Corbett National Park: December 5 - 6, 2011

We went on a full day wildlife safari through the park. There are supposed to be tigers within the park but we didn’t see any. I would imagine not too many people see them other than park staff. We did see however, different types of deer and monkeys. We also saw a few wild elephants surrounded by the beauty that is nature. 

Rishikesh: December 1 - 4 2011

the view

A sari drying

Rishikesh is absolutely beautiful. We arrived in the middle of the night of December 1^st. We did not know what to expect when we awoke in the morning. The view from our room was STUNNING. The sun was shining and the mist lifted to reveal its secret; the River Ganga, finally it was time for me to formally meet Ma Ganga or Mother Ganges. All of India flows through her waters; she is a gift from the gods, purifying the mighty sub-continent. We headed out into this near perfect day to her banks, with rafting gear in tow. The whole day was very surreal and spiritual almost. 

Her banks are just as diverse as the country, from skyward trees to sandy beaches, or giant smooth river rocks. Steps from temples and yoga ashrams led down to her shores. I saw people bathing, washing their clothes, meditating, or just splashing around.  We stopped at a high rock, where it seems that most of the rafting companies stop, so that we could jump of it. At first I did not want to jump, but after some internal deliberation I did it, and I’m so glad I did. Most of our rafting was smooth; we did get into a few rapids where we were knocked around a little. We returned to our hotel soaking wet and spent the rest of the day relaxing and taking photos by the banks. The next day a few others and I decided to visit a temple on the top of a mountain… by cable car!

The view was nice and the ride was fun. When we got off the cable car there was still some more walking to do. The pathway was lined with beggars, children selling CDs and men selling food and jewellery. We took off our shoes and left them with an attendant so we could proceed to the temple.  There was a relatively small shrine and a few people in progress of their seven cycles around the shrine. We made our way back to the rope way, retrieved our shoes and headed back to the guest house. Tomorrow we go to Corbett National Park.

Goa: November 28 - 30 2011

Fort Aguada

We arrived mid day on the 28th in Panaji (pronounced Panjim) and proceeded north to our hotel in Arpora near Baga Beach. We had the day to ourselves, which I spent relaxing and a little exploring of the area. The next day we went to a few beaches (Anjuna, Vagator and Calangute), did a little shopping in Calangute and visited Fort Aguada.

On the 30^th our day consisted of morning sightseeing of Panagi, the capital city of Goa. We went to Dona Paula pier where the story goes, hundreds of years ago a prominent politicians’ daughter, named Dona Paula and her love committed suicide because their relationship was not socially acceptable. Goa’s own Romeo and Juliet… The rest of the day was spent relaxing and exploring the surrounding area. Goa is beautiful and I’m so happy I will be back here in a months’ time!

View off Dona Paula Pier

Mysore: November 25 - 27 2011

We arrived in Mysore on the 25 in the late evening. On the 26th we went to a wax museum, experienced a Hindu pilgrimage up the 1180 steps of Chamundi Hill to be greeted by a golden temple. It is said that the Goddess Chamundeswari killed the demon Mahishasura in a fierce battle that lasted several days. Next stop was the Saint Philomena’s Roman Catholic Church, the third largest in India. We also visited a palace that was converted into a hotel and the Brindavan Gardens which are along the river Kaveri; we even took a boat ride. The day ended at a jungle themed restaurant in the hotel. The next day we went to the Mysore Palace. It is a beautiful palace that was rebuilt in the early 1900's due to a fire that destroyed everything except the temple. It was rebuilt to ensure it would never burn again by integrating cast iron columns and stone floors and staircases instead of the usual wood. Elaborate glass skylights are present throughout the entire palace with mandalas and peacock motifs. Detailed Hindu Myths are painted onto the ceilings, contrasted by the intricate designs of the floors. The two headed eagle, elephants and lions are recurring images in doors, railings and on columns. The entire time I walked through I tried to imagine this palace as a home, the sheer size and extravagance of it made it extremely difficult. As we exited and retrieved our shoes we saw the full frontal view, took some pictures and made our way to the Mysore Zoo. We saw giraffes, monkeys, chimps, gorillas, elephants, lions, tigers and bears oh my!

We left in the evening for an overnight bus ride to Goa.

Last Few Nights in Kodaikanal

On Friday I will be leaving Kodai for my month long round trip of India! It is a bitter sweet moment. On one hand I'm very excited to get off this mountain and see India, but on the other I will miss the friends I've made and the familiar streets and faces. Kodaikanal quickly became my normal, comfortable in a way. I don't think I will ever forget this strange, exciting, exhausting and fulfilling experience. This hill station will forever hold a place in my heart somewhere between "that was awesome!" and "ya, that was...interesting to say the least". Looking back on it, my time here went by very fast, but present moments always felt longer than they were. I can't recall how many times I thought it had been half an hour or so and it ended up being only five minutes.

I've done life changing things, met inspiring people and seen spectacular landscapes, but I've also been bored and frustrated at times.
I've done some amazing stuff here including the KIS Green Team by planting (and pulling out) trees, worked with the Vattakanal Conservation Trust and the Palni Hills Conservation Centre, been to orphanages and old age homes, a rehabilitation centre, I've experienced an intentional community, learned (a little) Tamil/Hindi, taught English, an expert instant noodle maker, a semi successful bargainer and most importantly I was a learner. I've learned a lot here, not only about Indian culture, but also about Indian food, customs and beliefs. I learned a little more about myself and the ever changing world I live in and actively participate in. The main thing I will take from this journey is patience and trust in myself and the world. It has also greatly reinforced my mantra that everything happens for a reason. Everything is interconnected, nothing can exist independently, not even events; every action really does have an equal and opposite reaction.

What will I do next?
Mysore --> Goa --> Rishikesh --> Corbett National Park --> Delhi --> Agra --> Jaipur --> Hydrabad --> Chennai -->Goa (again)

Due to the uncertainty of internet connection during my travels I do not know when my next post will be. As usual I will be keeping a journal, documenting everything I do and see. Until then...
Goodbye Kodai, Hello India!

Dolphin's Nose

Ellie, Vanessa and me just hanging out

Ghandi Statue, Pondicherry

Ellie, me, Layla and Pooja on Independence  Day

Me and Dhanishta on Elliot Beach, Chennai

Woman at Mercy Home

Auroville Canyon System

Christmas in Kodai

Yes, I know, it's November, but we decided to celebrate Christmas early. Tonight we had a banquet with amazing food, candlelit tables and Christmas carols softly blending into the background. Of course it doesn't at all feel like Christmas but it was a nice opportunity to see everyone together one last time before we leave. In the coming days will be pandemonium as exams finish, people get packed and ready to head home for a well deserved holiday.

C.S.I Rehabilitation School

  

Today I visited the C.S.I Rehabilitation Center where they educate children who have learning disabilities, are intellectually disabled, have cerebral palsy, down syndrome or are blind or deaf. To assist older students they learn practical work skills such as paper bag making, recyclable plates and eco-friendly cups. These projects help generate funds for the center which helps them provide even more for their students

Machine the presses layers of paper and leaves to make plates

After Being Pressed

Final Product