Top five most surprising things about my time in Mumbai

Well everyone, I've taken my blogging talents elsewhere. A friend of a friend started a travel blog, and I've submitted my first piece to him. In the interest of keeping you all up to date as well, I figure I'd share this post here. As you can tell, I had to provide some additional context for this new blog's audience, so forgive me for repeating anything you already know. Anyway, enjoy!

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My style of travel is simple: I make sure that I know how I am getting from A to B (or A to B to C to J as the case may be), and also confirm that I have a place to sleep each night that I'm there. Aside from that basic structure and perhaps a few general ideas about sites that I'd like to see (Taj Mahal: check), I don't plan out my trips in a lot of detail. In the end I find I prefer the results I get from spontaneity more than I would from a set agenda. 

I have just returned home to the US after working in Mumbai for three months. I traveled over there for work - in combination with a vague desire to further explore a part of the world that I had only briefly visited once before.  Taking my usual approach to an extreme in this case, I did surprisingly little research for my time in Mumbai. Shockingly little, actually. Entering into the experience with mostly stereotypes and suppositions guiding my expectations, I suppose it was only natural that I was in for some surprises. Some realizations were more helpful than others, but in any case, I'm happy to be able to pass on this knowledge to future travelers. If you don't find it useful for yourself, at the very least you may get a chuckle out of how naive I was just a few months ago. With that in mind, I present you with my top five list of my most surprising realizations regarding Mumbai:

5. The weather never cools down. In my experience, tropical climates are really hot during the day (obviously), but they give you some respite at night. The sunsets deprive the environment of a major source of heat, so temperatures cool down. Makes sense, right? Well in Mumbai this never happens. Night is just as hot and humid as the daytime. It's just darker so that people are less likely to see the sweat stains on your clothing. I'm honestly not sure why Mumbai doesn't cool down (except when it's raining) - maybe the 20 million residents emit so much body heat that it keeps the city sweltering day and night? Maybe? All of the meteorologists out there can feel free to correct me on this one. 

4. Vegetarian food is delicious! I chose to go veg during my time in India - the choice was more of a personal challenge than driven by any ideology. I was curious to see whether I could be satisfied without any meat in my diet and figured that India was the right place to experiment with this lifestyle, given the plethora of veg options available there. I went into the experience with low expectations, thinking that veg food consisted of nutritious dishes that taste like cardboard or like something more appropriate for a rabbit's meal than a human's. Oh, how wrong I was. Yes many dishes have plenty of nutrients, but the flavors are varied and intense. You have a ton of options for getting protein, but my favorite quickly became paneer (which admittedly tastes so good because it isn't all that healthy). Stick paneer in anything and I'll probably eat it happily. Also, who knew that okra was so good? My exposure to okra up until now had been limited to the southern US states' deep fried version, with my reaction usually being something along the lines of "meh..."  Bendhi fry dishes in Mumbai showed me that vegetables, like people, deserve a second chance every now and then. 

3. It's not at all impressive to Indian people that I speak two languages. Maybe their ears would perk up if one of my languages were Hindi (because how often do you hear a white blonde girl from Michigan speak Hindi, after all?), but most Indian people didn't care one lick about the fact that I also speak German. Why would they? They all speak English with astounding proficiency - plus Hindi and usually at least one other regional language...not to mention my one friend is who is learning Mandarin in his spare time "for fun." This is a country filled with poly-lingual people, and it takes more than just proficiency in a single foreign language to turn their heads. Two foreign languages? That's about average. Three? Eh, maybe that will earn me a subdued fist bump from the average Indian. Double that, and maybe then they would actually be impressed. 

2. You don't have to know where you're going to get to your destination. Taxis and drivers in Mumbai rarely know where exactly it is that they're going. Instead all you need to know is the name of a nearby landmark, and then once you're in the general vicinity, the driver will yell out the window at passersby until someone gives correct directions. This approach to navigation is so engrained in Mumbai society that most buildings don't have numbered addresses! All you get is a street name, building name, and neighborhood name. To be honest I'm still not sure how mail gets delivered in that city. Magic? 

1. Indian people are not nearly as conservative as they'd like you to think. Let me caveat this one by saying that this is specific to Mumbai - there are parts of the country that are just as conservative as you'd expect. There are parts of Mumbai that are like that as well, but on the whole I was impressed with the cosmopolitan and liberal attitudes adopted by most of my friends and colleagues. My female friends wore short skirts, smoked, drank and swore just like my American friends do (I have awesome friends). People engage in pre-marital sex, do drugs, rouse rabble, and generally do stupid stuff just as frequently in India as they do everywhere else. The difference is more that they are less willing to advertise their mistakes than other cultures may be. Parents still expect their children to be virginal teetotalers who get straight A's and get married by 25 and have their first baby by 25 and 9 months. The idea that a more modern son or daughter can be equally worthy of parental pride and affection hasn't exactly caught on yet, so you're left with a generation of 20somethings who are living in the 21st century but who pretend to live in the 19th century when their parents are around. The question on my mind is: when this generation becomes the parents of 20somethings, will they hold their children to the same standards? Only time will tell...

Homecoming

It's been over a week now since I left Mumbai, and I'm starting to adjust to being at home. Yes, I still suffer from jet lag induced narcolepsy, but I suppose that can't exactly be helped. For example, I fell asleep last night fully clothed on the couch while eating a Popsicle. I woke up at 2 am very confused...and sticky.  You'd think that one Smith sister falling asleep like this (holla KBS) would be enough of a cautionary tale to prevent me from doing the same thing, but apparently not. 

Tonight I had meat for the first time in over 3 months. I was saving it for a dish worthy of this momentous occasion (yes I may have an inflated sense of the importance of my diet), and Golden Rule BBQ in Alabama fit the ticket. Beef brisket and ribs were the firt morsels of animal flesh to pass my lips, and I have to admit they were damn delicious. That being said, my tummy aches right now, and I suspect the introduction of meat has something to do with it. I'm going to go back to veg for the next week or more to give myself time to recover. 

A lot of people have asked me what my homecoming was like. The answer is: surprising. You all know I had been worried about whether Tiki would remember me. Thankfully, she did. I had assumed that Addie would remember me since we've skyped during my time away, but she was very shy and hesitant to give me a hug even! I suppose it's just a phase she's going through, so I shouldn't take it personally. I just have to keep spending time with her and eventually she'll accept me as part of her inner circle. This girl is a tough nut to crack - though ive never been one to shy away from a challenge.

My reunion with Tiki was magical.  She came to the door when I entered Jen's apartment, expecting me to be just some random visitor. When she realized it was me, she started doing her personal "happy dance" then bowed her head in submission to me and then jumped up onto me and started licking my face. 

People who aren't dog lovers can't possibly understand the feeling of joy you get from receiving pure adoration from our dog, but I'm one of the lucky ones to know what that feels like. Howie gave me a similarly heartwarming greeting. He actually cried when he saw me! He only does this for a handful of people - dad, Jayma and me really. 

As I was packing for Alabama this morning, tiki started giving me the stink eye - she clearly was worried I was going to leave her again. She even climbed int my suitcase at one point as if to say "don't you dare leave me behind." I calmly explained to her that she was coming with me to Alabama, and so she calmed down a bit and eventually came out of the suitcase. For all you doubting thomases out there who think I'm crazy for talking to my dog like a person, these are the anecdotes that make me think she understands more than we give her credit for.  I still may be crazy, but that doesn't change the fact that I may be right too! 

It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would have forgotten to take care of something before I left for India. I had people collecting my mail and driving my car to keep the battery from dying. I had paid all my bills and automated payment for future ones, taken out the trash and cleaned out my fridge. All set, right? Well, I forgot to ask Jayma to water the one plant in my apartment. Poor thing - it was looking pretty pathetic when I came home. It's tough though - at least it's still alive! 

Meanwhile, in India, the rain have been pouring down. Seriously - the flooding has been bad, at least from the photos my friends have sent me. I may miss the city and the people, but I don't miss the rains. I stepped in a puddle today in Chicago while I was walking tiki, and at first my reaction was "ewww gross" and then I realized that I'm in a city where still puddles of water aren't filled with sewage and trash - a puddle is just a puddle. Phew - that's nice. 

I have a question for the group of loyal readers out there - I've been asked to write a post for an open source travel blog that a friend of a friend had started. What topic from my time in India do you think I should cover? Please make suggestions!!!

Touchdown

It's happening - it's real. I'm home. Plane has touched down in Chicago. The first thing I notice is all of the greenery here. Then that makes makes me think of the hanging gardens in Mumbai and how I never made it over to see them. Sad. Definitely on my next trip...

My mind then wanders to wonder when should I go back? would it be too soon to go visit people over Christmas break this year? I'm sure I'll want to be traveling around then. Maybe I could put a trip to Varanasi in there too. Stay on points at a SPG hotel while I still have status. Sounds plausible, no? Oh who knows...

Why is it that my first thought upon landing in Chicago is that I want to go back to my original point of departure? Yes I had a wonderful time in Mumbai, but right now I should be focusing on the positive aspects of coming home. My bed. Addie. Tiki. I get to see Tiki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god what if she's forgotten me?? Hopefully Addie will vouch for me with Tiki. I'm guessing they've become pretty close lately. 

I've been away from India for just about 4 days, and still haven't had any meat. I had an awkward garlic bread and sundried tomato sandwich on the plane because all of the cheese on the sandwich was stuck to the turkey, so I had to pull it all off. I'm one of those people now, apparently. 

Omg the flight attendant just announced that the royal baby is a boy. I knew he was going to be born while I was on the plane - I just knew it! I'm glad Addie's future husband has decided to join us - he and his future bride seem to like to keep their own timetables. It will be love at fist sight. Note to self: tell Jen and Chris she should go to a high school that's a feeder to British universities. That will be how Addie meets her prince. 

Now, immigration and baggage claim. Ugh. 

(sorry forgot to post this on yesterday when I landed. If you can't tell, I am quite sleep deprived)

Transitioning back to the west

It's been a jolly few days in London town with my sister Karen. She had a rough week at work, and I'm going through the 5 stages of grief over leaving India, so we had a nice relaxing weekend together. One interesting phenomenon I've experienced here is the feeling that I'm in a foreign land because so many of the Indian quirks aren't present here. Let me give you a couple examples:

Walking to the tube...

Me: it's just so weird not having people stare at me on the street. I'm just one other person in the crowd here...

Karen: it must be nice...

Me (interjecting): oh phew - that Indian guy just stared at me - I've still got it...

Karen: wait it was bothering you that you weren't being stared at? (sisterly eye roll)

At drinks with Karen's colleagues:

(Karen sets down a cider in front of me, with ice and a lemon garnish)

Me: (takes a sip) wow that's cold...

(pause for thinking)

Me: wait - it has ice in it! I knew something was different! Woohoo! 

Karen's coworkers: (collectively give me a weird look)

Getting ready to go out...

Karen: sorry that my place doesn't have air conditioning, we're just going through a huge heat wave right now...

Me: heat wave? This? This is so comfortable!!

Karen: (sweats)

Me: (puts on a sweater)

Chatting...

Me: will you let me know if I do the Indian head bobble? I know I do it but I need you to call me out on it so that I stop...

Karen: yeah sure...

(fast forward 2 hours to when we are talking with Karen's coworkers)

Coworker: ...so in the end I decided to get the green toaster...

Me: (head bobble)

Me: (realize I'm doing the head bobble)

Me: (looking around to see if anyone has noticed)

Me: Damnit, Karen! (who is nowhere in sight)

Toaster buyer: excuse me?

And 30 minutes later I caught myself doing the head bobble again. This could take a while to get rid of this new habit...

In the end, I find myself missing India A LOT. I suppose that's to be expected, though, right? I keep dreaming up ideas for blog posts on topics I haven't covered yet. Dont worry, I will continue posting as long as I can keep coming up with things interesting to say (or at least interesting for me to write). It's going to take a while to fully process how these Indian adventures have fully affected me. Months, probably. The posts won't be coming as regularly as before, but they won't stop entirely...at least for a while...

Slumdog millionaire

My posts are going to be a little out of order at this point - apologies for that. Anyway, on Wednesday I took a tour of one of he largest slums in Mumbai - one of the largest in Asia, actually - called Dharavi. While the idea of touring a slum may seem grotesque and wrong at face value, the mission of the tour company is actually quite admirable. They are seeking to dispel stereotypes about slums and educate people on what slum living is really like. They also use the profits from the tours to fund a community center in the slum that offers useful training courses for anyone who wants them - social skills, language skills, computer skills, etc. 

We started the tour by walking over a pedestrian bridge into the slum. From here on it we wouldn't b allowed to take any photos out of respect for the residents there. I was able to snap a quick pic of one of the main roads of the slum that we were approaching. It looks like a lot of roads here, actually, so I asked the tour guide what makes a slum a slum. He responded that the definition is when the government owns the land but the people living/working there own the buildings. Normally people will own both the land and the building of their homes, but in slums they only own the latter. There are both "official" and "illegal" slums - in the former the government has given permission for these people to live there, but in the latter they just moved in without any approvals. In either case the slum residents are constantly in danger of being evicted if the government decides it wants to use the land for some other purpose. 

Dharavi is an official slum, meaning that it is provided with basic amenities and infrastructure by the government - power, water, sanitation, police, etc. It was established in the early twentieth century by the Brits and has evolved and grown into one of the biggest slums in the city (if not the biggest).  It has about one million residents, which is staggering when yo think about it. The population density in this slum is far above that of the entire city (and Mumbai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world). The funny thing is that the people who live there aren't necessarily poor. Doctors and engineers live in slums sometimes. Their houses will be above average in terms of the standard of living, but they continue to live there even if they can afford to live elsewhere. Speaking of which - Dharavi is considered expensive by slum standards - primarily due to the central location of the slum within the city. Rent costs between 2-3k rupees per month (about $35-50) for a 10 sq meter flat. Between 5-8 people will live in each of these flats. The flats are of higher quality than I had been expecting, though. They are permanent structures rather than temporary housing and have tiled floors and upholstered furniture. Of course I only peeked into a few, and I may have just been seeing the richer homes, but I was surprised nonetheless. 

The slum is divided into two parts - a commercial area and a residential area. Interestingly enough, the residents of the residential area don't work in the slum but instead work outside in higher paying jobs (housekeepers, taxi drivers, etc) than what is offered in the slums for employment. The workers in the commercial area are typically migrants from other parts of India - mostly the northeast - who have left their families behind to make money. They will work for 9-11 months a year and then go home to see their families during the rainy season or whenever they can. Since we are in the rainy season now, this means that the commercial area was a lot quieter than it normally is - though I still wouldn't call it quiet by any means.

The commercial area has a bunch of different industries and we were able to see people working as we toured around. One of the biggest industries there is recycling - trash pickers from around the city will collect bits of plastic and bring them to the slum, where they will be sorted, cleaned and then pressed into sheets that will then be sold to manufacturers. Thankfully this plastic is not allowed to be used for packaging foodstuffs but will go into things like plastic chairs and toys. Another type of recycling we saw was for paint cans. Workers will clean off the remnants of the paint inside the can by chipping it with a chisel, will take off any labels, beat the can into the proper shape (if there are any dents, etc) and then burn the paint can to finish the job before selling it back to paint manufacturers for reuse. The people doing these jobs don't make a lot of money at all - 100 rupees per day maybe, which is why they can't afford to live in the slums. Instead they will sleep in the factory for free - the owners allow this because it provides free nighttime security and ensures that the workers are always on time in the mornings. These people have low life spectacular due t the highly toxic fumes they encounter on a daily basis - the average worker lives to be 55-60. Some business Owens will distribute safety equipment - glasses, masks, etc. - but the workers don't wear them because of the heat, and the owners don't enforce any rules about safety compliance. 

Another major industry in the slum is the production of leather goods. The skins of slaughtered animals will be delivered to the slum for washing and drying (this room smelled TERRIBLE as you can imagine), then they are sent outside the city for tanning. The city of Mumbai apparently prohibited animal skin tanning within the city - something to do with the large Hindu population I think. Then the tanned skins are returned to the slum and are turned into commercial leather goods. One of the crazy things about this is that the leather production facility has a lot of heavy machinery operating in the open with no security controls anywhere. A little kid could try to climb up on one of these machines and get seriously hurt! I asked my guide, who told me that the factory workers self-regulate safety concerns and make sure no one gets hurt. I don't know about you, but I didn't find that very comforting...

After the commercial district, we ventured into the residential area. This area is divided into a Hindu section and a Muslim section. These two religions used to live in the slum together, but a riot in 1992 between the two groups in response to a Muslim attack on a Hindu holy place elsewhere in India necessitated the separation. This riot was actually shown in Slumdog Millionaire if you remember (Side note - some of the movie was filmed in Dharavi). Apparently the tensions between the two religious groups are much better today, but you never know when they might reappear and cause violence. Of course commerce and relationships will cross these religious boundaries in the slums - for example a Muslim man makes hand carved shrines that Hindu people band to house their family idols in their homes. Neither side cares that a Muslim man made the Hindu religious artifact - its just business. The Hindu side of the slum tends to be nicer than the Muslim side - our guide explained that this was because most Hindu households have two incomes - one from the husband and one from the wife - whereas most Muslim households only have a single income (from the husband). I'm not sure what to make of that - on the one hand I'd like to be respectful of all cultures, and on the other, part of me is screaming "let the women work for crying out loud!" 

The Hindu women do most of their work out of the home. They work as seamstresses, baking papadum, making pottery, or dyeing cloth to be turned into clothing. These careers allow them to stay at home with their children and still make some money. They will usually stop work around 4 to attend to domestic household duties. I admire these women - kneading dough in a sweltering kitchen with infants strapped to their backs and toddlers crying nearby. It makes it difficult for me to ever be able to complain about having to do "hard" work. 

During our time in the residential section, we stayed off of the main roads and instead used the very small alleys - most have barely enough room for me person to fit through. There are twists and turns - the slum seemed like an endless maze of these pathways. Thankfully our guide knew exactly where we were going, but I can't imagine having to navigate around there on a daily basis. My sense of direction is bad enough when there are street signs and GPS - if I had tried to explore this slum on my own, you would have found me sucking my thumb in a corner somewhere, playing with Google maps on my iPhone and crying softly. Some people do try to explore the slums on their own - I'm thankful I went with a guide. 

Surprisingly, safety isn't a big issue in Dharavi. They have a pretty strng police presence throughout the area. Also, the high population density creates an intimate sense of community. If someone were to commit a crime - no matter how minor - they would be shunned by the community and possibly punished outside of the legal system in other ways. Everyone here is poor, so it's very frowned upon to steal from or commit violence against one another - there's a feeling that "we're all in this together." as for foreigners, the likelihood that we would be attacked or robbed is small as well because the people in the slums don't want to attract negative attention from the government that may cause evictions. After all, the government does own the land, and if some foreigners were attacked on it, they would feel pressured by the international community to react in some way. 

The biggest two issues facing the slum residents are sanitation and healthcare. Diseases Exist in These slums that people in the US haven't been at risk of contracting in decades. Apparently something like one third of the world's TB cases are in India, primarily in the slums. Polio, malaria, malnutrition, diphtheria, and just plain diarrhea cause deaths every day here. Granted, the slum was cleaner than I had expected, but that's not saying much. We passed by an impromptu garbage dump at one pint. People were picking through the trash for scraps, and a small child was defecating in the middle of the pile. Apparently about 30% of the residents don't use bathrooms but rather take care of their business out in the open. Most of the residents use community toilets - there are about 670 of these around the slums, and are not kept in very good condition. Plus an average of 1,500 people per day use each toilet, so you can only imagnine the level of filth in there. Only about 1% of the slum population has a toilet in their houses. Most people will just have a spigot for washing dishes and bathing (for the women - men and children bathe in the open). The slum only has access to running water for 2-3 hours per day, so people will fill up these huge plastic bins with water so that they have access to it throughout the day. They will boil water to make it drinkable and keep it in the clay pots that some of the local women make. The system seems to function just fine, but the work involved in just getting clean drinking water is distressing to my Western sensibilities. 

We end the tour by heading to the tour company's NGO headquarters in the s,um. By this point, I am completely and utterly soaked to the bone. It started raining about 30 minutes not our 2 hour walking tour, and in a moment of pure genius I forgot to bring umbrella with me that morning. By the end of the tour, I looked like I had jumped into a lake fully clothed, purse and all. My feet made squishing noises in my shoes with every step I took. It was awful. 

All in all, I am very glad that I took this tour.  It gave me a perspective on the lives of millions of people who live in a very different Mumbai than the one in which I have been living. While I wouldn't choose this living situation for myself, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be. 

Final round of shout outs

Tonight was my going away party with my nearest and dearest (plus a few new faces). I've been so fortunate to meet great people and make such wonderful friends during my time here. I'm going to miss them all dearly in their own way, so I'm going to take the opportunity to give some shout outs to my favorites (in no particular order)...

Piya: I didn't expect to make such a great friend out of a random women's networking event, but am so thankful that I did. We've bonded over our obsessions with our dogs, similar world views and matching appreciation for sarcastic wit. I'm going to be seriously mad if you don't apply to Booth and come join me in Chicago...

Johanne: thank you for coming out to spend time with me tonight, even though you weren't feeling up to it. Your optimism and gregarious nature are infectious, and spending time with you has reminded me that it's sometimes better not to act your age but to follow your heart. You deserve only the best in life, and I'll keep reminding you of that every day :) Plus you've got some killer dance moves that I want to steal...

Richa: I wasn't sure that we'd be close when we first met, but in the end you've proven to be one of the most welcoming people I've met here. It's rare that I find a friend who is so easy to talk to and at the same time willing to jump in with a quip or joke that makes the whole room laugh. Also I think tonight we discovered your hidden talent for knocking over as many empty bottles as is humanly possible with a small scarf! I'll see you at the airport tomorrow as you chase me through the terminals and beg me not to go :)

Arunesh: I know you're even newer to the Indian firm than I am, but you've shown you can hold your own with the best of them during your short time here. Thank you for giving diplomatic fashion advice, supportive blog suggestions, and for the lovely going away gift. It was a complete surprise, and I was truly touched by your thoughtfulness. The next time I'm in India I expect you to have even further honed your sniper breathing beer pong skills. There will be a test - start preparing now...

Booth peeps: thankfully, our time together is just beginning, so this is more of a hello than a goodbye. Thanks to Sridatta and Tanmay for coming tonight to send me off and to all the others for your well wishes. Our fun times together will only continue from here on out...

Ritesh, Ginnie and Pavan: you three have been my escorts on countless evenings and have always made sure I'm having a good time, no matter the circumstances. I admit I can't keep up with your intense love of soccer, but watching the German game with you was one if the more memorable nights here in Mumbai. I love how you're always up for a social evening, despite your insane work schedules. It means a lot to me that you've been willing to leave work early to come hang out with me on so many weeknights. And Ritesh - I look forward to the day when I win our bet by coming back to Mumbai. You can take me out for tea as payment...

Apurva: We connected through one of the more random set of circumstances (private equity panel at the Four Seasons?), but I've been glad ever since that Praveer suggested you give me a ride home. After all, it takes a true friend to invite me over to his parents' house for cooking lessons with his mom when he won't even be there himself! You've been a wonderful tour guide and sparkling conversationalist. Plus if Jo gives you her seal of approval then clearly you're doing something right :) Good luck with the b-school application process - I expect many calls emails from you over the course of the next few months with regular updates, questions, and venting...

Isha: you were the first friend Ami and I made in the office, and I just can't picture what our time here would have been like without you. Yoga, shopping, pani puri...not to mention my first saree wearing experience ever! You are such a generous and caring friend, not to mention a fantastic multitasker who balances motherhood, marriage, and career with surprising aplomb. How exactly do you do it?

Sudeshna: Every time I talk to you, I'm impressed by your singular mix of sass and sweetness. Your smile brightens up every room you walk into, but at the same time I wouldn't ever want to get on your bad side. After all, your fierce stilettos could readily be used as weapons in a pinch :) you treat your friends with obvious and consistent kindness, and I'm thankful to be counted among them...

Vailina: I admire your spunk! You know what you want and won't let anything stand in your way. you speak your mind quickly and transparently, so that I'm never left guessing what you really think. Thanks again for the Indian dancing lessons - I plan to use them often :)

Stuti: thank you for the days of delicious home cooked food, accompanied by a soft word and a kind smile. I am pretty sure my taste buds will never be the same after tasting some of your Gujarati specialties, and I really hope our paths cross again soon...

Praneetha: Now here's a girl with enough common sense to spare! You continually impress me with your intellect and insight, plus your overall awesomeness. I'll never forget dancing in the rain with you in the streets of Goa and look forward to seeing you in London this weekend - yayyyyyy!

Sameer and Sunandan: you two gentlemen rock my world - literally! I've loved the late night chats about music, movies, soccer, and life in general. You consistently received the "farthest distance traveled" award when we hung out, which is just one of many examples of your selfless and loyal behavior with your friends. Sameer you were the first to bring us a housewarming gift, and Sunandan you brought our last party to the next level with your mad acapela skills. For these and many other things, thank you...

Kishore: you've come through in the clutch more than any other person in Mumbai! Need a bottle opener? Or some beer pong worthy cups? Kishore will hook you up. Thanks also for sharing the best balcony in Worli with us - enjoy it every day until you move back to the states!

Arnav: you have one of the quirkiest senses of humor I've ever come across, and I love (and slightly fear) it! You have earned the nickname of Mr. Foot Fetish, so wear it with pride. If anyone wants to know how you got that nickname, I'm sure you can fill them in on the details yourself...

Bryan:  You may have gone to Kellogg rather than my future alma mater, but we can still be friends because you clearly have some superhuman patience, which I find an admirable quality. After all you must listen to Arnav talk about his feet for at least an hour a day. If patience like that isn't superhuman, I don't know what is...

Klam: where do I begin? I was nervous about rooming with a guy when I first arrived, but you've proven to be a better flatmate than most people, regardless of gender. You are the consummate gentleman and always look out for your friends, even to the point of sacrificing your own comfort to make sure others are taken care of. You're funny, sweet, and I know I can count on you to be there when I need a hug or some advice on men. Now hurry up and get on the Milwaukee project so we can hang out in Chicago!! Lemon bars should sweeten the deal (if my company wasn't enough incentive)...

Ami: you've already left but I couldn't write this post without including you in it. You've been my partner in crime from Day 1, and, to paraphrase Kelly Clarkson (and I'm guessing its a safe bet to say you love her music), my Mumbai experience would have sucked comparatively without you.  You stepped into the role of  a true and caring friend from the get-go and comforted me when I was coming to terms with my Australian friend's illness. Your charisma and charm have brought lots of new friends into our circle (or maybe it was just your proficiency in doing the Footloose dance - I guess we'll never know...). But seriously, I can't even begin to start listing the ways that you've brought my time here to the next level, and so I won't even try. Instead I'll just say this: nom nom Yummy in my tum tum. 

Well, folks, it's been real. I expect ALL of you to plan trips to Chicago in the near future (the next 2 weeks would suffice), and know that I'll be there to show you as good a time in my hometown as you've shown me here. I will be sending out my US phone number to everyone today so that we can keep it touch (what's up whatsapp!) and expect regular contact from each and every one of you. For realsies. Or else I'll have to come to Mumbai and yell at you. Or maybe you'll just get a scathing blog post dedicated in your honor...

 

Veg 4eva

I haven't talked about my vegetarian experience in a while so thought I'd write a brief post about it (thanks to a suggestion from Isha). Yes, I've continued successfully with my vegetarian diet throughout my time here. It's been a lot easier than I thought it would be, to be honest. Yes I've had some dreams about plates of thanksgiving turkey and mom's spaghetti bolognese, but they haven't translated into any real cravings during my waking hours. The major question that I've been asking myself lately is how I will eat once I'm back home. This was intended only to be an experiment to see if I could go veg and be happy doing it. I'm happy to say that the experiment was a great success, but where do I go from here? Before I consider that, let me first summarize some of the lessons I've learned from this experiment:

- I don't need to eat meat to be satisfied. Boom - I said it. Meat is not a necessary part of a satisfying diet. I can be full and happy without it. Plus I'm pretty sure my iron levels are doing fine from all of the greens I've been eating, so that potential side effect is moot.

- Butcher shops can be dirty. Ive become more aware of the meat options available since I've been here. More importantly, I've paid more attention to butcher shops that I've passed. It's rare in the states to see half or fully butchered animals. Instead they just come in conveniently packaged post-processing parcels. Here I've seen the chickens waiting to be slaughtered, and it makes me sad - my animal-loving side finds it hard to ignore the connection between the poor chickens on the street and the bite in my mouth. Granted, I'm sure those chickens taste delicious, but that doesn't mean I would feel any better about eating them

- Not all vegetarian food is healthy food. This is obvious, of course, but is worth mentioning. Potato chips are veg. So is a snickers bar. You can have a terrible diet and still eat vegetarian, so being veg doesn't necessarily mean being healthy. 

- I don't understand vegans. Critical elements of my diet here have been eggs and cheese. I couldn't do it without them - paneer, mozzarella on pizza, omlettes, hard boiled eggs- they are so satisfying. I couldn't ever be a vegan - ever. 

- Variety is the spice of life. One of the reasons I've found vegetarianism so easy here is that there are options everywhere! Its hard to get bored when you can try a different dish every day for a month and still not get through the veg options on your average restaurant menu here. If I'm going to keep this up, I need to keep introducing new dishes to my rotation. It may end up requiring me to eat a lot of Indian food at home, but I'm ok with that.

- Vegetarians who impose their views on others are annoying. Some people are vegetarians for religious or moral reasons. Good for you, buddy, but I don't want to hear a diatribe on how the human body isn't meant to process meat. Just shut up and pass the steak, ok? Anyway, I'm not going to be one of these types - you eat what you want, and I'll eat what I want. 

Now where do i go from here? On the one hand, I've really enjoyed being a vegetarian. There is a huge selection of dishes, each more delicious than the last. They're filling, nutritious, and satisfying. Plus I eat more vegetables and feel great about it! Tonight for dinner I had "bhendi fry" which is basically just sautéed okra and onions with spices. This is a dish I never would have ordered back in the states - who eats okra as a main course? But it's delectable! 

On the other hand, the lure of carnivorous behavior is too strong for me to resist completely. There are certain recipes at home that I can't picture myself saying no to forever. Finger Lickin' Chicken Sandwich at Goddess? Skewers at Fogo? Chicken and dumplings? I can't see myself saying no to these things. Plus I don't want to! 

However, I don't want to fall back into the same old eating patterns as before I left. I now know how great a veg meal can be (one that isn't mac and cheese or hummus and pita). I want spice and variety! So heres my plan: I'm going to go part-veg going forward. When there is a veg option on the menu, I'm getting it. The meals I cook at home will be veg. I'll humbly request my family members make more veg friendly meals when I'm eating at their houses. But - I won't be a teetotaler. If a tempting dish comes my way, I won't say no...but I'll think twice before I say yes. My goal is to eat meat no more than once a week. Maybe some weeks it will be twice, and others it will be none, but on average I'd like to stick with once a week.

Now, to all the cynics out there (I'm looking at you, Apurva) - this is doable. I'm not doing it because I feel like I have to, but rather because I want to. I'm not going to be purely vegetarian because I know it's an unrealistic goal. At the same time I have realized that I eat too much meat at home and want to change that. As Mr. Carnevale would say - nihil nimis (nothing in excess). Word. 

Top 10 Reasons I'm excited to go home

Today was a travel day so there's not much to report. I learned that the Kolkata airport actually adheres to more security measures than other domestic airports (they confiscated my water bottle), and received one of the worst massages of my life during my layover (note to masseuses: just because you are Thai does not mean you can automatically give a proper Thai massage). Aside from that, there's not much to report. On my flight, I contemplated how this is my last incoming flight into Mumbai (for a while) and how I'm heading back to the states in a few short days. While I have had such a wonderful time here and am increasingly sad at the prospect of leaving, I have a lot to look forward to upon my arrival back home. With that in mind, I thought I'd dedicate a post to those things...

The top 10 reasons I'm excited to go home:

10. Proving Chris Kohler wrong. My dear brother-in-law bet me that I would come back from my time in India married. He is one of those people that I get immense satisfaction from proving wrong, and it will be plain to see that I am returning with no ring on my left hand. I can't wait to rub my victory in his face :) (love you CK)

9. Clean streets. Chicago is a wonderfully clean city by global standards, and I've been spending my time in some very dirty cities lately. In the past 5 days alone, I've seen no fewer than 8 different sentient beings doing their business on the streets and sidewalks of local cities. Two dogs, one cow, and five different people. Three were adult men using the world as their restroom, but there were two small children, each naked from the waist down, that I witnessed very graphically relieving themselves in the middle of crowded streets. One was a little girl, which made it all the more graphic. The worst was the small naked toddler whose mother was holding him by the arms as he kind of swayed and sprayed. I'm not saying that I would eat off the streets of Chicago, but it will be nice to be back in a city that fines people for not curbing their dogs and where the authorities would have some serious words with the parents of those children.

8. My pillow-top mattress. One of the simplest pleasures in life is climbing into a luxuriously comfortable bed. My bed here has been sufficient to serve its purpose, but it just doesn't compare to what's waiting for me at home. I see myself dramatically flopping myself on my down comforter repeatedly as a way of reacquainting myself with the most comfortable bed in the world (according to my completely unbiased opinion). 

7. Summer weather that's worth looking forward to. Summer is arguably the best season in Chicago. The sunshine, outdoor activities, beaches, barbecues, and beautiful scenery can attest to that. By comparison, summer weather here in Mumbai is either oppressively hot or pouring rain. I'm ready to start enjoying the Chicago style summer :)

6. Lake houses. My first few weeks back home will be spent at my family's lake houses. I'm excited to go waterskiing, sailing, jet skiing, and take sunset pontoon boat cruises. The lazy atmosphere at each lake will be the perfect environment for me to get over the jet lag, too...

5. Stratford theater festival with G&G. I know this doesn't count as something that's "at home" but I'm really excited to go see some world class quality theater with my grandparents. I grew p going to this Canadian theater festival with them and haven't been in years because of my work schedule. Im happy to have the opportunity to revive the tradition and spend some time with G&G as well.

4. Booth! Soon after my return, my MBA program activities will hit full swing. I'm going to Ecuador for a week with classmates, will be attending orientation, selecting classes, and making new friends. There's a whole lot to look forward to in the next two years, actually...

3. Family time. I have a large and (at times) crazy family, but I love 'em and have missed spending time with them. For the first time in a long time, I will be spending nearly all of my time within close proximity to a large contingent of my family and look forward to everything that entails. Plus Mackenzie and Liz are getting married in a couple weeks, so you all know that's going to be a night to remember (and a great place for me to see a lot of people who I haven't seen in a while)!

2. Addison Grace Kohler. My future supermodel rocket scientist of a niece is growing up so fast, and I don't want to miss any more of it! Her vocabulary has expanded about 100x since I last saw her, and you all know that my first mission in Chicago will be to get her to say my name and recognize me once more as her favorite aunt (sorry K&M, but you'll need to move to Chicago to make this a fair fight)

1. Tiki. This really requires no further explanation. 

Rain, rain, go away

I'm getting a little sick of the monsoons. Scratch that - very sick of them. This is just the wrong time of year to be trying to travel around India, but I didn't exactly have any other options. 

These dogs are sick of the monsoons too...

If you haven't already guessed, today has been a rainy day. I still tried to make the most of it, though with limited success. I started the day early, taking a drive to Sandakphu, a nearby peak (the highest in West Bengal) that provides 360 degree views of the Himalayas, including Everest and three of the next four highest peaks in the world. Sounds amazing, right? Unfortunately we aren't able to go all the way up to the peak after June 15 because the "animal breeding season" has begun and we're not supposed to interrupt them? We are allowed to go halfway up the mountain, but I am promised the views from there are spectacular as well. 

We leave at 630 am because the day is supposed to get cloudier in the late morning. My driver makes sure I have my passport with me before we leave - apparently this drive involves going back to Nepal. This is the same driver who picked me up from Bhadrapur on Friday - today we were jammin' to Backstreet Boys and Adele. While I really love his taste in music, our soundtrack seemed a bit anachronous with the surroundings. Oh well :)

Our first stop is ManeyBanjang at the base of the mountain. We stop there for a cup of tea (of course) and then - to my surprise - we switch vehicles to a tank-like Land Rover. My driver stays behind while the new driver continues our trek up the mountain. I ride in the front seat, and in the back (which is open with benches parallel to the road, similar to a military vehicle. We have two additional passengers riding in the back, though their presence is never explained to me. My best guess is that we were giving them a ride up the mountain. I have to show my passport at ManeyBanjang - though it doesn't seem to be an official immigration site but more like a checkpoint. Then, we head up the mountain. At first it doesn't seem like a bad ride, but very quickly the paved roads gave way to a road pieced together with uneven rocks. From then on the rid was VERY bumpy - to the point where I had to hold on tight and brace myself every moment for fear of being knocked into the car door, ceiling or dashboard (oh yeah, there were no seat belts). It still happened a couple times anyway, so I expect I'll be sore tomorrow.

We made a few stops on our way up the mountain. First we stopped at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. It is situated right on the border of India and Nepal so that one side of the road leading to the monastery is in Nepal and the other side is India. This whole mountain is on the border, so we crossed back and forth between the countries several times throughout the trip. The monastery was small, quiet and peaceful - everything you would expect from a Tibetan monastery, really. They let us into the temple for a look around - the enter monastery had even built in 1910. The temple had three Buddha statues gifted by the king of Burma as thanks for miraculous healing acts done for him by the founder of the monastery. Interesting stuff. 

Next we stopped at a house/restaurant for a cup of tea. My driver seemed to know everyone on the mountain and welcomed the opportunity to catch up with them. I was a little confused about where to sit when I entered the building - I basically had to walk through the owners' living quarters to get to the commercial dining area. My driver and fellow passengers were chilling with the family, so I wasn't sure if I was expected to do the same. Thankfully the owner ended my awkward hesitation by directing me to sit in the dining area. I took a seat across from a momma cat and her kitten. The mother was bathing her kitten as he drank her milk - it was sweet, actually. I had a delicious cup of tea and watched the clouds move around the foothills below me. 

Our next stop was at another security checkpoint, where I had to show my passport. Then back on the bumpiest road in the world for another 8 km or so, which took over an hour (!). We finally reach the highest point we are allowed to travel to, and I am rewarded with a magnificent view of...clouds. We are in the middle of a rain cloud so visibility is just terrible. I had been hoping the rain would clear or we would rise above the clouds. Nope. 

This is the view I was supposed to have (from a photo on the wall of the hostel):

And this is the view I actually did have:

Doh.

We stopped and had another cup of tea at a hostel on the mountain - might as well do something while we're up there, right? Then it was time to head back down the mountain. The ride down was no smoother than the ascent. The main difference was that the driver would sometimes put the car into neutral and just let gravity take us down as far as we could go without him having to hit the gas. On the way up, by comparison, the engine had been working so hard that we had to stop and pour water over it at one point to cool it down. On the way down we did get stuck once - but it was only for about 10 minutes and was right next to this scenic Buddhist temple that had one of the cyndrilical prayer things powered by a stream do that it was always spinning in prayer. 

As we stop at the mountain security checkpoint on the way down, the soldiers start loading big burlap sacks of potatoes and cabbage into the back of our truck. Hm, weird. Then they climb in as well! My driver - in broken English, mind you - tells me that we're giving them a ride. I'm in no position to say no, since there are a lot of them, only one of me, and they're the ones with rifles. So that's how I came to drive down a mountain riding shotgun in a truck filled with cabbage and Indian military personnel. How many girls from Michigan do you know that can say they've traveled around India with an armed military escort - not once, but twice in their lives? I'd bet not many. Side note: for those of you don't know the story of my 2005 passport incident that resulted in me being treated to a 4 am guided tour of Delhi international airport, accompanied by an entourage of heavily armed soldiers, remind me to tell you sometime...it's a doozy. 

We get back to ManeyBanjang and meet up with my original driver. On the drive back to Darjeeling I ask him to take me to a tea garden so that I can do some more tasting. This effort proves to be futile, since I end up getting soaked in the rain trying to find the entrance to the place and it ends up being closed because it's Sunday. Tired, wet and hungry, I return back to Darjeeling to relax a little and hang out around town. I grab lunch at a Tibetan place near my hotel. I see a menu item I don't recognize - veg wai wai - and decide to give it a shot after being told it's a noodle soup. Turns out its just ramen. Awesome. 

On a separate note, my travel plans have changed for tomorrow. I was originally planning on going to Varanasi for 2 days, but the city has been out on high alert following the Buddhust temple bombings last week. Apparently the holy sites in Varanasi are favorite targets for bombings and have been attacked as recently as 2010. These are the exact sites I was headed to Varanasi to see, so I've decided to skip that leg of my trip and return to Bombay a couple days early. I'm disappointed to not see Varanasi, but am trying to stay on the right side of the line between adventurous and stupid. Plus there's still plenty of stuff for me to do in Bombay before I leave and people to see as well. I'm still going to be making the most of my last couple days :)

The champagne of teas

I've never been a coffee drinker. At most I will order the occasional sugary beverage from Starbucks when I have no other options, but that only happens a couple times a year, and I'm pretty sure it's not accurate to classify caramel macchiatos as being coffee. Most of you know my affinity for Diet Coke is deep and long standing, but in recent years I've become a bit of a tea drinker as well. 

Darjeeling is a tea drinker's paradise. Tea gardens and estates dot the hillside as far as the eye can see, and every shop in town offers some kind of local tea for purchase. My goals for the day were to learn about the tea making process and about different types of teas as well. In pursuit of the second goal, I've had 7 cups of tea today. This is by far the most caffeine I've ingested in a very long time! As far as tastes go, I've learned the following about my palate: I prefer infused green teas over plain ones but black over green in general (jasmine green tea is my favorite infusion, though I haven't tried them all). I prefer the later harvests to the earlier ones - the first is too bitter for me, but the second is something I could see myself drinking in the mornings and the autumnal in the afternoon/evenings. I don't care for oolong or white teas, or at least comparatively. White is too light and oolong has a funny aftertaste. Now, what does this all mean? For the uninitiated, this statement might seem like jibberish. I'll do my best to explain what I've learned so far so as to throw some light on the subject. 

The main types of teas that are produced in this region are black, green and white. "Darjeeling" tea can refer to any of these - similar to French wine regions, any tea produced within this region is classified as Darjeeling, regardless of the type of tea. All of these "color" teas are produced from the same plant - the ptpe of processing determines what color the final product will be. Tea in India is in its infancy compared to countries like China and Japan - tea has only been grown around here for the past 150 years. However, the temperate climate found on these hillsides has proven to be a great place for tea to thrive, and so it has.

Once the tea leaves have been picked, they go to the processing facility. Each type (color) of tea has its own process it undergoes, but the one I learned the most about (and seemingly the most complex process) is black tea. First the leaves are dried using a cool fan - removing about 60% of the moisture. Then they are "twisted," which basically means that the leaves are macerated and chopped to release the enzymes that start oxydization. The leaves are then laid out on trays to ferment. 

Once that has been completed, they are heated slightly, then are "shaped" by rolling the leaves or otherwise manipulating them - this does something to the flavor, I guess. Once that's done, they sort the tea by size and quality - there were at least 6 different types of quality that came out of the same batch, from what I could tell. 

Fun fact: the tea that goes into tea bags are the smallest leaves and the lowest quality - basically the dregs of the tea plant. Loose leaf tea is going to be of higher quality. The tea is sorted several times - particularly to make sure that the highest quality teas are up to snuff. Then it is packaged and sold. 

The green and white teas experience similar processes, but the main difference seems to be in the level of oxidation that is allowed to happen. Both green and white teas are heated sooner in the process to stop the fermentation. White tea also doesn't undergo the twisting or rolling - the leaves are left as they are, which accounts for the lighter flavor. 

The harvest takes place two or three times per year. The first "flush" (as its called) is usually lower quality an results in more bitter tea. The second flush is what Darjeeling is famous for - these teas are richer and smoother and have a characteristic muskiness called "muscatel" that is what makes Darjeeling tea so special. The third flush - or autnal flush - is not as consistent as the second but results in more mellow teas. Within each flush, the highest quality teas are called the "silver tips." I didn't see any literal silver tips in these teas but maybe wasn't looking closely enough...

The tea factory I visited where I learned all of this was called Makaibari Tea Estate. It is one of the few estates that let you tour their plant rather than just the tea gardens. I had to suit up in surgical mask and hair net and shoe covers to enter the facility - I looked hot!

This factoisthat built in 1859 - the oldest in the region (if not the world - I wasn't quite clear on that point). The owner of the estate was super friendly and invited me to his office for a chat and a cup of tea. I'm glad I took him up on the offer because this guy was quite the character! He's the fourth generation owner of the estate in his family and so grew up on the plantation. He has been educated at Cambridge and wrote a book on tea on Darjeeling and has a documentary that apparently airs on the Travel Channel in the US. What's more - he's just a hoot! He kept saying these one liners that made him sound like a fortune cookie. He refers to tea as the "magical and mystical plant" and made me close my eyes and make a wish before I took my first sip. He talked to me about the mating habits of cicadas, plantation ownership, types of tea, local fauna, and more. The plantation has a resident tiger and tigress that they spot occasionally. He even had a bunch of stuffed dead animals outside and in his office - including a tiger that his dad shot in 1971. 

Next he brought in a guy (Nayan) who lives in one of the villages on the plantation who runs an organization called Volunteer In Makaibari. This is a great initiative that is meant to empower the women of the village to earn a little extra money (actually most of the tea picking is done by women here, but it doesnt pay micuh). They have set up homestays for tourists - the families provide lodging and 3 meals a day. The tourists are able to get a more authentic experience, get to know some locals, and stay on the beautiful plantation. Nayan showed me a couple of the homestays - they were pretty nice, especially for $25 a night. 

Nayan and I sat in his office and chatted for a bit. He seems really passionate about his job - which is non-profit, btw. I asked him if he had ever seen the local tiger and he said no, but that he has seen spotted leopards a lot of times. Apparently they even wander arou the village! The sad part is that a leopard ate his dog about a year ago - he was very emotional when he was telling the story. I think you all can imagine how much I sympathized with the poor guy. I also asked him about the villagers' feelings toward the plantation owner. There seemed to be an almost feudal atmosphere in the village, so I was curious if there was any resentment. Apparently this particular owner is well respected because he tries to partner with his workers. He provides medical care and housing to his workers as part of their compensation, which not all owners do. He's also such a personality that I expect the workers get a kick out of him :)

After my trip to the plantation, I spent the rest of the day in town, sipping different teas. I went to a local tea shop and tries a bunch of different kinds (which is how I I figured out my likes and dislikes). Overall, not a ba way to spend a day...

Castle on a cloud

There is a castle on a cloud. I like to go there in my sleep...

...but today I got to go there in my waking hours as well! But first, let me tell you about our nightmarish night last night. It was our last night in Pokhara, and I was packing up for our morning flight. We were staying in a nice budget travel hotel - ranked first on Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor. We had been pleased so far with the accommodations - the interior of our room was a bit shabby but everything seemed clean. The previous night, Ami had spotted a bug that may have been a cockroach, or may have just been a beetle. We had kept the windows open for part of the day so didn't think much f it after we tried to find the insect unsuccessfully. Last night, however, as I am zipping up my carryon, a huge cockroach climbs out of my bag. I have what I expect is a very typical reaction to this type of thing - jump out f my skin and start swearing like a sailor. I point it out to Ami, who then just stands on the bed and screams too (yes, we are stereotypical girls when it comes to roaches). 

The roach then flees underneath a standing fan that had been brought into the room that day. I arm myself with a glass from the bedside table and start moving the fan to flush the creature out. Ami...continues to stand on the bed. I capture the thing with relative ease, then rush to the bathroom to flush it before it crawls out of the glass and onto my hand. Success! We do a happy dance and then contemplate the implications. If the room has one roach, couldn't there be more? A rough transcript of our conversation follows:

Ami: do you think there could be more? 

Me: well this is probably just the same one you saw last night. It came in through the window yesterday and got stuck. 

Ami: so there's only one?

Me: yes, I think so...there's only one

Ami: but what if...?

Me (giving meaningful stare): No! There's. Only. One.

Ami: ok, understood. 

We then start getting ready for bed. Not even 10 minutes had passed when I looked down and saw...another cockroach. This one was bigger. And blacker. And I swear I heard it hiss at me (ok, maybe not). This time both Ami and I stand up on our beds and start kicking our feet in the roach's general direction, as if that will do anything. I finally get the nerve to retrieve the glass again and try to trap this one. Roach #2 is quicker - he makes it all the way to the other corner of the room, where a wardrobe and bench are located. I can't see him any more so suspect he is hiding behind the wardrobe. Not to be beaten, and influenced by a kind of bug-trapping frenzy, I start pulling the furniture every which way to find him again. Ami stood guard from her post on the bed. I had come up with some choice nicknames for our little visitor - combine those with the loud noises of furniture being tossed about, and our neighbors must have thought a brawl was going on! Nonetheless, I finally trap the little bugger and flush him too. Our next conversation (after the cheers died down) went something like this:

Me: and we didn't even really violate Jain non-violence principles because we didn't kill them, we just sent them swimming!

Ami: right! Wait - cockroaches can swim?

Me: eh if they can survive a nuclear blast then I'm sure they can swim

Ami: But if they can swim, can they swim back up into the room?

Me:...(frightened pause)...nah, they can't be that strong of swimmers...but what if there are more of them in the room?

Ami: if there were 2, then...

Me (having made up my mind): no, there can't be any more. These were the only two...

Ami: if there were more, we would have noticed them earlier in the day...

Me: Exactly - so these were. The. Only. Two. 

We then do a thorough search of all nooks and crannies in the room, and finally get into bed once we are (relatively) satisfied that we are alone. I have to say I didn't sleep very well, though...

Today was a travel day - Ami and I parted ways, which was very sad for both of us. She headed back to Mumbai to pack up and go home, and I continued my travels to Darjeeling alone. Thankfully we will be seeing each other at an event in Colorado Springs in early August, so that made it easier to say goodbye.

The good news about the travel day is that it was pretty clear, so we were able to see some of the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas - finally!! 

The mountains we'd been seeing up until new were really just foothills. These mountains rose above the cloud cover as we were flying. I'd be looking at a flat surface of clouds and in the distance there would be a white jagged triangle rising above it. Wait - that's not a cloud, it's a mountain! I saw probably 5-7 peaks in total, but the most exciting one by far was the biggest: EVEREST. I recognized the shape immediately - yayyyyyyyyyyy! Looking at the tallest point on Earth actually brought the "castle on a cloud" song to my head - the visual of the peak rising from the flat plane of clouds made it look like a white castle in the distance. Cheesy, I know. Clearly this is why my poetry is terrible and I should stick to writings of a humorous nature...

I landed in Bhadrapur, Nepal, a town very close to the border with India. Darjeeling isn't super easy to get to - from Kathmandu this was the fastest way. From Bhadrapur it's a 5 hour drive to Darjeelng. I had engaged a car service to pick me up and drop me off and was thankful that I had done so. My car was a nice SUV rather than some of the rickety beat up taxis that are on the road. Plus the driver helped me with the customs and immigration stuff in crossing the border, which was much appreciated. He also had an impressive collection of Bryan Adams music, which we rocked out to as we were traversing this beautiful countryside (true story). 

 

I had to go through immigration both on the Nepali and Indian sides of the border. Both of these immigration posts were tucked a little out of the way - it would be super easy to cross the border without stopping at either place. In fact there were people in bicycle rickshaws doing just that - maybe if you're Indian or Nepali you don't need to go through immigration to cross the border? The obvious reason that I had to go through immigration was that I'm white, but I'm glad I did so anyway. I don't want any trouble later from not coming into the country by-the-book!

The drive was scenic and beautiful - though in a different way from Nepal. Yes we are still in the foothills of the Himalayas, but here the scenery is dotted with tea plantations rather than rice paddies. Surprisingly it changes the aesthetic quite a bit, although I can't decide which is more beautiful.

The drive took us up and up into the foothills until we were actually driving in a cloud. Once the "oh this is cool" reaction passed, it was actually quite terrifying. Visibility was awful and the road didn't always have a barrier to prevent you from driving off a cliff! My driver went slow, which I appreciated.

Darjeeling is a charming town nestled on the side of a mountain, above the clouds we had just driven through. It's quite chilly here compared to Nepal - I don't think the altitude is much different though, which is weird. My hotel is very nice. It's a beautiful old building - over 100 years old - with original hardwood and furniture everywhere. I don't expect I'll see any cockroaches here!

It got dark soon after I arrived, so I only ventured out to go get some dinner. I found a restaurant that looked good about 5 minutes from my hotel. I was craving mo-mos but they only had chicken ones (no veg!) the place I ate lunch had the same problem! It must be regional - Bengali food is rarely vegetarian, so there are fewer options for me here. I had some veg chowmien and mushroom soup and was satisfied, though. 

On my walk back to the hotel, I was approached by a guy walking n the same direction. He asked me if I had a light - which I didn't. Then he asks me if I want any weed - trying to give me a sales pitch about its health benefits. "you'll lose 10 kilo in 2 weeks" "your skin will be perfectly clear" etc... I try to politely decline but he keeps walking with me and talking to me, saying he's going to come find me tomorrow to give me free drugs, even though I keep saying I don't want any. Once he gets that message (finally) he straight out asks me for money. Nope! Thankfully I got to my hotel quickly and left him behind. I'm sure the guy was harmless, but he creeped me out and was a good reminder that traveling alone is very different than traveling in a pair. I promise to be safe, though, so Mom and Dad you shouldn't worry (any more than you already do)..