame, enough to heat a single pot propped up by 3 sandstone rocks. Sadly Kendricks great find was of no use.

We ventured off exploring and playing in the sand while our camel master prepared dinner. Once we were by ourselves I was really able to let the enormity of the sand dunes over take me. The landscape was utter perfection and completely untouched. We hadn't seen another human being all day, which I thought was impossible in India. We felt like children seeing snow for the first time. We were jumping all around, throwing the silky smooth stuff in the air and even making sand angels. Everywhere you looked you saw the picturesque ripples and folds of sand and you felt like you were the first person to ever walk on them. It was as though we found this new undiscovered, untouched land that man had yet made his mark in. Our footsteps were the first to disrupt the perfect ripples. That probably wasn't the case but it was fun to let our imaginations run wild.

We let the spicy aromas of Indian food lead us back to "camp". We huddled around some warm ashes while we watched our camel master finish the veg curry, fluffy white rice, and mouthwatering chapatti. I admired the simplicity of his cooking and the minimal ingredients it took to make such flavorful food. I was inspired watching him cook as he was filled our ears with the sob stories of how hard Indian life was. It was ironic how he only needed two thousand more rupees to pay off his friend for his new camel. And it was even more ironic how he needed to pay him in 2 days or he lost everything he had ever worked for in his life. He continued and went into detail about the generous tips he had received in the past from western tourists. Kendrick and I know these Indian tactics too well so we followed his story with how we were working really hard to find a job back home so we can save money to build a house. We were young and struggling also so we knew how he felt. His sob stories ended right there and we were relieved we didn't have to endure the lies for 2 more days. We ate our delicious Indian food with our fingers (right hand only of course) while we watched the huge sun sink into the dunes. Before we knew it we were covered by a blanket of stars and the brightest moon I had ever seen. There was no need for the flashlight I had tucked into my jacket pocket. We layed out our blankets on the sand and there was nothing between us and the desert. No structure, no tent, no protection. We let the desert sky engulf us and hypnotize our minds into a peaceful sleep.

Day 2 was exhausting and the desert sun along with the heat got the best of us. We plopped ourselves in yet another sand dune for lunch and tried to get what little shade we could behind a tumble weed. Our final destination was the most famous dune in all on India, the Sam Sand Dune. There was nothing special about Sam's sand dune. It was full of noisy Indian tourists, trash, overworked camels, and relentless heckling Indian children. We prefer the natural, off the beaten path scenery so Sam Sand Dune was not for us. We opted to stay in the desert again turning down the tented resorts set up everywhere. Our camel master informed us it was going to be very cold that night and we would NEED his extra blanket so he was going to stay in a nearby resort. So we found ourselves laying in the sand again with nothing between us and the desert sky. Only this time we had wild animals to worry about and 2 camels to look after. The camel master was right, it was cold that night but it felt refreshing to us. We awoke to the sunrise and millions of unknown animal tracks that lead to our blanket, then back out into the desert. When we asked our camel master about the tracks he chuckled and informed us that we were visited by some jumbo black beetles, a desert fox, and an antelope. Oh wonderful! I'm glad we fully immersed ourselves and become at one with nature. At least there were no signs of snakes, the one recommended item to bring (wool socks) must have scared them off :)

Time to relax :)

Pushkar is a quite little town nestled in a valley in Rajasthan. The town didn't greet us with a full to-do list, we actually weren't even sure why we were going at all. But much to our surprise (which seems to be the trend in India) we enjoyed what little it did have to offer and we found a great place to eat, a couple mountain top temples to trek to, and some energetic monkeys to play with. Lets just say we had a lot of time on our hands to just... well... relax. And boy did it feel good. We read some books, devoured the best food we have had yet in India, and enjoyed each others company. We are off to the Thar Desert next and we are both looking forward to meeting our camels that we will have 3 days to bond with. I'm sure we will have some great pics to post along with a funny story or two. I hope there is a strong camel that is up to hauling Kendrick around for a few days :)

Udaipur

Udaipur is a real gem. Our time here has been as flawless as the scenery. The Indians are more welcoming and less heckling and people tend to smile more which has been a rarity so far in India. It's amazing what a little natural beauty can do for your soul. We are eating good food, getting a good nights sleep, and taking in a couple deep breaths of fresh air. We have finally experienced the great power of a true Indian sunset and its perfection repeats itself every night. It truly leaves you speechless and its impossible to stop smiling. The happiness that overwhelms you is so intense that we are finally reminded why we wanted to spend 4 months in this part of the world. Who knew it would be a simple sunset that would make us feel at home and at ease in this hectic country.

We also made our first step into mother nature. The city was wearing on us and we were desperate for a little exercise amongst the wildlife. We couldn't find any trekking companies so we ventured out on our own. We looked into the horizon, picked a mountain with a structure on the top of it and went exploring. We climbed the mountain on the steep zig zagging path that led to a quaint little Hindu temple on the top. This temple was no bigger than 12'x12' and it housed a 365 degree panoramic view of awesomeness. There were no tourists and men and women of all ages, children, goats, and chickens were making the climb to pray in this tiny temple. Their devotion and dedication was inspiring and they welcomed us despite knowing we were not Hindu. We descended the mountain so happy we almost had the giggles. This spirituality, whatever it is, is contagious and we are embracing every second of it.

Ooo la la... The Taj Mahal

I really didn't want to go to Agra, but who goes to India for 4 months and doesn't see the Taj Mahal. I mean, it is one of the 7 wonders of the world. So I was mentally preparing myself to be ripped off for 2 days just to snap the same picture every tourist takes marveling the architectural perfection and immaculate symmetry of the Taj Mahal. How great could it be? So I had my expectations, they weren't the greatest, but at least I wasn't going to be let down.

We arrived in Agra. Much to our surprise (wink wink) the driver that was supposed to be picking us up decided he didn't want to wait for our 5 hour delayed train and we were stranded. Well not stranded literally, but traveling on a budget we didn't want to pay for another rickshaw when one was included with our hotel. So we decided to make a call and wait... and wait... and wait. Finally, an old man emerged from a sea of Indian men persistently yelling to us to ride their rickshaw for "cheap price." The man held a glorious sign that said "Mr. Kendrick John". Thank heavens! It was the most refreshing sight I'd seen in 24 hours. So we hopped into the taxi and away we went. Of course the taxi driver didn't bring us to the right hotel but at this point we didn't care. Kendrick and I are still in survival mode at this point in our trip, and food and shelter were a necessity. We got our shelter and then our food and got royally ripped off in the process. Welcome to Agra. We plopped our exhausted bodies on the bed and regained our focus to the soul reason why we came to Agra... The TAJ.

Agra blessed us with one great sight on our arrival... the sun! Of course India had to have record cold temps and a never lifting thick layer of fog when we decided to journey half way around the world to see it's beauty. Our bodies were craving the sun's warmth and vitamin D. We thought we would go to the Taj Mahal in the afternoon in hopes to get a glimpse of our first Indian sunset.

We arrived at the gate of the Taj after fighting through begging children trying to sell us snow globes for ridiculous prices. I found humor in the Taj Mahal snow globes cause it never snows in Agra. There are only so many ways you can present the image of the Taj so I commend them on their creativity. Once in line to get our tickets I found myself cringing again while looking at the pricing board. 25 rs for Indians, 750 rs for foreigners. We have been spending about 750 rs a day for both of us to eat, shop, and travel around the city. Hey at least we got a free water and shoe covers :)

I have to admit after completing the security check I was feeling a little spark of excitement. The Taj Mahal and all it's hype blew my expectations out of the water. When it came into view it left me speechless and probably with an open jaw. It was stunning and perfect and it really did seem as though it was floating on clouds. It actually didn't seem real at all. It looked more like an enormous canvas painting that was hanging from the heavens. Wondering if other people were having the same experience I was I took a look around. One woman was in tears (Ok, maybe I'm being insensitive but its not that overwhelming). I checked myself back to reality and decided I should be a tourist and take some pictures. Kendrick and I strolled down the mall closer to the Taj stopping frequently so Indian tourists could take their picture with us. We climbed the white marble stairs of the Taj, took one loop around, and found a nice sitting place to watch the sunset. I was pleasantly surprised and completely at ease. The Taj Mahal took its toll on me and did a job well done.

Varanasi

Varanasi is an unbelieveable place. It's so peaceful, tranquil, and spiritual. It takes over your mind, body, and soul. You dont have to be religious to feel the energy and aura of Varanasi. There are crazy things taking place all around you but everything seems normal, it seems right. Bodies burning, naked pilgrams bathing, people taking thier morning dump, all within yards of each other. But nothing seems out of place or distrubing. Kendrick and I are staying in a hostel that overlooks a cremation ghat. We are constantly surrounded by smoke, ashes and the smell of burning wood and bodies. There are hundreds of bodies a day being burned within yards of us and yet it doesn't phase either of us in the least bit. It's actually kind of refreshing, revitalizing, and calming.

Varanasi is just what we needed after the stresses of Delhi. It has completely turned our trip around and has put us in a great state of mind to continue our journey. We needed a great eye opener and Varanasi was the perfect treatment. Next we are off to Agra to fight through the tourists to sneak a peak at the Taj Mahal. Until then...

A little grumpy...

Day 2 was literally about survival. Shelter, food, sleep. We were lacking all 3 and the Indians took full advantage of that. We have booked the next month of our journey with an Indian travel agent... big mistake? Probably. We were both in no state to be making big decisions but it happened and we will make the best of it.

I think we both want out of Delhi... quick. There is nothing for us here except millions of people and non stop horn honking. The city is so polluted there is not only a dense layer of smog outside, but inside. I have been to some polluted cities but I've never seen anything like this. I blow my nose and its black, if a car passes my eyes sting from the exhaust.

With all the discomfort aside, I think we are going to grow to love India. The crazy smells, the colors, the people. Ohhh the people. And boy do the people love us. Every single person stops and stares. People are constantly coming up to us trying to make conversation. They love my blonde hair and they love Kendricks height even more. Dozens of Indian men have approached him saying "wow man you have good height!" One guy even asked Kendrick what he should take for protein. These Indians, they are a different breed. Its pure entertainment.

No packs, no sleep, no place... no problem!

India welcomed us with open arms.... HA yeah right! We thought we were prepared for the worst but we weren't even close. We arrived in Delhi at 11:30 pm only to discover our backpacks were still in Amsterdam. We carried on light, and by light I mean a camera, a couple books and some tp. The airline assured us we would have our packs in 2 days. Hmmm only 2 days with no clothes, no toothbrush, no nothing... no big deal :)

I have to say I was blessed with something, and thats a talkitive boyfriend. There is not a shy bone in that kids body. Kendrick became bff's with this English tunnel engineer who works in Delhi and ended up saving our butts our first night in India. Gordan gave us tons of advise on the plane and offered us a ride to a guest house in the center of Delhi. Well his dirver never showed up (which is typical on Indian standards) and we rode around some alley ways in a taxi unable to find a place to stay. Needless to say we ended up "sleeping" in a random English guys (Gordon) servants room on a less than twin bed, while the howling street dogs sang us to sleep. Oh happy days! I am overwhelmed with excitement and wonder what kind of adventures tomorrow will bring. Oh India, how I love you already!