Archive for July, 2010

Sooo, it is my 28th Birthday!!!  I am a BIG believer in celebrating Birthdays in style, since I think everyone on this planet deserves one day a year where their life is honored.  Normally, I travel somewhere special, however this year I decided to remain home, since the day I turned 27 I left the country 7 times and I am going to be traveling again soon.  On my 25th Birthday I sneaked into traveled to Cuba and while I was there I started my 1st list of “things to do before my next Birthday.”  I believe I have done a decent job thus far of accomplishing everything on the lists.  I really enjoy the challenge and I find that these lists help enrich my life.

This year I thought I would be brave and share what my next list says:

1. Travel to 2 new countries
2. Have the wedding of my dreams
3. Have the honeymoon of my dreams
4. Volunteer at least 5 times
5. Run 10 miles in a row at a 8.5 minute pace
6. Get a new tattoo
7. Get an old tattoo redesigned
8. Read an entire novel in Spanish
9. Have 1 travel story published in print
10. Take a cooking class
11. Take a photography class and if I have the money buy a new camera
12. Find the perfect lipstick
13. Go for a solo-hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains
14. Take a yoga class at least once a week
15. Attend a social media or blogging event
16. Surf at a new beach
17. Contact an old friend
18. Finally sell all of the stuff in my Ebay pile (okay, piles)
19. Watch a sunset
20. Watch a sunrise
21. Figure out my greatest weakness and realize how to make it my greatest strength
22. Write the 1st page in my future novel
23. Try a new restaurant once a month
24. Write a letter to myself to open when I am 50
25. Blog about my 3 different trips to Australia and my trip to Bolivia and Peru since they were each life changing trips
26. Drink more champagne
27. Eat more chocolate
28. Begin to study Portuguese
29. Look back and celebrate the past 28 years, where I have come from and what I have achieved, and prepare for the next 2 years before I turn the BIG 3-0

Me on my 27th Birthday at a surprise dinner!

This day was the kind of day that makes you feel like you are the luckiest person alive to be exploring the world.  Everything about it was simply perfect.  Kochi has been nicknamed the “Venice of the East” and we were going to be finding out why on a cruise of the Alleppey backwaters.

A view of Fort Cochin on our way to the backwaters.

My 1st sighting of the backwaters.

Once we arrived at Alleppey, which was about an hours drive from Fort Cochin, we boarded a houseboat that was formerly a rice barge used for transporting goods from isolated villages to the towns.

Me, the houseboat, and the captain.

The backwaters are a series of rivers and canals along the Kerala coastline.  It is one of the very few places on earth where farming is done below sea level.  I knew that it was going to be a serene ride, but I had no idea just how stunning the scenery would be along the way.  Alleppey is a haven to migratory birds and is fringed by palms and patty fields.  Life there revolves around the water.  Children are raised to learn how to swim before they walk and how to row a boat before riding a bicycle.  My idea of Paradise!

For some reason, as we began to float down the backwaters, the following song played in my head.  I thought it would be good background music while you enjoy the picturesque ride.

And so the ride begins!

Where would the houseboat take us next. . .

The people that had told me that the South was completely different from the North were absolutely correct.  In fact, I would go as far to say that you could draw a line in the middle of India to divide the nation into 2 countries–that is how widely different they are.  The most noticeable differences were the terrain, the weather, the look and the attitude of the people, the language, and the food.  Does that really leave anything else???

I am obsessed with the tropics, so I was already in love with Kochi before really exploring it.

If I see a palm tree, I am instantly smitten with the place!

Having just spent a week racing from one monument to another, I felt it was time to relax and enjoy my surroundings and for me the best way to do that was to spend the day at the beach.  My friend and I hired a taxi to take us to Cherai Beach, which is about 35km away from Kochi.  I had been told that Cherai Beach was different from other nearby beaches, as it is very clean with calm surf, making it ideal for swimming and sunbathing.

Another bonus of going to Cherai Beach was the view during the drive.

Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the photos I took during my time at the beach, which is a shame.  The beach itself was not the most beautiful one I had ever been to (though I did very much enjoy my time there), but there were hundreds of Indian women swimming in the ocean with their saris and it made for some stunning photos that I wish I still had.  I was definitely able to relax

After several hours it was time for some lunch and we headed to the Lonely Planet and New York Times recommended restaurant in Fort Cochin called Tea Pot.  They claimed to have the best dessert in all of India, which was named “Death by Chocolate.”  Since my friend and I are both chocoholics there was no other choice than to eat there.  Of course it was no surprise that the only people in the restaurant were tourists.  Overall it was a pleasant experience, however when in India, eat like the Indians do.

The inside of Tea Pot.

My back was starting to really hurt me from a week of sleeping in hard beds, so I decided to visit another Ayurvedic spa in hopes that a massage would help.  When I went to make an appointment I was sad to discover that they were completely booked for the rest of the day.  I then called to our hotel’s spa, which was a Western spa, and they did have an availability, although with a male massage therapist.  Normally that would have not bothered me in the least bit, since I am a medical professional, but I had seen the massage therapist at breakfast time and there was something about him that gave me the creeps.  Nonetheless, the pain I was experiencing won the battle over my intuition and I made the appointment.

The 1st 5 minutes of the massage were normal and I started to question just how good of an intuition I really had.  Then the massage therapist started to get closer and closer to places that only a lover should be touching me and before I knew it he was touching me in those places.  I asked him to stop and instead he asked me if I enjoyed it and why I was not making any noises.  He continued to touch me inappropriately and it took everything in me to not kick this guy in the face.  I quickly got off the table and started to dress.  As he was walking out the door, angry that I had ended the “massage” early, he confessed to me that he would not be able to sleep that night, as he would be thinking about my body.  I rushed back to my hotel room in order to take a shower and wash away the experience.  Even though I felt violated, I was more upset that I did not follow my initial intuition, something I had worked hard on to develop as a female traveler.

I did not want this terrible experience to ruin my fondness for Cochi, thus my friend and I went to watch the sunset along the water.  I am so delighted we did, because I was able to end the day with smile on my face.

It was time to say goodbye to Jaipur and begin the drive back to Delhi for our flight to Kochi.  I was not quite ready to leave the “Pink City” just yet, but I guess I am never ready to leave anywhere that enchants me.

A view of Jaipur from my hotel.

We drove one last time through “downtown” Jaipur and surprisingly I was able to take some nice photos from the bus window.

I was also able to capture some nice photos of Indian life along the rest of the drive as well, which took about 5 hours.

On our day and a half in Delhi, most of it was spent in Old Delhi.  As we were approaching the airport I was surprised by just how cosmopolitan part of the city was.  It had buildings that easily rivaled ones found in NYC to Hong Kong.

During our 5 days in the North of India, many Indians had told me that the South would seem like a completely different country.  I could not wait to find out if that was true!

On our way to the sari store we came across some more breathtaking scenery.  I am convinced now that no matter where you go in India you will stumble across something that is picture worthy.

Besides India oozing beauty from every corner within its border, another observation I continuously made was that as far as transportation goes, anything goes!

The man who owned the sari store that I was visiting wanted to show me how print making in India works.  I was pretty eager to try on some saris, however I obliged once I was given some chai and cookies.

When I was about 8 years old I vividly remember my father returning from his month long business trip to India for 2 reasons: 1) he was beyond sick with “Delhi Belly” and 2) he brought me back the most gorgeous pink sari.  Over the years I played dress up with it so much so that it eventually was unwearable and I believe thrown away.  It had crossed my mind from time to time and before I left for my trip I promised myself that I would look at replacing it with a new one.

As we entered the part of the store where the saris were sold I was immediately overwhelmed by the selection that I was to choose from.  There had to be over a thousand!  The man helping me quickly selected a multi-colored one for me to try on.  It took about 5 minutes to get it on just right, as putting on a sari is an incredibly intricate process.

My 1st look.

While the 1st sari I tried on was undoubtedly a work of art, I wanted to try and find the sari my father had purchased for me 2 decades ago.  I told the man exactly what it looked like and sure enough he found it!

I am in love!!!

After much consideration, I decided against purchasing it.  I knew that my days of playing dress up were long gone and that the opportunity to wear it would probably never arise.  Also, the process of putting it on was just too complicated for me.  I did, however, purchase a kurta and a blanket; 2 things I knew I would get a lot of use out of.

Me and the salesman who was convinced I was a famous actress from the US.

On our way out of the store I saw a woman spinning yarn.  She looked beautiful in her sari and it made me question whether or not I made the right decision.

But, then I thought, well now I have yet another reason to come back to India!

Yesterday, I was honored with an award by GO! Overseas for having one of the best travel blogs on India.  I am humbled with this news, though I must admit I feel like I had some help, since I think it is impossible to not write something interesting about India, as it is THAT fascinating of a country!  Nonetheless, I accept this award with deep pride and I hope that my dear readers will continue to enjoy my tales.

After exploring the Amber Fort and witnessing its splendor, I do not understand why it is not considered 1 of the 7 wonders of the world?  As we followed the signs for the exit I was just floored with these departing views.

"The Great Wall of India."

One of the last things I saw before leaving were 2 snake charmers.  Of course I had to get closer and be part of the action.  If you know me personally or have been following my blog, then you know that I have a thing about wildlife.  Besides, this cobra had nothing on the anaconda I wore around my neck in Brasil!

And I could not think of a more perfect departing shot than this:

Next we were off to try on some saris. . .